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Usability

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Adaptive Web Design: Designing Experiences for People
Jan 7, 2016
A website built following the philosophy of progressive enhancement will be usable by anyone on any device, using any browser. It all begins with embracing the concept of experience as a continuum, as Aaron Gustafson explains in this chapter from Adaptive Web Design: Crafting Rich Experiences with Progressive Enhancement, 2nd Edition.
How to Become a UX Leader: Understanding the Psychology of Users
Dec 29, 2015
UX is a lot more than checkboxes and radio buttons. UX is psychology applied to design. For so many reasons, it’s high time everyone else finds that out too, as Robert Hoekman explains in this chapter from Experience Required: How to become a UX leader regardless of your role.
Screen-based Thinking: Let’s Make an App!
Mar 2, 2015
In this excerpt from The Best Interface Is No Interface: The simple path to brilliant technology, Golden Krishna takes a second look at today’s screen-obsessed world—how we got here, why we’re still here, why this awful trend is so awful, and how people are moving beyond screens and breaking off their love affair with mundane apps.
The Best Interface Is No Interface: An Interview with Golden Krishna
Feb 12, 2015
User Experience Designer Golden Krishna talks to Peachpit about his new book, The Best Interface Is No Interface: The simple path to brilliant technology , why the screen isn't always the best answer, imagining more elegant answers beyond the screen, and the best and worst examples of user interfaces.
Transition or Animation: Which One Should You Use?
Feb 5, 2015
CSS animations and transitions can be used to create a variety of effects on websites. In fact, you can usually create any effect from either a transition of animation. Steven Bradley helps you decide which one should you choose and why.
13 Nifty Things About Macaw: The New Application for Designing Responsive Websites and Prototypes
Jan 20, 2015
If you’ve been looking for a more visual way to build responsive websites and prototypes, it’s time to check out Macaw, and the book Getting Started with Macaw. In this article, Joe Chellman looks at some of most interesting aspects, big and small, of this new web design application.
The Next Generation Responsive Web Design Tool: Macaw
May 15, 2014
With the advent of responsive design on the web, workflows and roles have been changing on web teams. Because of this, a flood of responsive design tools has come about that can also write semantic HTML and clean CSS. Macaw is one. Adobe expert Brian Wood dives into Macaw and explores a typical responsive design workflow using it.
Steve Krug Explains Several True Things about Usability Testing
May 1, 2014
In this excerpt from Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 3rd Edition, Steve Krug share three true things about usability tests.
Steve Krug on Why Nothing Beats a Good Tagline!™
Apr 30, 2014
Taglines are a very efficient way to get your message across, because they’re the one place on the web page where users most expect to find a concise statement of the site's purpose. In this excerpt from Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 3rd Edition, Steve Krug shares some attributes to look for when choosing a tagline.
Steve Krug on Creating Effective Visual Hierarchies
Apr 29, 2014
In this excerpt from Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 3rd Edition, Steve Krug explains that the appearance of the things on the page should accurately portray the relationships between the things on the page.
Steve Krug on Things that Make Us Think
Apr 28, 2014
Don't make people puzzle over stuff on your website! In this excerpt from Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 3rd Edition, Steve Krug shares some examples of things that make us think, so you'll begin to notice all the things that make you think in the sites and apps you use. And eventually you’ll learn to recognize and avoid them in the things you’re building.
Five Interaction Design Tips for Your Mobile App
Apr 2, 2014
Apps for mobile platforms might seem simple, but they're far from it. Programs that run on smartphones and tablets have their own style and rules, which are far different from the protocols and techniques established on their desktop computer ancestors. Cameron Banga and Josh Weinhold share five tips for perfecting your app designs in ways that will help you meet or exceed your users' expectations.
Interface Design for Learning: An Interview with Dorian Peters
Feb 6, 2014
Instructional designer and author Julie Dirksen interviews Dorian Peters, author of Interface Design for Learning: Design Strategies for Learning Experiences, about the importance of interface design for learning, how it differs from typical web interface design, and some of her favorite learning interfaces.
Why You Need Responsive Design for Your WordPress Site
Jan 30, 2014
In 2013, over 50% of e-commerce traffic was mobile. In 2014, one quarter of new websites will be powered by WordPress. Joe Casabona, author of Responsive Design with WordPress: How to make great responsive themes and plugins, explains why implementing responsive web design on your WordPress site is so important, and not as hard as you might think!
Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral? Steve Krug on Why Users Like Mindless Choices
Jan 27, 2014
We face choices all the time on the Web. Steve Krug explains that making those choices mindless is one of the most important things you can do to make a site easy to use.
Making Your WordPress Theme Responsive: Core Features
Jan 13, 2014
This chapter looks at some of the core features of WordPress instrumental to a good User Experience, including navigation, images, and widgets.
Interface Design for Learning: Basic Principles A-Z
Jan 6, 2014
Dorian Peters offers a crash course in interface design for learners, covering basic concepts from psychology, education, and human-computer interaction essential to the design of learning interfaces.
Adventures in Experience Design: Splatter!
Jan 2, 2014
Learn the language of your eyes. Solve a problem for bald heads. Redesign your bedroom. Dissect a corpse. Paper a wall with ideas.
Responsive Design Workflow: Designing in Text
Apr 15, 2013
In this chapter, Stephen Hay discusses responsive design with text, including marking up plain text and converting plain text to HTML.
How to Overcome Browser Challenges in Web Design
Feb 13, 2013
Browsers have different levels of support for CSS features, as well as different interpretations of how to render HTML. By using tools like normalize.css and validating on multiple devices, we can address many of the challenges of web design. However, there’s no substitute for knowing and learning about your audience and working to build them the best site possible, as Christopher Schmitt advises in this chapter from Designing Web and Mobile Graphics: Fundamental concepts for web and interactive projects.

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