Last week, a sell-out crowd made their way to Oyster Partners to hear Ginny Redish talk about her recent work at a meeting of the UK chapter of the Usability Professionals’ Association. Ginny’s talk ranged widely across content and theContinue reading… Persona-led heuristic inspection is here
Author: Jane Matthews
Long forms: scroll or tab?
As some of you will know, I’m pretty much a diehard forms obsessive and there’s nothing I like more than a question about forms – especially if I have some experience or data to support my answer. So I thoughtContinue reading… Long forms: scroll or tab?
One facilitator good, four facilitators better?
I’m a lone consultant, and occasionally I get lucky: I persuade a client that it would be great if we could have a trained observer/logger helping me to conduct the usability test. That’s about as elaborate as it gets. ButContinue reading… One facilitator good, four facilitators better?
Books on usability? … not one in a thousand
I live in England, and here Christmas is pretty inescapable. That suits me fine as I love the whole thing: twinkly lights, family get together that’s always exactly the same every year, crazed people rushing through the shops. And so,Continue reading… Books on usability? … not one in a thousand
Not beyond usability – just nearby
I’ve got a pet peeve: the phrase ‘beyond usability’. It doesn’t matter who uses it and how appropriate it is to the content of their article, website, speech or whatever. I hear it, I get annoyed, I stop paying attention.Continue reading… Not beyond usability – just nearby
Making a better web form
Which usability changes make the biggest difference? Invited by LoanBright to review their forms, we were surprised by some of the results. Among the changes we tested – layout, wording of questions, addition of extra pages – the only one to make a significant differenceContinue reading… Making a better web form
Usability test reports – your chance to influence a new standard
What do you think about international standards such as ISO 13407 or ISO 9000? Necessary but dull? Expensive but important? Irrelevant to daily life? I’m not going to pretend that these documents are ever going to compete with Harry PotterContinue reading… Usability test reports – your chance to influence a new standard
Five factors for choosing forms software
At any time there are dozens of forms products on the market so how do you choose the right option for physically creating your form? In this paper for the Business Forms Management Association Symposium, I explore five areas you need toContinue reading… Five factors for choosing forms software
How not to get a job in usability
Way back in 1982, a powerful television series called Boys from the Blackstuff added a new catchphrase to the British vocabulary: “gizza job”. A key character, Yosser Hughes, had a torrid time trying to find a job in Liverpool duringContinue reading… How not to get a job in usability
Blink, scroll, flicker: three ways to ruin your website (and possibly make it illegal)
A client’s web team were looking sadly at the ‘scrolling news’ feature they were forced to carry on many pages. “We hate it, we want to get rid of it, but we need evidence”. So I’ve done a bit ofContinue reading… Blink, scroll, flicker: three ways to ruin your website (and possibly make it illegal)