February 2012
5 posts
"On Web Typography" Reading Response
Web typography is actually something I have always enjoyed. Pairing up a couple of fonts to provide visually pleasing yet readable text that matched the mood of the website was ever a fun, creative challenge. I am sure somewhere back in the distant past (perhaps my high school web design class) I came across some of the concepts given in “On Web Typography.” As I read the article, I...
"Web Content that Persuades and Motivates" Reading...
While working on an editing project last week I came accross an ancient sales training film in black and white, good old 50’s style TV music, and hilarious, old school narrative teaching style. Yet in this time long before the internet, websites, or e-commerce, the heralded “greatest salesman in America” in the training video was giving me the exact same principles that are given...
"Communicating Design - Personas" Reading Response
Something I learned from this reading, as well as the Personas interviews for Facebook, was how it easy it is to layer my own motivations and goals over the user. “Well if this is what I want to do on this website, surely this is what everyone else wants to do on this websites.” We jump to conclusions and put words in their mouth, and failed to listen to their real need. Clearly this...
"Wireframes" Reading Response
Start simple, keep it simple, and let it grow from there. The biggest “no duh” moment was easily the very first figure in Chapter 10, the simplest wireframe example. Simply ordering the information in order of importance can offer a fantastic guiding light throughout the rest of the design process. Particularly by the time visual elements are being placed, and we are determining how we...
"Designing Interfaces" Reading Response
Every time I hear someone say something along the lines of, “I don’t believe in labels, you can’t label me, and I don’t label anyone else” I gleefully label them in their easy to identify bin with the rest of the ‘too naive to think that they can’t be labeled’ crowd. Yes, we’re all unique little snowflakes, but there is also a lot about us that...
January 2012
4 posts
"Don't Make Me Think" Reading Response
Once again the theme is that we as humans are huge fans of signs and symbols. We will not look any closer at something than we want to, which is usually less than sign makers (of whatever variety) think. I love the analogy of real world spaces to web spaces. Web designers must be master sign makers, making the entrances, exits, turns, and forks as clear as possible and as consistent as possible.
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"Elements of User Experience" Reading Response
After realizing my notes were quickly approaching the length of the article itself, I decided I would focus in on one area that stood out most to me. Being a process oriented, analytical thinker, I try and look at a problem from every possible angle, plan for every contingency, and plug in every gap! Unfortunately I take that style of thinking in to situations where it is not always necessary....
Week 1 Reading Response
Overall the article was a great, thought provoking read. A condensed, bullet pointed list for some of those key design concepts would be great cubicle wall material next to any designer’s monitor!
I was also amused at how “typical” of a user I am! I skim, I want my info in 3 clicks or less, I want the inverted pyramid of information, I scan for the familiar search box, I ignore...
This is a test
This is a test….