I’m a big fan of the user-centred agile approach to service delivery that is gradually being adopted by most government departments in the UK, and many other organisations too. I mean – let’s turn those words around. Who would wantContinue reading… All projects (and services) start in the middle
Category: All
Why plain language and Plain English are different
When a user says to you “why can’t they write in Plain English?”, that’s a very reasonable request for us to think harder about how we are writing content. What I’m going to discuss here is the difference between “plainContinue reading… Why plain language and Plain English are different
Don’t be afraid of the big long page
This post is co-authored by me and Amy Hupe. Long pages of content can seem daunting, so to make them look shorter, designers and developers often reach for things that hide some of the content, such as accordions, tabs, carouselsContinue reading… Don’t be afraid of the big long page
Research needs space to breathe – an Effortmark poster
‘Research needs space to breathe’ is a poster in my continuing collaboration with illustrator Julia Allum. The words come from a blog post by user researcher Amy Everett. In her post, Amy talks about setting expectations when doing research, aboutContinue reading… Research needs space to breathe – an Effortmark poster
How to prototype a digital form on paper
Here are three ideas for creating paper prototypes of digital forms. Or any form, really. Print widgets onto stickers Prototype in shorthand Try ketchup design And then I recommend that whatever you do, aim to begin prototyping with one thingContinue reading… How to prototype a digital form on paper
Try a preliminary sift to streamline your card-sorts
Here’s my favourite tip for card sorting. I get each participant to first of all put the cards into four categories: Things I definitely need or would do right now Things I have done or needed in the past ThingsContinue reading… Try a preliminary sift to streamline your card-sorts
Sentence case or title case in forms?
Is it better to use sentence case or title case in forms? If you think “surely there are more important forms questions than that one” then you are right. Never once, in all my many years of watching people fillContinue reading… Sentence case or title case in forms?
Why I no longer recommend “How to lie with statistics”
How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff is one of the bestselling-ever books about statistics and one I used to recommend. Its bright, readable style seemed to make it an accessible introduction to statistics, including what I believed toContinue reading… Why I no longer recommend “How to lie with statistics”
No yes/no questions
If you’ve been in a forms studio with me, you’ll be familiar with the moment where I say: “No yes/no”. It’s my shorthand for “Avoid questions that only have two available answers: ‘yes’ and ‘no’. People often struggle with them”.Continue reading… No yes/no questions
Sankey’s suggestion and other stories
I want to tell you about my father, John Anthony Sankey PhD CMG. Dad was a staunch Roman Catholic – ‘cradle to grave’ is the phrase. Today, 1st November, is celebrated as ‘All Saints Day’ by Catholics, so it seemsContinue reading… Sankey’s suggestion and other stories