Nielsen Norman Group: Evidence-Based User Experience Research, Training, and Consulting The Laws of Simplicity Advanced Common Sense Home Orange Hues Usability 101: Introduction to Usability This is the article to give to your boss or anyone else who doesn't have much time, but needs to know the basic usability facts. What — Definition of Usability Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. The word "usability" also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process. Usability is defined by 5 quality components: Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design? There are many other important quality attributes. Usability and utility are equally important and together determine whether something is useful: It matters little that something is easy if it's not what you want. Definition of Utility = whether it provides the features you need.Definition of Usability = how easy & pleasant these features are to use.Definition of Useful = usability + utility. Why Usability Is Important On the Web, usability is a necessary condition for survival. How to Improve Usability
Google Maps Principles of Website Usability | 5 Key Principles Of Good Website Usability It’s true, usability has become a commodity. Over the past few years, we have gotten used to certain standards in web design. In order to make a lasting impression on your visitors, you need to build experiences that go beyond those of a plain, usable website. This does not mean usability has become any less important. Usability means user-centered design. Here are 5 key principles of good website usability. 1. Let’s start with a basic, yet central aspect of usability: the availability and accessibility of your site. Here are a few of the basics of availability and accessibility, Server uptime – It’s important to ensure your visitors don’t get an error trying to load your site. Amazon.com Amazon.com is a flagship example of an accessible website. Amazon.com is a perfect example of an accessible website for several reasons. First, the desktop version of the site is optimized for both tablets and desktop screens. Second, Amazon.com has almost no downtime. 2. Apple 3. Microsoft 4. 5. Nike
The Unofficial Google Weblog Better Pop Up Blocker for Chrome blocks pop-ups -- better by Erez Zukerman on November 28, 2010 at 12:31 PM Who doesn't love pop-ups? Really, I mean, it has to be the world's most effective and well-respected mode of advertising. WidgetBlock for Chrome blocks annoying social widgets, makes Web faster by Erez Zukerman on November 26, 2010 at 10:30 AM The Web is all about being social these days. drag2up for Chrome brings drag-and-drop uploading to the whole Web by Erez Zukerman on November 24, 2010 at 11:00 AM One of my favorite Gmail features is the ability to drag-and-drop attachments onto email messages. Scraper for Chrome lets you easily create spreadsheets from Web data by Erez Zukerman on November 22, 2010 at 02:30 PM Scraping is a technique whereby a website or tool extracts select information from another website. Google Cloud Connect plug-in connects Microsoft Office to your Google Docs by Jay Hathaway on November 22, 2010 at 01:30 PM Google's HTML5 e-book begins to appear in newspapers
TED Blog Type: Note to Teachers This site was designed as a classroom companion to the book Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students. The site summarizes some of the practical information included in the book; it does not include the essays or the examples of historic and contemporary design that make up an important part of the book. The pages were designed so that they can be projected in a classroom setting and used as the basis for lectures and demonstrations. You can click through a group of pages in sequence using the ”next topic” button, or build your own path through the material. Ellen Lupton GREAT RESOURCES FROM OTHER SITES > typography.art.udel.edu/index.html This awesome game tests your knowledge of letterspacing. > thedesignencyclopedia Use the encyclopedia to find information, or help build the site with your students! . . . . . . . . . . . . HANDOUTS AND HI-RES DEMONSTRATIONS I've been adding these PDFs to the site to facilitate classroom discussion.