Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

Hi Milan, I had never considered a more generalist approach. It sounds like it is definitely worth investigating. Thanks very much for your advice and for the links. Cheers, Martin On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 5:15 PM, Milan Guenther wrote: > Hi Martin, > > if you are considering more "generalist

Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

Hi Andy, Thanks very much. Maybe I'll throw the question out on Twitter too -- quite a number of Dutch IxDers there :) Cheers, Martin On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 4:45 PM, Andy Polaine wrote: > Martin, > > Not all that much, no. The Dutch have a long history in interaction design > and new media

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Who am I?

On May 17, 2009, at 10:05 PM, Joshua Muskovitz wrote: So who am I? And how do I find opportunities which actually make sense? Let me give you a serious answer (versus the snarky one from a few days ago). Let's assume you are as good as you say you are in both IxD and implementation. Th

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Need of persona for small set of user group

Hi Kishor, You may well be in one of the rare situations where personas would not add especial value. They might instead add overhead to a collaborative, user-centered process where you can frequently interact with your actual users. Slide 59 of the presentation I authored with Steve Calde, "De

Re: [IxDA Discuss] [Conan Team to IXDA members]: Paying job posts to fund IXDA activities&other issues

What great input! Please keep it coming...IxDA is the organization that we make together! We'd especially love to hear from recruiters or other people who've posted jobs on IxD Discuss in the past. Best, Liz, IxDA Vice-President & Conan Creative Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[IxDA Discuss] any keyboard usability info on Kindle?

I'm wondering if anyone has any study results regarding the usability of the Kindle keyboard. I'm concerned that the keyboard might be too small (hard to read and cramped) for an elderly person with visual/physical impairments. Thanks! Sean Bentley Senior Content Provider, UI Text _

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Radio buttons versus drop downs for sorting product results

Thank you all for your comments. Pradeep agree with your points. In my case the options won't expand and I am even thinking of reducing them :) The filter types are Price (Low), Price (High), Rating, Video, Best Sellers, A-Z and Z-A. For those who are interested. Must admit I would rather do so

Re: [IxDA Discuss] (JOB) User Experience Design and Engineering (Web & Mobile) Permanent**Seattle** Recruiter

On Fri, May 15, 2009 at 3:36 PM, Ryan Lum wrote: > (Technical Role, Start-Up) > > opening for a highly motivated and creative user experience designer and > developer with a history of rapidly designing and implementing unique user > interaction experiences on a variety of platforms, mobile and d

[IxDA Discuss] Need of persona for small set of user group

Hi everyone, Persona represents a user group, helps to understand who the users are, their behavior, etc. No my question here is if I’ve a large set of audience or target user group then making a persona make sense to me, But what if I’ve very limited users say 8-10 and I’ve access to users all

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Examples: 'Out of stock' messages on e-commerce sites

I think the biggest crime any site can commit, especially ecommerce, is unnecessary time wasting. People need to know as soon as possible if they can't buy something. On the other hand, you still want them to know you stock it, and that it's likely to only be temporarily unavailable. So include i

[IxDA Discuss] How can Facebook benefit a company?

My company have started looking at Facebook and how it can be used as a means of communication and advertising. Has anyone done this effectively? Any advice? My mind is that it is good from a brand awareness and PR point of view raising your companies profile but advertising I am not so sure i.e. I

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Elements of User Experience: Strategy Plane & Scope Plane Sample

Thank you all for the healthy response, I am still wondering if anyone in the IxDA community ever worked on the guidelines by Jesse James Garrett? I was browsing the Jesse James Garrett's resources but only found the Stencils, but no document samples as discussed in the book. By the way, I will c

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

>>plasma2002No way dude. I advocate for the kitties. No tormentor shock treatment. If I came across one of those I would dismantle it. More my style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ-jv8g1YVI >>I have a touch screen on the cymbal mount, so it can do cymbals with the correct music software, but I

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Examples: 'Out of stock' messages on e-commerce sites

Just to clarify, and I know I wasn't clear first time around so: my apologies. The reason for retaining discontinued or superseded products is that a returning customer - who's initiated product research, but hasn't yet made a purchase - will be frustrated by the disappearance of the product if it

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Elements of User Experience: Strategy Plane & Scope Plane Sample

They shared the secret documentation sauce. I've already used the libraries in some of my docs. The people and flow libraries were very handy! Now if they just release the wireframe elements library, I'd be a happier camper. -Kevin On May 20, 2009, at 10:58 AM, Elizabeth Bacon wrote: Hi

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Radio buttons versus drop downs for sorting product results

Severin and Pradeep offer excellent suggestions -- let me add one more option to consider: a list menu. Instead of a drop down, make the menu a list like the one here: http://campar.in.tum.de/twiki/pub/Chair/ServiceMenuDisplay/ListMenu-e.jpg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[IxDA Discuss] [PLUG]A new UX blog...just what the world needs!

Thanks to Whitney Hess, whose presentation on "Evangelizing Yourself" motivated me to finally start a blog. My first post is an editorial response to Jared Spool's panel at the Ix09 conference, which asked where will we find the 10,000 new interaction designers we need to meet the expected grow

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

> > Sometimes they do, but it's always suggested retail price (usually > highest price), and often times there are advertise price minimums to > keep the competition from cannibalizing all the profits. That's all I'd expect from them. In the end, an individual is most likely going to purchase fr

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Elements of User Experience: Strategy Plane & Scope Plane Sample

Hi folks, Dan Brown's company, EightShapes, has provided the user experience community with an actual set of deliverable templates. It's an inspiring example of sharing best practices and concrete work output. See: http://unify.eightshapes.com/ "EightShapes Unify is a collection of templates, li

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Design research.

Incomplete previous post. Here it is complete. Sorry for double posting the same, just thought the references were needed. "The danger with the Bayazit approach is that it can end up being totally theoretical. " I agree with you, and that is exactly what we´re not looking for, or at least a group

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Design research.

Hi all, Now to be a little more specific, the actual discussion at my work group is aimed at defining research policies in our design department, within specific research requirements/perspectives coming from university policies. We are looking at how -design activities- are a form of research, w

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

RE: kittens and cables Wait.. you're saying your angels chewed through your wireless keyboard cables? ;) Really you need a blender defender. http://www.plasma2002.com/blenderdefender/ I have a touch screen on the cymbal mount, so it can do cymbals with the correct music software, but I beatbox

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

> If car companies can provide list prices for their products online, why > can't a furniture manufacturer? Sometimes they do, but it's always suggested retail price (usually highest price), and often times there are advertise price minimums to keep the competition from cannibalizing all the prof

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Need help with a directory style menu

Hi Kim, This is of course the most simple thing that comes to my mind, but think about removing words that are not necessary. I know that you just gave your example as an example, but if I'm on a site about maps I may not need maps in the name. Things like that may help slightly. One concept that

Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

MIke, I don't think anyone can give you advice other than to say this is the opinion I have of this school vs. that school and there will always be a grad who thinks their school is better than everyone else's, or conversely who had an individually bad experience and thus won't like their school. I

[IxDA Discuss] [PLUG]A new UX blog...just what the world needs!

Thanks to Whitney Hess, whose presentation on "Evangelizing Yourself" motivated me to finally start a blog. My first post is an editorial response to Jared Spool's panel at the Ix09 conference, which asked where will we find the 10,000 new interaction designers we need to meet the expected grow

[IxDA Discuss] Radio buttons versus drop downs for sorting product results

I have recently started a website project with an external development agency and we are going through the prototype stage of the design. On a product listing page design I have placed radio buttons as the means to sorting the already displayed content. This decision seems logical and is based on t

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Elements of User Experience: Strategy Plane & Scope Plane Sample

This book is good: Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning >From Amazon Description: Product Description Most discussion about Web design seems to focus on the creative process, yet turning concept into reality requires a strong set of deliverables%u2014t

Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

Hi Martin, if you are considering more "generalist" schools in Europe, you might want to take a look at the school where I graduated: http://design.fh-duesseldorf.de. They use a mixed approach, in essence very much design studio work on a broad range of subjects and media (your choice every semest

[IxDA Discuss] Need help with a directory style menu

Okay, I've managed to design myself into a corner and need help getting out. I'm working with a maps database that allows the user to create nested folders for organization. I'm limiting them to two nested folders, but even so, this creates a situation where some folders merely contain other folder

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Examples: 'Out of stock' messages on e-commerce sites

Hello, I was quite impressed with Marks & Spencers the other day: they show availability on the product description page, see: http://tinyurl.com/r2dfeh (of course, now that I want one I can't find an out of stock product!). Also, if they don't have your size, you see the option of "Email me when a

Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

Martin, Not all that much, no. The Dutch have a long history in interaction design and new media arts, often with a slight anarchic aspect to it, so I would expect there to be that kind of flavour. They also have strong product/industrial design courses in some of those places too. But I'

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

If car companies can provide list prices for their products online, why can't a furniture manufacturer? However, I disagree that Herman Miller products are as "ridiculous" as their interface design decisions (of course, this includes some classics like the Eames chairs that Herman Miller is license

Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

Hi, Alie. I actually did encounter CIID in my search, and I would have loved to go there. However, though I'm living and working in Norway right now, I'm still an American citizen -- and from what I understand, that means I'd have to pay full tuition, which I'm trying to avoid. (Schools in Sweden,

[IxDA Discuss] Out of Box Experience - 5 ways to make it work

The out of box experience (OOBE) describes the users first interaction with a product or service. In the technology sector this first experience invariably involves plugging stuff in, installing some software and crossing your fingers in the hope that the product will work. The problem is that, in

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

>>a monitor on a cymbal stand or a projector for truly laid backThat rocks. Your setup on your blog looked vaguely familiar. I have dual lap tops with dual monitors and an assortment of peripherals. Dual white coned yamaha monitors sold to me by one of those not so pushy sales guys (he really hooke

Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

Hi Mike - If you're interested in studying in Scandinavia, you should take a look at Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design http://ciid.dkds.dk/ . Currently this is a one year course and we have students from all around the world, from many different backgrounds (including non-designers) - s

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Who am I?

A few words about my experience of being a UX designer and a front end developer ( I did it recently in a startup for several years) I understand Robert's answer as it is difficult to *excel* because you don't have time to. You do both jobs but you don't have double time to do it... It is my pers

Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

Hi Andy, Do you know much about the Dutch universities (Utrecht and Delft, IIRC) that have interaction design (or related) courses? Cheers, Martin Polley Technical writer, interaction designer +972 52 3864280 Twitter: martinpolley On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 4:37 AM, Andy Po

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Examples: 'Out of stock' messages on e-commerce sites

Hi Julian, Some people have suggested providing this info at the item level. Some sites push it even further up by showing it in search results. For example, toysrus.co.uk does this, and orders the search results so that in-stock items are at the top of the results list, while out-of-stock items a

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

> Wow, I could never work like that! I have way to many books on my desk for > that to work. I need a good expanse of flat space. That's what floors are for :) of course I work at home so can get away that. But I used to work in an office I wasn't afraid to take over a floor area when the conferen

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

What can I say, I am a man of leisure. Squeeze the boomerang chair into an inner tube and plop me into the pacific with a paddle and a sail and I will be A-okay. This place has some neat office furnishings: http://www.ambiencedore.com/collection/seating_keil_desk-con.php I am totally serious about

Re: [IxDA Discuss] questions about design schools and career shifts

This isn't going to help you decide much, but all those schools have good reputations. Umea & Malmo are the most interaction design focussed and all the people that come out of them seem to be pretty rocking. Cologne has Birgit Mager running the service design research center and network there,

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

Yeah me too. Desks are so overrated, I've gone to just using wireframes...to hold drinks primarily. http://intrio.com/blog/2008/01/21/a-great-deal-1920x1600-24-monitor-for-370by-westinghouse/ Wow, I could never work like that! I have way to many books on my desk for that to work. I need a go

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

Angel - that looks like you'd never be able to get out of it! I have an Aeron but tried the Herman Miller Celle at Sam Flax in NY and it was extremely comfortable (probably more so than the Aeron) and about half the price. If you're in NY, I can recommend going there. The sales guy was real

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

>The HM hurts my rear, Yeah me too. Desks are so overrated, I've gone to just using wireframes...to hold drinks primarily. http://intrio.com/blog/2008/01/21/a-great-deal-1920x1600-24-monitor-for-370by-westinghouse/ Welcome to the I

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Elements of User Experience: Strategy Plane & Scope Plane Sample

Try "Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow That Works" by Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler. It provides some of the nicest examples and most practical guidance I've seen for the end-to-end user experience dev and design process. I've been doing this forever, and still found it very useful! . . . . . . . . . .

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

The HM hurts my rear. This looks cool: http://www.houseind.com/press/neutraslab/chair/ I doubt it would work with a desk though... On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 5:09 PM, Andy Polaine wrote: > Having spent more money than I care to admit on finding the perfect > chair, the Herman Miller ones are the b

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

Part of this is simple business dynamics. Most of the businesses mentioned in this primary distrubution channels are offline, they simply aren't interested in 1 to 1 relationships and sales, they are much more interested in that new office building, shoe store etc. Aeron chair is largely sold via

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Design research.

Yes, you'll never find a definitive answer to this, only debate. Remember that some of this doesn't come from a position of actually trying to define design research for its own sake but that it is also loaded with politics in academia about who gets their hands on research money. My own feeling a

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tale of buying a chair

Having spent more money than I care to admit on finding the perfect chair, the Herman Miller ones are the best you can find. You don't necessarily need the Aeron though, the newer ones are cheaper and very comfortable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted fro