Why "Bobby Approved" Does Not Always Mean Accessible
Bobby is an online testing tool which has been developed to help developers assess web sites for accessibility. It is a free service provided by CAST (Centre for Applied Special Technology), a...
View ArticleWho Is "The User" Anyway?
As we have pointed out before, understanding the user is a pre-requisite of high quality interface design, whether online or offline. This means taking the time to find out what motivates typical user...
View ArticleWebsite Accessibility
8% of the U.S. population has visual, learning, cognitive, auditory or physical dexterity disabilities severe enough to affect their ability to access the Web. These people use the web for the same...
View ArticleUsable Interactive Voice Response Applications
An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) application is any telephone-based application which interactively takes input from callers and returns output in the form of a previously recorded human voice or...
View ArticleUsability in Software Development
Usability does not begin and end with the web. In fact, long before the Internet was a gleam in the Pentagon's eye, computer professionals were already aware of the need for human-computer interaction...
View ArticleUsability At Microsoft
The concept of the 'persona' has interesting implications for software design. It is particularly effective for reminding designers of the importance of designing for an individual, rather than the...
View ArticleText-Only is not Accessible
Text-only websites are not suited to all users with impairments. Although they are often ideal for users who are blind and use a screen reader, accessibility goes far beyond this user group.
View ArticleRoad to Nowhere - Dublin's Road Signs Get Told Where To Go
There are two superlative facts about Dublin City’s traffic situation. The first is that a recent study has shown us to have the second worse traffic congestion problem in the world (my condolences to...
View ArticleProviding
Once the information on a web page has been made, strictly speaking, accessible to assistive technologies, the question then becomes whether or not that site is 'easy-to-use' for people with...
View ArticleMicropayments: Do Users Want Them?
It used to be a given (amongst those in the know at least) that ‘micropayments’ were the only sustainable business model for those providing content on the web. Micropayments work by charging a tiny...
View ArticleThe Joys of Prototyping
At the heart of any good user-centred design process is the practice of prototyping. By creating and testing interfaces in rough format, designers are able to feed through improvements and feedback...
View ArticleIs A Lab Essential For User Testing?
Once an organisation decides to go ahead with a user testing programme, the questions really begin. Is it really necessary to undertake testing in a 'usability lab'? And what exactly should a fully...
View ArticleThe Interface in the Environment: "One Size Fits Nobody"
At the outset of an interface design project we would normally conduct a detailed phase of user requirements gathering. We have discussed the various methods of conducting these in previous articles,...
View ArticleAccessibility Arguments Revisited
Frontend has recently completed the delivery of the first version (1.1) of the Irish National Disability Authority (NDA) IT Accessibility Guidelines. In the course of our work for the NDA over the last...
View ArticleUsability Issues in Product Design
As usability professionals and user interface designers, our work is mainly contained within the confines of the computer screen - the GUI or web-based software interface. Interaction touch points...
View ArticleUsability in Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
In CRM, user acceptance is a huge issue. End users, who are rarely the same people who choose applications in the first place, can be extraordinarily resourceful when it comes to undermining or working...
View ArticleUsability and Online Branding
Improving ‘brand experience’ online is not normally regarded as the primary goal of a usability strategy. In some circles usability and branding would even be seen as mutually exclusive, based on the...
View ArticleUsability and Online Bookmaking
One industry that seems to be weathering the current online storm – and which has a reputation of being ‘recession proof’ in any case – is bookmaking. A combination of established offline players...
View ArticleUsability and Cost-Cutting
As in any downturn, most businesses are examining expenditure and looking to cut back in any areas that may not be deemed essential. For better or worse, spending on usability engineering is often...
View ArticleUsability - Out-Sourced or In-House?
Should usability work be provided by external consultancies or provided in-house? This is a question that we often encounter when working with clients, many of whom are keen to establish their own...
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