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Author Archives: Theo Mandel, Ph.D.
12 of the Year’s Best Ideas in Interface Design [Slideshow]
Fast Company‘s Co.Design did their research and came up with 12 very cool UI ideas. Here’s what they say: This past year, we brought you stories on everything from tweeting toddler toys and streamlined ATMs to news-reading apps and remote … Continue reading
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UX Storytellers Tell Their Stories – FREE eBook
Very good reading! User Experience stories from UX experts! From the IxDA website: In this free eBook, ‘UX Storytellers – Connecting the Dots’, 42 UX masterminds tell personal stories of their exciting lives as User Experience professionals. The book brings … Continue reading
Making “Boring” Better – Virgin America Airlines In-Flight Video
Mark Hurst of Good Experience posted this on how Virgin America improved the user experience of passengers on their flights. Other airlines should learn from this experience. ______________________________________ How Virgin America’s customer experience turns “boring to better” Virgin America is … Continue reading
Mandel presents to Denver University’s Daniels College of Business on “Golden Rules of Web Design”
Theo Mandel, Ph.D. gives an invited presentation – “Golden Rules of Web Design” – to a Digital Marketing graduate course at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver September 27, 2010 Denver, Colorado
Theo Mandel and Larry Marine present “Agile – When Theory Meets Reality” at RM PDMA
Theo Mandel and Larry Marine present “Agile – When Theory Meets Reality” at the Rocky Mountain PDMA monthly meeting on September 16, 2010. Larry Marine, NPDP, is President at Intuitive Design Group and member of RM PDMA. The Product Development and Management … Continue reading
Observing the Customer Experience
Mark Hust of Good Experience runs a wildly successful and informative conference, Gel, every year that focuses on user experience. One of the key speakers was Alex Lee, president of OXO. From Good Experience’s blog: Product developers everywhere could learn … Continue reading
No more vacation: How technology is stealing our lives
Have we become too dependent on our mobile computers and devices? This article answers the question: “E-mail and smart phones were supposed to liberate us. So why does it feel like we never have any free time?” Things may have … Continue reading
Healthcare IT News: Health 2.0 2010 Developer Challenge
This is a wonderful community effort! The Health 2.0 2010 Developer Challenge was launched on June 2nd, 2010 at the Community Health Data Initiative (CHDI) meeting at the Institute of Medicine (IOM), with support from the Department of Health and … Continue reading
Smashing Magazine: 40+ Helpful Resources On User Interface Design Patterns
User interface design patterns are common researched and reusable solutions to frequent user interface problems. There are a number of user interface pattern repositories. This article in Smashing Magazine lists over 40 resources for user interface design patterns. Here’s what they … Continue reading
Electronic Pill Bottle Cap Increases Medication Use, Study Says
Finally, technologists provide enhancements to healthcare usability! Usability of medicine pill bottles, that is!! I work on the usability of healthcare software systems. I’m glad to see that usability professionals are also working on medical devices and other areas of … Continue reading
Ideo – The Future of Self-Service Banking
ATM banking systems haven’t kept up with touchscreen technology. Look what you can do on an iPad and then look at your bank’s ATM screen. There’s no reason an ATM needs to have an out-dated on-screen with buttons on the … Continue reading
Healthcare wants a tablet, but not Apple’s iPad
Since the introduction of the iPad, everyone has wondered if this is the ultimate tablet platform. However, one industry that has been using tablet computers for many years – the healthcare industry – does not necessarily think the iPad is … Continue reading
Mandel presentes “Golden Rules of Usable Web Design” at Direct Marketing Association Conference
Theo Mandel, Ph.D. presented a session at Rocky Mountain Direct Marketing Association’s (RMDMA) Direct Marketing Day conference in Denver on May 19, 2010. The session was titled, “The Golden Rules of Usable Web Design.” Each year, the Rocky Mountain Direct … Continue reading
iPad Usability: First Findings From User Testing – Mixed Results!
Now that the iPad is out and people are using the new apps supposedly designed for the iPad, their usability falls short of the expected Apple usability experience. Jakob Nielsen, in his Alertbox, May 10 2010, summarized his findings: “iPad … Continue reading
The Future of Shopping – Real World User Experiences!
A video by Cisco shows how new technologies and user interfaces can totally change our real-world common experiences. Even tasks such as trying on clothes in a store can become a more enjoyable and satisfying experience, especially for guys who … Continue reading
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New Users for the iPad – Iggy (a cat) investigates an iPad
You knew this would happen sooner or later. Now that there is a large touch-based tablet, little kids and pets are now experimenting with this new user interface! YouTube is now getting flooded with videos of pets playing with an … Continue reading
Posted in Real-World Usability, Uncategorized, Usability Humor, Users
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We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint
It’s official – “PowerPoint makes us stupid.” In an article for the New York times, many high-ranking officials are taking shots at Microsoft’s PowerPoint program. Gen. James N. Mattis of the Marine Corps, the Joint Forces commander, said at a … Continue reading
Posted in Real-World Usability, Technology, Users
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Reaching Retirees: Web Design for Senior Users
Good article by Design For Use on web design for seniors. Here’s the summary: “With the aging population and increased reliance on internet resources, improving the online experience of senior and retired users can facilitate greater success and knowledge about … Continue reading
Reverse Psychology – Microsoft makes Game out of the Office Ribbon
In the spirit of the developer’s credo – “That’s not a bug, that’s a feature!” – Microsoft has created a game that gives users points for finding and using commands on the Office Ribbon toolbar. Usually companies don’t point out … Continue reading
Counterpoint to the “Madlibs” Form Style
As I looked closely at the different form styles in the previous blog entry, I noticed there are a number of differences, in addition to the different form layouts. Any or all of these changes could have contributed to the … Continue reading