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Category: Design

Designing comparative evaluations

Caroline Jarrett 12 December 2019 31 August 2004
Designing comparative evaluations

It was one of those calls that is simultaneously good news and bad news. “We’d like you to do an evaluation for us. We have two designs here and we want to know which one is better”. The good news:Continue reading… Designing comparative evaluations

How not to get a job in usability

Jane Matthews 12 December 2019 31 July 2004
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

A farewell to pop-ups

Caroline Jarrett 24 May 2022 3 May 2004
A farewell to pop-ups

Comment added in 2022: These days we use the term ‘modal’ instead of ‘pop-up’ and I don’t see as much discussion of pop-up blockers. Otherwise, I think this is still accurate. CJ.   Do you remember the olden days onContinue reading… A farewell to pop-ups

Blink, scroll, flicker: three ways to ruin your website (and possibly make it illegal)

Jane Matthews 16 February 2021 31 March 2004
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)

It’s time to make a bigger pond

Jane Matthews 12 December 2019 28 February 2004
It’s time to make a bigger pond

“Very short sessions on usability testing could be bad for the profession”. It was another of those discussions that I have from time to time, where I know that we’re not going to reach an agreement but I’m trying toContinue reading… It’s time to make a bigger pond

Dos and don’ts of web traffic measurement

Jane Matthews 12 December 2019 29 January 2004
Dos and don’ts of web traffic measurement

Last week I was deep into one of my favourite things: brooding on web traffic data. And it got me thinking about the joy of measurement – particularly in the context of making websites easy to use. Usability testing isContinue reading… Dos and don’ts of web traffic measurement

Four ways to lose an order (and one way to get one)

Jane Matthews 12 December 2019 2 January 2004
Four ways to lose an order (and one way to get one)

A week before Christmas I was shopping online, as usual, but this time with some relatively clear requirements rather than purely as a displacement activity from the important business of writing a report. These were the requirements: delivery before ChristmasContinue reading… Four ways to lose an order (and one way to get one)

Flash is 99% good (for the right audience)

Jane Matthews 12 December 2019 30 November 2003
Flash is 99% good (for the right audience)

A few years ago, Jakob Nielsen got a lot of attention with his “Flash: 99% bad” alertbox.  At the time, I thought that it was a bit extreme. Why not allow ad agencies, graphic designers and movie sites to indulgeContinue reading… Flash is 99% good (for the right audience)

Piggy in the middle? Why people choose the midpoint in rating questions on questionnaires

Jane Matthews 12 December 2019 25 August 2003
Piggy in the middle? Why people choose the midpoint in rating questions on questionnaires

Questionnaires often ask us to rate something or other. Recently, I’ve been asked about: ♦ my satisfaction with a huge website ♦ the effectiveness of a selection of ways to maintain or increase charge-out rates ♦ the cleanliness of aContinue reading… Piggy in the middle? Why people choose the midpoint in rating questions on questionnaires

“We’ll never get this past legal”

Jane Matthews 12 December 2019 29 July 2003
“We’ll never get this past legal”

The other day I was trying to persuade someone to kill off a paragraph of the purest, most incomprehensible gobbledegook. Although she agreed that there was no merit in the paragraph, she rejected my suggestion with that depressing but commonContinue reading… “We’ll never get this past legal”

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