Re: [IxDA Discuss] Printer Recommendations Needed
I have found the Brother MFC-9440CN to be very satisfactory in my home office: o Color laser printer, copier, scanner, fax machine. o About $450 at Costco. o Ethernet networking built in. o Surprisingly decent printing of color UI mockups. o Color toner cartridges are expensive, but seem to last quite awhile. o But only letter and legal size. For 11 x 17 printouts, why don't you look at 13" or wider inkjet printers. You can use cheap paper for draft printouts or glossy photo paper for fine art photographic prints, and anything in between. FWIW, Bill At 5:45 PM -0400 5/21/08, Will Evans wrote: So here is what I am looking for: Color Laser Printer for UX guy Home office - so a huge monster won't be viable High quality for printing from Illustrator and Photoshop Print speed is good - 18-22ppm Resolution 1200 x 600 Here is the catch - I would really love it to be able to handle 11x17 (for wireframes). And I don't want to eat Ramen for 3 months to pay for it. Any recommendations? -- ~ will "Where you innovate, how you innovate, and what you innovate are design problems" -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Don't listen to your customers.
At 6:05 PM + 3/27/08, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ... snip ... >So should I stop talking about focus groups? Is the old method of ask and >listen not applicable - particularly when designing stuff that's 'future >proof' and therefore impossible to assess with the users of the future - or >should we seek out new methods?... If you're designing something completely new you have the opportunity to approach it in an entirely new way (cf the iPhone), but if you are improving or extending an existing product you can't break completely out of the existing mold (cf the 2nd to 5th generations of the iPod). And each project will have it's own limits imposed by time, budget, the visions/imaginations of stakeholders, the political structure, etc. Given all that, I have learned that you can almost never take a user's words verbatim. Listen to them, gather all the raw data that seems reasonable, but then try to dig down to the root causes, the core motivations that leads people to say what they do. then try to solve the "real" problems rather than the "stated" problems. For two interesting and useful perspectives on how far what users think and say depart from what the fundamental reality truly is, you might read "Freakonomics" and "The Culture Code". These don't directly apply to UX design, but from two very different viewpoints they make it clear that you shouldn't take what most people say at face value. FWIW, Bill -- == Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] OT: Webhost
I've been using site5.com for several years and have been happy with them. I also use hostmonster.com, but so lightly it'd be hard to really say how good they are. At 10:55 AM -0400 3/19/08, Micah Freedman wrote: >Hi All, > >I'm looking into web hosting for a client again, and thought I'd get >some opinions from this list. (Sorry if that's too off-topic.) > >It's a small site, and I don't really expect huge traffic, but the >client is more concerned about reliability and support than price, so >something in the $15-25 range would probably make sense. We need PHP5 >w/ MySQL. Shell access would be nice, too. -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] IxD: Mac Resources
At 10:29 AM + 3/18/08, John Gibbard wrote: >I have decided to get myself a new... MacBook Pro. So, having taken the plunge >and switched to Team Cupertino what Mac-based stuff do I need? Here are a variety of Mac apps I regularly use. --Bill App Launcher: DragThing Text Editor: TextWrangler or TextMate Web Browser: Safari or Firefox Database: FileMaker Writing organizer: Scrivner Random file collector for projects: DevonThink Pro File metadata inspector/editor: Informator Screen capture: Use the built-in facilities, or Constrictor, or SnapNDrag, or Snapz Pro X Odd-text-character finder: PopChar X Accounting program: QuickBooks Onscreen-object measurement utility: xScope Color scheme editor: Color Schemer Studio 3D graphics/button creator: Art Text 3D button creator: ButtonGadget Web page capture utility: Web Snapper Flash video grabber: Videobox Audio recorder/editor: Amadeus Pro CD/DVD copier/burner: Disco Slide show creator: FotoMagico video file format converter: VisualHub Multiformat video player: VLC Ambient sound creator: SonicMood DVD ripper: HandBrake Web server environment (Apache + PHP + MySQL): MAMP Pro CSS/HTML inspector/analyzer: Xyle scope Quick website builder: RapidWeaver FTP: Yummy FTP or Transmit Network path analyzer: Path Analyzer Pro Personal VPN for when you're travelling: Witopia.com Create encrypted disks to store sensitive data: Use Apple's Disk Utility. Multi-protocol Instant Messaging: Adium VoIP softphone: see the Gizmo Project, or X-Lite, or iSoftphone File and disk repair utilities: Disk Warrior and TechTool Pro Advanced firewall: Intego's NetBarrier X File/disk backup: Intego's Personal Backup X, or SuperDuper Bulk filename renamer: NameChanger Bulk permissions changer: BatChmod Graphical process monitor: Peek-a-Boo Web password secure storage: 1Password Website bulk downloader: Deep Vacuum Panorama stitcher: DoubleTake -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] IxDA in flyover territory?
Ten years ago I escaped from Silicon Valley and relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico, from which I've successfully been practicing as a Consulting User Interface Architect. Ironically, the vast majority of my clients have been based in Silicon Valley... --Bill At 8:17 AM -0600 2/27/08, Billy Cox wrote: >I'm curious as to whether people doing interaction design live in places >other than Chicago or the coasts? Is this profession like music or theatre, >in which living in flyover territory is a career-limiting factor. -- == Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Default value in chekbox
Yann-- Oops, I misread your question. You said checkboxes, not radio buttons. In a set of checkboxes, where checking a box means "this option is selected", the standard way to show that all options are selected is to check all the boxes. If you wish, you can place a button adjacent to the group that checks (or unchecks) them all for you in one operation. If having any one box checked means "this option is selected" then it would be absolutely wrong to make no-boxes-selected mean all-options-selected. --Bill >HI, > >I need some help about the right default value in a set of checkboxes... > >Is it better to use a "All" choice selected by default in a set of >checkboxes or to leave all of them unselected in order to include all the >choces. -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Default value in chekbox
Yann-- I hate trap doors in UIs, meaning actions you take that lead you to a new state from which you can not easily (or ever) revert. Therefore I hate radio button groups in which initially no button is selected (typically representing an "all" or "none" state), but once you select a button you can never return to the no-button-selected state. So I absolutely recommend, and indeed implore, you to include an initially-selected "all" or "none" radio button, as appropriate. --Bill At 4:58 PM +0100 2/23/08, Yann Allin wrote: >HI, > >I need some help about the right default value in a set of checkboxes... > >Is it better to use a "All" choice selected by default in a set of >checkboxes or to leave all of them unselected in order to include all the >choces. > >Thanks for you answer, > >Yann -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Help with navigation levels on website
Johan-- I do not believe that for optimal usability a navigational structure *must* be shallow, or that all branches *must* be equally deep, or that you *must* never present more than 5 +/- 2 choices, etc. It's more important to me that the forward traversal of each path makes sense, that each stage shows the right information in the right way, that the user can easily determine where he/she is, and that it's easy and clear how to get back to the beginning or to jump to other areas of importance. I believe that you have to do whatever is right for your project. I often find when looking over a design that I've finished that I've used up to six levels of navigational depth in the deepest areas, but that very few navigational pathways are that deep. The four navigational levels you outlined sound very sensible, and may indeed be the right ones for your project. FWIW, Bill At 1:31 PM +0100 2/21/08, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >Hello All, > >What do you do when you have four levels of navigation on your website? >Here is the explanation why we ended up >with four levels: > >First level: type of customers >Second level: type of products >Third level: products >Fourth level: details of products -- ========== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] friday fun: what's the coolest thing you've designed?
Probably the HyperCard UI, because HyperCard empowered non-programmers to create their own software, and a lot of people created a lot of cool stuff with it. --Bill -- == Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Target ratios for skill sets or roles
You might add: - Visual Designers - UI Architects - Software Architects - Animators - HTML/CSS coders (sometimes in the UI group. Often different than the programmers) For a game company: - Sound Designers/Engineers - 3D modellers - Scene designers - etc. - Creative services (packaging, collateral materials) - Legal services (trademark, copyright, intellectual property, licensing) - Marketing (typically represented by a Product Manager, but sometimes more people are involved) --- Market researchers --- Competitive analysts - Manufacturing and Distribution folk - Some companies have "Producers" rather than "Product Managers" By Product Managers did you mean the Marketing folk? At 4:17 PM -0800 12/18/07, Jerome Ryckborst wrote: >Is this an appropriate list of roles? > > - Interface/interaction designers. > - Usability testers. > - Software developers. > - QA-testers. > - Technical communicators. > - Product managers. > - Development managers. > - Project managers. > - Subject-matter experts (customer domain, not software). -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Design Masters Thesis & Extent of Realization
At 12:50 PM -0500 12/13/07, Jack Moffett wrote: >I believe the degree is officially in Graphic Design-it is a Graphic >Design program-but the project itself is certainly an interaction >design project. I would expect an industrial design student to create a beautifully crafted model of an intended product, say a scale model of an automobile, plus a written rationale for the design. But I would not expect the student to produce a fully functional product (say a driveable automobile). I would expect a naval architecture student to produce a blueprint from which a ship could be built, and perhaps a scale model of the ship, but not to build a full-size, seaworthy vessel. I would expect a traditional graphic design student to design something graphical, say a packaging concept for a line of toys, and to execute the design in a well-crafted set of comps. Perhaps since your graphic design student has chosen to design something interactive, she should create a beautifully crafted model of her design, and accompany it with her research and rationale. In this case the model could be the kind of (visually) high fidelity mockup or prototype that is often done in Flash (or previously in Director) to give demos to executives and venture capitalists (high level decision makers) of the intended product. In this way, the student would have be able to demonstrate the appearance and interaction style of the design, without having to create a "prototype" with complete-enough functionality for user testing. The "design" student should certainly not have to "implement" the design. That is the job of the computer science student standing before a thesis board in the next room... What do you think? --Bill Fernandez -- == Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Uh, who designed that?
Usually a project team like the one you describe has a project manager: someone who's responsible for keeping the team on track, making sure schedules are met, providing resources, acting as liaison with the management structure of the company, and very importantly; running interference for the team so that it can get its job done. I suggest that this "competing" design is interference that it is the responsibility of your project manager, not you personally, to handle. It's certainly appropriate for you to bring this problem to your project manager's attention, and to offer to your expertise and assistance in handling it, but it's his/her job to address it. I also suggest that whatever techniques are used (such as complimenting initiative, encouraging ideas, and discouraging divisiveness or competition) the fundamental objectives should be (a) for your project manager to relieve your team from the burden of interference, and (b) for the interfering party to learn how to work effectively and appropriately within a corporate/team environment. This last may require a collaboration between your project's manager and that party's boss, and in my mind should be done in a firm but constructive and professionally nurturing manner (your corporate culture may vary). FWIW, Bill Fernandez -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Has anyone been asked to create a directory of UI elements?
Bryan-- I actually did something like that once when I inherited (and had to extend) a large set of document-fomrat icons. On the Mac I wrote an AppleScript script that read through the folders of icons and copied the graphics and the names into a FileMaker database. This became the basis of a large icon database that grew over the years. When I needed to publish lists of icons I could search, sort, then print to PDF. --Bill At 4:29 PM -0500 12/12/07, Bryan Minihan wrote: >Something that would be handy is a little utility that could take a nested >folder containing all of the above and let you document each one in a >tabular form layout, then deliver to the customer in web or PDF form. I'd >pay for that =] -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Has anyone been asked to create a directory of UI elements?
Mark-- None of my clients have yet required such a directory of me, but upon occasion I have found it useful to create one on my own: For example in a network administration application that I was redesigning the UI for from the ground up, that had a few hundred configuration settings that had to be carried over, and maybe a hundred new features that had to be added. I found that a FileMaker database helped me both in documenting how each feature worked, in clustering related features together for the new info design, in making sure nothing got forgotten, and in keeping documentation about design decisions (e.g. when a new feature made several previous ones obsolete). --Bill At 3:16 PM -0500 12/12/07, Mark Richman wrote: >I was discussing a new project with someone from our Sales group, and >they asked me how I kept track of fields in case they were dropped >from the actual implementation for some reason. I said that I kept old >versions of the wire frames and usually commented any changes >following the first version. > >However, I realized that not only didn't I keep a master list of UI >elements, I'd never actually seen one outside of wire frames. > >So, does anybody on this list create a deliverable of this nature? If >so, are there specific conditions under which you would do this? Most >of my colleagues just create the wire frames and let them speak for >themselves. -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] HTML Prototypers
At 10:10 PM -0600 11/6/07, Mike Scarpiello wrote: >What editor do you use? Dreamweaver for coding. Xylescope for debugging layouts and reverse engineering (Mac only). MODx (the PHP/MySQL -based content management framework) when I need to go beyond a modest set of static HTML pages. --Bill -- == Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] [Iai-Members] What tools do you use for prototyping?
At 11:49 AM +0100 11/6/07, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: But... I'd love to have a tool that combines Omnigraffle, Fireworks and Axure... and that works on a Mac as well as on a pc. ;-) Peter: For many years I've used a program that to some extent meets the above goals: Canvas. o It runs on Mac and Windows. o It lets you easily mix and match vector and raster objects. o It has a goodly assortment of graphic design effects and control (It's like a mini drafting program combined with a mini Photoshop). o It also has good word processing and page layout capabilities. o It easily lets you create documents as long as you like (I routinely create 70-page UI specs with it). o It exports multi-page documents to PDF (so that the rest of the world can read them). o It lets you create hot-spots on your pages, link them together, and export the lot as a combination of HTML and images: so you can create a graphically rich, statically linked sets of web pages for use a wireframes or prototypes. It's got some annoying bugs, and it doesn't do all the things that the programs you mention do, but I always find myself going back to it because it combines in one program so many feature sets that I want to apply to the same document. YMMV, --Bill -- == Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] functional designer?
Bill Fernandez wrote: >...I just received from a client... an early draft of a document titled >"functional spec for..." Joseph Selbie wrote: >...what you are describing here as a "functional spec", sounds an >awful lot like the first iteration of the use cases we encounter in many >companies. > >The use cases we've been involved with start with a description of what the >user needs to be able to do -- regardless of where or how that will be >accomplished in the application. As the use cases iterate, they become more >specific and eventually include field level accuracy. > >I know that use case definitions and methods for developing them vary widely >across companies that employ them, but the functional spec sure sounds like >the same approach. BF: I think use cases and functional specs (at least as I use the term) are two approaches to describing what the product must do, prior to figuring out (designing) how to do it. My impression is that functional specs tend to be lists of functions (e.g. "log in", "log out"), whereas use case sets tend to be lists of tasks with the steps needed to accomplish them (e.g. "View Account History: 1 log in, 2 navigate to account history facility, 3 specify date range, 4 view resulting list of transactions", etc.). It is also my impression that use case sets often end up being used as the skeletons for both engineering and UI designs, and for product testing -- in which cases they morph over time (as you describe above). BF: I also think that different people/organizations use these terms in different ways. The important thing to me is that, whatever tools/docs/terms we use, I am able to work productively and effectively with the necessary constituencies (e.g. engineering, marketing, management) and maximize the extent to which my expertise is appropriately utilized in creating the best possible products. I have always found that some form of synchronization of expectations is key, and that exactly what form this takes varies between clients and projects. -- ====== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://gamma.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://gamma.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://gamma.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] functional designer?
At 11:00 AM -0400 10/21/07, Todd Zaki Warfel wrote: On Oct 21, 2007, at 5:50 AM, Bill Fernandez wrote: ... (for example, does the system use a session or a cookie to remember a user preference? which database does the data come from?)... BF: To me, these do not belong in a a functional spec. A functional spec would say "we have to let users set [these] preferences..." and "there must be a way to store and retrieve [this] data...". *how* the preferences and data are stored and retrieved is up to the engineers to design. Perhaps this is a difference in either experience or opinion (or both), but the functional spec is the part that elaborates more on the backend technology. So, this is exactly where I would see this type of information fitting in. Todd-- Then maybe we're using the term "functional spec" to mean different things, and maybe some of this discussion is each of us explaining what *we* mean by the term. My philosophy is that it's always best for everyone to agree on the goals, constraints, assumptions, etc. of the project then let everyone do their part towards realizing those goals. In my experience this starts with something that's often called a functional spec which describes *what* but not *how*. Indeed I just received from a client, who often involves me at the beginning of each project, an early draft of a document titled "functional spec for...", that did not say anything about the UI or the technical plumbing -- it was just a description of the various things the product had to do. It is also my experience that this initial, abstract statement of goals and constraints subsequently leads to concrete documents from various departments describing *how* they propose to accomplish the agreed-upon goals. From engineering this usually takes the form of engineering specs, database schema, APIs, etc. From me this usually takes the form of one or more "UI concept" documents, which leads in time to a detailed "UI spec" (which sometimes, if the product is web-based, is in the form of the actual HTML and CSS templates that will be used to implement the product). Also, I find that the formality of each step varies from project to project. If there are many departments and many players involved, then sometimes more formality is required. On the other hand, when a client says "just design *and* build me a new website", I can get by with asking a number of basic questions, doing a few reality checks, then doing most of the work in my head -- and letting much of the project develop "on the fly". It all depends on the situation. Of course others will have different experiences and so may slice and dice the process (and the terminology) differently. --Bill -- == Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://gamma.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://gamma.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://gamma.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] functional designer?
At 5:24 PM -0400 10/20/07, Christopher Fahey wrote: >Do you (or your employers) usually create the functional spec >*before* the UI spec? I suppose this is a pretty traditional way of >doing things in big organizations, but I thought we were generally >moving away from that model. Are you comfortable with that approach? BF: I always create a functional spec before a UI spec. These days my functional specs are often informal: perhaps a list of bullet points or a general description of what the end result is supposed to be like. But I feel it's essential to get an adequate sense of the range and scope of the job I'm being asked to do. >... (for example, does the system >use a session or a cookie to remember a user preference? which >database does the data come from?)... BF: To me, these do not belong in a a functional spec. A functional spec would say "we have to let users set [these] preferences..." and "there must be a way to store and retrieve [this] data...". *how* the preferences and data are stored and retrieved is up to the engineers to design. How the preferences and data are presented to the user is up to me to design. We both have essential roles in delivering the desired functionality to the user. Both of us must be successful for the user to have a satisfactory experience. >I think of this in architectural terms, where the architect designs >where the people go and how they experience the space, but the >engineers decide what kind of steel beams to use, where the rivets >go, how to route the water pipes and the electrical wiring, etc. BF: I, too, use the building-architecture analogy, and I equate myself in this analogy with the architect. A building architect always has to ask the client what kind of building to design and what are its key characteristics. What is its purpose, what is the budget, how many people, cars, etc. does it have to hold, etc. I suggest that the list of answers to these questions comprises the first (and sometimes final) draft of what I'd call a functional spec. >(I am not demeaning the work of engineers here. Engineers with the >right skills can certainly build, or help build, great user >experience specs. And, of course, the process of figuring out how to >effectively build and deliver the user experience as specified in the >UI spec is not trivial, requiring great skill, creativity, and >ingenuity.) BF: One key thing I've learned in my career is that the only thing a user ends up seeing or interacting with is what the engineers build. Therefore I only have influence, not control over the outcome. I can maximize my influence by working closely *with* the engineers to: (a) design something they can build (within the constraints of budget, schedule, legacy issues, etc.), and (b) getting them excited about how wonderful the results can be. >As UI designers, sometimes we have no choice but to follow a tech >spec. Many product managers begin with functional specs and then >bring on the UI team to "make it user friendly". BF: Whenever I've encountered this, the people who have worked on the project before I was brought on board have gone way beyond what belongs in a functional spec, or marketing requirements document, etc., and instead have already created a design (even if they're not calling it that). When in the past I've found myself presented with such a situation I have gone to the decision maker(s) and said, diplomatically and tactfully, you have two choices: constrain me to simply making minor improvements to the "design" you've presented me with, or give me the freedom to create the design that this product really needs. You're paying me, it's your call. >...If there is >a single thing that best exemplifies "user centered design", it is >the concept that the "UI is the spec" [1]. BF: At least on the face of it I can't agree with this, although maybe you didn't mean it the way I read it. To me user centered design starts with a deep knowledge of, sensitivity to and commitment to the users. Any design, engineering, testing, marketing, packaging, sales, distribution, support, etc. must flow from that for a product to be "user" centered. And as you may guess from my list, I feel that the user "experience" is affected by the full spectrum of organizational specialties. A good UI design is certainly a key contributor to a good user experience, but can easily be undermined by poor performance in other parts of the organization. >[1] http://www.37signals.com/svn/archives/001050.php BF: I read this, and it doesn't sound at all like my experience. I don't doubt that the writer(s) are telling the truth as it has been for them, but for me I have typically found funct
Re: [IxDA Discuss] functional designer?
I've never before heard of "functional design" or "functional
designer". On the other hand I have for many years, and in multiple
companies, used the terms "functional specification" and "user
interface specification" (among others) for important design process
documents, on both hardware and software products.
To me there's a very important distinction between these two
documents: The functional spec defines WHAT you want the product to
accomplish (what it's functionality is), and the UI spec defines
(from the user's standpoint) HOW it accomplishes it (how it's
functionality is presented).
To give a trivial example, the functional spec might say "the product
shall provide a way for the user to choose one of the following
colors: red, green, yellow, orange, blue". And the UI spec,
depending on the overall design approach for the product, might
specify the use of a pop-up menu, a voice command, the pressing of
the keyboard keys "1" to "5" to correspond to the colors in a given
order, etc.
A big, recurring problem I've had through the years is that the
people who were defining the functionality (often Marketing) would
often state functionality in the form of a UI design ("the colors
shall be chosen through a floating palette of colored squares"), and
then would keep that image in their minds throughout the project --
even when it was clearly inappropriate to the ultimate UI needs.
As an aside, it also turns out to be very difficult (and thus a skill
unto itself) to describe the desired functionality (for the
functional spec) without expressing it in a concrete form (which is
the role of the UI spec).
In practice, as a freelance user interface architect I often end up
writing both kinds of specs for clients, in which case I'm able to
maintain the distinction between "what do you want it to do?"
(functional) and "is this a good way to do it?" (UI). And I must
say, it's very good to get clarity on the first before spending too
much time on the second.
I don't know if there are contexts in which the role "functional
designer" is necessary, but I do feel uncomfortable equating
"functional "design with "user interface" or "interaction" design.
My two cents,
Bill
--
==
Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design
(505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com *
http://billfernandez.com
==
Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe http://gamma.ixda.org/unsubscribe
List Guidelines http://gamma.ixda.org/guidelines
List Help .. http://gamma.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Designing a portal from scratch
I suggest that you look into the MODx content management framework. It's an open source system implemented in PHP, using MySQL (et al) as the database backend. It does a good job of providing all the basic functionality you'll need (such as user & permissions management, page templating, and auto-generated navigation) without locking you into someone else's idea of how a portal should be structured. Being a 'framework' there's a steeper learning curve than with some block-structured portal-building systems, but I think you'll find that at every step in your learning it's liberating, supportive and empowering. And there's a wonderfully supportive forum community. Of course being only a framework, not a set of plug-together Lego-blocks, it's entirely your responsibility to figure out how to design your pages and structure your site. The website is at www.modxcms.com --Bill At 1:06 PM -0500 10/10/07, Mike Scarpiello wrote: >I've just been tasked with designing a customer portal (i.e. extranet) from >scratch. Has anyone done anything like this before, or can anyone point me >toward some reference materials? -- ========== Bill Fernandez * User Interface Architect * Bill Fernandez Design (505) 346-3080 * bf_list1 AT billfernandez DOT com * http://billfernandez.com == Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://gamma.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://gamma.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://gamma.ixda.org/help
