Category — wireframe tools

In one of my earlier posts I looked at the benefits of using an online wireframe tool, which range from easy access, collaboration and sharing opportunities to absence of maintenance requirements. In this post I will cover potential limitations of a online wireframe tools, how significant they really are and what you can do to handle them.

Many would say that an online wireframe tool’s biggest advantage, its universal availability over the Internet, can pose a threat when the Internet speed is insufficient. That is frequently a reason why web-developers prefer desktop applications: they feel that an online wireframe tool might operate slower than its desktop equivalent. How much of a problem is that in reality? With a bit of research, it is easily determined that the average speed of Internet connection is ever increasing. Only in 2009, for example, South Korea averaged at 14.6 Mbps, being the first, and the US – at 3.9 Mbps, being number 18. A humble 500 Kbps is usually enough to work successfully with an online wireframe tool, which is available practically anywhere in the US and in most other industrialized countries.

Another concern of online wireframe tools’ opponents is that an online wireframe tool is dependent on the Internet connection, and Internet coverage is not universal. According to recent Internet usage statistics data, there are over 2 billion people online in 2011, and in North America alone nearly 80% of the entire population is connected. People can access the Internet from a variety of spots across the globe. Recently years have seen a movement called “travel as a way of life” rise: people can now travel and work anywhere provided they have a laptop. Internet coverage is taken as standard pretty much everywhere. So if you were to go on vacation and had to use your online wireframe tool, you would probably have no difficulty.

Another issue I would like to address is how an online wireframe tool deals with sudden access interruptions. No doubt, at times equipment fails or Internet problems occur. What happens to the results of your work then? One of the ways that some online wireframe tools have chosen to deal with this is that they allow users to continue working until the connection is restored. All the changes are kept in the browser, and as long as the browser is not closed, the project will be saved as soon as the connection is back. Other online wireframe tools have a frequent auto-save function to keep potential loss of work at a minimum. Even if the power went out and the user had had no chance to save the work, it will be stored safely on the server in the same condition present at the moment of last access.

Ubuntu, a free and open Linux-based computer operating system, released their newest version to the developer, designer and user community on 10/10/10, appropriately dubbed the 10.10 Maverick Meerkat.  Ubuntu developer Mark Shuttleworth describes meerkats as “light, fast, and social” and this latest rendering of Ubuntu is meant to mirror that sentiment with a sharper and quicker user interface design, dubbed Unity, which is consistent with Ubuntu’s overall interest in ensuring usability, stability, and security for its various users across the globe.  Some additional 10.10 updates include:

•    Major updates to open-source operating system, i.e. multitouch support
•    New functionality for personal-cloud services, known as Ubuntu One
•    Increased availability of support for cloud apps, set to drive web 2.0 apps
•    New default font suitable to improve usability
•    New photo manager:  Shotwell replaces F-Shot
•    Microblogging client Gibber updated to support Twitter’s change to OAuth user authentication

Ubuntu 10.10 has strengthened its cloud services and widened its variety of apps.  It is continuing to evolve into a viable competitor for Apple; indeed, there has been a trend of Apple users switching to Ubuntu for PC, giving up the familiar Apple UI design features in favour of the openness of the Ubuntu world.  So far, version 10.10 has been met with positive reviews not only from general users, but also from developers and designers developing software applications for the Ubuntu environment. And since Ubuntu releases new versions of its operating system almost every six months, the tech world will be waiting to see where it goes next.

Unlike a GUI, which users can read and work through at their own pace and on their own time frame, a VUI is completely time sensitive for the user.  The VUI requires that users listen to every word coming over the wire before they hear the one that follows it—they cannot simply skip back and forth between pages and tasks at their leisure.  The user is captive to the VUI’s design because he cannot perform his tasks at his own pace.  Understanding the differing roles of time and autonomy in VUI and GUI design can make or break a user interface design.  Therefore, it is important that VUI developers allow flexibility in their design in order to facilitate a more comfortable user experience:

•    Make all of your information communication as short and concise as possible—allow users to get to the gist of things right away.

•    Allow users to “barge in” or execute a task before the automated system has finished speaking.

•    Allow users to pause the VUI—this gives them a sense of control and an opportunity to collect their bearing if they are confused or unsure about a task.

•    Always provide the user with a repeat option.

•    Always make help available to the user at any time.

These are just a few tips that will help you navigate the challenges of user time and autonomy relative to your VUI.  Compared to VUIs, GUIs have the primary advantage of the user navigating a web page while simultaneously controlling the medium, the message, and the interaction itself. Of course a poorly designed GUI can frustrate a user beyond belief, but a poorly designed VUI can be even more disastrous because there is little that will prevent the user from simply abandoning the IVR interaction by hanging up the phone. Thus it is important for VUI designers to be exceptionally aware of the critical differences in time and autonomy as they relate to GUI and VUI design. Ignoring theses differences and approaching VUI design from a GUI mindset can prove fatal for the system if users find themselves imprisoned by unreasonable time constraints and a lack of independence.

In the “The Forrester Wave(TM): Online Testing, Q3 2010″  Adobe’s  Test&Target, its new online testing and optimization solution, was named a leader in online usability testing programs.  The report evaluated eight different online testing programs using the following criteria:

•    Management
•    Reporting and usability vendors’ current offerings
•    Support for a variety of testing techniques
•    Clear product strategy
•    Client satisfaction rankings

The report concerned itself with evaluating how “Online testing provides a mechanism for applying the principles of quantitative analysis to improve the Web site experience and drive metrics that affect the bottom line”.  Adobe was named a leader in this field because they scored high in the abovementioned categories.

While online analytics can go a long way in improving existing websites, the process can and should start much earlier. Prototype testing is an effective way of avoiding pitfalls as early as the initial concept phases of a web development project. Wireframes, mockups, or fully interactive prototypes can achieve remarkable user feedback through early usability tests. While the quantitative data gathered by online solutions like Adobe’s Test&Target can point towards usability issues, qualitative tests performed on prototypes can help find out the root causes of issues that users may have with specific parts of a user interface design.

Team Work Across Global Offices – twago

twago is a Berlin based company which focuses on outsourcing and offshoring of online services. The overall goal is to achieve the best performance for the best price for the customer. The more precisely you know what specific task you would like to have done, e.g. programming, web design, user interface design, etc., the better it is. You simply post your project with a detailed description on the platform and receive proposals from all over the world from up to 20,000 providers. These service providers can be companies or freelancers. You can find a service provider who best fits to the individual project. Whether you are looking for a service provider from around the corner to meet up face to face or you prefer a freelancer from a specific country, twago offers the possibility to find the right service provider with suitable skills. You choose the one that best fits your needs and preferences. And the best of all: Using twago is easy. You just have to register, post your project and award it to your provider of choice. Should you need any help or special service the kind twago employees are ready to support you. You can try it out at: http://www.twago.com.

If media plays a central role in your technological activities then take note: Finnish-based Dazzboard wants to offer you the opportunity to build a media bridge between your phone and PC. Dazzboard claims to be “the ultimate media webtop, providing users with seamless drag and drop connectivity for photos, music, videos between any device and service on the Internet” (dazzboard.com). Dazzboard enables users to convert media files from their cell phone or other mobile device to their computers. Music, photographs, videos, and other apps can be integrated on various digital user interfaces with Dazzboard as the bridge builder and the internet as the bricks and mortar.  However, there is a catch: Currently Dazzboard services are only accessible via Internet Explorer and Firefox and it is not compatible with any Apple products. So far it’s only supported by PCs, with support extending to Windows 7, Windows Mobile and Android smartphones.  Still, some avid PC users are even touting it as a better, more dynamic version of iTunes.

How the interface design change functions

So how exactly does this new panic button work? The panic button is actually an app called „ClickCEOP“. Users have to add the app to their Facebook interface and then a tab appears in the interface design, which contains a clickable button. The button allows the user to contact authorities when he feels a user is acting suspiciously or inappropriately.
While the panic button is no doubt a helpful feature and a strong indication that Facebook is taking the safety of its users much more seriously (or at least succumbing to user demands much more easily), its addition to the British Facebook user interface design shows that Facebook is willing to move its privacy features from a personal to a more public sphere. And this does not come without complications. For example, the Facebook security user interface has generally been very private. You as a user control who looks at your profile and what that person can see etc. It has been about you controlling your own information. While users have always been able to notify the Facebook powers that be of someone’s „bad behavior“ or had the power to block people, Facebook hasn’t before had such a direct interface with public authorities. There is definite potential for misuse with the introduction of the panic button – kids will be kids after all. Thus it will be interesting to see if there is a rise in reported suspicious activity on Facebook, and it will be even more interesting to see how authorities will respond to panic button clicks of different types. This trend shows that social networking is evolving and it points towards a more public understanding of online communities.

Better co-operation can solve hardware and user interface design compatibility problems

As technology continues to evolve, hardware designers are packing more and more processing power into smaller devices.  The convenience factor of a small portable phone or laptop is clear, but are they now becoming so small that it is becoming progressively more difficult for users to interact with the actual interface? In the case of the iPhone 4G,  it is anticipated that the small and sleek design will force the interface design to adapt, i.e. force the controls to be packed closely together, potentially making it difficult for users with large hands or fingers.  This would obviously frustrate users and lower the iPhone’s overall usability. Perhaps it seems like a picky point (maybe not such a big deal in the grand scheme of things), but the bottom line is that interface designers need to be thinking about the constraints of the hardware that serves as vessel for their apps or websites.  Thus, there should be a clear line of communication between the interface and hardware design teams.   This can only help create smooth and streamlined interaction between the two mutually dependent parts – the hardware and the user interface.  Apple’s recent reported and anticipated iPhone 4G problems aren’t really all that horrible or astonishing—but they do provide fruit for thought and bring to light the importance of hardware and user interface design working together.

What are some things that smartphone OSes can learn from each other?

Any of the would-be challengers (here’s looking at you MeeGo, WebOS and Bada) wishing to gain a sizable chunk of the smartphone pie is going to have to try and emulate these aforementioned strengths in their respective OSes. The iPhone still remains the OS to beat proving that a great user interface design, solid usability and positive user experience will be a winner with consumers. While the bare-bones Android’s interface design is not the most pleasing (Motorola Droid/ Milestone users can attest to that) it can be tweaked as shown by HTC’s Sense User Interface design (which is based on the TouchFLO 3D user interface design) to enhance  user experience. The iPhone would also do good to pick up some of Android’s tricks such as allowing tethering effectively turning the phone into a WiFi modem. The iPhone also needs to improve cloud functionality to match Android as, for example, if you download apps for the iPhone on your desktop the only way to transfer them is through a pesky cable.

Facebook’s staggering rise to prominence (if it were a country it would be one of the most populated) has seen its privacy settings shortcomings becoming truly globally contentious issues. The backlash has even lead to the creation of Quit Facebook Day, which is effectively a call for alternatives to sprout up and teach Facebook a lesson in consumer power in a world of perceived corporate hegemony! Taking on Facebook is a David vs. Goliath situation. For starters Facebook is just oh so convenient. There are nearly 500 million people on there making the chances of connecting with your friends and family much higher, and thus the value users get from using Facebook ever greater – a phenomenon known as network effect. Facebook Connect also allows all these users to use their accounts to login to, ‘like’ and share content and many other websites. This automatically makes users more dependent on the service as they can centralized a large chunk of their online lives and interactions with a singular account rather than constantly having to register for a gazillion websites for added features and functionality. Facebook’s interface design and usability, for the most part, is also great. People new to the website can register all in one step with very little information required thus creating a low barrier of entry.