With high speed internet and 3G connections, we have become so accustomed to the swift access of information that anything less than instantaneous is too slow. Perhaps nothing signifies our need for the rapid dissemination of information on the web better than Google’s new Instant Search.  As soon as users begin typing text into the Google search engine, live results will be displayed in real time.  Google claims this will save users at least 2 or 3 seconds per search because results will be provided before the inquiry is complete and users will not even have to hit the search button.

This new method of searching for information is predictive in nature which is on some level indicative of a loss of user control; results based on prediction put the power of selection into the hands of the user interface provider and not the user. The fact that Google selects search results before you have even finished typing (not to mention eliminates the finality of pushing the search button yourself) blurs the boundaries between user and interface in terms of who is in command. For a search engine this is harmless but as our insatiable need for speed and real-time activity barrels forward into the future, the concept of prediction will play a larger and larger role if interface designs continue to trend towards prophetic real-time features. How will this affect user attitudes and trends?  Will users give up autonomy in favor of speed?  Only time can answer these queries, but a good prediction is that whatever the future holds for real-time web capacities, Google will likely be on the cutting edge.

That Apple has become THE dominant player in the post-Napster music industry is now something of a given. The mighty, albeit tiny, iPod along with its trusty sidekick iTunes played a big part in stealing the music thunder from under the venerable CD. Yet it seemed as if no one noticed the irony of the CD in the iTunes logo… Until now that is. The latest incarnation, iTunes 10, boasts a radical departure in design. Out with the CD and in with a more eye-catching blue backdrop that stands out better in the Dock (on the Mac).

Such a move boosts the usability of the software application even before it has started running. Being easier to spot (granted for mere milliseconds less) in an interface design and thus faster to open adheres to Steve Krug’s First Law of Usability: don’t make me think. Research shows that the brain makes decisions in just a 20th of a second of viewing a webpage. The program itself has a few surprise interface design choices. First among these is the sidebar. Up until now icons each had different colors that differentiated them on the interface design. Now it’s all a bland grey that blends with the background, which in turn requires users to think a little longer. Reminds me of that Joni Mitchell song:

“Don’t it always seem to go.

But you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.”

The chief radical interface design choice in the new iteration of iTunes is with the close/minimize/zoom buttons. Thankfully they remain color-coded but they now run vertically down on the top left of the program’s interface design. This goes against the virtually omnipresent convention of using the horizontal axis; top-left on the Mac and top-right on PC. Following conventions is a cornerstone of good usability. Considering Apple’s reputation for imposing its human interface design guidelines on developers, these choices are curiously interesting. Although the orientation can be changed, this is beyond many users, as they would need to enter a hidden terminal command.

Google recently announced that Gmail users will now have the opportunity to take their communication abilities to a new level within the realm of the Google Voice user interface.  Instead of simple email or G-chatting, Gmail users can now make local and international phone calls directly from  their Gmail account. Google promises that all calls to the US and Canada will be free until the end of 2010.  International calls will be charged according to international calling rates set by Google.
In order to utilize this feature, Gmail users must install Google’s voice and video plug in. Then, by selecting “Call Phone” from the Chat menu located on the left hand side of the Gmail interface, users can use a keypad pop-up to dial a phone number. Users can also enter phone numbers under their contacts and then simply click on the contact to call.  The process is fast, easy, and so far free or cheap, provided your home account is registered in the U.S.; Google is working on extending the service to international users

Digital Revolution shakes up media and advertising industry

After enduring the hardships of the global economic crisis of 2008, media and advertising companies seem once again optimistic about the future of media, communication, and sales. According to a survey from Booz & Company, however, the global financial crisis is not the main contributing factor to the recent shakeup in the media and advertising industry.  The digital revolution and new consumer habits have forced media companies to reevaluate the way they do business (ibusiness.de “Medienbranche: Ein Drittel des Umsatzes 2015 mit Digitalen Medien”).  70 percent of respondents in the media and advertising industry consider the development of new business and distribution models to be paramount to future success and 50 percent claim that investing in new digital business models is of the highest priority (Booz & Company). This means that companies will be looking for ways to transition from print to digital media, as the Booz & Company survey indicated that 40 percent of respondents feel that print media is negatively affecting their company (particularly financially).  In fact, Booz & Company predict that by the year 2015, one third of sales in the media and advertising industry will be generated by the digital revolution.

According to Giovanni Calabro’s article “Top 10 tools to measure user experience” (pragmaticmarketing.com) UX can be divided into a hierarchy within which each organization or designer falls into one of three categories:

1.    Stage 1  – General Knowledge: This stage of UX knowledge indicates that the designer or organization has little understanding of their users beyond general assumptions about what the users want, think, and need.  Thus, this level of understanding of the user is very broad and does not lend itself well to interface design evolution based on what users want and need. Instead, it is a simple way of brainstorming and predicting what users might want and what they trend towards.

2.    Stage 2 – Understand User Behavior: This second level of UX understanding means that you or your company are now employing testing methods, such as usability tests, to ascertain UX information from clients and/or users in order to design interfaces accordingly or make the necessary changes to your existing interface design.  This is a level that all organizations should try to achieve if they are serious about usability and UX success.

3.    Stage 3 – Influence Your Users: This is the stage in which you not only determine what users want to make a system functional, but also what they want to make a particular interface design interesting or unique.  In this stage, you have developed a process of measuring UX feedback to the point where you know how to craft systems that are unique and will entice users; you are influencing them to use your site for more than just functional purposes.

The UX hierarchy that Calabro introduces shows that if you are serious about interface design, then you definitely want to make it your or your organization’s goal to reach the third level.  You want to generally understand your users, specifically understand your users, and ultimately influence your users relative to your interface design.

Understanding the mind of the user is one of the most vitals aspects of web development.  Every interface design that is created is dependent upon users, without them, the site goes nowhere.  This is why the field of user experience (UX) plays such an important role in interface design.  UX is a profession (some may call it an art) that offers us the methods necessary to lead us towards a goal of satisfied users and optimal usability.

Maintaining a UX frame of mind

According to Joseph C Lawrence’s article “Five reasons why user experience thinking is essential” there are five important “UX mantras” that every designer should keep in mind when designing a user interface (as paraphrased below):

1.    UX design is about the users: Keeping the users at the center of your interface design will allow you to create websites and applications that aren’t just characterized by functionality, but also by individuality based on what users want and need beyond the structure of a site—sometimes a basic, functional structure is too boring.
2.    UX design requires testing: UX testing will help you learn not only how users interact with your site, but also how they want to interact with your site.  Thus, you will be able to analyze the feedback and make the changes necessary to infuse your interface design with individuality.
3.    UX design is psychological in nature: Websites are dynamic and intertwined with almost every interaction in our daily lives whether it is socializing, traveling, or shopping etc. Since the web is now such an integral part of the way people live personally and professionally, interface designs must now be more than a collection of pages and data—they must be designed understanding the psychology of what motivates people to perform the interactions facilitated by websites and applications.  UX design allows designers to gather this vital information.
4.    UX design is a harmonizing force: UX design can tie together all of the diverging goals of web users and designers in order to create a unique and usable interface design.  Understanding how users use an application and what users want gives designers and other stakeholders the information required so they can tailor their business goals and methods to the needs of the user without jeopardizing their own enterprise.
5.    UX design is an interdisciplinary method: The dynamic and integrated nature of today’s websites and apps requires web developers to understand not only computer software and programming but also an assortment of other fields: psychology, business, and marketing to name a few.  UX design transcends into all of these fields because users are human and humans are by nature interdisciplinary.

Using Lawrence’s “UX mantras” can help you keep your focus on the users which will ultimately distinguish your site from others that are similar, increasing your interface design’s popularity and success.  The better you understand your users and their needs, the more seamless the process of using your website or application becomes for them. This makes users happy and they will want to use your site above others because it is designed to understand what they want and respond to their needs.

The vast array of websites and applications created for similar purposes (i.e. amazon.com and Ebay are both eCommerce sites) force web designers to envision new ways of making their interface designs distinct to differentiate themselves; if a given user interface design is distinct then chances are users will pick that website or application above all others.  This is why UX design is quickly becoming one of the most important methods of development for web designers.  Web designers are learning that they need to approach their development process not just from a usability frame of mind, but also from a UX frame of mind. While usability is undoubtedly king of the interface design court, UX design is quickly becoming the king’s closest advisor because it gives designers the capacity to differentiate one similar interface design from another by responding to the exclusive needs and wants of the user.

The financing of this interface design project has been undertaken by Microsoft Austria. What this means is that this form of accessing the service is only available to users of Internet Explorer. From Microsoft Austria’s standpoint this is a relatively cheap way of boosting Internet Explorer’s 35% market share (according to the Wikinomics blog) in the country as well as a PR stunt. This, however, shuts off Mac and Linux users completely from this tiny bit of interface design innovation, as well as urging users of other browsers to switch allegiance. The toolbar itself is great and I can’t help but feel a wee-bit jealous at the Austrians for having such a great service with great usability.

The toolbar, with big clearly marked buttons, itself is found at the top of the interface design below the Address Field but above the Tab bars. It is itself distinct in the same red and white colors of the Austrian flag. The colors also add to the legibility of the text. The toolbar has its own search bar on the left of the interface design unlike the top right customary search bar of the browser itself. This, I think, is a good touch because it serves to further distinguish it as not being the same as full internet search but rather specific. Clicking on a service in the toolbar automatically launches it in a new tab leaving your hitherto browsing unaffected. The challenge now for the Austrian government is to work on incorporating their services into the interface designs of other browsers that work with different operating systems. Hopefully other governments will be close by behind them.

Austria has for a number of years been one of the European leaders in e-Governance, with awards to show for it. All kinds of services ranging all the way from the local to the provincial and federal level are offered through the “Digital Austria” platform. Whether filing taxes or seeking information Austrians are able to do so within the comfort of their own home or anywhere for that matter where they can access the internet. Now, the Austrian government and Microsoft Austria have teamed up on a project dubbed the Digital Austria Explorer. This essentially incorporates a menu bar into Internet Explorer’s interface design for users to access all available e-government services more easily.