Usability Testing is All Around

Thursday, August 2nd, 2007

At lunch today with my wife she told me an interesting story about helping a potential client with online banking (she works for a bank). While in this meeting, my wife was explaining the benefits of online banking (the person was not using it) and when the client wanted to see what it was all about, she offered to help them sign up for online banking with their current bank. As my wife watched them walk through the setup process it came time to set up the username and password. As is normal with many sites now there were password requirements. At least six characters in length, one number and one special character. The person then says...

Special Character? What's that?

With nothing in the process to explain "special characters" it takes a fairly simple concept and creates a definite chance for frustration.

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Successful User Experience

Monday, July 9th, 2007

Successful experience design is invisible… which can create a problem for developing your portfolio. ~ Jared Spool at Web Design World today

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Progress Energy Thinks You’re Stupid

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

Last week I sat down to pay my usual end of the month bills. My power company is Progress Energy.Upon logging into the web site, I click "One-Time Payment". I'm presented with a screen that clearly states my account number and an option to start the payment process. So I grab my account number and copy it to the clipboard because I know I'll need it, and click "Pay My Bill Using EasyPay".I am then presented with a screen to provide my account number and my zip code to verify who I am. I paste in my account number, type in my zip code and click "Validate". And then...

Customer validation failed. Please enter valid customer information.

So what went wrong? The wrong account number, the wrong zip code? The box says to put all 10 digits of my account number in, but to leave off any leading zeros. Where can I go for help? Other than the submit button, there isn't any other links on the page. It just reeks of thoughtlessness for the user, un-professionalism and plain stupidity from whoever developed this system during their "Intro to Computers" class.After several repeated attempts to re-submit by changing the account number and making sure I copy pasted it right, I finally give up. Being 150% positive this problem was no fault of my own, I sent them an e-mail through their "Contact Us" section on the web site.Today, I received a response:

Thank you for contacting Progress Energy Florida.I do apologize for any inconvenience you are experiencing, please make sure you log out completely and re-type www.progress-energy.comIf you have any further questions or concerns, please reply to my e-mail or you may also call Customer Service Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm, toll-free at 1-800-700-8744.Thank you for using Progress Energy's online services.Ms. XXXXXXXXCustomer Relations

Really? That's it? Log out, re-type the URL, and log back in? Wow, I must be stupid. I don't develop web sites or anything, and I'm definitely not familiar with copy-paste.And what if I wasn't savvy enough to know that I'm not in the wrong? The e-mail offers no real support answer other than to call and talk to some drone who will read predetermined responses from a computer screen - an experience on par with walking through the ever-worthless 'Windows Add New Hardware Wizard'.So what can I do? Pay it by phone, sure. I have nothing better to do than spend 10 minutes doing something that takes me less than 2 minutes. In all seriousness, I'm probably not doing anything that important that I couldn't spend 10 minutes to call the payment in. But it's the point. It's $1.00 more to pay by phone - something they call a "Convenience Fee" - although I don't think anyone knows who this is convenient for. But that doesn't bother me, it's the point.I could write to Progress Energy, but at the end of the day I'm just a price-tag and they just don't care.I could not pay my next bill, but then I wouldn't have power to charge my laptop so I can write such enthralling posts like this.

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Icons and Usability

Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

Throughout the development process one item that can be an interesting struggle is icons. On the surface, icons can save space and can liven up an otherwise drab page. Well, that is, icons can save space if you don't label them in some way. The problem then becomes if you don't label an icon then a user has to guess at its meaning. This never ends well.

Thanks BrandSpankingNew

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Flash Sucks

Monday, June 11th, 2007

Let me rephrase that, Adobe's Tools for creating Flash SUCK! Flash is a powerful and useful tool, very often mis-used, but a useful none the less. From what I've seen so far, the Actionscript language is pretty good. It gives you the flexibility to do almost anything you want with flash and its not too bulky. As for the flash GUI, it sucks.

One of the biggest things I've had a problem with is how hard it is to be productive. The things you use most aren't in the right click menu. IE: Delete and Ungroup. However, they did at least decide that these very useful items should have keyboard shortcuts.

What are they?

Delete : Delete...thats not too bad.
Ungroup: Cntrl + Shft + G ...Uhhh what?

Okay, Cntrl + Shft + G makes logical sense considering that Group is Cntrl + G. However, try doing that one handed quickly. It ain't happening. On top of that the delete button is on the opposite end of the keyboard from my left hand..the only hand I have on the keyboard when working with graphics.

So I decided to search Google for a solution to my problem. Thats when I found the CombiMouse. No more going back and forth between the keyboard and mouse. I've been wanting something like this for years. The bad news is, since their still looking for funding, I may be waiting a few more.

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19 Things Not to do When Building a Web Site

Friday, June 1st, 2007

When I see titles such as "Top 10 Things Not..." or "5 Reasons Why You..." it usually catches my interest. I recently came across the article 19 Things Not to Do When Building a Web Site and I have to say that they're dead on. I'm also happy to say that these are things that we do not do. Here's a few of the better "rules."

If your website requires the visitor to load your home page, and then “launch” your real website in a pop up, YOU LOSE.

If your website is ALL Flash, FIRE your web development company, and if you made it, add it to your portfolio under “Useless web projects I’ve done” and start over.

If you are a print designer, and “do websites on the side”, STOP DOING websites and providing “advice” to your print clients about web design. Print design to web design is like designing an ad for a race car, and actually building and racing that race car.

If your website does not work in Firefox, welcome to 2007 DUMBASS.

No blinking text, no Frontpage, no pop-ups (even requested), no scrolling text, no font downloads, and no Flash intros.

...if the user has to mouse over your graphic or small image to know what it is, or where it will take them if its a link, quit your job and be a magician or a blackjack dealer, making web interfaces is not for you.

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Agile Development v. User Centered Design

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007

UX Matters posted an article back in December about Agile Software Development vs. User Centered Design and whether they can co-exist in a project. The core of our development process around here is and will be user-centered design. Web sites are nothing without users so we want to make sure it's easy for them.

Agile Development, or really the philosophy of "do instead of document" calls for a short development cycle on features and face-to-face communication. Limiting the documentation of the process is contrary to UCD (think wire frames, content structures, personas, design briefs). UXMatters has some interesting thoughts on how Agile Development and UCD can play together.

Thoughts? How can the process be streamlined between the planning and the doing and still keep usability at the forefront.

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