We all have ideas about the design and usability of WordPress, but what happens when actual testing gets applied to the problem. A presentation from WordCamp 2007 shows Happy Cog's work on the information architecture and usability for WordPress.
With the proliferation of rich Internet applications and interactions more closely aligned with how people think, we face some interesting challenges:
* Do we design for one common audience and common tasks, or tailor applications around specific audiences and their unique activities? * How do we resolve the tension between creating simple applications that ‘do less’ and the demand for new features that some people really do need? * As we move beyond usability to create desirable interfaces, how do we handle a subjective domain like emotions?
These types of challenges could all be addressed by creating a truly ‘adaptive' interface. More than removing unused menu options or collaborative filtering, this would include functionality that is revealed over time as well as interface elements that change based on usage. Imagine the web-based email client that begins offering three forms fields for attachments instead of the default one, because it 'noticed' that you frequently upload more than one file. Or the navigation menu that disappears because it is not relevant to the task at hand. Sound scary? Look at the world of game design, where inconsistency has never been an issue and where users learn new functions over time, as needed. In the same ways that ads are becoming more targeted around context and behavior, we can also create interfaces that respond, suggest, or change based on actual usage data.
While much of this is still speculative, we'll explore some concrete examples of how such ideas have already been used, and other instances where they could be used. We'll also take a brief look at what technologies might support these interactions, as well as some of the rules engines that might make this possible. And, to ground this in the past, we'll at some existing navigational theories and research that might support this argument for an interface that is truly conversational and context aware.
This presentation is posted with permission by Doug Johnson who created it. It was presented on March 21st as part of the EdTechConnect series of webinars the Discovery Educator Network (DEN). For more information about Doug Johnson, visit doug-johnson.com. For more information about the DEN, visit DiscoveryEducatorNetwork.com
This is my graduation project in Philips Design. A toolbox to give insight into unfamiliar contexts. With the specific focus of Indian Rural healthcare. Developed for Philips Medical Systems.
This presentation, in slightly modified forms, was presented by myself to education audiences in Canada, Israel, Norway and the UK in spring 2007. See my blog at terrya.edublogs.org for more details
With the advent of Ajax, new patterns of interaction have emerged on the Web. Bill Scott provides insight on how to best take advantage of the power of Ajax technology for designing a great user experience through a series of best practices, summarized as eight key principles. Each principle and its nuances are illustrated in detail with real world examples and counter-examples from both inside and outside Yahoo!
