December 2004

Visio Stencils for Information Architects

"The Visio stencils on this page are free for downloading and using. They are designed to aid the work of Information Architects. In short, they are not for everyone, you may want to familiarize yourself with common IA practices before trying to use these stencils." (Nick Finck)

Posted by PJB on December 31, 2004 | Classification: Information architecture | Comments (0) | Permalink

The Future of Independent Media

"(...) our assessment of the coming opportunities and challenges, as we see them, for the field of independent media, and, by extension, for any organization or individual that will be affected by the new media landscape - which is to say, all of us." (Andrew Blau - Global Business Network)

Posted by PJB on December 29, 2004 | Classification: Weblogs | Comments (0) | Permalink

Evaluating Museum Websites using Design Patterns 

"This report describes a detailed study of thee museum websites in order to determine the general characteristics and issues in museum site design. The sites of the Rijksmuseum, the Louvre, and the Guggenheim were analyzed in depth using an existing collection of design patterns as the main evaluation tool." (Martijn van Welie)

Posted by PJB on December 28, 2004 | Classification: Patterns | Comments (0) | Permalink

Semantic Learning Webs

"If current research is successful there will be a plethora of e-learning platforms making use of a varied menu of reusable educational material or learning objects. For the learner, the semanticized Web will, in addition, offer rich seams of diverse learning resources over and above the course materials (or learning objects) specified by course designers. This much is already in development. But we can go much further. Semantic technologies make it possible not only to reason about the Web as if it is one extended knowledge base but also to provide a range of additional educational semantic web services such as summarization, interpretation or sense-making, structure-visualization, and support for argumentation." (Knowledge Management Institute Reports)

Posted by PJB on December 27, 2004 | Classification: Metadata | Comments (0) | Permalink

The year search became personal

"This is perhaps the Holy Grail of search, understanding what it is you are looking for and providing it quickly. The problem is that no one yet knows how to get there." (BBC News)

Posted by PJB on December 26, 2004 | Classification: Search | Comments (0) | Permalink

10x10

"(...) an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that define the time. The result is an often moving, sometimes shocking, occasionally frivolous, but always fitting snapshot of our world. Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life." (About 10x10)

Posted by PJB on December 25, 2004 | Classification: Patterns | Comments (0) | Permalink

Achitecture of the World Wide Web, Volume One

"The World Wide Web uses relatively simple technologies with sufficient scalability, efficiency and utility that they have resulted in a remarkable information space of interrelated resources, growing across languages, cultures, and media. In an effort to preserve these properties of the information space as the technologies evolve, this architecture document discusses the core design components of the Web. They are identification of resources, representation of resource state, and the protocols that support the interaction between agents and resources in the space. We relate core design components, constraints, and good practices to the principles and properties they support." (W3C)

Posted by PJB on December 23, 2004 | Classification: Technology | Comments (0) | Permalink

Real World Objects as Media for Augmenting Human Memory  

"This paper describes wearable interfaces for augmenting human memory, i.e., providing users with functions for archiving, transporting, exchanging, and retrieving their experiences by employing real world objects as memory storage, in everyday life." (Yasuyuki Kono et al. - Workshop on Multi-User and Ubiquitous User Interfaces 2004)

Posted by PJB on December 22, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

What The User Experience Community Thinks

"It's hard to break into the user experience community unless you were born wearing their official T-shirt. (...) Who are these user design people, I often wonder, and why do they sound so angry about their work and each other?" (Kimberly Krause Berg)

Posted by PJB on December 21, 2004 | Classification: User experience | Comments (0) | Permalink

Maeda's SIMPLICITY Blog

"SIMPLICITY is an experimental research program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, focused on developing technologies for design - designs that are simpler to understand, easier to use, and, ultimately, more enjoyable." (John Maeda - Simplicity) - courtesy of victor lombardi

Posted by PJB on December 20, 2004 | Classification: Weblogs | Comments (0) | Permalink

Situate Follow-Ups in Context

"Make new or follow-up information easily accessible from the location of the original information or transaction." (Jakob Nielsen - Alertbox)

Posted by PJB on December 20, 2004 | Classification: Usability | Comments (0) | Permalink

Web content management comes of age in 2004

"2004 was a year when web content came of age, as more and more organizations recognized it as an asset, not some commodity. More and more organizations have begun to put content first, technology second." (Gerry McGovern)

Posted by PJB on December 19, 2004 | Classification: Content management | Comments (0) | Permalink

From Interactions to Transactions: Designing the Trust Experience for Business-to-Consumer e-Commerce

"Business-to-consumer electronic commerce on the Internet has revolutionised the purchase of products and services by giving consumers round the clock access to worldwide providers. However, B2C e-commerce has also shown to be associated with a myriad of factors hindering adoption and usage by private customers. Such factors include concerns regarding security and privacy, the unfamiliarity of some online services, lack of direct interaction with products, salespeople and fellow shoppers and the generally low credibility of online information. These factors were collectively defined as 'trust issues', as they refer to a purchase decision customers have to make in a situation of uncertainty and risk." (Florian N. Egger - ecommuse)

Posted by PJB on December 19, 2004 | Classification: User experience | Comments (0) | Permalink

The User Experience Community to Thinking Too Small

"It's done people -- read Business Week instead of Alertbox for a change, and you'll see everyone is already on board! Hass and Standford are adding design to their curriculum, the MFA is the new MBA, and so on and so on... They are sold on what you do: now you have to actually live up to their expectations. Scared yet?" (Christina Wodtke)

Posted by PJB on December 19, 2004 | Classification: User experience | Comments (0) | Permalink

The User Experience Community is Thinking Too Big

"One could argue that user experience is just as, if not more, important than say development but at the moment, we don't have the understanding and penetration that the staffing reflects this. If anything, UX staffing is one tenth or even one hundredth of development." (Kevin Cheng - OK/Cancel) - courtesy of nick finck

Posted by PJB on December 19, 2004 | Classification: User experience | Comments (0) | Permalink

Usable Type: Typography for the World Wide Web

"(...) font sizing is probably the most complicated and controversial aspect of web typography." (Andrew Hume)

Posted by PJB on December 17, 2004 | Classification: Typography | Comments (0) | Permalink

Google Suggest improves search's web scent

"Why is this huge? Because the biggest problem with search as it exists today is that users can't know what lies on the other side of that Submit button. It could be nothing, it could be just what they are looking for - how to know ahead of time?" (Brett Lider - every breath death defying)

Posted by PJB on December 16, 2004 | Classification: Search | Comments (0) | Permalink

Yahoo! Video Search beta

"Search for videos across the web." (Yahoo!) - courtesy of searchblog

Posted by PJB on December 16, 2004 | Classification: Search | Comments (0) | Permalink

Social Aspects of Digital Information in Perspective

"This collection of articles will give JoDI readers a sample of the insights that social informatics studies can bring to understanding digital information design, use and implementation. It is a vibrant field that draws contributions from academics and practitioners in a wide range of disciplines. It is sometimes difficult to find these works scattered among the many journals in which they are published." (Journal of Digital Information 5.4)

Posted by PJB on December 16, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

The Marriage of Presentation and Structure

"Like marriage, just because you don't know what you're getting into doesn't mean you can't have fun with it." (Molly E. Holzschlag and Ethan Marcotte)

Posted by PJB on December 15, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

What the Hell is the Fibonacci Series?

"In the 12th century, Leonardo Fibonacci discovered a simple numerical series that is the foundation for an incredible mathematical relationship behind phi." (Textism) - courtesy of antenna

Posted by PJB on December 14, 2004 | Classification: Information graphics | Comments (0) | Permalink

The History of Memory Techniques Leading to Mind Maps

"Mind Maps are an incredibly powerful memory tool that have been compared to having a 'Swiss army knife for the brain'. I am going to take you on a voyage of discovery that will take you, step by step, through the experiences, frustrations and explorations of one brain who found memory becoming his life's passion and work." (Tony Buzan - Map it!) - courtesy of xblog

Posted by PJB on December 14, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

Pulling sense out of today's informational chaos

"The informational overload currently facing Western society is changing the way we understand the world as well as rendering obsolete our current ways of managing information and creating knowledge. With these changes in mind, I will examine the blogging service LiveJournal as a new and more applicable way of managing information and creating knowledge in today’s society." (Kate Raynes–Goldie - First Monday December 2004)

Posted by PJB on December 12, 2004 | Classification: Weblogs | Comments (0) | Permalink

InterMedia: Designing design

Interface and interaction: Social software - Thursday, 9 December 2004 (Seminar Series) - courtesy of heyblog

Posted by PJB on December 12, 2004 | Classification: Events | Comments (0) | Permalink

The Future of Digital Product Design 

Dirks presentation from BayDUX on December 8, 2004 - "The term 'user' is outdated and dehumanizing, but it is understood and accepted by most organizations in our industry. (...) Every member of a UX Design team should be involved in different types and levels of research. It should be hard-coded into every function. Research is the most important part of good design." (Dirk Knemeyer - Involution Studios LLC)

Posted by PJB on December 09, 2004 | Classification: User experience | Comments (0) | Permalink

Information Design Watch Dec. 2004

"(...) an insightful monthly briefing on information design issues and ideas." (Subscribe Dynamic Diagrams Newsletter)

Posted by PJB on December 08, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

Funding Enterprise Design Functions

"(...) I encourage placing enterprise design functions in the hands of a central, stand-alone team or business unit. Such a group has a broad perspective that counterbalances the localized goals of autonomous business units. But our new team will be a cost center; how do we pay for it?" (Louis Rosenfeld)

Posted by PJB on December 08, 2004 | Classification: User experience | Comments (0) | Permalink

Three Important Benefits of Personas

"Personas are becoming a regular staple in many of the development teams we talk to. The method helps teams make a smooth translation between requirements and design, resulting with much cleaner designs. The benefits of preventing grounding, encouraging story telling, and enhancing role playing are rarely discussed, yet very present when you see the method in full force. It's these benefits that guide our belief that personas will be a trusted method for many years to come." (Jared Spool)

Posted by PJB on December 07, 2004 | Classification: Personas | Comments (0) | Permalink

Fine Tuning Your Enterprise Search: How To Get The Best Results To Your Users

"It is increasingly recognised in the modern enterprise that getting the processes of searching for and retrieving information right in a business can deliver a vital competitive edge. In a knowledge based economy employees who can't find vital internal information about their jobs are less productive, and with the advent of the web, potential customers who can't get straight to the information they need are only a click away from a competitor's site." (Martin Belam - currybetdotnet)

Posted by PJB on December 07, 2004 | Classification: Search | Comments (0) | Permalink

Design Engaged: The final programme

"Design Engaged really was a smashing success, and I'd hate to think my encapsulation has failed to convey the intellectual contact high I experienced and in some ways am still riding. At least, maybe you can infer something useful from the shape these thoughts have assumed as they've filtered through my own vocabulary and prejudices." (Adam Greenfield - v-2 Organization)

Posted by PJB on December 07, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

The Most Hated Advertising Techniques

"Studies of how people react to online advertisements have identified several design techniques that impact the user experience very negatively." (Jakob Nielsen - Alertbox)

Posted by PJB on December 06, 2004 | Classification: Usability | Comments (0) | Permalink

Ten ways to continuously improve your intranet

"The amount of work involved in designing a new intranet or redesigning an existing intranet is minor compared to the time needed to maintain an effective intranet over the longer term. In fact, it is common for the initial excitement of a new intranet to fade away as the reality of day-to-day maintenance and the challenges of improving the intranet become apparent." (Donna Maurer and Tina Calabria - KM Column)

Posted by PJB on December 06, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

Why it makes sense to do both Expert Review and Usability Testing

"(...) doing both ER followed by UT optimizes the return on the usability investment. ER identifies fundamental or generic challenges within the user experience. Usability Testing highlights contextually specific gaps between the user model and the site model. Executed together, UT builds on the ER, providing complimentary feedback supporting focused and actionable design recommendations. Thus, the power of combined usability review techniques is significantly enhances the power of the review." (Kathleen Straub - The UPA Voice) - courtesy of step two design

Posted by PJB on December 06, 2004 | Classification: Usability | Comments (0) | Permalink

Technology not answer to every problem

"Understanding where technology is strong and where people are strong is an essential skill of the modern manager. Too often today, technology is doing things that would be better done by people." (Gerry McGovern)

Posted by PJB on December 05, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

W3C Tenth Anniversary

"Hypertext '91 Conference in San Antonio, Texas (USA). TBL paper on Web only accepted as poster session." (Anniversary Conference)

Posted by PJB on December 03, 2004 | Classification: Hypertext | Comments (0) | Permalink

On User Experience: Part I

"Here I'll discuss my theories on user interaction, ergonomics, communication systems, and other fun stuff just cause I find it difficult to find good information on these topics." (Mike Rundle)

Posted by PJB on December 02, 2004 | Classification: User experience | Comments (0) | Permalink

Activity-Centered Design: An Ecological Approach to Designing Smart Tools and Usable Symbols

Review - "The book is clearly intended as the beginning of an on-going dialogue. It ends a bit like a Star Wars movie, with the promise of a sequel. There is clearly opportunity for additional work in data representation, as well as deeper study into each of the areas described in these six chapters. However, the book provides an excellent incentive for system designers to pursue activity-centered design, and a good initial set of tools to start them on their way." (Carl Bedingfield - ACM Ubiquity)

Posted by PJB on December 02, 2004 | Classification: Information design | Comments (0) | Permalink

Search Smarter, Not Harder

"Databases and search engines provide instantaneous access to endless information about anyone or anything, but the search results often include as many misses as hits. To generate more-relevant answers, organizations including the federal government are using topic maps to index their data." (Wired) - courtesy of elearningpost

Posted by PJB on December 01, 2004 | Classification: Metadata | Comments (0) | Permalink