All Questions
32,126
questions
11
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What screen vertical resolution should I cater for on non-phone browsers?
What's the base height in pixels that I should be aiming for on my website/web application?
- 1,961
24
votes
10
answers
6k
views
What can be done to make a long, multi-step wizard more user-friendly?
I need to create a wizard which has numerous sections, each with multiple questions. How can I improve the experience for the end-user?
- 1,961
22
votes
5
answers
2k
views
What is the important aspect to consider when deciding where windows interaction buttons should be placed?
In most windows desktops the minimize, maximize and restore buttons for a window are placed in the windows decoration on the top right. However, MacOS and now Gnome in Ubuntu have placed those buttons ...
- 1,245
26
votes
4
answers
11k
views
What is an acceptable response time for my ajax ui?
When I have to load new information from my web server via ajax after a user action, how fast should the information be displayed for the user in order to be a good working UI for the user?
- 1,245
33
votes
10
answers
7k
views
Are radial contextual menus better than vertical list menus?
I've read suggestions that contextual menu items be arranged in a circle around the mouse cursor when the menu is activated, since Fitz's Law suggests that each target would be easier to hit.
However,...
- 1,214
11
votes
2
answers
114
views
Differences between websites and their mobile counterparts
I am looking for some opinions on a topic I have been thinking about recently.
When comparing full websites to their mobile sites/apps it's noticeable that clients are FAR happier to keep the ...
Michael Wilson
16
votes
8
answers
4k
views
Pagination - a thing of the past? [closed]
This article on pagination left me with mixed feelings.
Is pagination always a usability
issue?
Should more sites utilise the
'endless page'?
Who's got it right? Twitter? Bing
images? Someone else?...
Rob
8
votes
4
answers
122
views
Always show logged in role/user?
For a new iPhone app, we're using "roles" in order to filter some of the app's functions. This role can be switched at all times. Now the question is: should I always show the current role in the UI, ...
- 1,364
29
votes
6
answers
3k
views
UX for Game Development?
We're about to embark on a small Casino-type Flash game and I've been assigned the task of "UX Lead"... Our company is just beginning to integrate and define the concept of UX. Our projects are now ...
matthewEv
24
votes
9
answers
8k
views
How valuable is studying cognitive psychology for UX?
I am starting my second year in grad school and thinking about what to study. One thing that I know is good to have a grasp of is cognitive psychology. But I would like to get someones perspective.
...
- 1,896
49
votes
16
answers
9k
views
How long should a page take to load?
Back in 1997 Jacob Nielsen was suggesting:
Currently, the minimum goal for response times should therefore be to get pages to users in no more than ten seconds
Obviously expectations have sped up ...
- 11.2k
7
votes
4
answers
193
views
Showing completion but not validation
I'm working on a wizard-esque form that will have multiple steps. I'd like to show that you've finished a step.
The catch is that we don't want to give the end-user the impression that the step is ...
- 41.7k
11
votes
9
answers
615
views
barebone registration: is password repitition and captcha really essential?
If you design a barebone registration form which only requires
email address and password as essentials can you omit the password repetition and captcha without too much technical trouble?
I ...
- 221
22
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Does highlighting the potential for discounts negatively impact on non-eligible customers?
I'm interested to know peoples opinions on this. Does clearly showing a voucher/coupon/discount code field within a quote or payment process negatively impact on the customer experience for people who ...
- 1,102
10
votes
4
answers
254
views
Have you witnessed a UX/IxD fail recently? [closed]
This is the UX equivalent of the firehouse burning down.
IxDA Website UX Failure http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4027341/ux/Images/ixda-fail.png
Please, allow me to rename my file for you...if you were ...
- 2,540
10
votes
5
answers
7k
views
where to source images for personas [closed]
I've always used istockphoto to find images for personas but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find 'real' looking people. I feel that the more real they look the more believable they are. But ...
Damian Rees
55
votes
15
answers
26k
views
What are the differences between buttons and links?
What are the differences between buttons and links?
sparkling
8
votes
7
answers
893
views
More Intuitive Search Icon - Maginfying Glass or Pair of Binoculars? [closed]
I'm busy redesigning our main application's UI and we're adding a search feature. In your experience, between an icon of a magnifying glass and a pair of binoculars which icon is more intuitive?
I ...
- 377
19
votes
7
answers
502
views
What's the biggest surprise you've had in a usability test? [closed]
Usability tests often present some real surprises where the participant's mental model does not match what they're presented with.
What are the biggest or most interesting surprises you've come ...
- 1,727
15
votes
11
answers
634
views
If people don't know what they like, how do we make things that they will like? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to discover what users NEED and not what they WANT?
The question "What are your favorite counter-intuitive principles or ideas within UX?" has interesting responses from ...
- 3,475
68
votes
29
answers
8k
views
Examples of placebos in UI design?
This is purely a curiosity question but one I thought would be a bit interesting. Is anyone aware of placebos in use on popular web sites or applications? Either intentionally or unintentionally?
...
- 41.7k
24
votes
11
answers
1k
views
Is "user experience" evil?
The discussion started when a fellow UI designer said that she was proud of working "making people lives better" as opposed to our fellows at the advertising dept, all day long "cheating people" ;-)
...
- 1,041
11
votes
10
answers
531
views
Coding Best Practices as UX?
I've been stating in most of my recent contracts that meeting HTML coding Best Practices (what's outputted to the browser) is an important part of UX.
This would include things like Semantics (using ...
- 1,983
30
votes
6
answers
1k
views
What are your favorite counter-intuitive principles or ideas within UX? [closed]
A quick example:
"Paradox of Choice" - Giving a user more control via options, configuration, and settings is counter-intuitive from a UX standpoint. We expect users will relish their total freedom ...
- 2,540
14
votes
3
answers
728
views
Best practice for Anonymous Donation forms?
Donation forms are meant to be easy to use. Easy enough to use implies that it may convert the casual website visitor into a donor. We are currently using the fields:
Card Type
Card Number
Card Expiry
...
jaslr
10
votes
4
answers
309
views
What order to choose for subnavigation links in mega-dropdowns?
We have changed our navigation and switched to a mega-dropdown-menus. Now we had some discussion how to arrange/sort the subcategories inside the dropdown layer.
One opinion is that the user is ...
Volker Wycisk
7
votes
7
answers
357
views
Will the future absence of the physical keyboard hurt the desktop User Experience? [closed]
With so many future UI designs focusing on 3-dimensional, hands-on interfaces, it appears clear that the physical keyboard is going to soon be obsolete.
(i.e., John Underkoffler's presentation)
...
- 1,644
46
votes
8
answers
5k
views
What's Your Take on target="_blank"?
Web developers can apply this attribute to anchor <a> tags to force the browser to open links in new tabs/windows.
Marketers love it because it allows them to link to external content without ...
- 2,540
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Are simultaneous tests on different stages of a multi-step form statistically independent?
I want to do some test-and-learn on a multi-step form using infrastructure which appears to support conducting and reporting of A/B/n tests.
If my site had two different forms I could simultaneously ...
- 445
10
votes
3
answers
475
views
Free Video tutorials about Web Usability and Accessibility [closed]
What are free Video tutorials about Web Usability available on net? from Basic to advanced.
Do you have any good links?
I found some:
Web Form Design
http://videos.visitmix.com/mix09/c17f
Web ...
- 4,862
15
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Bilingual website usability
Can anyone provide me with links to research material stating best usability practice is not to develop websites with content written in two languages, but rather seperating content into two ...
- 816
8
votes
9
answers
374
views
What can I do now without schooling to get me experienced in UX? [closed]
I'm out of school for the summer then I start community college, I do not want to waste time. Is there anything I can do to gain knowledge and experience? I doubt I can score an internship without any ...
Michael
16
votes
5
answers
26k
views
Font sizes for WCAG2.0 AAA
Anyone know what the WCAG2.0 definition of 'Normal' and 'Large' fonts are, as they relate to the AA and AAA levels?
I've googled and read the WCAG site and docs but unless I'm being really stupid (...
Nick Fine
17
votes
5
answers
506
views
How to rescue a usability test whose participant is lacking confidence?
Last night, I was conducting a usability test with a participant who was very uncertain of his actions. Before the test, I said all of the usual stuff about it being a test of the software and not him,...
- 862
12
votes
4
answers
287
views
How do you improve the IA of an existing site without throwing away existing content?
I have a scenario that I'm trying to work through and would appreciate your thoughts...
Imagine you have a corporate intranet with about 50k pages and a really outdated information architecture. You ...
- 711
11
votes
3
answers
390
views
What screen contrast should a design be optimised for?
I'm in the process of working with our designers to come up with a graphical treatment for a comparison results table. We will produce a design, and then receive feedback from the business that they ...
riapia
8
votes
1
answer
754
views
Request a call back - How effective is this as a CTA?
Does anybody have any stats/reports/trends about the use of 'Request a call back' forms on websites and whether they are effective?
How often are they used? Are they better than a standard contact ...
Hammad Khan
2
votes
2
answers
150
views
How should UX work be billed? [closed]
I'm wondering how others bill a UX service and how it should really be billed. I'm exposed to basing it on hours spent doing the work. However, I don't think that it's the most fit way of doing it ...
- 3,475
22
votes
12
answers
2k
views
Should form labels be placed inside of input boxes and slide out of the way?
Is it good idea to put form labels inside input boxes? In this case, the labels slide out of the way when the user clicks on the box.
See here live example of form
- 4,862
12
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Alternative to calendar view
Working on a site that requires the user to be able to input events into a 'diary' over a specified duration (say 4-21 June).
The obvious interface for me is an interactive calendar, but at a recent ...
Ali
8
votes
5
answers
76
views
Recording website speed
Are there any excellent sites out there that evaluate a website's loading speed at different levels of Internet connection?
I have used this site in the past but the information is out of date and I ...
- 816
11
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How do you observe body language and facial expressions in user testing?
When user testing how do you record positive or negative body language? Do you use observed shifts in body language or facial expressions to consciously probe further about what the user thinks or ...
- 2,606
30
votes
12
answers
1k
views
Blocking IE6: Deny outright or warn of issues?
We're looking at (finally) retiring IE6 support.
I've always been a big fan of graceful degradation but we're really pushing ahead and trying to embrace features that we're simply not going to want ...
- 41.7k
17
votes
6
answers
8k
views
Why is the common practice of sign in error message always mix the wrong username/password cases together?
Example: When I try to sign in a service with a Username / Password combination, the error message always returns as "Username or password is invalid." But the actual case is that I input a wrong ...
- 171
7
votes
3
answers
265
views
How will multi-touch computer design impact the future of User Experience? [closed]
Today I came across a video for a multi-touch, large screen user interface prototype, designed by a company called "Second Story" in Portland, Oregon. I am excited about the direction this will go. I ...
- 1,644
12
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Using progress bars in long web forms: motivating or demotivating?
I've been going through the jQuery demos to determine which UI widgets could be used to help optimize our user's journeys through our web forms.
One such widget is the progress bar, but it raises a ...
Nick Fine
16
votes
4
answers
539
views
Major redesign vs Gradual enhancement
UX Myth #11 examines the perception that websites need to be redesigned periodically.
As the article explains, there's quite a lot of evidence to suggest users are naturally opposed to major changes ...
Rob
12
votes
6
answers
371
views
UCD books for a Product Designer? [closed]
My brother, who is a Product Designer, has become interested in User-Centred Design through my preachings and has been reading my Donald Norman books.
Can anyone recommend any books that touch on ...
32
votes
6
answers
17k
views
Video and audio autoplay - evidence that it's bad practice
Does anyone have any evidence or could point me in the direction of a web page that explains why video and audio autoplay is bad practice. I know it is but i'm struggling to find anything to back this ...
Lisa
12
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Choosing colors for a subtle UI
I'm currently agonizing over how light I can make various colors in my UI before I adversely affect usability. The reason for the agonizing is that different monitors have different responses. Those ...
- 862