ReadMore

Posted by: Josh Walsh in Sponsors.

Thank you to the mad scientists at Navel Labs for sponsoring the feed this week.

ReadMore is an iPhone application for tracking your reading progress. It’s a reading log that reports your reading habits and motivates you to keep reading through relevant feedback. It helps break large books into more manageable pieces and keeps track of your progress.

Watch a Video Demo

Be sure to grab your copy in the App Store today for $1.99.

All the cool cats are “#UX Designers”

Posted by: Josh Walsh in User Experience.

Designing the user experience is not a new idea. There have been people thinking about it since the invention of the wheel. The problem is that now it’s hip to be a “UX designer.” It’s marketable.

People ask me how to sell UX to their customers. You shouldn’t have to. People don’t come to you and say “design me something that’s hard to use.” Their request for design implies usability, just as your service implies usability work.

Now “UX” is exploited as a way to make more money. It’s another line item on an invoice. Deplorable.

Can you argue with Flash’s market share?

Posted by: Josh Walsh in Design.

Market share is not a good way to advocate bad design practices. Adobe claims a 99% market share, although John Gruber points out that their survey was a bit misleading:

Adobe’s own statistics on Flash’s market penetration claim 99 percent penetration as of last month. That’s because, according to their survey methodology, they’re only counting “PCs” — which ignores the entire sort of devices which have brought about this debate. Adobe is arguing that Flash is installed on 99 percent of all web browsers that support Flash, not 99 percent of all web browsers.

If you wanted to build an application to reach the masses, which of these options would you pick?

Satisfy the Cat, a.k.a. User-Centered Design

Posted by: Josh Walsh in User Experience.

As a designer of websites, I have to make jolly-well sure that I satisfy the cat first, remember that I’m not a cat, and find ways to play on the cat’s own motivations. Only then does everybody win.

By: John Boykin

Color Contrast in Web Typography

Posted by: Josh Walsh in Design.

Last year I wrote a list of 50 tips for a more user friendly website.  One of these tips has caused controversy off of the blog, as well as prompted a number of emails asking for clarification.

#23 – Use dark gray text instead of black text on a white background;

My intention here was to point out that a subtle lightening of your black text on a white background actually helps improve legibility.    True black text on a true white background is too high of a contrast for everyday reading.  Subtlety is key.

Continue →

Complexity and Simplicity are Perceptions

Posted by: Josh Walsh in User Experience.

User interfaces should present the information needed to accomplish the task at hand. Nothing more, nothing less. Complexity and simplicity are our ways of perceiving how difficult or strenuous a task is going to be.

Compare this IRS form, to a similar TurboTax form:

Continue →

Tumblr Checkout UX pattern causing security confusion

Posted by: Josh Walsh in User Experience.

Tumblr.com’s new Premium Theme checkout process is clever. A traditional checkout process would feel a bit clunky in their environment. They should be applauded for taking steps to break that mold. However, I have one major problem with it’s implementation.

Ecommerce is plagued by one UX hurdle that most other sites do not deal with in nearly as much detail: security. Since Tumblr’s checkout takes place completely inline, you’ll never see “https” in your browser. The browser never shows the standard lock icon, indicating that the site was confirmed secure. Rather, they do everything through asyncronous calls which mask the security from the user.

Security is an asset and shouldn’t be masked from people willing to enter their credit card information.

Continue →