Phoeton Design

Written by David Charney
Posted: April 26, 2008 (6 months, 4 weeks ago) | 0 comments

A design I am playing around with…

Usability - A Component of the Great User Experience

Written by David Charney
Posted: April 24, 2008 (7 months ago) | 0 comments

Usability - to keep it very simple - in our case means how easy it is to use something. Intuitve - to keep it ultra super simple - means how familiar it is for the user to use something. User Experience - to keep it mighty wicked simple - means the engagement between the user and the application. To a designer / developer, usability is a key element of quality and creating an intuitive user experience. Why spend so much time on usability? Usability can increase user productivity, provide a higher retention of information, and raise user satisfaction by creating and providing a stronger experience. Understanding what makes something usable or intuitive is never clearly defined. It is based on the client and the audience using it. Usability within a designed application can usually be broken down into six elements that overlap each other to provide a cohesive experience. These six elemental groups are: goal solving, intuitive, efficient, functional, satisfying, and memorable.

1. Goal Solving
Solving the overall goal to fulfill the needs of the client and their audience is the most important of the six elements. At the end of the application’s use, your audience should have fulfilled their need to use the application.

2. Intuitive
Upon seeing your application for the first time, your audience should be able to feel familiar with how to navigate and use your application based on their past experiences and instincts.

3. Efficient
The user should be able to navigate and use your application quickly and in a straight forward manner. Their experience should be productive, not time wasting.

4. Functional
Your application should work correctly and in the same way each time your audience uses it.

5. Satisfying
Your audience should enjoy the use of your application.

6. Memorable
Your application should allow your audience to retain both their experience and information presented to them.

Note: Many designers dislike the term intuitive. This term is good in theory but, as every person is different, it is near impossible to factually say you have created an intuitive experience - but that doesn’t stop it from being a great marketing word! The same goes for all the other elements.

Each of these elements defines everything from the look and feel to the functionality of each component. The amount of functionality is often up for debate within a usable experience. Usability experts can often be split into two groups; those that think the more functionality you can cram into an application the better and those that think the least functionality the better. Both groups will say their way provides the best experience for the user. Keep in mind there are times when each is true, however another approach is available. This third solution involves intelligent placement of functionality so that it is hidden to the user until they use it. The term for this type of ‘hidden’ functionality is called stealth functionality.

An example of this is Google Maps. Those that tend to use the mouse to navigate the map may never think about or realize the keyboard arrow keys can also be used. I have worked with many groups of people who tend to use the keyboard over the mouse. Some may not even have a mouse available.

Don’t assume you have to jam-pack your applications with different solutions for the same problem. You must make the best decisions you can based on the goals of the application and the audiences involved. Find out all you can on the audience that will use your application.

Your Intuitiveness May Vary
So again, everyone is different. And please don’t look up my use of the word Intuitiveness. It isn’t right. So if Tony uses an application he might naturally try and navigate one way while Chris tries to navigate another. Jon might try and right click the mouse to do what Sarah tries to do with the keyboard. Depending on my mood I sometimes use the scrollbar while other times I use the scroll wheel on the mouse. Every person uses a computer differently based on their past experiences. Keep this in mind as you develop. Research and analyze.

Knowing Your User
How do you know who your users are? How do you know what they like or don’t like? How do you know that they like pressing Ctrl-S, open Apple - S, File > Save, or hit that little 3 ½ floppy disk icon (what is a floppy disk?) to save their file? How do you know they will even have access to a mouse or keyboard? The short answer is to ask them. You can do ask them a billion ways and it can be a topic all its own so I will just throw a few on the table. Keep in mind that if you are working on a project for a client, make sure you discuss with them from the beginning the ways you like to get info about their audience so they know what they are in for. OK - some different ways… Write up a survey for them, monitor their computer use, ask them directly what they like or dislike, cook them some pizza, give them some older applications you have created and watch how they use it (you probably have a tendency to build your new program with the same functionality, design, and usability ideas and this can help you learn some new ones), and finally talk to your client as they may be very familiar with their likes and dislikes. Now take all you learned about your user and start thinking about how they can use your new app of awesomeness. Here are five questions to ask yourself (and your user) when creating an intuitive application:

What are the computer habits of my different audiences?

What function does this application have for my audience?

What input devices will my audience have to use?

What are all the various controls or navigation schemes that can be given to each component?

Less is more. What can be removed or integrated to provide a clearer focus on the main goal?

Testing and Measuring Results
Like anything, test and measure your results. When you are in the middle of or complete the project don’t just put it on the shelf. Watch people use it, ask more questions, and make any final changes. Understand how your additions save your users (or client) time, aggravation, and in most cases, money.

The End
Users use programs they feel a connection with. Spend the time to know your user, get creative, and produce an application with an experience they will remember. Oh and have fun doing it! Now go outside.

Apollo UI

Written by David Charney
Posted: April 17, 2008 (7 months, 1 week ago) | 1 comment

Hey all. For fun over a few evenings I put this UI design together. I am a big fan of the Apollo space program and thought I would build up a conceptual design based on that. I am actually interested in building a full-on Apollo interactive site where you can interactively go to the Moon. I wonder if I can get NASA interested in the idea…

Update: I had sent out a quick email to Jim Lovell, who owns a restaurant with his son about 5 minutes from me and was lucky to get a short reply (as I have in the past). He said the design looks great! Sweeeeeet. OMG (”Oh My God” for those over 16)! Mr. Apollo 13 likes it! Besides my telling everyone about this I am speechless! I am going to go have a Flavor Ice.

Why Push the Visuals?

Written by David Charney
Posted: February 16, 2008 (9 months, 1 week ago) | 0 comments

Being a creative director I am often asked by people “Why push the visuals?“… It is a good question which can crop up anytime you propose spending some good time and money to better the look and feel of a project. This question can be interpreted several ways:

1. Why should I spend a lot of money just for the cool factor?
2. Why spend the time on the design?
3. Why use 3D when we already have graphics that show everything?
4. Why spend any more money then is absolutely necessary?
5. Why rework all… - actually - I think you get the idea…

These questions pop up almost constantly… or let’s say mid-constantly. So what do I say to these questions? Good question. First, pushing for really powerful visuals - the 3d, the design - is not always the right way to go for every project. Take a step back from any project (look behind yourself first) and think about the scope of the project, the goals and objectives, the audience, and the long term possibilities. How will the audience benefit from the visuals?

What is so great about visuals? Why spend the time? What is the audience going to get out of it other than the “cool” factor? I feel another list coming on…

Number 1
A more graphical user interface can provide a more intuitive user experience. Spending more time on the look and feel, navigation, and creativity of project can increase ease of use and even be a motivator to continue exploring.

Number 2
Interactivity can provide a more “hands-on” feel to the user. It can allow them to make a connection by providing feedback. This can be key when expressing information, understanding, and retaining it. Fun is another word that comes to mind. Someone enjoying themselves can pick up new things without even realizing it. Again a motivator.

Number 3
3D can entertain and educate. What if you have the best video footage in the world but it can’t quite show the nerve that needs to be avoided during surgery. 3D can tell that part of the story by fading back the anatomy to show just what to be aware of. Again… motivating.

Number… where am I… 4. Number 4
If long term goals call for several applications that all work together, then developing a good brand structure can help bridge that gap. Thinking ahead can determine how much to push the visuals. Motivating.

Number 5
Motivation.

Number 6
Cool factor. Yep. Sometimes it is good to just be cool.

My time is almost up. You can start getting the idea. It’s not all about the cool factor, although it can help as it breaks down into several smaller reasons to push the visuals. A budget is important but if it makes sense for the benefit of the project talk over why pushing the visuals can be important both short term and long term. Think back to all those projects that you actually remember, enjoyed, and told your friends about. Did they have a little something extra to them?

Awesome Thanksgiving Design

Written by David Charney
Posted: November 22, 2007 (1 year ago) | 0 comments

This is a fantastic UI I got to use this Thanksgiving. Nice use of color, very intuitive - you just know what you are supposed to do. This design also supports multiple inputs (knife, forks, fingers), drag and drop navigation, and this design really has an organic feel to it… just awesome: