Posts tagged Design

Why Tumblr Is Kicking Posterous's Ass

Design really is the differentiator these days.  Boxee (vs. Roku), Mint (vs. Quicken Online, pre-acquisition), Gmail (vs. Yahoo — although I’m questionable about this one), Facebook (vs. Friendster).

Lesson: make it easy on the user.

This error message is a failure. In case you can’t see, it reads: “Unable to find path to server. To trace this connection, use File - Preferences - Users Preferences - Ports - Trace (Notes client) or Trace command (Domino server)” Error messages are meant to keep us on track—to tell us when we’ve exceeded the bounds of what’s allowed and guide us back to permissible action.  To perform that function, an error message should be (1) clear and (2) helpful.  This message is neither: Clear. Path to server; trace; ports; Notes client; Domino server.  This reads like a technical manual. By most measures, I’m a computer nerd, and even I get lost in here.  I’d bet 99% of users don’t know what half of these terms mean. This was written for IT, not the end user.  That’s like prioritizing the mechanic over the driver. Helpful to some, but not those you should care about most. Helpful. To “trace” this connection (whatever that means), I have to walk through 5 submenus.  Five!  Of course, before I do that, I have to write down what the menu order is, since this pop up will go away as soon as I click OK (and I can’t access the menus until I click OK).  How is that at all helpful to me?  What if I don’t have a pen?  What if I have a spotty memory?  What if the avalanche of technical terms simply meld together? A better message.  Look, I’ll ignore the fact that I have to tell Lotus Notes what kind of internet connection I’m on (or not on)—that’s an absurdity for another day—but I’d settle for an error message that read something like this: “Lotus Notes cannot find your email server. We can try to fix the problem, or you can continue your work offline.  What would you like to do? [Fix the problem] (i.e., run the “trace” command) [Work offline] (i.e., switch to “Island” mode)

This error message is a failure.

In case you can’t see, it reads: “Unable to find path to server. To trace this connection, use File - Preferences - Users Preferences - Ports - Trace (Notes client) or Trace command (Domino server)”

Error messages are meant to keep us on track—to tell us when we’ve exceeded the bounds of what’s allowed and guide us back to permissible action.  To perform that function, an error message should be (1) clear and (2) helpful.  This message is neither:

  1. Clear. Path to server; trace; ports; Notes client; Domino server.  This reads like a technical manual. By most measures, I’m a computer nerd, and even I get lost in here.  I’d bet 99% of users don’t know what half of these terms mean. This was written for IT, not the end user.  That’s like prioritizing the mechanic over the driver. Helpful to some, but not those you should care about most.
  2. Helpful. To “trace” this connection (whatever that means), I have to walk through 5 submenus.  Five!  Of course, before I do that, I have to write down what the menu order is, since this pop up will go away as soon as I click OK (and I can’t access the menus until I click OK).  How is that at all helpful to me?  What if I don’t have a pen?  What if I have a spotty memory?  What if the avalanche of technical terms simply meld together?

A better message.  Look, I’ll ignore the fact that I have to tell Lotus Notes what kind of internet connection I’m on (or not on)—that’s an absurdity for another day—but I’d settle for an error message that read something like this:

“Lotus Notes cannot find your email server. We can try to fix the problem, or you can continue your work offline.  What would you like to do?

[Fix the problem] (i.e., run the “trace” command)

[Work offline] (i.e., switch to “Island” mode)

The NY Times Innovation Portfolio

A showcase of everything the NY Times visualization crew is up to.  Beautiful, interesting things going on over there.

feltron: http://www.wardshelley.com/paintings/pages/autobiography.html

feltron:

http://www.wardshelley.com/paintings/pages/autobiography.html

feltron

Hulu’s doing great work.  When emailing a video from Hulu, you can use sliders to choose the start and end times for the clip.  It’s possible at Youtube, but only with a url hack.  Hulu’s solution is simpler for the user without sacrificing any utility.  It’s better. Side note: Here’s the video I noticed this on.  Not quite Impossible is the Opposite of Possible, but pretty damn funny.

Hulu’s doing great work.  When emailing a video from Hulu, you can use sliders to choose the start and end times for the clip.  It’s possible at Youtube, but only with a url hack.  Hulu’s solution is simpler for the user without sacrificing any utility.  It’s better.

Side note: Here’s the video I noticed this on.  Not quite Impossible is the Opposite of Possible, but pretty damn funny.

I love when software has personality. The bottom three bullets are funny (and the last one is very, very true). edit: this comes from Google Chrome

I love when software has personality. The bottom three bullets are funny (and the last one is very, very true).

edit: this comes from Google Chrome

Human or Furball?

I love this toggle.  If the red-eye toggle depends on the software’s ability to distinguish an eye from the surrounding area, then the color/texture of the surrounding area is required information.  So why not ask in the most common-sense language possible?

btw, that’s my parents’ dog Lexie.  She just turned one (note the tiara)

52 Weeks of UX: It's The Little Things

The restaurant is fairly full on this warm Sunday night at SXSW. The lights are low and the place has a back-woodsy charm about it. There is a small 4-piece band tucked away in the corner. The drummer keeps things swinging with just a snare and high-hat. There’s a man playing the upright bass…

There’s pretty strong support to the idea that people remember their first and last impressions of an event more clearly than what goes on in the middle (i.e., most of it).  It’s the little things, yes, but it’s the first and last little things even more.  

52weeksofux

Why I like my web apps simple (to start)

The amount of time I’m willing to spend learning a new software product directly correlates to the price I paid for it.

Since I pay nothing for web apps, they get about five minutes of my time.  A quick straw poll of friends reveals I’m not alone in this.

The lesson: for freemium/free apps, the key to adoption is simplicity.

Note: thinking about this reminded me of a post last month from Paul Buchheit: If your product is Great, it doesn’t need to be Good.  Well worth the read.

jared: H&FJ explains four ways to mix fonts with the best of them. (via: ninakix)

jared:

H&FJ explains four ways to mix fonts with the best of them.

(via: ninakix)

typography.com

Crane Lamps

ninakix:

Studio Job created these crane-inspired lamps. (via)

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always had a soft spot for any industrial art involving lighting.

ninakix

Check out the subtle survey pop in the lower-righthand corner. File this under practice what you preach. Unfortunately, as a first-time visitor, none of the answers fit me.

Check out the subtle survey pop in the lower-righthand corner.

File this under practice what you preach.

Unfortunately, as a first-time visitor, none of the answers fit me.

Kinetic sculpture of SF made entirely from toothpicks (via: Boing Boing)

Kinetic sculpture of SF made entirely from toothpicks

(via: Boing Boing)

There are no absolutes on the web. The reality is that like a lot of science - like chemistry or physics - in the beginning we use very simple models and as our knowledge and understanding of the field grows, these models become out of date. As our understanding of the many various edge cases increase we develop newer, more complex models.
52 Weeks of UX: UX Insights: an interview with Andy Budd

52weeksofux