A user is an agent, either a human agent (end-user) or software agent, who uses a computer or network service. Someone who uses the UI as opposed to someone developing it.
55
votes
8answers
2k views
Handling the death of a user
Are there any common practices for handling the death of a user? How should the claim of a death be verified? How should the deceased user be "visualized" or otherwise indicated on their ...
33
votes
8answers
2k views
How much information should you ask for when users register?
So the company wants all the information it can get on the users of its site, but how much should be asked for upon registration?
On one hand, it would be easier for the users to enter only personal ...
23
votes
17answers
753 views
All my users are from Afghanistan or how to get users to correctly fill out a form
I have a website with a form users fill out to create an account. Following advice from this forum and other places I am asking for only the minimum required information to create an account ie. ...
20
votes
5answers
994 views
When form submission fails, password field gets blanked, why is that the case?
I've seen many registration forms where if fields don't pass validation, the password fields are blanked as well.
Why is this the case? I understand why you'd blank the password in a login form, but ...
17
votes
6answers
3k views
Preferred format to display negative currency?
Which would be the more readable way to format negative numbers:
-$99.99
($99.99)
Some other format I haven't considered
Details:
Most of our user base has finance experience and but some have ...
15
votes
4answers
379 views
When is it appropriate to ask User confirmation?
A couple of times I archived some of my emails accidentally ( touch screen you know ) . They don't usually ask for confirmation while archiving messages or emails. But they do while deleting . So in ...
13
votes
2answers
552 views
Making the user login again after registration
Simple question: is it a bad idea to automatically login a user after their registration was flawlessly completed? A majority of all the websites I visit does not use this behavior, which is the ...
12
votes
10answers
716 views
Is UX the same as Usability?
The two terms have seemingly become synonymous, but is "user experience" really the same thing as "usability?"
It would seem that some sites, apps or products provide the user with an experience ...
12
votes
5answers
594 views
Why Not Use a Real Person as a Persona?
My understanding of UX Personas is that they're descriptions of fictitious people designed to represent the common traits and attributes of a broader audience demographic.
If that's the case, in what ...
12
votes
5answers
752 views
Is it appropriate to display the warning message “Caps Lock is on”?
Is it appropriate to display the warning message "Caps Lock is on" when focus shifts to Password field?
In gmail and yahoo I don't find. So, what does the standard says?
11
votes
6answers
671 views
Is ReCaptcha a poor anti-spam mechanism?
As everyone knows, any website that allows users to submit content to be posted without moderation are subject to all kinds of spam.
One of the most popular methods of combatting this is using ...
11
votes
6answers
423 views
What's the best way to handle deleted user accounts on a social app?
When users delete their accounts, what should you do with their stuff?
I see a few approaches:
1. Recursively delete all their stuff
This causes problems. We run competitions, and if someone ...
11
votes
4answers
2k views
How to design identical UI for cross platform Mobile app?
One client wants to make a native apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and and Windows phone. But he wants to make the look of UI identical on all devices as much possible.
1) Is it technically ...
9
votes
8answers
838 views
What fields to drop from the registration form?
Our current registration form is too long and some fields should be cut off. In other hands all most of these are looking important excepting 'Tell us something about yourself'.
Currently used fields ...
9
votes
3answers
321 views
UX Research: Can I improve conversion rates with the use of lifestyle over still life product photography
I work for a large UK-based clothing retailer. After some initial customer testing with our product details page there has been some debate on the following question:
Do customers generally react ...
8
votes
4answers
212 views
What's recommended for the number of users to use in qualitative and quantitative testing?
I'm currently rebuilding our entire intranet from scratch, mostly because the tech behind is out-dated and it has been proved that a lot of information is difficult to find.
Though that is beside the ...
8
votes
1answer
111 views
What is a great way to display a user's email address in a small amount of horizontal space (in a user card)?
I'm designing an area of an app that needs to display users in a certain group. To save space while providing larger (more recognizable photos), I've decided to use a "card" style with photo above ...
8
votes
4answers
284 views
email field or username for logging in an application?
What is the best solution for an app : Email or username field?
I like email because:
it's unique
user will easily remember
it's personal (which can be a disadvantage sometimes; Multiple users on ...
8
votes
3answers
317 views
Maximum amount of people in a single chat room
Ok, is there a number, an ideal or a maximum amount of people that can participate in a single real-time conversation? Something similar to the Dunbar's number.
I'm asking this because I'm developing ...
7
votes
3answers
373 views
How design a dashboard for mutiple-role users?
I'm developing a dashboard for a client, and we have some users who fit into multiple roles within the company, ie. a Project Manager and a Department Manager. In this case they function as two ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
What does “end-user” mean?
UX folks like to talk of the "end user" (examples in 1 2 3), because that is whom they are advocating for. However, the term is somewhat ambiguous: assuming I write an UI library, is the end-user the ...
6
votes
3answers
804 views
How do you source your persona photographs?
Like many of you I'm sure, I consider the creation of user personas to be a crucial part of the UCD process, particularly when starting a new project.
While we all have our own techniques and styles ...
6
votes
3answers
190 views
Are there names for patterns within UI styles?
Are there names or guides to classify similarities or reoccurring style patterns within UI? For example, Retro, Legal, etc.
Example of UI patterns used in login forms:
Indented outlines
...
6
votes
4answers
154 views
Introducing usability into a large Government organisation
I'm hoping you can help me. I've been allocated the role within my organisation to look at how we can improve the usability of our systems. I'm not from a UX background at all so this is proving quire ...
5
votes
5answers
444 views
What is the name of someone who does not know how to use a computer or the web?
People who cannot read or write are named "illiterate".
Does a word exist to qualify someone in the same position but about using a computer or a web application?
This term would be really usefull ...
5
votes
5answers
384 views
Will users understand the concept of “version zero”?
I've written a piece of software, and am trying to decide whether to call it version 0.0.0.0 or version 0.0.0.1.
Logically speaking, it is version 0.0.0.0, and the system tool I am using allows this ...
5
votes
3answers
208 views
How to safely transition users from an old interface to a new one?
We're about to launch a new interface of an order form (which is arguably better, based on research and user testing).
At this time we don't want to hurt feelings, or shock returning visitors who are ...
5
votes
2answers
171 views
How can I reassure users about an unfamiliar domain name?
I have a service, example-service.com.
I have customers customer-a.com, customer-b.com, etc.
We host a service for them on urls like customer-a.example-service.com
Users who are familiar with ...
5
votes
2answers
136 views
Adding a new feature to an existing website
There is always the simple UX for having a popup when you log back into a site you frequently visit that says "Hey, look at this new feature we added! etc.."
I am convinced there is more of a subtle ...
5
votes
3answers
112 views
Walk the user through initial data entry after the first login
Are there any guidelines or set of best practices on how to implement the initial data entry after the user has logged in for the first time? For example, I'm thinking of a web application for ...
5
votes
1answer
114 views
Is task-based the same as user-centric?
Well, I think that the question is self-explanatory.
In order to explain something to someone in the office I used task-based instead of user-centric and I was surprised. I'm usually complaining ...
4
votes
3answers
280 views
“Here will be your logo” - any idea how to visually represent this to a client on a demo website?
"Here will be your logo" - any idea how to visually represent this to a client on a demo website?
We are a company offering free demo of client's website, before going for a deal.
Although, the ...
4
votes
3answers
194 views
Is there really a content strategy just for mobile?
I've orded a book called 'Content Strategy for Mobile' which should be an interesting read however, surely if your content is good enough for your desktop site should the same not apply for mobile? ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
Is a drag and drop UI usable for organizing/categorizing items?
I am creating a UI where a user can manage users by creating a group, and then dragging and dropping them to fill the groups as they would like. One problem I am faced with is that the complexity of ...
4
votes
4answers
120 views
Reinventing a habitual process: When can it be justified?
A process that a user has become accustomed to, can sometimes receive reinvention for a number of reasons:
The process can be simplified
The process can become a experience unique to a certain ...
4
votes
1answer
139 views
Best way to tell a user that another one blocked him/her?
In the context of a social networking service, community or forum, what's the best to tell a user that he/she has been blocked by another person? If a message is displayed that says X has blocked you ...
4
votes
3answers
78 views
When to use 2 accounts (buyers and sellers) and when to combine them into 1 account?
I'm struggling with the idea of either making separate buyer and seller accounts for a marketplace I'm creating, OR to combine the accounts.
The main hurdle in my mind is the rarity that in this ...
4
votes
3answers
841 views
Best/Standard Practices for Creating & Building Help Files for End User
Anybody know of any best or standard practices for creating help files/guide for software for the help of the end user?
This is a software that has many features and options where the user would need ...
4
votes
2answers
378 views
What are some reasons that not all websites have fluid layouts?
Recently, I was using Facebook and I resized it to 50% of my screen to look at something else.
What I saw was that most of the page was cut off.
What are some reasons for Facebook or any other major ...
4
votes
2answers
151 views
How do you collect valuable information from regular “User Group” meetings?
The scenario:
You work on a SaAS application. Some of your users use your application heavily each day.
Every 2 weeks (or month or whatever), a "User Group" of your most avid users gets together to ...
4
votes
3answers
151 views
How to wireframe an efficient UI when the project manager refuses to spend time to conduct user research?
I often have to face this situation. I'm asked to wireframe UIs without having any information about the final users (their profiles, needs, preferences, and key tasks).
First, I usually study ...
4
votes
1answer
2k views
When to use Pull Down to Refresh and when to use a Refresh Button?
I'm building an iPhone app but I'm torn which type of refresh UI to use.
I understand that pull down to refresh makes sense when you have things being added to the top of a list like twitter feeds. A ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
User Profile Dashboard Design
I am trying to create a user profile dashboard for an application I am building using CakePHP.
However, I am struggling to wrap my brain around a good layout/design for it. Basically, I am looking to ...
4
votes
1answer
88 views
Handling Complex Voting System
I'm wireframing a semi-complex voting model for an award website where the user can vote for a nominee. Where it is complex is there are multiple divisions for the groups of nominees. It's laid out ...
3
votes
2answers
474 views
Methodology difference between UX and Usability
What methodologies do user experience professionals adopt that differentiate them from usability professionals.
3
votes
2answers
220 views
How to tell a customer his/her profile is not allowed to make use of a specific service?
I am facing the following problem:
We provide multiple financial services to all sort of profiles (retail & business).
Some profiles (reached a certain age and risky profiles) are not allowed to ...
3
votes
3answers
217 views
What types of personal information should be collected during a usability study?
I'm curious if usability analysts collect personal information about their participants when performing a usability study, and if so what kind of questions do you ask? Does age, gender, nationality, ...
3
votes
2answers
80 views
Login using one of two mutually exclusive fields
I'm creating a web site that requires users to log in using either their email address OR mobile number.
What is the best way from a UX point of view to indicate that only one of the fields should be ...
3
votes
3answers
206 views
How to group users into personas
I'm freaking out! I've read more articles about personas than I can remember but there is one thing I can't seem to understand. And that is how do you group users into personas?
What methods and ...
3
votes
2answers
131 views
Usernames - Sentence case or Normal case [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should first and last name be formatted?
Scene
User doesn't care how he/she types their name in "First name" &
"Last name" text boxes.
What happens
If the ...
