Why We Wireframe

As a usability and user experience evangelist, I’ve often been asked about the benefits of wireframes, especially in the early days of the web. Here are my top (very high level) reasons for including the wireframe stage in the design process.

Cost Savings
Testing with prototypes helps ensure that a… read more

World Usability Day 2010

World Usability Day 2010 is fast approaching! And the folks here at Normal Modes are geeked out. There’s nothing we like better than a sleek, elegant user experience, whether it’s a great web site, a well-planned interior design, or a comfy chair.

So join us in celebrating on November 11.… read more

User Expectations and POLA.

The other day I was grabbing a salad and some spring rolls for lunch at an upscale grocery store in Houston. I used my debit card to pay, which is an almost daily exercise for most of us. Entering my PIN and clicking through the screens is such an ingrained… read more

Not Just Any User

A recent TechCrunch article reported that Google is offering $75 in American Express gift checks to participate in a 60-minute usability test of features being developed for Blogger, its blog creation site that competes with WordPress.  Google is looking for participants who are 18 years of age or older,… read more

Keep your users’ eyes on the prize

Let me introduce myself since I’m new to Normal Modes and hence to the blog.  My name is Sara and I’m a User Experience Consultant.  My background is in Computer Science and I specialized in Human-Computer Interaction for my Master’s degree.

What I particularly enjoyed studying while in graduate school… read more

Consider the User Experience & Usability of Your Website – from the Mom 2.0 Summit

Last week I had the honor to be a speaker at the Mom 2.0 Summit. The conference was fabulous – great ladies who were kind and supportive of each other, nice panels where everyone shared experiences, and the hotel – Wow! Four Seasons all the way!

Here’s the slideshow… read more