Successful User Experience and User Interface Designs are inherently intuitive and simple. Not necessarily simple in the “less is more” aspect alone; but rather in that the designs focus on essential tasks – and provide an experience which allows for completing those tasks easily and efficiently. With this in mind it is not surprising that many modern Desktop UI Designs… Continue Reading
Custom Search Engines in Chrome and Firefox
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Recently I upgraded to a beautiful new iMac, on which I needed to configure my development environment and general workflow preferences. This required a few steps which I haven’t performed in quite some time and, upon doing so, I was reminded of how minor, yet useful many of these simple configurations actually are. One such configuration involved defining Custom Search… Continue Reading
A Step Backwards In Usability?
Monday, May 30th, 2011I recently read a preview of a column which is to be published in the next addition of ACM CHI magazine, Interactions. This particular article is a rather interesting read in that it touches upon what the authors argue are the many short-comings in current Gestural Interfaces; stating that they pose a huge step backwards in terms of Usability. This… Continue Reading
Put your Best People on Mobile
Thursday, April 28th, 2011So first the biggest number – 5.2. That is in billions with a B. There are 1.2 billion personal computers in use worldwide including desktops, laptops and tablet PCs like the iPad. There are 1.1 billion fixed landline phones. There are 1.0 billion automobiles registered and in use. There are 1.6 billion television sets, 1.7 billion credit card users, 2.0… Continue Reading
HTML5 Semantics: The contenteditable Attribute
Friday, April 15th, 2011The HTML5 Specification introduces many new semantic attributes in addition to new semantic elements. One particularly interesting addition is the introduction of the contenteditiable attribute, which can be found under the User Interaction Specification in Section 7.5. A Brief Overview The contenteditiable attribute allows for the editing of content within any valid HTML5 element. By default, elements implicitly inherit edibility… Continue Reading
Technological Innovations and the Arts
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011Successful innovators in sciences and technology are artistic people. Stimulate the arts and you stimulate innovation. I have always maintained that any skill or talent acquired can be attributed in part to an innate creative impulse; be it to learn something new or build something new. I am sure many of you can relate to this: that never ending fascination… Continue Reading