Boxes and Arrows: Comments by Max Lord

Max Lord — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:34 GMT

Hi Ankur

Did you see the article on the sonification of network traffic that was done recently? It was in the news.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20060209/tc_cmp/179102057

Why isn’t this actually practiced more often? I think there may be hidden perils involved with being steeped in fake light classical music 8 hours a day. We simply do not know yet. On a less flippant note, the actual composition issues are very complex. Any collaboration between programmers and composers is going to be challenging.

Good suggestion.

Max Lord — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:18 GMT

I have had a contrary experience to the author. Often a wireframe can be *easier* to use than the finished site, especially if the visual design is not so great.

I find that navigation and form elements tend to be the only colored items on wireframes, and that makes them easier to find. Often, they are much less obvious in their final state. I have asked visual designers to squint at their comps and make sure that the “colored stuff” in the wires is still popping.

Max Lord — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 20:05:33 GMT

I have been drawing comics since middle school, so it was a natural tool for me when I started UX work back in the dark ages before all the normal techniques kind of standardized themselves. In the first shop I worked in, we also did a lot of simplified comic-styled versions of on-screen UIs. While I like the comic format for presentations, I find a traditional storyboard format better for me as a daily tool. It contains more information, but it’s still accessible to non-technical audiences. It was the absolute best option when doing work for Disney too (of course).

In a client role, I would be tickled pink to get information presented in this manner!

I hope everyone using comics chimes in so I can steal ideas.

Max Lord — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:04:52 GMT

Could you put the “three clicks” myth to bed next, or has somebody taken care of that one already?

Max Lord — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:32:59 GMT

I don’t have anything meaningful to contribute to this article, but as a Bostonian, I am excited by any use of the “wicked problem” terminology.