UX Groundswell — All end-user advocates welcome here

Harnessing creativity with the Biophilia and Cathedral Effects

May 19, 2010

You know those screensavers that come loaded on our Macs (or Bing, and now, Google.com)…the ones with all of the nature scenes? Well, up until recently, I had always assumed that the rights to use those stock images were relatively inexpensive and easy to come by, and that was why they were provided. Although there [...]

I’ll be thinking with pictures at Drawcamp!

May 18, 2010

A full day of sketching, drawing, and thinking visually…what could be better? I was thrilled to find out about Drawcamp, a drawing unconference that will be held in Milwaukee on Saturday, June 12. I registered immediately, and ordered a new Moleskin just for the occasion! I have always been artistic, but somewhere along the way, [...]

Wayfinding at Sea

May 18, 2010

When trying to determine the most direct path to a desired destination—whether it be in a web search, in a new building, or in a park— we apply the same wayfinding framework, which simultaneously seeks out clues about where we are, and where we need to go. The same four stages of wayfinding apply regardless [...]

The disappearing Waist-to-Hip Ratio

May 17, 2010

The Waist-to-Hip ratio is an easy thing to calculate: it is the circumference of the narrowest part of the waist divided by the circumference of the fullest part of the hip. As other physical attributes (like variances in body weight, and breast size) have passed in and out of favor over the past 100 years, [...]

The “Design Hierarchy of Needs”

May 17, 2010

I recently came across a Smashing Magazine article highlighting the Design Hierarchy of Needs. It is a model, adapted from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which suggests that in order for a design to be successful, it first must meet people’s basic needs before it can satisfy higher level needs.1 In truth, I do not agree [...]

A run-in at the Uncanny Valley

May 3, 2010

This past weekend, I had a run-in with a stranger who for some reason immediately creeped me out. She looked emaciated and pale, she had a weird shark-eyes quality to her and her basic motor skills were labored and erratic. (Yes…I know…I’ve got to stop the late night Zombieland viewings.) Everyone in the group that [...]

The Baby Face Bias

May 3, 2010

One of the most interesting things about looking for each of the Universal Principles of Design at work in the world around us is that I get to talk to my 5 year old about them, and see how far these “universal” ideas truly extend. The seminal work on Baby Face bias proves that it [...]

Scarcity and Operant Conditioning at woot.com

April 29, 2010

How do you influence an audience to visit your site as a habitual part of their everyday experience? Then, once they are there, how do you motivate them to buy whatever it is that you are selling? Well, if you take a cue from woot.com, you could design your business model around the principles of [...]

I’m on “The Myths of Innovation” paperback team!

April 26, 2010

Two days ago, I wrote a short post that mentioned I was reading Scott Berkun’s engaging bestseller The Myths of Innovation. In truth, I’m doing more than just a little casual reading…I am officially part of a team that is helping Scott prepare for the publication of the book’s paperback edition! What did I have [...]

“Please be aware of the consequences of your actions”

April 25, 2010

My husband is an SAP developer. He loves his job, and because he knows I love mine, he sees to it that I am the lucky recipient of some unbelievably comical snapshots of SAP error messages and confirmation screens. My mission to humanize technology and give users a voice in the design process is renewed [...]

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