What I call invisible interactions are interactions I never really noticed until they went missing. These are the truly usable and seamlessly designed interactions.  Features I’ve come to expect without even knowing it. Below is a list of some invisible interactions that I have come to discover in my everyday computer use. Once they went missing for one reason or another I was lost without them.

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Paper Prototyping with Magnets and Dry Erase

What is Paper Prototyping?

Paper Prototyping is a low fidelity (Low-Fi) way to create and test designs before an application has been built. The nature of a these prototypes as paper and pencil is an important element. Not only does the paper and pen lead to a creative aspect of the process, but it also lends well to a cheap budget and quick turnaround. More importantly however, the rough sketch implies an unfinished idea which lends well to iterations and makes it more likely that those working on the design will be willing to change them. The more time and effort we put into an idea, typically the more attached we become to that idea. By creating rough sketches with just enough fidelity to get the idea across we are more likely to be open to modifications. (more…)

Regardless of the vast information available on form design best practices there are online forms everywhere which break many of the standards. Forms stand between users and your product or service and should be given priority as a major portal to your business.

Forms should focus on the point. They should be simple and should not include unnecessary text or requests for information. Labels should be intuitive and obvious. If the user’s login is an email address the label should be “Email” not “Username” or “Login”. Each form should have a clear goal and purpose which is clearly communicated to the user. While the user is filling out the form the user should always be aware of what’s going on, and any errors they may create.
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I will be using this space to organize some of the random thought I have floating in my head about User Experience. It will include questions to the world about controls and interactions, book reviews, conference reviews, opinions and resources on all different aspects of user experience and more. Feel free to contact me with any questions. I have just started this blog, so please excuse my construction over the next couple weeks. Happy reading.