Well, the season is upon us, so it's time for another link to It3C
"Usability may sound mystifying to some people, and some best-selling books may champion the obscurity of this subject, but there?s really nothing too complex about it. Usability is the extent to which a system supports its users in completing their tasks efficiently, effectively, and satisfactorily - which may also include the experience of aesthetic pleasure."
I'm a huge fan of allowing people to make their font size bigger on the page... the new EH was recoded using "em" in hopes of allowing people to do that (next step, designing and implementing the widget for it).
I've just come across the Sac Bee's solution.
The Sacramento Bee -- sacbee.com -- Low fare guide
It would be great except hte tools are sooo teensy someone visually challenged probably wouldn't even notice them, much less use them.
I've gotten some great feedback on the Carbon IQ User-centered Design Methods document. I'd love to hear more.
One came from David, who asked for a way to learn more about the various methods. Strangely enough I just tripped over a document that does just that: CHARM-Choosing HCI Appropriate Research Methods
from the design for humans acting like humans file:
"What is contingency design?
Things go wrong online. Contingency design is the way the creators of the site right the ship. It includes error messaging, instructive text, information architecture, programming, and graphic design. Successful contingency design helps wayward surfers succeed at their goals in obtaining information, completing a transaction, or other tasks. Poor contingency design results in frustration and lost visitors. "
Visit design not found for examples.
Thanks, Marc, for reminding me of this site!