Category Archives: User Centered Design (UCD)

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

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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

Posted in Application Usability, Healthcare Usability, Real-World Usability, Social Networking, Technology, User Centered Design (UCD), Web 2.0, Web Usability | Leave a comment

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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“Mad Libs” Style Form Increases Conversion 25-40%

UI designers are always looking for new ways to do common tasks better and faster. This new style of filling in forms may prove to be one of those new twists that makes people think, “Why didn’t I think of … Continue reading

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Theo Mandel’s “Golden Rules of Web Design” Keynote Presentation – User eXperience Russia, October 2009

Theo Mandel, Ph.D. was invited to give a keynote presentation at the User eXperience Russia conference in Moscow, Russia, on October 26, 2009. Mandel’s keynote, “The (New) Golden Rules of Web Design,” is an new presentation based on a chapter … Continue reading

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Why Agile Needs to Start in Academia

Thought-provoking article about getting geeks and artists together during college rather than afterwards on the job. Some institutions offer interdisciplinary programs, but more should be done to get students used to working in multi-disciplinary, cooperative work environments. >

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Improving the Patient Experience (Bridget Duffy, Gel Health ’09)

Bridget Duffy Former Chief Experience Officer Cleveland Clinic After breaking her leg, Bridget Duffy got a close look at the patient experience – by being a patient herself. At the first Gel Health conference, Bridget discusses what she learned – … Continue reading

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Classic “This is Broken” Seth Godin Video

Seth Godin, bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change in his Gel 2006 video. Why are so many things broken? In this entertaining talk – one of the favorites of Gel 2006 – Seth Godin gives a tour of things … Continue reading

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Theo Mandel invited to present Keynote at 2009 User eXperience Russia Conference

Theo Mandel, Ph.D., founder and principal of Interface Design and Development, LLC, has been invited to present a keynote session at the 2009 User eXperience Russia conference in Moscow on October 26-28, 2009. Mandel’s keynote presentation is titled “The (New) … Continue reading

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Finally – Usable, Real-World Products!

Ping Pong Door! Designed by Tobias Fränzel, this innovative door turns into a ping pong table when needed. After the game is finished, it goes back to being a regular door. Everything the techie or apartment-dweller needs! www.toxel.com/tech/2009/07/07/ping-pong-door-by-tobias-franzel/

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Designers Who Wireframe: Pros and Cons

Most UI/usability/information designers/architects create various types of wireframes when we design. This article discusses the different types of wireframes and their pros and cons. The article also shows good examples of diffferent types of wireframes and the final website design. … Continue reading

Posted in Application Usability, Prototyping, User Centered Design (UCD), Web Usability | 1 Comment

What makes a “User Experience expert”?

Good summary of what is a “User Experience” expert. Read the follow-up comments and posts your own comments. http://www.insideria.com/2008/12/what-makes-a-user-experience-e.html

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Solution, or Mess? A Milk Jug for a Green Earth

Who says you can’t improve on years of well-established tradition? Wal-Mart and Costco have adopted a new gallon-sized milk container that looks to save the companies lots of money. However, there may be some usability issues they’ve overlooked! A New … Continue reading

Posted in Real-World Usability, Technology, Usability Bloopers, User Centered Design (UCD), Users | 4 Comments

T-Mobile Designs More Usable Phone Bills!

“Historically phone bills have been as bland as a tin of condensed soup but T-Mobile saw an opportunity to make its bills more valuable as a regular interface between its brand and its customers.” Good article about improving the readability … Continue reading

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