Siolon

Category: Usability

  • Abusing Ellipses

    The humble ellipsis has found a whole new use: designating critical functionality in web applications. The question we must ask is whether this is a good idea, or should we abandon it?

  • Distinguishing Between Ornamental and Functional Skeuomorphism

    Writing off skeuomorphism entirely misses the point. The real distinction is between ornamental mimicry and functional analogies that actually help users.

  • A Warning On Reusing Solutions

    Reusing code from a previous project is tempting, but it risks fitting every new problem to an old solution instead of designing for the actual need.

  • Evaluating Windows 8

    Windows 8 tried to straddle touch and desktop and satisfied neither. This is the worst version of Windows in a long time.

  • Usability Testing: Why Aren’t We Doing It?

    A presentation on why usability testing is absent from most SharePoint projects, with a live test and analysis included.

  • Lost in Translation: User-Centered Design

    The phrase “user-centered design” causes more harm than good. Designing for activities and goals produces better applications than chasing user preferences.

  • Making DHTML Menus Suck Less

    Most DHTML menus are a band-aid for bad information architecture. If you must use one, at least make it less painful.

  • User Experience Presentation

    A screencast of my user experience presentation at the Cincinnati .NET User’s Group, complete with my first rough encounter with iMovie.

  • The Pains of Altering the SharePoint UI

    SharePoint’s default UI is built on table layouts, uncommented CSS, and obtrusive JavaScript. Branding it is an exercise in pain management.

  • The SharePoint Grade Card

    A candid report card on SharePoint’s major features. WSS earns an A, but Designer and the default interface barely pass.