Design
Does the placement of a button on a web form, the texture of a steering wheel, or how lines of text appear on a sign really matter? Absolutely they do, and these topics (and so many others!) are what make all facets of design so fascinating.
Avoid confusing button names in HTML forms
Web forms serve as the primary way users interact with web sites. A form allows us to provide information in response to its questions and take action on that information. Despite their importance, some web developers miss the basics. One such form darkened my day recently when I needed to change a password at work. The form's misleading buttons threw me (and I'm sure most other users) for a loop. Let's see how this form should have been designed for a better user experience.
Read More10 things every beginning web developer should know
For the second year, I spoke to a group of UW Informatics students about web programming. A friend and colleague of mine, Tony Chang, teaches Informatics 344 during summer quarter. He asked me to speak to his students last year… apparently I wasn’t too bad off as he asked me again this year. Rather than diving in deep into technical details as I did last year—the title was...
Read MoreThe worst ATM color scheme
What color comes to mind when I say: Stop sign? Stop light? Danger? Alert? Problem? Broken? Chances are you answered "red." Not exactly the welcoming color scheme you'd want for your ATM, right? Someone failed to mention that to the folks designing the interfaces at Regal Financial Bank. Take a look at the ATM that'll have designers (and Regal's customers) seeing red.
Read MoreThree approaches to designing a “near me” mobile search
Mobile devices like the iPhone that contain a GPS are revolutionizing how people find things near them. Throw in a video camera and it gets even more interesting. But information designers can't just come up with the fanciest options and be done with it. We must ensure that all users searching for a coffee shop (for example) can find one in a way that is optimal for their device. From simple, paginated lists to 4-dimensional holographic displays, finding what you want, when you want it, near where you want it, mobile devices have come into their own. Except they can't really do any holographic stuff. (Yet.)
Read MoreA simple solution to a common real-estate sign problem
Frustration comes in many forms: the empty milk container in the fridge; tripping over a child's toy in a doorway; and worst of all: a barren real-estate flyer box! Design might not be able to solve the first two of these common issues, but it can solve the third. Real-estate agents take note: I've devised an ingenious method to ensure passers-by are never again left wondering about the price, square footage, and other details of a home you've listed. Read on to find out what my secret approach (you might just be surprised at how simple it is!).
Read MorePowerPoint is dead, and Prezi’s what killed it
Prezi. Sounds weird, doesn't it? But I'm sure "PowerPoint" sounded weird when people first heard about it, too (back in 1987!). I had a chance to use this online presentation tool for a guest lecture I gave on PHP and Web Services and was very impressed with it. So, PowerPoint: pack up your slides and move over... Prezi is here with its zoomable, rotatable canvas. It's just way more fun and more engaging to the audience.
Read MoreNow Reading
Planned books:
None
Current books:
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
Recent books:
- The Santaroga Barrier by Frank Herbert
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman
- Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
- A Princess of Mars (Penguin Classics) by Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick