It’s easy to forget how useful it is to watch less technical people use some common programs, and how helpful observation is as a tool to understand the ‘average’ user. I recently watched someone using MS Word (2003 I think), and it was…enlightening. They made a large number of ‘errors’ when using MS Word, but…
read moreSteve Krug’s new book, Rocket Surgery Made Easy, aims to be the only book someone new to user experience will need to start performing usability testing on their company's website. And, with a few qualifying remarks, it is. Krug’s previous book, Don’t Make Me Think, aimed to introduce the idea of web usability to a…
read morePlayers expect loading times, and recognise that they are a necessary evil. It’s a given that most, if not all games, will have them. Since a loading screen is encountered by the player multiple times, it’s important to think about their experience when they encounter these screens, as it will undoubtedly form part of their…
read moreWhen running a website, its important to make sure that the user can achieve their goal with the minimal fuss. This is especially important if you are selling, or trying to sell, a commercial service. I recently had to use surveymonkey.com, a site I’ve used a few times in the past to construct online surveys.…
read moreThe uncanny valley is a theory describing how, as games and robotics produce more accurate representations of humanity, people’s reactions towards them are increasingly negative. This is also true with the production of wireframes, and in user experience testing and is something user centred designers need to be aware of. The A similar phenomena can…
read more