For research papers to be useful we need to be able to understand them, apply what we understand, and have faith in their applicability to our work.
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Adding fun and engagement to purposeful systems using augmented reality: report from OzCHI 2007
Caroline Jarrett reports on the many uses people are finding for augmented reality in 2007, and argues for the importance of building tools that people actually want to use.
Formats of telephone numbers: why France and the UK don’t work like the US
If your form or survey has an international audience you need to be aware of fields where a country’s system diverges from your own, says Caroline Jarrett, using the example of telephone numbers.
Expert review helps to improve a complex form
Applying for Lasting power of Attorney is often something people do at a time of challenge or stress. In this presentation to the Sixth International PLAIN Language Conference I describe a case study for the US Department of Constitutional Affairs where ourContinue reading… Expert review helps to improve a complex form
Surveys – what is an acceptable response rate?
It’s been a while since I ranted on about response rates on surveys. In that article, I took the view that “2% is a terrible response rate” and had a few reasons why and tips for doing better. Recently, I’veContinue reading… Surveys – what is an acceptable response rate?
Process or outcome? Measuring the success of usability
How do we measure usability when the start and end points are hard to define, and our work is just one intervention? Maybe real successes come person by person, as attitudes change. A friend has been working with a clientContinue reading… Process or outcome? Measuring the success of usability
Book review: Letting go of the words: by Ginny Redish
This month, I’m enthusing about Ginny Redish’s new book Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works (Morgan Kaufmann). If you write, or your clients write, then you’ll learn from it. If you’re working on a content-rich website:Continue reading… Book review: Letting go of the words: by Ginny Redish
Differences between participants and users: representative or not?
‘“Rule 1 for usability testing: get representative users” Read something like that? Said something like that? I certainly have. And I definitely agree with it, on the whole. But not always: so I thought I’d muse on the issue inContinue reading… Differences between participants and users: representative or not?
How to enhance your site with Flash
‘Heard any of these remarks lately? ‘Flash is bad’; ‘I hate Flash intros’; ‘Don’t do Flash’. My long-term view has been that Flash is just another technology. Bad if it’s gratuitous showing off; good if it works for your usersContinue reading… How to enhance your site with Flash
Conducting a User-Centred Expert Review
This presentation to the 2007 Annual Conference of the Society for Technical Communication sets out five steps for a user-centred review – whether you have 30 minutes, two days or five days in which to do the work. We lookContinue reading… Conducting a User-Centred Expert Review