Big Ideas
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(Not) Defining the damn thing
by Louis Rosenfeld | [21 comments]
Discussions of how we should label ourselves and define our work are like flu epidemics. They break out from time to time, follow a fairly predictable course, and often make us want to barf. more...
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(Over)simple Answers for Simple Minds
by George Olsen | [13 comments]
Part of me feels for Jakob Nielsen for the grief he’s taken over deciding to work with Macromedia after declaring “Flash 99 percent bad.” After all, the pressures and temptations to provide simple answers to complex issues are ones we all face in our professional practices. more...
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A Web 2.0 Tour for the Enterprise
by Shiv Singh | [28 comments]
While Web 2.0 sweeps the internet buzz machine, businesses are a bit slower to pick up the new paradigm. Shiv Singh shows how taking the leap and embracing the collaborative nature of Web 2.0 can provide great rewards. more...
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All watched over by machines of loving grace: Some ethical guidelines for user experience in ubiquitous-computing settings [1]
by Adam Greenfield | [10 comments]
Guest essay by Adam Greenfield on the threat and promise of ubicomp: It should be clear that ubicomp represents a substantial raising of stakes; that its field of operation is by definition total; and that its potential for harm is such that the user experience is too important to leave to chance. more...
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Ambient Signifiers
by Ross Howard | [16 comments]
When navigating a complex system—be it a website or a large transport network—it's easy to get lost. Ross Howard points out how subtle signifiers can make a big difference. more...
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An introduction to user journeys
by Jason Hobbs | [3 comments]
User journeys are a method for conceptualising and structuring a website's content and functionality. These journeys allow us to shift away from thinking about structure in terms of hierarchies or a technical build; instead you create a narrative around your user's needs. more...
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Are We There Yet?
by Christina Wodtke | [18 comments]
It's true: even simple projects get messy. Christina Wodtke comes clean on Swiss Army knives, the writing on the wall, and the untidy glory of the Boxes and Arrows redesign contest. more...
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Arrows in Our Quiver
by George Olsen | [0 comments]
As I write this the Police’s “Synchronicity” is on the radio and that’s a good way of summing up some of the interesting developments experienced during the past few months. more...
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Beauty is Only Screen Deep
by Sarah Horton | [26 comments]
What happens when web designers really “get” designing for the web? Sarah Horton, co-author of the Web Style Guide, ponders the meaning of beauty and quality in the context of being a good web designer. more...
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Being Shallow
by Grant Campbell | [11 comments]
Information Architects are often put on the defensive by spears flung by brethren in related disciplines.
In taking the accusations seriously and accepting truthswithin them,
Grant Campbell reveals greatest
strengths in shallowness, insularity, and being "relegated" to history. more... -
Better Content Management through Information Architecture
by Masood Nasser | [15 comments]
Part 1 Content Management Systems promise so much: content is easier to publish, easier to update, and easier to find and use. Lots of promises, but do CMSs really deliver? Masood Nasser examines why Content Management Systems often fail and shows how Information Architecture can come to the rescue. more...
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Building Block Definitions (Containers)
by Joe Lamantia | [4 comments]
Joe Lamantia dives deep into the components of the building block system. Each has a place in his design framework for dashboards and portals. See how you too can use these same elements in your work. (Part 3 in a series) more...
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Check It Twice: The B&A Staff Reveals the Way They Make Lists
by B&A Staff | [10 comments]
Holiday lists, to-do lists, grocery lists. With the end of the year come the holidays, and holidays are usually a time for ... that's right ... making lists. Take a look into the process (and obsessions) of list-making from our staff. more...
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Communicating Complex Ideas
by Alex Kirtland | [8 comments]
Can prediction markets be used successfully in a corporate environment? Kirtland forecasts that making them easier to use just might be the key. Through simple guidelines, he shares strategies for benefiting the wise crowds. more...
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Computer Human Values
by Nathan Shedroff | [28 comments]
As computers and digital devices increasingly insert themselves into our lives, they do so on an ever increasing social level. Designers need to understand the context of use and include the whole of a user's experience into the solution when creating a computer interface. more...
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Connectors for Dashboards and Portals
by Joe Lamantia | [4 comments]
This article is the fourth in a series sharing a design framework for dashboards and portals. In this installment, Joe Lamantia demonstrates how to connect content containers to ease navigation at all levels of the architecture. more...
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Content Strategy: The Philosophy of Data
by Rachel Lovinger | [28 comments]
As interactions proliferate, so does the content that supports them. Why should software professionals take a step back and examine their content from a philosophical perch? Rachel Lovinger takes a look at content strategy and the benefits of its perspectives. more...
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Designing for Limited Resources
by Laura S. Quinn | [3 comments]
When resources are limited, the design must be optimized to make the best use of all resources. To account for this complexity, it is important to have a clear understanding of both sides of the design equation—what you have to work with and what you are trying to build. more...
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Enhancing Dashboard Value and User Experience
by Joe Lamantia | [7 comments]
In this article, part five of a series, the author describes ways to enhance the long-term value and user experience quality of portals by encouraging portability and natural patterns of dialog and interaction around aggregated content. more...
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Expanding the Approaches to User Experience
by George Olsen | [22 comments]
Jesse James Garrett’s “The Elements of User Experience” diagram has become rightly famous as a clear and simple model for the sorts of things that user experience professionals do. But as a model of user experience it presents an incomplete picture with some serious omissions—omissions I’ll try address with a more holistic model. more...