Jarod Tang.

> I used to work with people at an interactive agency who typed
> "http://" manually every time they wanted to view a site... :/ it's still correct, isnt it? (sometimes, we design a cool feature, but dont see user using it, which is not they uncommon case!) if the browser displays URL without http//https (like just, google, or www.google.com), user;s behavior may change (so it looks like a design's fault? )
>
> Now, working with some public institutions, it's astounding to see how
> many people still have old 800x600 (or less) monitors...
> it's user's working context, we can't easily say "guys buy a new one with 150 bucks" for our new design, isnt it?

Cheers, -- Jarod

-- Designing for better life style.

http://jarodtang.spaces.live.com/ http://jarodtang.blogspot.com

Jim Leftwich.

Jamie, this is always a good subject to discuss within the community, so thanks for bringing it up!

First, however, I'd like to underscore what others have already said regarding how we all want to present ourselves professionally in our discussion forums. Those of us that have been participating in online forums since the 1980s know all too well the challenges associated with communicating in the limited bandwidth of text responses.

Ours is an incredibly and beautifully diverse community of professionals, with an equally wide array of approaches and methodologies used to confront our many design challenges.

Civility and mutual respect are always and forever going to be our first order here. Listening to and respecting the voices of others is our best approach to encourage a sharing of our many skills and experiences.

As for design specifications, as we see, there have been a number of solutions mentioned above. Since I began consulting in Interaction Design in 1983, my approach to interaction specification has largely been in digitally-created print documentation. Even as interactive means began to appear in the late 1980s and beyond, I've stuck to blue-print-like specs, but I understand why others prefer different methods and everyone should work with what works best for their situation.

With my own work, much of the interaction stretched across both digital and physical controls and displays, so print documentation provided a way to efficiently and simply documents flow, interrelationships, and logical rules.

Also, print documentation, if adequately detailed, is very very efficient and compact. It's relatively easy to instantly turn to a page or descriptive paragraph explaining the logic or behavior, as opposed to having to reverse extract that from playing with an interactive model. Again, interactive models are not bad. They can be utterly necessary and it's never bad to have for testing purposes. That's primarily what I've used interactive models for.

I like to think of it as the blueprints and the 3D model that architects use. One cannot imagine a skyscraper being built only from a 3D model. Blueprints are very valuable reference documents, which can and should contain minute details.

Also, and this mostly applies to consultants, but if you're working on a large variety of products or services, perhaps built on entirely different platforms, operating systems, or devices, it's highly efficient to use print documentation to specify the Interaction Design.

Print documentation is also easy to collaborate with, since documents can be marked up and written on. My own consulting was often based on iterative one or two-week design and documentation cycles, culminating in a master aggregation and refinement process to produce the final, large design specification document.

Templates? Well that's where this is an interesting question for me. Looking at my documentation, it's easy to see a general, mostly graphic design kind of format that I used, but that's pretty much where my templating stopped.

I never was able to be happy with tools like Omnigraffle, etc., because I always wanted to move things around and pack in information with my own flow lines. For that reason, I've used Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for many years. Back in the 1980s it was MacPaint and then SuperPaint (which was an awesomely efficient and integrated tool for pixels and vectors, though was based on QuickDraw rather than Postscript).

I'm always happy to share my many printed specification documents with others (when we're together), but their sheer size (many the size of small phone books), are rather hard to share electronically.

I do have some photos and samples from some of my projects and their specification documents up in my 2005 slideshow here:

http://www.orbitnet.com/iasummit2005/iasummit2005.html

Bear in mind that when you see two or three pages of specs from one of those projects, there are probably a hundred or more additional pages.

Interaction Design specification documents almost always covered the following:

1) An up-front encapsulation of features

2) Hierarchical or interrelational maps or diagrams of the system

3) Interaction flow diagrams (with varying degrees of fidelity from wireframes to full screenshots). These would also have a lot of descriptive text and callouts for explaining and directing.

4) Full-scale/resolution state screens (when appropriate)

5) An index of all individual implementable graphic resources, along with location coordinates (if necessary) and behavioral documentation.

One thing that my approach to documentation has made possible over the past decades is very close, if not perfect implementation of my spec. And this is why I continue to see my own approach to Interaction Design as that of an architect.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32403

A S.

Jamie, OmniGraffle as well . . . http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnigraffle. Then again, I'm still guilty of using Hypercard . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperCard.

:::::

Andrew Schechterman, PhD

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewschechterman

E-mail: aschechterman at gmail dot com

Phone: 1-303-886-2440

:::::

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 4:45 PM, allison <alliwalk1980 at yahoo.com
> wrote:

> Jamie, have you tried/used Visio? Besides it's general ubiquity, I
> guess I don't see the benefit of PowerPoint...
>
>
> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
> Posted from the new ixda.org
> http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32403
>
>
>
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> To post to this list ... discuss at ixda.org
> Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
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>

Brian Mclaughlin.

You are right and part of our case building has pointing out how many payment/shopping cart system currently switch URLs on people. Both big and small payment/shopping systems as not all of them have the trust factor of a PayPal or Google.

Paul Eisen has helped my searching by pointing me in the direction of eye tracking studies.

I will dig up "studies" on iframes as well so that it is not just us calling out the issues.

All in a day's work...

Jarod Tang.

> Is there some use case or scenario that indicates the need? If not, then
>
> mark it for testing with users when you get a chance and see what they say.
>
>
>
> No, but it's something I've brought up repeatedly with our stakeholders.
> I've only recently got the green light to do some on-site (at the
> exhibition) research. I'd be interested to find out whether the website
> users actually remember there being a countdown at all?
>
> Perhaps having a countdown much closer to the event (two months out) might
> be useful, but present all year round seems a bit superfluous.
> [come up with a idea without notify the user's motivation is likely a false risk for design ] This hypo. need some user using/visiting style/experience investigation which is based on your exhibition type and the user(both the member and visitor)'s involving type, around how user relate to your exhibition.

Cheers, -- Jarod -- Designing for better life style.

http://jarodtang.spaces.live.com/

allison.

Jamie, have you tried/used Visio? Besides it's general ubiquity, I guess I don't see the benefit of PowerPoint...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32403

Jason Short.

Smart Design is looking for designers with top-notch skills and experience creating user interfaces for a variety of consumer electronic products and services.

Our teams include design researchers, industrial designers, graphic designers, and engineers working to produce the best possible user experiences. We work on a wide range of hardware-software projects including In-Car dashboards, HDTV UIs, Robotics, Mobile UI &amp; Services, Touch-enabled devices, and more.

Our process includes: design research and strategy scenario storytelling sketching in hardware and software experience prototyping at all levels delivering on our strategy

Ultimately, we make products for people and their everyday lives.

About Smart Design Smart Design is consistently recognized as one of the top design firms in the world. Our approach integrates product development, interactive experiences, brand communication, and strategic services to ensure winning design solutions. Smart Design's consistent results are delivered by its multi-disciplinary, international staff working in teams across offices in New York, San Francisco and Barcelona.

Send resume and portfolio information to

careers at smartdesignworldwide.com

Santiago Bustelo.

Seems like we are debating on clueless CEOs lately!

I feel a great disturbance in the force, as arising this issue shows a worrying confusion from the CEO in the first place. If people is going to access the website not from a mailed link, but from a link on the associate's site, only paranoids won't trust the URL. Otherwise paypal, 2checkout and google -just to name a few- would be out of business. Case dismissed, next!

There is actually extensive literature against your CEO's loved iframes. I hope said literature, along with an estimation about how that and similar approaches will lead to increased complexity, costs and severe issues, could be convincing enough.

I sadly doubt you will stop banging your head on the wall, even if you get your point across on this one. Micromanagement is impermeable to forecasts, analysis and rational argumentation. This kind of people only gets it, if ever, when things actually, finally and irreversibly, fail.

May the force, and all the patience and luck you can gather, be with you.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32459

Jared Spool.

More insight on what they're trying for:

http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp? id=27601

Rugby.com, up until now a brochure site, joins RalphLauren.com as the retailer&#8217;s second e-commerce site for apparel and accessories. The site will provide several interactive Web 2.0 features, including videos that let shoppers click images of garments in the videos to get more product details and the option to make an online purchase. Dynamic product videos are designed to show how apparel items fit and move on a person.

&#8220;We are thrilled to extend Rugby&#8217;s reach to a larger audience,&#8221; says David Lauren, senior vice president of advertising, marketing and communications at parent company Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. &#8220;Rugby.com presents a dynamic online shopping experience by recreating our unique retail environment in an innovative and impactful way on the Internet&#8212; we are engaging our customer like never before.&#8221;

Rugby.com&#8217;s front-end customer experience environment was developed by Ralph Lauren&#8217;s Interactive Creative Group with GSI Commerce Inc. supporting the checkout process, a Ralph Lauren spokesman says. A &#8220;Make Your Own&#8221; feature, for example, will let shoppers customize shirts with particular Rugby logos, color patterns and monograms.

Henry Chen.

User Experience Specialist

Application Procedure

Go to http://tinyurl.com/rimuxd <http://tinyurl.com/rimuxd
> and enter 0803425 in the job number field.

Description

Research In Motion Limited(r) (RIM)(r) is a world leader in the mobile communications market and has a history of developing breakthrough wireless solutions. RIM's portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies is used by thousands of organizations around the world and includes the BlackBerry(r) wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld(tm) product line, software development tools and software/hardware licensing agreements. RIM is seeking driven individuals who can take our wireless data products to the next level in the global wireless market. Are you ready to make a difference in the world of mobile communications with RIM?

POSITION SUMMARY

As a member of the RIM User Experience team, the successful candidate will support user-centered design throughout the product development process, from concept to commercialization. Working closely with other cross-functional teams as well as customers and partners, he or she will define user models, work flows, and interaction design for a variety of products, create wire frames and low-fidelity prototypes to show design concepts, conduct user research and usability testing, and translate research findings into concrete design recommendations. He or she will package, present and 'sell' ideas and recommendations to other teams and to senior management. Additional responsibilities include contributing to user interface specifications and standards, working with interaction designers to create design concepts and prototypes, and contributing to product requirements and use cases.

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

* Post-secondary education in human computer interaction, systems design engineering, interaction design, or a related field

* 3-5+ years experience working in a professional environment on user experience research, feedback, and design

* Demonstrated ability to work on multiple projects at once in collaborative, fast-paced environments

* Strong research and quantitative skills, including statistics and data analysis

* Excellent problem-solving skills to translate research into practical recommendations

* A proven ability to articulate design concepts using rapid prototyping tools to define task flows, user interactions, and information architecture

* Ability to dialogue with cross-functional teams (from product management to development) to deliver industry leading solutions

* Excellent written and verbal communication skills to articulate user experience ideas effectively to both technical and business audiences

* Experience planning and facilitating usability testing, focus groups, and customer interviews

* Solid understanding of user interface design principles and practices

* Must be passionate about user-centered design and user experience

* Demonstrated ability to handle multiple demands with a sense of urgency, drive and energy and work in a fast-paced team environment

If you're driven to take wireless technologies to the next level, it's time you join the team at RIM. We offer a challenging environment that fosters creativity and rewards excellence. Employees also have use of our award winning BlackBerry!

(c) 2008 Research In Motion Limited. All Rights Reserved. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, BlackBerry, "Always On, Always Connected" and the "envelope in motion" symbol are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries

Potential Locations

Canada (Mississauga; Waterloo; Halifax; Ottawa)

Schedule

: Full-time

Hire Type*

: Experienced (Regular)

Travel

: Yes, 10% of the time

Relocation*

: Available

Henry Chen | User Experience Design | Research In Motion Ltd.

Email:HeChen at rim.com | PIN: 2069C140

Landline: +1.519.597.9712 | Mobile / SMS: +1.226.220.3604

Address: RIM 11, 415 Phillip St., Waterloo, ON, N2L 3X2

Designer: "I don't know what to do!"

Director: "Well do something so we change it"

...failing foward to good design

This transmission (including any attachments) may contain confidential information, privileged material (including material protected by the solicitor-client or other applicable privileges), or constitute non-public information. Any use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately reply to the sender and delete this information from your system. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this transmission by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.

Brian Mclaughlin.

"The problem is the inversion of "the burden of proof". "

Agreed - however this stakeholder is the CEO.

So the burden of proof is on me.

Santiago Bustelo.

> On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 5:05 AM, Brian ( McLaughlin Designs ) wrote:
>
>
> Unfortunately a very high level stake holder is convinced that if
>
> we have
>
> the URL change from the parent site's URL it will negatively impact
>
> the user
>
> to the point that they abandon what they are doing.
>
>
>
> The only way I can convince this person otherwise is with research
>
> and
>
> data.
>

Hi Brian,

The problem is the inversion of "the burden of proof".

Is actually the stake holder the one who sould present research and data to back up his / her opinion. In absence of data and research, your opinion as an expert in the field should be the last word.

[ rant ] In a perfect world, we designers would get the respect we deserve, and won't have to face this kind of situations. Unfortunately we still have to earn such respect. I would certainly and gladly welcome any insights, URLs, etc on that regard. [/ rant ]

-- Santiago Bustelo // icograma Buenos Aires, Argentina

Brian Mclaughlin.

First let me say - thanks for the responses.

However I can not go into detail as to what I am working on.

I can tell you that the audience is everybody that owns a computer, has email, and can get on things thing the young folks are calling the internet:)

We are providing a third party service to very large commercial company's sites.

We basically have brought things down to either using iframes or having the common man/woman be sent into our controlled environment to do something. Everybody on the team is in agreement that we want to have them come into our environment. But there is one major stake holder who wants the iframe so that the URL still reads that the user is still "100% " on the original site.

We are talking about originating sites that are large enough that even their URLs change depending on where you go in them.

As we all know there is a point in time where numbers and research are what is needed. And that is what I am after.

shashank raval.

Can anyone suggest a company/organization that helps in setting up usability labs.. ? For example.. One way mirrors, Video recording equipment etc...

-- cheers...!!! shashank... MS - HCI Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA

David Malouf.

Andrew you should submit a proposal for a Lightning Round presentation for Interaction09 | Vancouver on Guided CLI and Wundrbar.com as a case study in IxD.

Go to http://interaction09.ixda.org/program.php

BTW, I was the one who mentioned wundrbar. ;-)

-- dave

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32394

tbrizitsky.

Matthew, I've tried to implement an zoom-like approach: one screen for the whole view plus many smaller pages for specific controls and components. This has disadvantage of too many splits and additional work of keeping pieces together but developers seem to have little use of highly detailed maps and wireframes anyway.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32403

tbrizitsky.

Yahoo AD program used one. But the thing is completely spoiled by inability to continue unless you add some money to account :(

Luke has also collected some examples in the book you've already mentioned.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32461

Andrew Dudley.

@Jeff -- thanks for mentioning Wundrbar. As one of its creators, I've been really interested in Ubiquity's development and the overall progress being made in the CLI space.

@Jim -- One thing I would clarify is that neither Ubiquity nor Wundrbar is truly a "command line" -- that is, although both products currently rely on a user beginning their command with some sort of keyword (e.g. "amazon," "wik", etc), after that, the user doesn't really need to know any special syntax or flags. With Wundrbar, we accept parameters in pretty much any order and format, so the input can more closely resemble natural language. Our users, many of whom are not tech savvy, definitely appreciate this flexibility.

I've posted more of our thoughts on Ubiquity and Wundrbar here:

http://blog.wundrbar.com/2008/08/wundrbar-vs-ubiquity-our-thoughts.html

I invite you all to give it a read and contribute any thoughts you might have. And definitely check out Wundrbar if you haven't already!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32394

michel milano.

for a self-guided adventure in brainstorming, i would recommend the following (admittedly, it should be applicable to groups as well as solo tours). i have never understood why this books isnt on more book lists nor required to be in everyones shelves. perhaps it is simply too clear for audiences demanding controversy.

The Universal Traveller A soft systems guide to creativity, problem-solving, and thd process of reaching goals. by Don Koberg, Jim Bagnall http://preview.tinyurl.com/5lu985

Looks like you can read pieces of it in Google Books, too, which i hadn't known before finding this just now. http://books.google.com/books? id=aa9pt9MknUoC&amp;dq=The+Universal+Traveller

it is unabashedly humane and joyful about design, and outside the quibbling about definitions. maybe some attention can bring it back out of print.

good reading, michel milano

> Which of these techniques are suitable for *solo* ideation?

Matthew Nish-Lapidus.

I would also love to have some sort of "standard" spec format.. I'm struggling to come up with something that works for my current project where I need to do very detailed wireframes with interaction specs/notes... biggest problem is that it's super hard to fit onto a printed page.

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM, tbrizitsky <sacrat at gmail.com
> wrote:
> After a period of experiments I've found Design Description Document
> http://www.thinkvitamin.com/features/design/deliverables-that-work-design-description-documents
> to work fine for me. Bad news: updating massives of specs with lots of
> pictures/annotations is a big overhead.
>
> WIKI: might be a good solution if only it worked. Formatting
> more-less complex documents in modern wikis or dealing with pictures
> there often takes too much time to be effective.
>
> Andrei, I love the idea of having an open and more-less standard
> template for design documentation. Even if one size doesn't fit all
> this would save a lot of time by preventing wheel reinvention.
>
>
> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
> Posted from the new ixda.org
> http://www.ixda.org/discuss? post=32403
>
>
>
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> To post to this list ... discuss at ixda.org
> Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
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>

-- Matt Nish-Lapidus work: matt at bibliocommons.com / www.bibliocommons.com -- personal: mattnl at gmail.com twitter: emenel