Reviewing User Interfaces

Reviewing User Interfaces

Designing a user interface based proven usability principles or based on product requirement guidelines may be an easier task. But reviewing the nitty-gritties of user interface is a very intelligent task, as this process can also be attributed to 'user interface holistic testing'. It can be layered technique of reviewing user interface components of in depth testing and reviewing of them. Normally what we call expert review could be done even before the design implementation to weed out the redundancies of the interface.

Has your boss or a client ever asked you to review a user interface for a Web or desktop application? Perhaps the request went something like this: Can you just look over these new screens for us? Oh, and can you check the error messages, too? It won’t take long! And, by the way, we ship next month. Whether you are an interaction designer, usability professional, technical communicator, quality assurance engineer, or developer, reviewing a user interface typically means identifying :

• usability problems related to
• - the layout, logical flow, and structure of the interface
• - inconsistencies in the design
• non-compliance with standards
• ambiguous wording in labels, dialog boxes, error messages, and onscreen user assistance
• functional errors

While user interface (UI) reviews often occur at the end of the development cycle, I recommend that you get involved early in the process, preferably when the designers create the initial wireframes or paper prototypes. Why? Making changes early in the process reduces development costs. Plus, if you identify usability issues early, it’s much more likely the team can remedy them before launch, preventing bad reviews like that shown in Figure 1, negative word-of-mouth, and the lost sales that result from them.

>> Read more about 'Reviewing User Interfaces'

Babels of slum and Rahman

Babels of slum and Rahman

Today, my morning started with Oscar awards show in TV. It was the triumph moments for Indian movie fraternity. Slumdog Millionaire won many awards . I am sure that's what the pinnacle minute for director and everyone. Awards came to most of movie departments except except for acting department, I am sure acting part was not nominated ! 

Personally I liked the movie for its technical enrichment. Story & acting wise it's just another ordinary weaving. I was sure editing would win the award as movie's asli strength is in its tight editing.

Though Rahman won award for background score, he was 'the best' in Lagaan and I'm sure he missed academy award for it, though he was nominated for it or not. Certainly music in Slumdog Millionaire was not top notch v/s his other compositions. May be sound engineering has given a special attraction for the background score. You should listen to his Azaadi song in netaji subhash chandra bose -movie, that's the best rendering than jai ho.

But again it's proved. you do gods-own-quality movie, unless it's marketed well to International audience with much fan fare, no movie is going to win academy awards. I was quite curious about what Indian netizens think about it. I am sure there's a better place to record their voices and chaos in rediff discussion

The $300 Million "Continue" Button

The $300 Million "Continue" Button

Do usability analysis and implementation still holds a profitable edge for corporations ? Certainly. And it mattes a most when co can earn $300 million just by renaming the button :) !

Seems exaggerating at first glance, but this is the true facet of effective and usable design if much forethought is put into practice while designing a user experience. I am sure, not only intelligent interface design matters but also, usability analyst should have good foresight business needs and comparative analysis of design implementation. This is about registering process in a website where registering and entering valid email ID is very much needed to continue in the site.

Given a scenario of fast business trend and bursting competitive edge, I am sure this is one niche example of usability-school-of-thought:

UIE studied people actually using the site, and it turns out that the prospect of registering was enough to turn some users away; meanwhile, even return users had problems logging in because they didn't remember the email address or password they signed up with. (45% of users apparently had multiple registrations—a few had up to 10.) Granted, these represented a small portion of users. But for a retailer with $25 billion, even small portions signify huge lost profits.

So UIE redesigned the site, replacing the "register" button with "continue." They also added a message, saying that registering wasn't required to checkout, but was optional and might be helpful if you returned.

Sales went up 45%—$15 million in the first month, and $300 million in the first year.

Given UIE's success, it's a wonder how often you still see byzantine registration forms on websites. But there's a bigger lesson: That empirical research into how people actually behave matters far more than the intuitions of any designer, no matter how experienced that designer might be.

More at: The $300 Million "Continue" Button
and also at uie.com

Corporate Accessibility

Corporate Accessibility

Good web development and standards based development, which one is right or wrong ? If a web application is compliant to web standards based development, will that be fine to call it as a good web development ?Do corporations really put time and money in making the website fully accessible web app ? And what point is called 'accessibly compliant' web app ? Ensuring if it's achieved AA or AAA ? I found a interesting article about these details:

One problem with corporate accessibility is that while corporations generally care about accessibility in the abstract. which can lead to a grudging attempt to be accessible, because a corporate lawyer will naturally try to do the minimum required to stay in compliance; minimizing risk while minimizing costs.

The way to overcome this is to focus on the customer. I find the following arguments successful in getting accessibility discussed in a positive, “good-to-have” way rather than in a legal compliance “oh-well-if-we-must” way:

• Accessibility is good for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Accessibility enhances usability for everyone. An April 2004 formal investigation into UK web accessibility (PDF) reported "all users, not just disabled people, would benefit greatly from the measures required to make sites accessible and usable by blind people".
• Accessibility has many quantifiable business benefits (PDF). Legal and General, a British financial services company, redesigned its site with accessibility in mind and found:
  • 40% traffic increase
  • Doubled conversion rates
  • Doubled online revenue
  • 100% ROI in 5 months

Find more in Think Vitamin > accessibility

Iranian painter, Iman Maleki

Iranian painter, Iman Maleki

Find mesmerizing and very realistic looking paintings of Iranian painter, Iman Maleki. He is undoubtedly a genius whose works are much better than Expressionistic or Cubist works. I like to appreciate his effort to create a slice of life in painting just using canvas, oil paint and some pencil work. Web link: imanmaleki.com

Also I found similar kind of paint work of Shahrad Malek Fazeli at shahrad's website.

When, who owns that money

When, who owns that money

Oflate there's a huge surge in channels covering India news. I still remember one point of time only DD news was the source of news for long time. And aajtak was the king of sansani news, all cooked instant news to be precise. They also showed -"art of killing a news channel". Anyway point is who-owns-who in media. And as money is the name of the game, everyone are forced to work for it and precisely it matters a most- when who owns that money.

I got few forward mails from my friends about major media companies owned and operated in interest of the owners, in which news should always considered as unbiased and ethical. I found this interesting piece of info related to the same. And here's the comment of some one called Renj Nair, just following the article. It's so true specially when young generation living in quick bites of life. Has not time to dwell into the depth of news and believes what they see is what is right:

I don’t know If I am correct.Otherwise there is a serious conspiracy going on this country by these new founded intellectual Pseudo Secularists.We must be able to differentiate what is right and what is wrong as these channels are targeting young urban population mixing news with bit of masalas and Tabloid especially the Hip-hop culture. They are not aware that their credibility and neutrality is being lost infront of the masses.In India Media ethics is a neglected truth.It is the era of family run businesses for personal and political gains.In the name of freedom of speech they are misleading the people to make thier own profit and gains.

>> Link to who controls indian media ?

Vote Nobody !

Vote Nobody !

Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section "49-O" that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone!

Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called "49-O".

Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the con test ants will be removed and they cannot con test the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way; of our whole political system... it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public....

Please spread this news to as many as you know... Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India ... show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting... so don't miss your chance. So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on...

Use your voting right for a better INDIA .

via | Abhishek

Japanese fish

Japanese fish

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.

To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought lower price.

So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive.

Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish. So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they manage to get fresh-tasting fish to Japan?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state. The fish are challenged.

As soon as you reach your goals, such as finding a wonderful mate, starting a successful company, paying off your debts or whatever, you might lose your passion. You don't need to work so hard so you relax.

Like the Japanese fish problem, the best solution is simple. L. Ron Hubbard observed it in the early 1950's. "Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment."

The Benefits of a Challenge: The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are, the more you enjoy a good problem. If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those challenges, you are happy. You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. You have fun. You are alive!

Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are!

Via | Sreenivas