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Archive for September, 2009

Eye Tracking Heatmap Gallery: A Preview & Discussion of UI Considerations

Over the past month I’ve toiled away on a special project:  a gallery of 51 simulated eye tracking heatmaps featuring the homepages of popular websites.  The heatmaps cover a variety of industries including travel, consumer retail, media, government &… read more

Failing Gracefully: Four Solutions for Wrong Registration Email Addresses on Alltop.com

I type wicked fast. My fingers sometimes bang away at the keys at a rate faster than I can think.  But for all my mad typing skizzles, I’m a horrible speller.  And for all my speed, I’m hampered by habitual use of the delete/backspace key.  I’ve used it probably seven… read more

Usability – The Delayed Frontier

People want less information, they don’t want more information. They want it to be easier for them to use. Easier for them to get what they want. Easier for them to do what they want to do. The next big breakthrough, in my mind, is going to come from the

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Decision Analysis: Killing Elements in UI Designs

A general principle for all user interface design is to go through all of your design elements and remove them one at a time. If the design works as well without a certain design element, kill it.

- Jakob Nielsen

Going to Interactive Strategies 2009?

I’ll be there, albeit sans voice. (Don’t worry, totally not contagious – asthma.)

Also, I’m a bit shy around a room full of people I don’t know, so I’ve come up with an incentive (I hope) to break the ice.  If you see me, say hello (and… read more

An Analogy

Let’s say you’re new to Houston and you need a place to live. You’re in Texas, so you don’t want any old house – you want a ranch. A palatial homestead that’s guaranteed to be the envy of all your friends and family.

A plot of land secured, you… read more