Wireframe Software - Free Website Wireframes - Create & Share Wireframes - Wireframe Tools » Wireframe Software

The UX Hierarchy Part – 1

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:34:11 +0000

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.

A UX design frame of mind can help distinguish your user interface from the rest Part – 1

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:10:04 +0000

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.

e-Government Browser meets Usable Interface Design for Citizens of all Walks Of Life Part – 1

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:26:11 +0000

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.

Usability Testing Experts is a Good Long-Term Investment Part – 1

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 06:41:47 +0000

It is a platitude to say it, but usability tests are conducted to obtain feedback from new (i.e. unbiased) users of an interface design, so the most natural conclusion to draw is that all usability test participants are website greenhorns. Of course this is not true. While it is extremely common to have novice usability testers, testing users that are deemed experts also has its advantages. Experts can sometimes be forgotten in the mad rush to get fresh, new user experience feedback, but experience shows: don’t forget about them because they are more important to the sustainability of your interface design than you might think—especially for interface designs that are already in existence.

Expert Users are Longtime Users

So what is the main benefit of obtaining user experience feedback from experts? The fact is that at one point, everyone was an amateur— even the experts. Amateur users grow into expert users, just as your interface design matures over time. That is why expert users play such a vital role in usability testing new developments for extant interface designs. Experts are longtime site users, users who have shown commitment to the evolution of your website, users who have buttressed your interface design’s success by sticking with it over the long haul. If you are running an eCommerce site you want to know what makes it most usable to your most loyal customers—the expert users. You want to keep their business as returning customer often make up a considerable portion of business for an e-commerce website. So increasing your interface design’s usability for expert users will make your site sustainable because you will be appeasing a core group of users who keep your website relevant and your business running.

Even the big boys make interface design mistakes: Google’s new background option alienates users Part – 1

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:37:42 +0000

A few weeks ago, Google decided to make a daring change to its interface design, one that was meant to make the site more aesthetically pleasing to its millions of users. Google rolled out a set of backgrounds by well-known contemporary artists as a promotion of a new feature which was to allow users to choose and upload personal photos as a backdrop for the infamously plain, white search engine screen. At the drawing table, this must have seemed like a fabulous idea to Google designers, a way to refresh their interface design and permit users to have more control of its settings. However, like the plethora of ideas that are great in theory (but not in practice), Google’s new feature backfired. On the day the new backgrounds were introduced, the number 2 trending search on Google’s trending pages was “Remove Google Background.” Search engine searches speak volumes about what users want and are looking for. Clearly, Google users were not looking for works of art to replace the white screen. Within two days Google was back to its old design and users were happy to have the unadorned consistency back.

New iPhone focal point of Apple’s 2010 Worldwide Developers conference – Part 1

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:50:17 +0000

The Worldwide Developers Conference 2010 promises to be full of surprises when it kicks off on June 7 in San Francisco. Apple’s chief executive officer, Steve Jobs, guarantees that the customers „won’t be disappointed“ by Apple’s newest developments. The focal point of the WWD will be the new iPhone 4G. Apple was furious over leaked images of the iPhone a few months ago, but since the images did nothing but stir the public’s interest in the new device, the expected release of the iPhone 4G at the WWD will likely double the event’s publicity and excitement. Here are a few things to expect from the new iPhone 4G interface design (these features are still firmly rooted in the world of speculation):

New Operating System

The iPhone 4G interface design will likely be powered by the new iPhone OS 4. The key new feature for this system is the facilitation of multitasking—users will be able to run apps simultaneously and switch between them with fluidity. For example, users will be able to instant message a friend, look at photos and listen to their playlist all at once.

Prezi ZUI-based Presentation Software – A New Approach to User Interface Design? Part – 1

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 06:10:38 +0000

Prezi is a Flash-based app that is also taking a revolutionary approach to presentation tools by employing a zooming user interface design approach. A ZUI is a type of GUI where users can change the scale of the viewed area in order to see more details or less and thus peruse through documents. Traditional presentation tools, such as PowerPoint or Keynote, use an interface design based around the use of linear slides modeled after traditional slide projectors. By using a zooming user interface approach, Prezi’s presentations are more like one giant slide or a blank canvas if you will. All the different components of a presentation (text, pictures, video, audio etc…) or added on the canvas and a path through different objects and frames can be defined non-linearly as a visual map that users zoom in and out as the presentation unfolds across the matrix of ideas on the virtual canvas (and making slide transitions so last century)!

Microsoft’s new Office Web Apps: How can you take advantage of the cloud computing craze? Part – 1

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:26:09 +0000

Microsoft delivered a clear one-two punch to Google with its announcement of the simultaneous release of Office 2010 and the new Microsoft Office Web Apps in June 2010. It’s no secret that the two technology giants have been at each other’s throats over the last few years, but “a lot of people say we will see pigs fly before we see Microsoft Office running in the clouds” said Microsoft’s senior director of platform strategy, Tim O’Brien. Many in the technical realm never thought Microsoft would offer Office as a cloud application. This new turn of events emphasizes just how critical web-based applications and their battle with Google has become — you could even be so bold as to call it a software usability war.

Micrsoft is clearly capitalizing on the popularity and usability of cloud apps. Cloud applications provide users the ability to instantaneously access and use software via the internet, avoiding the hassle of messy installation processes and facilitating a convenient user experience. Cloud computing is cost efficient, flexible, and completely mobile. As the world of technology continues to evolve, cloud apps could become the software usability staple of the future. If you are thinking of designing your own cloud app, remember two things to ensure usability success: Real-time collaboration capabilities and interface design.

Wikipedia Interface Design Revamp: So Much More Less – Part 1

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 05:31:00 +0000

The world’s most popular encyclopedia just got a makeover. After months of beta testing by 500,000 account holders the new interface design theme, called Vector, went live replacing the old Monobook skin. The redesign follows a usability study conducted in April 2009 by the Wikimedia Usability Initiative Team along with a user experience consulting firm mainly focusing on the editing experience and process, drawing the following conclusion among others: that three quarters of updates are made by men of an average age of 25. Although 80% of users would like to edit pages found the editing process under the previous skin too intimidating. The usability studies found that young people were more willing to experiment with editing while older users were afraid to destroy the site.

A sleeker interface design improves usability

The result is a much sleeker interface design that scores big on usability providing users with “so much more less”. The new interface design looks less dated than monobook. For starters there is much less noise around the interface design and the menu items interaction, toolbox and languages are now expandable/collapsible, instantly clearing Wikipedia of unnecessary clutter that often goes unclicked. Navigation on the page has been improved with the use of much bigger tabs. The search bar has been moved from the middle of the left sidebar (where it was previously hidden between menu options) to the top right hand side of the website under the ‘log in/create account’ area. A discernibly big space between the two is there to make sure that users, particularly those with jittery hands, don’t accidentally click on log in and vice versa.

Usability Methods Explained: Paper Prototyping Part – 2

admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 08:46:34 +0000

What are the limitations of paper prototyping?

Of course, as with all things, paper prototyping has its limitations. Paper prototyping’s main drawback is also one of its main benefits: it’s on paper. While this method is cheap and easy to use, it is also static and not interactive. A hyperlink on paper looses all of its functionality as do drop-down menus, datepickers and text input fields or the like. Simulating the elegant subtleties of all these effects can be a real challenge using print-outs with a person fiddling through a stack of paper trying to find the right screen.

Rapid Digital Paper Prototyping with Wireframe Software

Thanks to wireframe software provided by companies such as Pidoco, you can infuse your prototypes with interactivity and sophistication. The Pidoco wireframe tool allows you to create clickable wireframe prototypes that embrace interactivity with the ease of drag and drop functionality without the need for programming. These prototypes are created by way of web-browsers without having to install any software. Paper prototyping really is a great usability method, but if you are looking for something more collaborative and re-usable, take advantage of wireframing software to create interactive digital wireframe prototypes that can readily be adapted and test remote in online sessions.