Design Critique: Products For People

"From Information Architecture to Ambient Findability to Intertwingularity: An Inspiring Conversation with Peter Morville

" Recorded June 18th, 2012 at IUE2012. Peter Morville (above, left), best known as a founding father of information architecture, co-authored the profession's best-selling book, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. That was 1998. Since then, Peter continues to be a prolific author, practitioner, and thought leader for our industry and profession amidst this ever-expanding and reinventive internet landscape that continues to provide communications, information, and commerce to the world. To most effectively tap into Peter's current and historical thinking, he was interviewed live and interactively with the audience by Design Critique's Timothy Keirnan. Visit Peter's blog and more at http://semanticstudios.com/

Tobby Smith joins Tim Keirnan for a longitudinal review of the Windows Phone 7.5 mobile operating system. Both guys have been using it on Nokia Lumia 710 handsets since last winter and are ready to explain why they enjoy the Windows Phone customer experience, as well as complain about the negative points which they hope Microsoft will fix in the upcoming Windows Phone 8.Tobby is a long-time veteran of smart phone use, while Tim is new to smart phones, so both ends of the user continuum are included.To see the user interface of Windows Phone, head over to a cell phone store in your area and try it for yourself OR point your browser tohttp://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-US/features/default.aspx The episode of Design Critique with Matt Hard that covered the Zune HD, the predecessor to Windows Phone, can be heard athttp://designcritique.net/dc69-critique-microsoft-zune-players-zune-4-0-software-and-zune-pass

A very special mailbag episode in which* Internet User Experience 2012 is promoted. Check it out atwww.iue2012.com* Costan refers us to a terrific article on Airbus airliner cockpit interface design. Read it at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/9231855/Air-France-Flight-447-Damn-it-were-going-to-crash.html* An anonymous listener complains about Tim's articulation. When is enunciating for intelligibility a problem, if ever? Do listeners speaking English as a second language appreciate clear articulation, or is it not needed?* Jason thanks us for the MINI Cooper critique episode.* Eric responds to the listener feedback episode with Lynn on lack of contrast in modern UI designs.

Listener Lynn Leitte joins Tim for a discussion on how a fad of low-contrast visual design is hurting readability of text and usability of interface elements. What say you? Episode was recorded in late April but for a plethora of reasons is only available now.

Dana Chisnell from Usability Works discusses her latest project, Field Guides for Ensuring Voter Intent. This Kickstarter crowd-source funded project will design, write, publish, and distribute concise design guidelines for usable ballot design to public servants around the United States. And, eventually, beyond.Learn and contribute (up until April 14th) to the project athttp://www.kickstarter.com/projects/civicdesigning/field-guides-to-ensuring-voter-intentRead Dana's thoughts on civic design athttp://civicdesigning.org/

The GoldStar MA6511W microwave oven is a triumph of kitchen appliance interaction design. Featuring only two mechanical controls that are all too rare in an age of overly-complex digital designs, the MA6511W deserves as much praise as can be put into this 16 minute episode. The adjective "intuitive" is often over-used, but it applies to this small microwave oven. Microwaves are functionally simple devices often made difficult to use by manufacturers who put frivolous features and buttons on something that doesn't need to be complex. A mad dash for "features" at the expense of audience needs and usability is common in microwave oven design, but GoldStar's design team tightly focused this oven for a particular audience (re-heating in space-cramped kitchens) and did NOT try to please everyone. The result is a wonderful appliance that has also proven very durable--7 years of trouble-free service at the time of this episode's publishing. The How Stuff Works website referred to in the episode has some podcasts you

Listener Costan Boiangiu joins the show with comments on episode DC84, The State of the Internet User Experience 2011 panel session from Internet User Experience 2011.Costan shares his ideas on* The lack of usable bookmark titles on etail product pages* Some websites' frustrating lack of consistent overall navigation* Some websites' not revealing their national identity up front, especially if it's an etail siteYou can find Costan at his photography site here:www.costanimagelab.comand his work website here:www.georgianc.on.ca

"Attack of the Pointless Modal Confirmations"Tim critiques almost two years of experience with the TomTomXL335TM portable GPS in a longitudinal review plagued by a ragged voice from a nasty January filled with mishaps, and a mental wooziness that we hope isn't too obvious. But food poisonings, auto wrecks, and seasonal colds cannot prevent the fact that the XL335 is a GPS that has terrific voices which sound wonderful, but unreliable software and horrid modal confirmation abuses throughout.Just reflect on this one example of interaction design gone wrong; sadly, it is typical of the TomTom Way: It takes eleven, that's 11, taps to change voices on the XL335TM. I am not making this up.And here are TomTom's excellent marketing of its Star Wars celebrity voices:Darth Vader in the recording studio: http://youtu.be/2ljFfL-mL70Yoda in the recording studio: http://youtu.be/FdcJVuylmsM Two feedback emails round out this 46-minute episode.

A new Design Critique episode type is born. When someone sends feedback on an episode, they may be asked to come on the show and discuss what they had to say. That's how Eric Gauvin from the USA got roped into doing an episode with Tim regarding Eric's email comments on episode DC84, The State of the Internet User Experience 2011 panel. Thanks to Eric for making time to talk with me. And season's greetings, everyone!

In which Tim Keirnan and Mike Beasley discuss vintage shaving tool designs, featuring the safety razor and straight razor. Shaving with these old methods has many advantages, including:* Closer shaves that last longer before the dreaded 5 o'clock shadow appears* Improved skin condition due to premium creams and soaps used* Lower cost of ownership (unless you start collecting gear as a hobby)* Sustainable technology compared with disposable plastic-dominated, modern, overpriced crap* Better user experience due to mindful nature of single-blade shaving that many find relaxing and even fun, due to the "gourmet" shave creams and soaps, brushes, and blades used. As Mike says, it's more classy.Two forums in particular helped us convert from multi-bladed cartridge monstrosities with industrial "goop in a can" to vintage shaving:http://straightrazorplace.com/Mike frequents this forum and likes it a lot.http://www.pogonotomy.com/Tim favors this one for forum owner Bruce's blog and the very international nature forum t

Recorded live at Internet User Experience 2011 on October 11th, it's the panel session "The State of the Internet User Experience" starringMarti GukeisenDave Mitropoulos-RundusDante MurphySusan Weinschenkand Tim Keirnan as the moderator.Learn more about the panelists athttp://www.iue2011.com/presentation_stateofux.htmlThanks to all four panelists for allowing Design Critique to distribute this recording.

In this followup to episode DC82a, Tim describes the conclusion of his interaction with Logitech Customer Support. Unlike the MINI/BMW car maker attitude towards service after a sale, Logitech proves itself exceptionally good at listening to a complaint about a defective product and fixing it quickly without hassle.If only more companies took their customer experience after the sale as seriously as Logitech does! Service after the sale is as important as the product design itself. Indeed, it IS part of the product design. Only arrogant, "take the money and run" companies, such as MINI, fail to understand this. Long-term brand loyalty is usually increased by responsive customer support.

The longitudinal review of Tim's 2009 MINI Cooper is here! A car so unreliable that he had to get rid of it after only 2.5 years. Automotive human factors engineer Ken Mayer (cohost from our earlier Saturn SC2 car critique) returns to help Tim on this very detailed critique of the second generation MINI Cooper, a stunning mix of greatness and disaster (the car, we mean, not this critique). If you love cars, you'll love this episode. We put the long in longitudinal product reviews!Basically, the second generation (post-2006) MINI Cooper is a frustrating mix of unreliable components assembled unreliably. MINI refused for over a month to send Tim's dealer a new piston and rod when those went bad at only 31K miles. The flaky electronics are infested with more gremlins than, uh...that movie named "Gremlins". An addictively fun car such as the MINI almost makes you forgive its shoddy quality...almost but not quite. Tim broke his addiction and is now in MINI detox. Please pray for his recovery.But there's still a lo

Tim critiques the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 portable speaker system for iPods, iPhones, and other sound-making gadgets. The Pure-Fi Anywhere was Logitech's sequel to the highly successful mm50, which Tim and Alan reviewed way back in episode DC39. This longitudinal review covers two years of experience using this product, including the new user interface, the industrial design that both delights and disappoints, the improved sound quality of the bass response, and a problem with the battery that we should all be upset about in consumer electronics.Internet User Experience 2011 is coming to Ann Arbor, Michigan, this autumn! Check out what this terrific annual conference has to offer this year atwww.iue2011.com

Sixth Anniversary Edition! Dr. Susan Weinschenk joins Tim Keirnan for a discussion of her latest book, 100 Things Every Designer Should Know About People. Not just a collection of opinons, 100 Things... presents up-to-date research on the fundamentals that uderpin our work as UX professionals, while exposing several popular myths and misconceptions along the way.Thanks for listening for six years! I'm proud of what Tom Brinck and I started back in the summer of 2005, and appreciate any and all feedback you send.Susan's blog is atwww.whatmakesthemclick.netHer Twitter is@thebrainladyCheck out the Colours In Cultures color wheel by David McCandless at http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/You can read Tim's article about usability testing for entrepreneurs at the Entrepreneurial America website athttp://www.entrepreneurial-america.com/2011/07/product-usability-testing-for.html

Time for another wordcast episode, this time on ROI. Chad Esselink from the Ford Motor Company joins Tim Keirnan for a discussion on calculating return on investment for UX projects and forming a usability team. While at Ford, Chad used case studies backed with return on investment calculations to get buy-in from his superiors to create the Creative Design & Usability team.We all think we know about usability's ability to cut costs, but Chad tells us that increased throughput is just as important (and quite different). When should we use one and not the other while attempting to persuade executives that usability pays for itself and more?Throughput. Cost cutting. Know the difference! And no, I'm not going to tell you in the show notes, you have to listen.

Author Giles Colborne from CX Partners joins Tim Keirnan for a discussion about his book Simple And Usable: Web, Mobile and Interaction Design. To quote the back cover:"Simplicity is a discipline that can be learned. This book shows you how with humor, powerful examples, quotes, and case studies. You'll learn to strip away complexity by organizing, removing, hiding, and displacing. And you'll discover how to create focused, elegant user experiences that people will love."Here is Giles' website for the book:www.simpleandusable.comDoes Giles' voice sound familiar? It should! I had him on the show back in 2006 after the UPA international conference that year. Episode 18, in fact:http://designcritique.net/index.php?post_id=108542#

Tim interviews Carol Smith about the Usability Professionals Association's body of knowledge project. Carol led Michigan UPA members in a body of knowledge work day hosted at the offices of Tec-Ed, Inc., in Ann Arbor on Saturday, March 26, 2011.If you would like to assist us in developing the UPA body of knowledge for our profession, contact Carol atproject at usabilitybok.org     (substitute the @ symbol for " at ", no spaces before or after)See the body of knowledge project athttp://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/upa_projects/body_of_knowledge/bok.htmlandhttp://usabilitybok.orgYou can find listener Yannig Roth's blog athttp://yannigroth.wordpress.com

Davin Granroth joins Tim Keirnan for a discussion of a structured design review method. This way to critique a design obtains maximum useful feedback with minimum pain to people's feelings. Tim refers to it now as "The Granroth Review Method" but Davin is quick to thank some writing professors at Michigan State University for the concept, which Davin has adapted well to our UX professional needs.You can read about this method over at Davin's blog:http://blog.davingranroth.com/2011/01/a-model-for-ux-design-reviews/You can read about Sugru, a clay-like fixit and "mechanical hacking" material, attheir very well-done and fun website:http://sugru.comFinally, here's a link to Red Green, whom I referred to in the closing minute:http://www.redgreen.com