Now that Verizon has the iPhone 4 people may think that Android will lose market share…that may be but it ain’t losing any steam!
And so I created this wallpaper as yet another testament to its greatness.
Go Android go!
It contains a very subtle green android robot! You may have to click to see it clearly in the high res version.
*Warning: all links in this post are dummy links…they wont do anything*
I get angry when I’m surfing a site and it uses the antiquated and utterly useless “Click Here” method to define their links. Seriously? What possible useful information can a user glean from the words “Click Here”? None I say…none at all.
Using the “Click Here” method compels users (who 99.9% of the time are in a hurry) to read further to figure out just what really happens when they click a link that merely offers “Click Here” as a method of communicating what’s behind it. I’m becoming angrier as I write this…
Simply put; a link should be indicative of what it does. For instance, consider the following examples:
Today’s TOP story is a real doozy! Click here to find out what happened to the Tsunami victims!
Vs.
Today’s TOP story is a real doozy! Find out what happened to the Tsunami victims!
Read ‘em again and watch as your mouse glides over each word as you read it. In the first example you wonder what “Click Here” will do, then you read on and discover what it does and then have to retrace your steps to find the link that you think will take you to where you want to go.
The second example allows the reader to engage with the content while concurrently reading it. No wondering. No retracing. No confusion.
One may suggest that you could link “Today’s TOP story” but I would argue that it too is ambiguous and not a good candidate (taking context into consideration here).
What does the “Click Here” method look like when you have a list of links ? Let’s take a look shall we?
Example:
This month’s top 5 Must-See-Movie List:
Ridiculous right? Totally. Tons of unnecessary text cluttering and distracting the user from what they really want to know; the names of the top 5 movies they must see and how they can view the trailers.
Now, imagine how confusing and irritating it would be if the links were intermingled amongst different content in paragraph style. You wouldn’t know which “Click Here” associates to the correct content it supposedly represents. Now, lets redo the above movie list.
Example:
This month’s top 5 Must-See-Movie List:
Not bad, but I submit the below example as an ultra-compact alternative which ironically enough is contrary to my original rant about links being indicative of what they do but bear with me here (I still believe the above example is superior but offer this as an alternative):
Example:
This month’s top 5 Must-See-Movie List:
(click the movie name to view the trailer)
Please, for the love of ………STOP using “Click Here” to define your links!
*whew*…I feel better.
Upper management love to think that a high priority project will get done faster if they simply throw more people at it. That is rarely the case and this quote by Fred Brooks sums it up nicely.
9 People Can’t Make a Baby in a Month
I recently went home to Issaquah Washington for Christmas vacation. My parent’s house was remodeled with a whole slew of bells, whistles and beautiful carpentry work. However, there is one kitchen appliance which sits between drawers and cabinets disguised as one of them. It’s the dishwasher (and a nice one too I might add) but it carries the same stainless steel handle, the same wood finish and even the profile is identical.
Now, one may ask “How is this bad design?” Typically dishwashers look unseemly with their gnarly knobs, dials, nasty vinyl finishes and loud airplane like noises emanating while in use. This particular dishwasher was absolutely silent and the entire interface which included buttons, indicators and lights was on the inside (hidden under the overhang of the counter top).Very sleek, very cool and very silent.
Here’s why I consider it bad design; every time I had need of placing an item inside (like the recently chugged glass of delicious eggnog) I had no clue if it was on. I’d open it and interrupt the cycle or else get sprayed with water. Not cool.
If you live alone and are the sole operator of the dishwasher then the problem is somewhat mitigated because you’re aware of the time you started it and approximately how long a cycle takes. However, if multiple people are present in the household the chances of the dishwasher assaulting someone is increased.
Why not place a very discrete “In Use” LED or indicator of some kind that simply lets the unsuspecting dishwasher victim know that it’s currently in use?
I don’t have a picture of the offending dishwasher from my parents’ home but I did find one on a tech blog that I read where they complained of the very same problem.
I often have to convince stakeholders of the validity of design decisions I make. Sometimes they are embraced, other times rejected.
The most frustrating are when I can offer sound valid and convincing data to support certain decisions and still be rejected because the CEO likes “Blue”.
It’s also frustrating when the design is stellar and substantial effort was made to ensure the best user experience but the client has no concept of its value.
Queue wallpaper:
When was the last time you walked into your bank or credit union or financial location to physically in person make a deposit, or any transaction for that matter?
Well, I can, and it was over a year ago and it was merely to renew a safe deposit box subscription. I remember the building was clean on the inside and the outside. There was a logical order to the layout of the offices, teller areas and a clear indication that an interior decorator had been hired to ensure it felt inviting and calming. The representatives were well dressed, groomed and pleasant. The experience was as expected and increased my confidence that my precious items I had entrusted them with would be kept safe.
Now, compare that experience whilst searching for a product online. During a search you clicked on a result indicating the product your looking for at a great price. After clicking, your presented with a website that implements very old design standards such as huge horizontal rules, animated gifs, blinking text, banner ads and tons of “Click Here to Win a FREE…!” links.
The overwhelming feeling that you’re about to be duped, swindled or scammed washes over and you’re instantly hesitant to engage in any sort of transaction with this business that involves your personal information.
People judge companies by their websites not because they’re bad people but because its the easiest and fastest interaction to your business available to them. Your place of business may provide your walk-in customers with wonderful experiences but if the website design and overall user experience is sub-par it’ll cost you more revenue than you may realize.
Your website’s user interfaces defines your brand’s personality. Plain and simple; to your users bad website design = bad business. In contrast good design and thoughtfully crafted user experiences breeds confidence, comfort, and reassurance that your users will visit you again.
Hence the following wallpaper…
Sometimes I find myself fighting against the decision to implement the simplest solution. It may make the most sense but may not be innovative, stylish or as edgy as I want it to be. By introducing a new innovative method to replace an already well established convention potentially causes problems, can be counter productive, and most likely result in damaging your brand.
It’s difficult because we’re expected to be innovative and creative but frequently utilization of a web convention just makes more sense and is better for the user.
Sometimes there’s no need to be clever or original.
Anyone picking up on a trend?
Click for 1920×1080 resolution.
