How Users Read on the Web

Improving Usability with Fitts’ Law Back in 1954, psychologist Paul Fitts published an article the detailed his theory on human mechanics as it pertained to aimed movement. It was Fitts’ observation that the action of pointing to or tapping an target object could be measured and predicted mathematically. Fitts stated that the size of the target object along with its distance from the starting location could be directly measured, allowing him to model the ease at which a person could perform the same action with a different target object. In 1954, this theory had no application for computers yet; however, it shouldn’t take a modern designer long to discover the powerful meaning this formula has in the context of user interfaces. Because of this, Fitts’ law has become a staple in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI), and has become one of the most accepted guidelines in the industry. Fitts’ law, at its simplest form, is common sense. How Fitts’ Law Works Here is the equation: In the equation above: Movement and Distances

bake sale week: raspberry lemonade bars I know this seems like a bit of a cop out, seeing as last year I made those lime bars, but the name of these just makes you want one, doesn’t it? It’s like one last throw back to the summertime captured in a cookie. raspberry lemonade bars for the crust: 9 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, plus one tablespoon) 1/4 cup (50g) superfine sugar (or regular granulated) 1 cup (100g) of unbleached all-purpose flour pinch salt for the filling: 1 1/2 cups (287g) superfine sugar (or regular granulated) 3 egg whites 1 egg 2/3 cup (150mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 3 lemons) 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons) 2/3 cup (65g) unbleached, all-purpose flour pinch of salt 1-2 cups (150-275g) of frozen raspberries, defrosted 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar 1. 2. 3. 4.

HOW-TO: Write Effectively for Twitter & the Social Web Are you using content marketing as part of your digital strategy to grow your business? If so, you're not alone. According to the Content Marketing Institute, the lion's share of marketers (some 92%) report using content marketing. In the fast moving world of digital strategy, things are always changing. What should you expect in 2014 to change in the world of content marketing? Hana Abaza of Uberflip has put together an infographic detailing five key content marekting trends for the coming year. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

publish a book? If you've never truly considered writing a book, take another look at the rubbish filling bookshelves at airport kiosks. The "authors" of that stuff are laughing all the way to the bank. While English majors and real literary types are screaming at each other in the stuffy halls of academia or the pages of The New Yorker, these clowns are quietly rehashing tired plots and making millions for it. You're a smart person, so we see no reason you shouldn't take a crack at making bank as well. (Heck, even if you're a ding-bat, we think you should give it a try. Al Gore's books sold millions.) Here's how you too can tap into the wallets of all those gullible readers out there. 1. The first rule of getting a book published is to avoid writing a book. Agents -- what do they do, exactly? An agent is a separate individual who performs much of this filtering process. Agents, in turn, don't particularly like reading 300-page manuscripts either. But you say, "Wait.

Coping with Over Four Hundred Devices: How Netflix Uses HTML5 to Deliver Amazing User Interfaces Note: Every so often, we’ll be publishing a “feature”, an in-depth posting on a topic we care about that involves much more effort than we’re able to invest on a regular basis. Time will tell how often we produce these; probably will be monthly or bi-monthly. Please let us know what you think of this one and what other areas you’d like to see us explore in the future. Thanks! Today’s fragmented browser and device landscape make yesterday’s cross-browser incompatibilities look like a walk in the park. But for a company like Netflix, dealing with this issue is the least of their worries. We assumed that in order to support this kind of breadth, Netflix must have setup an API and rely on third parties to create these hundreds of software experiences. Surely Netflix must have partnered with some kind of software consulting shop or platform vendor to accomplish this, right? We’ve seen some swanky offices in the Valley, but Netflix is truly in a league of its own. The PlayStation 3 “Really?”

PMS cures can reduce or eliminate your symptoms naturally! PMS Cures get you feeling normal naturally. It is estimated that there are over 100 different symptoms associated with this condition of monthly misery. Most feel that anything that might break the cycle is worth a try. Our approach is to use natural practices that work. Some of the more common symptoms are fluid retention, headaches, tender breast, loss of concentration, severe mood swings and in rare cases violent behavior. In addition to the negative feelings and symptoms, there are others, such as a heightened since of intuition and creativity. By using nature to balance a natural occurrence, we work with our bodies and emotions during this time to ease the storm to a gentle spring breeze. PMS Cures #1: Evening Primrose is an essential oil you can get from your health food store. Remember that illness is an imbalance of body, mind and spirit. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. PMS Remedies Top of Page

Social media, conversation, and writing style | Just Write Click What are some pointers for developing a style guide for writing on the social web or for certain social mediums? I discuss style guidance at length in chapter 7 in my book, which is titled Finding Your Voice. In fact, I read from chapter 7 for my book reading at South By Southwest Interactive last week! Definitely finding my voice on the couch on stage. If you’re working on a style guide for social media, you might find this collection of links that are all the footnotes from that chapter from my book, Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation. A List Apart: Style Guide – Be concise, reader-centered, and seek clarity. I think the main points to remember when developing a style guide are to value highly clear, concise, to the point, honest, and attention-getting writing. The Elements of Style turned 50 years old last year, and has sold 10 million copies. Web writing hasn’t changed the basics, rather, the web has increased style’s relevance to successful communication.

Visual Direction in Web Design One of the big secrets of design is learning how to guide the visual direction of viewers; This principle is often overlooked by even the most experienced designers, so today we're going to take a deeper look at how it works. Visual direction is controlling the eye movement of the user; this can be achieved by carefully selecting your images and by well-placed and aligned design elements. %5Brepublished%5DMarch of 2011%5B/republished%5D It is greatly established that the default eye movement throughout the page (in an LTR – Left to Right – layout) is from the top left towards the bottom right as the image illustrates: However; this can't be further from the truth, by arranging the composition elements in a certain way, a designer can control and force the movement of the viewer's eyes in and around the layout of the design. 1. Of course it's pretty obvious which direction these images are pointing to, however many images may not be as clear, take a look at these other examples: 2. 3. 4.

eat make readCategory: best of 2008 This was originally posted on June 30, 2008. Simple and delicious. This recipe is laced with cinnamon and topped with fresh blueberries. Awesome! When I was stuck in airports a few weeks ago, I ended up buying more than my share of magazines. This weekend I picked up a pint of blueberries at the market eager to get started on my unconventional focaccia recipe. When I pulled the bread out of the oven it was a beautiful sight. Blueberry Focaccia from O magazine I cut my recipe in half and it worked out well. 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast 2 1/4 cups warm water 6 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup light brown sugar 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 large egg 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature Vegetable oil, for greasing 2 pints (5 to 6 cups) blueberries1 In a small bowl, mix yeast and water; set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.