WU: Ryan Singer's speech FWD07

Second review I want to include in my research was made by Ryan Singer on 7th Nov 2007 as a part of Future of Web Design show. Ryan is curently one of the most important designers of 37signals.com, a company which works on business web-based applications. Some of their products are campfire, basecamp, highrise and backpack.



In his 45 minute speech Ryan has presented hs vision of good web usability. I really like his way of thinking, I will definitely take something for myself from it.

1. Prioritising
It does not matter how cool your colour pallete is when things are not prioritized on web. Not everything is equal and it should be emphasised. It is done by carefully prepared contrast on web.

2. Deemphasize - bring clarity
Again - less is more, but it is not the only message here. Breaking things into small pieces often makes viewers see them the way they look. The simplier structure the better the web is.

Ryansaid that it is vital to ask yourself those questions while designing WU:
what is important?
what to pop out?
what to deemphasise?

3. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
The book was recommended on analytical design by Edward Tufte. I feel like I will give it a go soon.

What should be a good WU process by Ryan Singer?
1. Deicide what is important.
2. Emphasise and deemphasise. If you do not do this then you make everything equal, but it is not.
3. Design, make it smooth, make it flow.
4. Clarify your language.

That was a good use of my time.

WU: web usability in attention review

I have watched a lecture held by David Nelson (Sr. Experience Designer, Adobe Systems) Jeremy Ashley (Vice President, Applications User Experience, Oracle) and Tom Chi (Senior Director, User Experience, Yahoo!). Meeting took place at Silicon Valley Web Guild on 25th June 2008.



The main message of discussion was that web site's usability is critical to its success. Speakers did not give any particular answers about proper web usability, nevertheless they shared very useful tips and ideas of how the actual process of building WU looks. I will very briefly outline the most inspirational stuff I spotted.

1. Web usability is successful when user completes his goal.
As simple as this, it may be an information, shopping, making arrangements, sending message etc.

2. There is not such thing as perfect design.
So if you want to create something perfect you will lose before the design process starts. Painful truth, but so true. Things change everyday in the industry, so quickly that it is impossible to catch up with everything. Main things are expectations and education, time makes them stale constantly. Jeremy Ashley mentioned that Apple has once made a big mistake of becoming too perfect! Sounds weird, but they have lost a lot of time in early nineties on production. As a result of attempting to release a perfect product they missed deadlines and their sales decreased enormously. So it is more about making the best design as possible instead of making it perfect.

3. Less is more.
Again, simple thing, but so often misunderstood by clients and most people in general. Just reduce to see things more clearly.

4. Success of a website 90% usability and 10% design.
It is hard for me to acknowledge it, because I see design as a strickt part of usability as well. However, I cannot deny that completing a goal is more important than a look of web.

5. First 5 seconds are the most essential.
Then you may get a user for a minute (success) and then if you are very lucky for 10 minutes. Obviously those numbers are not a rule, but that is pretty much how much time designers have to communicate the message by design.

6. People ignore navigation.
Just content matters today. Search engine such as Google is the best example. It is mostly defined by time that is so precious today. Professional people just need an information, as quickly as possible. Nonetheless, the form of how it is presented is vital as well.

7. Evolution in human - computer relation.
Expectations will be higher - that is quite easy to predict. Language used to communicate will lead into brief equation: simplicity + purpose. 15 years ago there were organised 10 day courses for using computer aplications. Now it just has to work! It it required to work almost instinctly.

8. People will never be equally satisfied.
No comments.

I really liked that talk, it was highly inspiring. I definitely did not waste my time.

WU: introduction

As a final project for completing my contextual studies at MMU I have chose web usability. I believe this will be highly beneficial thing for me to do at the moment.

I had very helpful conversation with Mike last Tuesday. We have have reached a consensus on the topic of my project which will be: In what ways has the web usability improved in last 5 years? It is quite blurred and ambitious at the same time, just like most of things I am dealing with at the moment (haha!). However, as an aspiring web designer I have not done too much research into that subject! It is a shame, but I will not leave it as it is.

How did I start? I have borrowed and skimmed Designing Web Usability by Jacob Nielsen and Don't Make Me Think by Stephen Krug. I have read them before, so now I just have taken the thoughts I plan to include in my written work. Moreover, I will write a couple of reviews on interesting lecturers I found on google videos as well. I will need some examples of past websites and information on the beginnings of the internet.

I feel like I need to finish it quite early, because of the stuff that is happening with my life at the moment. I will not put any deadline here, I just will push myself to do it as quickly as I can. Main deadline is on 23rd May, so beginning of May would be satisfying.

Work, work, work = fun, fun, fun!

loads of things

Since December 2009 lots of new things happened to me. And even more is going on now...

I will not write about everything here, I think that writing stuff on this blog has lost its sense since I am doing my personal diary. I don't really need to show any evidence of my work because everything is in the portfolio on behance. I have bought a domain, so my official place will appear soon. I have an idea, just need some time to organize it.

I have realized that I have been really scruffy with lots of things. I need to make out shitloads of old stuff to make it presentable for an interview to MMU. As soon as I finish my self-promotional package I am ready for it. Moreover, this is not only for it... I will use it in order to apply for a short internship here in Manchester. I really want to do it instead of following college briefs. Anyway, so far I have nothing to complain about, because I am doing what I really want to do.

I have done the design work for DANDAD and Babyboom Rec. Currently I am working on the Exclusive Entertainment website. I have one proposal almost ready. Furthermore, I have an identity and website brief going on for Joe Duffy and another one for his collaborative project too.

Work is going on well. It's a shame I don't devote more time to my English, but at least I some Swedish now. Sverige, jag kommer! Anyway... I need to write an essay on usability, so there will be some English practice.

Lots of stuff... but I am not bored at all.

the end of bubbles

So here I am. After 2 months of constant thinking about this loyalty programme I have finished it and handed in on time. It is possible that it was the most frustrating project even. However, I learned my part as well.

What font? What colour palette? Is the name alright? Is srap line working? Does smartcard design look descent? All this and more were on my head all the time throughtout the design process. I miss not doing anymore tests on audience. To be honest, in the past I relied more on the opinion of other people than my own! I was quite scared of getting more and more confused, but finally I discovered that my character is much stronger than before.

I cannot upload all my work here, because of the D&AD rules...

What have I learned? RESEARCH, SKETCHBOOK, IDEAS and VISULISING and ACTION. I should have done more on it. Well, it is a next step. Now I am heading to web design stuff. Should be fun.