Interface Hall of Shame: Lotus Notes
“Lotus Notes 4.6 contains almost every example of inefficient design illustrated thoughout the entire Hall of Shame site.” (Isys Information Architects)
All posts from
July 2002
What an IA Should Know About Prototypes for User Testing
“There are several important factors to consider when you are planning to do prototyping for user testing. You will want to make careful choices about fidelity, level of interactivity and the medium of your prototype.” (Chris Farnum – Boxes and Arrows)
Why Free Software Usability Tends To Suck
“(…) the vast majority of open-source projects are also volunteer projects; and it seems that the use of volunteers to drive development inevitably leads the interface design to suck.” (Matthew Thomas)
Website Structural Navigation
“The structural navigation bar is becoming a ubiquitous element on many websites. (…) This experiment tests whether this type of navigational reference is truly valuable.” (N. Lazar and M. Eisenbrey – SHORE 2000)
Is Branding Compatible with Web Usability?
“Visual branding is typically based on the use of large graphics, text that is set as graphics, and special effects such as frames, image maps, custom navigation icons, and animated text and graphics.” (Roger C. Parker – GraphicsIQ)
The Interface in the Environment
“(…) always be on the lookout for the unexpected.” (Frank Long – frontend.com Usability InfoCentre)
Getting Established: ED for the Enterprise
Presentation at the 5th AIGA Advance for Design Summit (Louis Rosenfeld)
Diagrammatic Reasoning
“(…) a central repository for information pertaining to the investigation of reasoning with visual representations.” (Michael Anderson – University of Hartford, CT, USA)
Talking with Terry Winograd
Reading Online News: A Comparison of Three Presentation Formats
“(…) this study addressed the question of how information should be presented within a news-style web page.” (SURL Usability News)
Information Ecology: Bayer’s Book of Maps
“One of the purposes of information design is to realize a vivid experience of content.” (Nate Burgos – Boxes and Arrows)
You Are Here: Maps 101
“Maps are one of the most basic (and informative) infographics.” (Lee McCormack – Boxes and Arrows)
Depth vs Breadth in the Arrangement of Web Links
“The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of depth and breadth of web site structure on the user response time.” (P. Zaphiris and L. Mtei – OTAL University of Maryland)
The Shape of Information
Information design isn’t just a textual exercise. Today, it’s a basic component of all good design. (Paul Makovsky – Metropolis Magazine)
Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy
“(…) copy can address some of the most pressing challenges facing your business online.” (Nick Usborne)
Content and Complexity
The Role of Content in Information Design (Michael J. Albers (ed.) and Beth Mazur (ed.) – Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.)
Web Style Guide – 2nd Edition
“From its inception in 1994, the principal aim of Web Style Guide has been to provide a thorough and accessible guide to Web design for developers around the world” (Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton)
Thom’s Story
“I wasn’t born an information architect.” (Thom Haller – Info.Design)
The Elements of User Experience
“The aim of the book is to give readers the big picture of Web user experience development, focusing on ideas rather than tools or techniques.” (Jesse James Garrett – coming in September 2002)
The Culture of Usability
“How To Spend Less And Get More From Your Usability-Testing Program” (Janice Fraser – New Architect)