28. März 2011

IAK 2011

Ich würde sagen, die Spannung steigt. In den letzten Nächten haben wir mit Hochdruck an der Fertigstellung des Programms und der Referenten-Übersicht der kommenden IA Konferenz gearbeitet. Ich denke, dass es schon sehr bald ein Update auf der Konferenz-Website geben wird ...

Shaping the Mobile Experience: Die IA Konferenz hat sich seit 2005 als Ort der Zusammenkunft und des Austauschs der Konzepter-Szene in Deutschland etabliert und bietet einen Querschnitt aktueller Themen, Ideen, Methoden sowie Fallbeispiele aus der Praxis der Website-Konzeption und Informationsarchitektur sowie Customer- und User Experience Design.

Party Sponsoring

Bei der diesjährigen IA Konferenz sind ganze drei Parties geplant (hey, Ich habe nie behauptet, dass die Konferenz ein Erholungsurlaub wird :) ...

  1. Die Pre-Conference Party am Vorabend der Konferenz (Donnerstag der 19. Mai)
  2. Die Day One Party - am Abend nach dem ersten Konferenztag
  3. Die Abschiedsparty am Samstag nach der Konferenz - für eine kleine Gruppe derer, die noch nicht heimgeflogen sind und nicht wissen, was sie alleine in München machen sollen.

Wir suchen für alle drei Events noch Sponsoren. Der Sponsoren-Name ist für den Einlaß zum jeweiligen Event nötig. Das Ganze ist also mehr als nur ein kleines Banner irgendwo. Der Sponsoring-Name ist die Eintrittskarte zur abendlichen Abend-Veranstaltung und Namensgeber des jeweiligen Events.

Gerne arbeiten wir hier auch mit kleineren Müncher Agenturen, Verlagen, Headhuntern und sonstigen an UX und IA interessierten Dienstleistern zusammen.

Bei Interesse, schickt eine Mail an sponsoring@iakonferenz.org oder Xingt mich einfach an.

26. März 2011

Psychology in Web Design

Neulich bin ich zwischen Windeln wechseln und Brei reichen über diesen lesenswerten Artikel gestolpert: Web Design + Psychology = Satisfied Users?

A better way to understand what people want is to understand the tasks they are trying to get done. This theory is supported by research by James J. Gibson, one of the most important psychologists of the 20th Century. Gibson mentions a concept he calls “affordances”, asserting that people view the world in terms of outcomes. Let me explain. Let’s say you want to buy a bike. Why are you doing that? Some old theories imply you might do that because of the color of the bike. Or maybe it is because of a wish you had in childhood wish of driving a bike. Gibson’s theory, however, offers a different answer: You don’t actually want to buy the bike, but hire the bike to get something done. You might “hire” the bike to get from one location to another. The job you’re trying to get done is to get faster to a desired location. You might even ‘hire’ the bike to fulfill an emotional task, maybe you didn’t have a bike in childhood and all your peers did and now you want to feel better by you too owning this vehicle

Der Artikel enthält teils interessante und teils lustige Kommentare. Schaut mal rein.

25. März 2011

Task Completion Rates

Liebe THS-Leser, nun steht das Wochenende vor der Tür. Da will ich Euch natürlich nicht ohne Lektür ziehen lassen. Wie wäre es also hiermit? What is a good task-completion rate?

A binary task completion rate is one of the most fundamental of usability metrics. You define a scenario with clear success criteria and have the users attempt it on an application. If they complete the task successfully you give them a 1 and if they fail it you given them a 0. After testing all your users, the average of all those 1's and 0's gets you the task completion rate. For example, if 9 out of 10 users complete a task, the completion rate is .90 or 90% when expressed as a percentage. What exactly is a good task completion rate?

Ist natürlich nichts weltbewegend Neues - aber dennoch recht lesenswert.

24. März 2011

Droidcon Berlin 2011

I did really enjoy the Droidcon 2011. A good crowd and some interesting presentations did make a great day in Berlin.

21. März 2011

Desirable UX

Guten Morgen, liebe THS-Leser. Da bin ich doch heute früh beim Frühsurfen doch glatt über diesen recht interessanten Beitrag gestolpert: UX is 90% Desirability.

It is hard to say what truly makes something desirable because the answer is: It depends. Some companies have gone as far as to hire ethnographers to study and observe customers for months (even years) to help them understand what their desires are by understanding their lives and motivations: “[...] closely observing people where they live and work allows companies to zero in on their customers’ unarticulated desires.”2 Angry Birds became a smash hit, where other similar games had not seen anything close to that success. Some claim this explosive popularity of Angry Birds can be explained, but if someone was to follow this formula they’d miss out on that magic of the original. There are other factors like timing/trends and the getting the attention of your audience. You can follow the rules and build a great product, but it might miss out on something else.

Ein sehr lesenswerter Beitrag und genau der richtige Start in die Woche.

Ach übrigens: geht jemand von Euch auch zur Droidcon?

20. März 2011

World Storytelling Day 2011

Liebe THS-Leser, fast hätte ich vergessen es zu erwähnen: heute ist der World Storytelling Day 2011. Thema dieses Jahr ist Wasser.

Also, fragt Euch mal elbst: was sind Euere Wasser Stories?

Viel Spaß beim Erzählen und Zuhören ...

User-Centered or User-Driven

Im UX Magazine ist ein schöner Artikel erschienen: User-Led Does Not Equal User-Centered.

This Process Is User-Centered, But Not User-Led or User-Driven Cooper’s analogy highlights perfectly the differences between being user-centered and user-led. Being user-centered requires the involvement of experts who focus on the user as a person. Interaction designers listen and observe, and apply their knowledge about the behavior of people and their psychology, especially when they interact with digital products and services. Being user-centered means understanding a problem and the users, analyzing user behavior and listening to their wants, then translating this into needs that drive a creative solution to the problem. Being user-led or user-driven, on the other hand, means responding to user feedback without applying the filters of analysis and translation. As Cooper argues, this is a fundamental abdication of design responsibility.

Durchaus lesenswert.

19. März 2011

Medien Meeting Mannheim

Ich bin gebeten worden hier auf THS auf das Medien Meeting Mannheim hinzuweisen. Dort ist dieses Jahr User Experience im Fokus.

Der technische Fortschritt und die damit eröffneten Chancen lassen »User Experience« in den Blickpunkt unserer diesjährigen Fachtagung rücken. Beispielsweise erlaubt Miniaturisierung gänzlich neue innovative Abläufe im mobilen Bereich. Außerdem steigt in vielen Unternehmen und Organisationen das Bewusstsein dafür, dass eine durchdachte und zielgerichtete Ausgestaltung der »User Experience« immense Mehrwerte für den Anwender von Produkten und Dienstleistungen schaffen kann.

Ihr findet alle wichtigen Infos und noch viel mehr, auf der Website der Veranstaltung. Schaut mal rein - es lohnt sich.

18. März 2011

User Experience Podcast

Das hier, liebe THS-Leser, ist eine kurze und recht interessante Podcast Episode: User Experience Podcast - Gerry Gaffney interviews Andy Budd.

Andy Budd wird ja unser Closing Keynote Sprecher bei der kommenden IA Konferenz in München (20/21 Mai) sein.

Es lohnt sich da mal kurz rein zu hören.

17. März 2011

To UX Design Or Not

Im Smashing Magazin ist mal wieder ein sehr interessanter Beitrag erschienen: Why User Experience Cannot Be Designed.

A lot of designers seem to be talking about user experience (UX) these days. We’re supposed to delight our users, even provide them with magic, so that they love our websites, apps and start-ups. User experience is a very blurry concept. Consequently, many people use the term incorrectly. Furthermore, many designers seem to have a firm (and often unrealistic) belief in how they can craft the user experience of their product. However, UX depends not only on how something is designed, but also other aspects. In this article, I will try to clarify why UX cannot be designed.

Ein sehr lesenswerter Artikel mit vielen interessanten Kommentaren.

15. März 2011

IAK 2011: Andy Budd

Wir haben es in der Vergangenheit schon das eine oder andere mal versucht, jetzt hat es endlich geklappt: der einzigartige Andy Budd ist ein Gastredner bei unserer nächsten IA Konferenz. Das freut mich wirklich ganz besonders.

Andy Budd ist vielen natürlich als Chef der Agentur Clearleft bekannt.

Damit haben wir also alle unsere 6 Gastredner verkündet und enthüllt. Ich hoffe Euch gefällt die Auswahl, liebe THS-Leser. Wir haben da eine Menge Arbeit reingesteckt.

Ich bin sehr glücklich mit der Zusammenstellung. Jetzt bleibt nur noch zu hoffen, dass keiner krank wird oder dass nicht wieder irgendeine Aschewolke die Anreise verhindert.

*Auf Holz klopf*

13. März 2011

On My Way To The Dark Tower

I am on my way to The Dark Tower. Wanna join the party? I might need some help. ... But, be warned: it might be a bloody rough ride.

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1)

Adam Shah: This installment tells the story of Roland's search for a mysterious stranger who may be able to help Roland find the Dark Tower. It is long on atmosphere and short on action. Therefore, fans of Steven King's horror works will find this book a distinct change of pace. However, the book will not disappoint you if you try it, especially if you are a fan of fantasy series such as the Lord of the Rings. Furthermore, you will find in later books that elements of King's horror world also exist in Roland's world, and therefore, to have a full understanding of King's horror villains, you have to read this series.

I have finished reading the book. Wow, what a start. Still a long journey ahead.



The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, Book 2)

A Customer: Wow, fantastic. if you've read "The Gunslinger" and then gave up, then i encourage you to read this, the second volume. It is SO much better than the first! With "The Gunslinger" you could tell it was written while King was still in college because it was pretty rough around the edges and (forgive me for saying this about a SK story), a little boring. But "The Drawing Of The Three", in which Roland must pass through three doorways to 1980's America, is riveting, fast-paced,emotional, and yes, humorous. Some parts where Roland is trying to get used to our world are very funny (the "tooter-fish popkin" incident springs to mind). The 450 pages just fly past, but it gives some indication of the epic saga that King is creating, since even at the end of Volume II, we are still near the start of the journey.

This is a great story. Love it.



The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, Book 3)

Patrick Shepherd: There is a nice variant on the old time-travel paradox. In The Gunslinger, the boy Jake is sacrificed to Roland's determination to catch the 'man in black'. In this story, we find Jake alive and well and still living in (our) New York, due to an action by Roland in The Drawing of the Three that caused the previous history to never occur. But both Roland and Jake have memories of the 'other' past, and this duality is slowly driving both to the edge of insanity. The resolution of this problem requires that Jake be brought back to Roland's world, and how this is accomplished forms the major portion of one of the 'episodes'...

Great ending. Simply couldn't stop reading.



Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, Book 4)

Jana L. Perskie: I think this is Stephen King's best book ever, and certainly one of the best novels I have read in a long time. One of the high points, for me, is the way the author brings in characters and themes from his other books, pointing out to the reader that the figures of evil in all his work are the same throughout - no matter what their names. Whatever the storyline, the purpose of total destruction remains consistent. It may have taken the author a long time to get this book out, but it is sure worth it.

Finished reading. Great!



Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book 5)

Volume 5--this book--moves it, despite not getting Roland the Gunslinger much nearer the Dark Tower, taking another big backward glance, and continuing to mine an open pit of oater conceits. Roland's ka-tet--himself and three twentieth-century New Yorkers, all of them now fellow gunslingers--approach a ranching and farming community anticipating a recurrent pestilence. After 23 years, the Wolves are coming from the evil-darkened East to abduct one of every pair of prepubescent twins older than three. The children will be returned, but nearly witless and sterile, doomed to grow immensely and enormously painfully in their middle teens, serve (if not too stupid) as workhorses, and suddenly, painfully wither and die in their early thirties. An erstwhile priest in the community knows what Roland and company are, and he persuades a community to send a committee to ask for their help...

Finished. Good story and the end is a big cliffhanger...



Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, Book 6)

King's epical Dark Tower hastens to a close, and its penultimate volume is one of the speediest. The gunslingers of Mid-World and other alternate Earths have defeated The Wolves of the Calla (2003) but lost one of their number. Susannah Dean, nee Odetta Holmes, lacking her lower legs after a minion of the Satan of Mid-World, the Crimson King, pushed her in front of a subway train, and whose personality is sometimes split between black bourgeoise Odetta and viciously paranoiac Detta Walker, has been taken over by the spirit Mia to be the body in which Mia will gestate a boy who will eventually kill head gunslinger Roland. The child is to be born in New York in 1999, which is where Susannah-Mia repairs through one of the doors between worlds...



The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, Book 7)

In King's memoir On Writing, he tells of an old woman who wrote him after reading the early books in the Dark Tower series. She was dying, she said, and didn't expect to see the end of Roland's quest. Could King tell her? Does he reach the Tower? Does he save it? Sadly, King said he did not know himself, that the story was creating itself as it went along. Wherever that woman is now (the clearing at the end of the path, perhaps?), let's hope she has a copy of The Dark Tower. Surely she would agree it's been worth the wait.

10. März 2011

UX Intensive Amsterdam - 15%

Liebe IA-Freunde und THS-Leser, ich wollte noch mal an das Angebot von Adaptive Path erinnern: UX Intensive Amsterdam - 15%.

Vielleicht ist es ja für Euch oder Euere Kollegen interessant.

8. März 2011

iPhone Methodenkarten: UX Techniques

Ich hab mal wieder was Schönes zum reviewen bekommen. Diesmal ist es eine iPhone App (und das wo ich ein eingefleischter Nokia Fanboy bin). Alle die unsere wunderschönen und weltberühmten Methodenkarten von der IA Konferenz kennen, werden sich darunter was vorstellen können: es sind quasi Methodenkarten fürs iPhone: UX Techniques.

A reference application of methods and techniques for UX practice. The methods in the app are foundational techniques that can be used during stages of the UX process. Methods are grouped under five distinct project phases, or activities that can be successively tackled to create great user experiences. Techniques have been categorized according to activities: Gather, Organize, Understand, Explain and Test, with reasoning for Why, When and How they should be used as part of the UX process. All methods are searchable within the app supporting the ability to quickly discover interesting and effective ways to resolve UX design challenges. The paid version gives users the full set of 45 methods (9 in each activity group) Each method card contains a link to further detail on the subject. The user can also export individual card text to email and access the UX Techniques twitter feed where we will be providing support for the application.

Ist wirklich ganz brauchbar.

7. März 2011

Android UI design patterns

Auf IA Television gibt es heute ein sehr interessantes Video zu schauen: Google I/O 2010 - Android UI design patterns .

In this session, the Android User Experience team will show the types of patterns you can use to build a great Android application. We'll cover things like how to use Interactive Titlebars, Quick Contacts, and Bottom bars as well some new patterns which will get an I/O-only preview. The team will be also available for a no holds barred Q&A session.

Wirklich sehr sehenswert.

4. März 2011

UX Intensive Amsterdam - 15%

Liebe THS-Leser, wie jedes Jahr gibt es auch 2011 die UX Intensive - organisiert und veranstaltet von Adaptive Path. Diesmal findet die UX Intensive in Amsterdam statt. Cool, oder?

Vom 18. zum 21. April kann man an diesem oft sehr interessanten Event von Adaptive Path teilnehmen. Das gute ist: für Euch gibt es 15% Preisnachlass!

This four-day workshop series is for experienced professionals wanting to take their practice to the next level. We examine the key elements that contribute to a successful interactive experience: Design Strategy, Design Research, Interaction Design and Information Architecture. Each workshop is led by Adaptive Path's team of experts. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Der Deal ist folgender: wer den Discount Code: "BIA" bei der Anmeldung angibt, bekommt 15% Preisnachlass. Aktuell läuft der Early Bird bis 31 März und kostet 500 Euro pro Tag. Mit Nachlass wären das 425 Euro. Für die vollen 4 Tage zahlt man 2750 Euro. Mit Nachlass 1475 Euro.

Und warum das alles? Weil man bei AP weiß, dass Berliner Informationsarchitekten (und deren Freunde :) einfach tolle Typen sind - mit denen sich jedes Event gerne schmückt.

So einfach ist das.

Wenn ihr eh hinfahren wolltet und nicht aus Berlin kommt, dürft ihr den Discount Code ("BIA") natürlich auch verwenden. Es kommt übrigens besonders cool, wenn Ihr auf Euerem iPhone noch das Berlin IA Cocktail Hour Logo installiert habt.

Photo credit

2. März 2011

E-Commerce Checkout Usability

Ich bekomme in letzter Zeit immer wieder Review Anfragen - meistens für Bücher und Studien. Abgesehen davon, dass solche Aktionen die letzten Reste meiner Freizeit wegknabbern - ist das doch oft sehr interessant. Na ja, bis lang hatte ich zumindest Glück mit dem was ich vorab lesen durfte. War noch nix langweiliges dabei ... :)

Gerade habe ich die Studie E-Commerce Checkout Usability. Exploring the user's checkout experience zu Ende gelesen.

60% of all e-commerce visitors abandon their shopping cart. Why? After months of user testing and research the most significant usability study on e-commerce checkouts is ready. We've tested 15 of the biggest e-commerce sites and cooked it all down to 63 actionable guidelines that will help you to get the lowest possible shopping cart abandonment rate.

Ich muss sagen, mir hat die Studie wirklich gut gefallen. Die Veröffentlichung kostet $78.

1. März 2011

Design for Everyone

Heute früh bin ich zwischen Kaffee und Windel über diesen Blog-Beitrag gestolpert: Involving older adults in design of the user experience: Inclusive design .

Despite the reality of differences due to aging, research has also shown that in many cases, we do not need a separate design for people who are age 50+. We need better design for everyone. Everyone performs better on web sites where the interaction matches users' goals; where navigation and information are grouped well; where navigation elements are consistent and follow conventions; where writing is clear, straightforward, in the active voice, and so on. And, much of what makes up good design for younger people helps older adults as well.

Konzipiert und gestaltet man nun einen Webauftritt für alle Zielgruppen oder macht es ab und an doch Sinn zielgruppenspezifisch heran zu gehen?

Wie verhält es sich beispielsweise mit älteren Menschen? Damit befasst sich der Artikel.