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‘Usability’ archive

Monthly usability testing with Steve Krug

Posted in Boagworld Bites, Usability on the 03-03-2010 | 1 Comment

Steve Krug, usability expert and author of “Don’t make me Think”, shares with us his unique approach to usability.

University course finders suck

Posted in Usability on the 06-08-2009 | 6 Comments

I see a lot of University websites and the one area that consistently fails to deliver is the course finder.

Case Study: Wiltshire Farm Foods

Posted in Usability on the 23-04-2009 | 11 Comments

One of the biggest challenges of running a successful website is balancing the needs of users with those of the business. This is especially true when an existing business model conflicts with user needs.

Three secrets to simplicity

Posted in Usability on the 03-03-2009 | 13 Comments

Many website owners damage their sites by continually adding features and content when they should be simplifying. In this post I reveal why that happens and how to simplify your website.

Content is dead, long live context

Posted in Usability on the 11-07-2008 | 7 Comments

No, content is not dead. Yes content is important, but there can only be one king and I am beginning to wonder if it is context.

Lessons from the O2 failure

Posted in Usability on the 07-07-2008 | 43 Comments

I don’t want to start ranting about the debacle that was upgrading via the O2 website, from my iphone to the iphone 3G. However, there are a couple of things we can learn about good site design from their mistakes.

Defying conventions

Posted in Usability on the 30-05-2008 | 6 Comments

As the web matures an increasing number of conventions are emerging. But should we always follow the crowd?

Friendly web addresses

Posted in Tech/Development, Usability on the 11-05-2008 | 21 Comments

When redesigning boagworld considerable time was spent formatting the sites’ web addresses. In this post I explain why so much time was taken and introduce you to the tools I used.

What goes into a user testing script

Posted in Usability on the 29-02-2008 | 4 Comments

I have talked before about the benefits of user testing. I have discussed how to user test on a budget. Now, I want to look at some basics that go into every usability test script.

The profit and loss of usability

Posted in Usability on the 31-01-2008 | 2 Comments

We have looked a number of times before at user testing but have never really asked why it is important.

Common mistakes of site structure

Posted in Usability on the 21-12-2007 | 6 Comments

Although information architecture work is highly skilled and best left to the genius of people like Garrett Dimon the reality is that everybody from designers to website owners find themselves working on it. So what are the most common mistakes and how do we avoid them?

Quick and dirty wireframes

Posted in Usability on the 06-12-2007 | 6 Comments

I am currently in the process of wireframing an internal project that we are working on at Headscape. It occurred to me that despite the fact that wireframes are a fundamental tool of web design, they are not something I have spoken about before.

Bargain basement usability testing

Posted in Usability on the 28-11-2007 | 5 Comments

There is a lot written about usability testing both online and off. However, except for “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug they all seem to make it sound very complicated and expensive. So here is the boagworld guide to bargain basement usability testing.

Making the most of the footer

Posted in Usability on the 04-09-2007 | 3 Comments

The footer is the graveyard of many websites. The place where links are sent to die. However it doesn’t have to be that way.

A new way to visualize your desktop

Posted in Usability on the 29-06-2007 | 8 Comments

Bumptop is a new way to work with files that mirrors much more closing the experience of interacting with your desk in the physical universe. You can stack files, throw them around and even crumple them up in a 3D environment.

The importance of Undo

Posted in Usability on the 13-06-2007 | 5 Comments

Many internet users lack confidence when interacting with the web. It is our job as web designers to try and reassure them and provide a safety net when things go wrong. Providing various methods by which users can undo actions is a useful crutch to the less confident user.

Keeping your home page clean

Posted in Design, Usability on the 16-05-2007 | 14 Comments

One of the most common sticking points I encounter when developing a website is the sign off of the home page. Client’s want to cram it with as much content as possible, while the designer is seeking to maintain the integrity of the design. So, what is the best way of avoiding this kind of confrontation?

Non hierarchical navigation

Posted in Usability on the 27-02-2007 | 8 Comments

Just occasionally you come across a website that just doesn’t fit the normal pattern of things. Headscape was recently approach by a potential client who had literally hundreds of thousands of web pages which were almost impossible to organise into a traditional information architecture. They wanted us to suggest some alternatives and so I thought I would share with you my response.

Dump your information architecture

Posted in Usability on the 07-08-2006 | 20 Comments

Do you run a website made up of thousands of pages? If so, then you may want to consider listening to an excellent presentation by Russ Weakley. He proposes an interesting new approach to the information architecture of large sites.

Statstastic! Jakob loves his stats

Posted in Usability on the 01-08-2006 | 6 Comments

I am currently reading Jakob Nielsen’s new book “Prioritizing Web Usability” and would highly recommend it for any user experience designer. The book is packed with some excellent statistics and I thought I would share a few of them with you.

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