Online Resources in Web Usability
Nice collection of links about all aspects of web usability, a la Usable Web.
Best of CHI-Web
Nice compilation by Scott Berkun of useful threads from the CHI-Web list. From Serious Instructional Technology
Opera Web Browser – Version 6.0 Released
Opera is a web browser for those who want more control when web browsing, or who don’t want to rely on Microsoft or AOL for their software. I’ve only toyed with the new beta a bit so far, but I’ve really enjoyed the overall experience: easy and clear installation, really nice use of contextual help, [...]
DeveloperWorks: Paper Prototyping
From LucDesk Wouldn’t it be great to find out what users (and marketing) want before you start coding? Paper prototyping lets you do just that. While it may seem counterintuitive to test an interface without using a computer, paper prototyping lets you get maximum feedback for minimum effort. After a few usability tests with a [...]
UsabilityNews.com
From ChristinaLooks like a new British site on usability run by a group of HCI academics. There’s a pretty good article on discount usability testing, as well as some responses from Jared Spool. Not sure about the rest of the site though – there’s a press release-type blurb about the iPod, and a random photo, [...]
Certified Usability Analyst ™
Hmm, still trying to decide what I think about this. I’m all for training, but the whole idea of certification seems a little silly. And yes, they’ve trademarked the term “Usability Analyst”. Don’t get me wrong – I like HFI’s courses, or at least the idea of them. I’ve tried to sign up for two [...]
Questionnaires in Usability Engineering FAQ
From XBlog In-depth but not overly academic. Covers types of questionnaires, advantages of each, appropriate usage, and so on. Comes in handy next time someone from marketing wants to “just throw up a quick little web survey” and pass it off as reliable data.
Interview with Jakob Nielsen and Marie Tahir
From LucDeskInterview about their upcoming book.
Empathy with Users
I had a few drinks with a friend the other day. She’s an artist, and these days she’s doing a lot of conceptual art. Her projects focus on experience, mostly trying to absorb, understand, and share others’ experiences. In addition to her most recent project, she’s done another project where she approached people in a [...]
BCCS & Products
I always enjoy reading Don Norman — he’s usually just grumpy enough to make his insights and arguments bite a bit harder. This time he’s taking to task the Behavior, Cognitive, and Social Sciences (BCSS) academic departments for poorly training students to efficiently function in industry (though, admittedly, most academics probably don’t care about this [...]