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Listen to Chapter 2 of Selling Usability.

Note: This is a MP3 file.

Listen to Chapter 1 of Selling Usability.

Note: This is a MP3 file.

A lot of people don’t know that you can get two full sample chapters of Selling Usability. Well, you can grab those chapters below. There’s absolutely “no catch” or anything bizarre. I’m just trying to get you hooked on the content. Here’s the link:

Selling Usability Chapter 1 and Chapter 40 (PDF).

I’ve got more awesome blog entries coming. I think you’ll be extremely happy about what I’m doing here.

I’m going to talk about the UX Book Club in Groningen in just a minute or two. First, I want to make sure that you have some background about my book which they discussed in late November 2009: Selling Usability

Selling Usability is all about getting other people in an organization to embrace usability. Obviously YOU already understand the benefits of usability. The hard part of the game has always been getting other people to understand the value. Selling Usability fills this gap.

Before I talk about the book, let’s talk about what doesn’t work:

• “Hard numbers” based on weak assumptions
• Silly ROI calculations based on pure speculation
• Fancy charts plus a dash of smoke and mirrors

The frontal assault through cost justification is painful and wicked. It’s dry and boring stuff based on a whole lot of nothing in my experience. It simply doesn’t work.

Cost justification generally doesn’t work with managers and key decision makers because it doesn’t have enough rigor. This is a tough pill to swallow but, try as you might, UX cost justification isn’t ever firm enough. Accounting, engineering and programming… they are far less soft, but most usability professionals won’t admit that. They strongly feel there is real science to back them up. That’s true for the craft but it’s not true regarding business.

By the way, if you think I’m being nasty please read: A Business Case For Usability. I wrote that back in 2001. It’s good stuff but here’s the painful truth. It hasn’t really ever helped me “sell” usability. I tried hard to make it empirical and tough but it’s soft and weak. It’s a frontal assault that never really worked.

But, here’s something that did work…

I’ve been 100% successful in getting other people to embrace and promote usability for me. I’ve turned around some serious detractors in as little as one week. I’ve been able to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars for UX projects in just a few weeks time. In some cases, I’ve been able to “force” the rest of the company to mandate usability as a requirement on all projects.

Selling Usability gives you access to my “sneaky” tactics and “secret” tips to get UX into an organization. It’s street fighting. It’s how to win in the real world. It’s messy. It’s human.

Well, enough about the book itself…

What comes next is awesome…

THE GRONINGEN UX BOOK CLUB

Let’s talk about the Second UX Book Club in Groningen which was graciously hosted by Concept7. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there. (However, I feel like I was.)

Not surprisingly, most people felt they knew the tactics. Much of what I’ve put together inside Selling Usability feels like common sense. However, there are some tactics (e.g., taking over documentation tasks) that have clever nuances (e.g., proliferation of the documentation via multiple channels). The real power comes from the combination of many UX infiltration tactics.

But, there’s more. No other book has compiled so many simple and effective usability selling tactics. Simply treating the book as a checklist of ideas is extremely valuable. You hardly need to read the book to use it as a mnemonic device or memory jogger. Of course, it’s especially deadly if you read it and then reference it in difficult UX selling situations.

One criticism of Selling Usability is that I don’t provide much in the way of hands on guidance about how to get up to the CEO level. This is a fair point. I spend more time talking about the benefits of reaching the senior leaders than literally how to reach them. So, let’s address that weakness here.

First, to reach senior management you need to focus on face time. Specifically, you need to find a way to synchronously interact with senior leaders. Email is very rarely effective. Working through the management chain is likewise a weak approach. You will be filtered out.

To reach a senior leader with a serious message, try getting into “skip level” meetings, “town hall” meetings, or other types of meetings where the leaders are accepting new ideas and concepts. Have everything documented and ready to go. But, focus on just one message or one concept that has business meaning to the senior leader. Similarly, do not focus on the problem. Explain how usability is the solution.

Example: “We have a challenge in the call center. Currently, we find that 42% of first time callers drop before they get an answer. And, 78% of first time callers never hear about our premium warranty. Would you be willing to support a low cost usability study this quarter to determine how to improve the experience for callers? May I follow up with you after this meeting to work the details?”

Of course, that example is sloppy and off the top of my head. But, you should get the idea. You’re providing a solution to a problem. That solution clearly has an impact on the business. The magic bullet is usability of course.

You see, as the UX Book Club discussed, the senior leader cares about boosting the bottom line. In the example above you’re using business data to kick the leader between the eyes but you’re giving him UX to fix it. In the marketing world the formula looks like this:

1. Problem
2. Agitate
3. Solve

I don’t want to dwell too long on that example above. So, let’s turn to another tactic for reaching senior management in your organization or your client’s organization.

I can sum it up this way: Lumpy Mail and FedEx

This is a very clever infiltration tactic. If you get a package from FedEx you will open it up. It’s special. It’s unique. It’s fresh and fun. Nearly every person in the world loves to receive mail. And, by using a special mail delivery system, like FedEx, you create an unfair advantage over the senior leader. They “must” open it.

By the way, to ensure that the FedEx makes it directly to the right person, include a photo of something relevant. Then, be sure to add “Photo Enclosed: Do Not Bend” and also add something like “For Senior Leader’s Review Only” or something else that moves it through the secretary. Get creative and don’t worry much about what you write. Be natural. Be brave. Be bold!

Now, the next thing you can do is use what’s known as Lumpy Mail. In short, lumpy mail is mail that includes something that makes the mail, well, lumpy. It could be just about anything. But, let me tell you, when you add something lumpy to a piece of mail, it will get opened up. Of course, all situations are different so it’s up to you to be creative.

These infiltration tactics will absolutely work. They will help you break through to the very top of the organization. All for the price of postage. Just imagine how powerful this can be for you.

That’s all for now. If you want to learn more “sneaky” tricks then pick up a copy of Selling Usability.

Whether your future career goals include becoming a digital filmmaker, photographer, graphic designer, Web designer, or 3D animator, the Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA) at Boston University offers the online courses to get you started. Thanks to the university’s hands-on approach to education, CDIA graduates are equipped with the real world experience needed to secure high powered, well paying jobs within the technology, media, and entertainment industries.

While CDIA offers courses in a number of areas, the school has become especially well known for its top notch programs studying the effects of user experience, ergonomics, and human factors when designing Web applications and other media technologies.

User Experience

At the Center for Digital Imaging Arts, a number of members of the faculty have real world expertise working as user experience designers for major companies around the country. This experience gives them a unique and helpful look into the true essence of what user experience really means. In the Graphic and Web Design department specifically, this concept is especially important for students to understand.

For those interested in obtaining a Web Development Certificate from CDIA, courses such as, “Building a Content Management System Community” and “Introduction to AJAX,” include instruction on developing Web communities with user experience and user interaction in mind. Meanwhile, students working to earn a Graphic and Web Design Certificate are required to complete “Production Practicum,” a hands-on experience that allows them to produce a media project with concepts such as user experience in mind.

Ergonomics

In the workplace, proper ergonomics is an important factor for employee productivity. CDIA understands this, which is why the area of study is emphasized in the curriculum across a full spectrum of courses.

Building the proper environment, including proper ergonomics and lighting displays, is an important part of the design of every photographer’s workplace studio, which is why it is an area of study taken very seriously for those students involved in the Professional Photography Certificate program at CDIA.

In the “Product and Still Life Studio Lighting” module, students are taught the basics of ergonomics and studio design, with an extra emphasis on commercial practices and methodologies. Additionally, the topic is explored in courses such as “Working with Models I,” “Working with Models II,” “Portable Lighting with Speedlights,” and “Studio Portrait Photography.”

Human Factors

When it comes to designing products with user experience in mind, keeping the human factor in consideration is important for all media and technology executives. At CDIA, this is a concept that is emphasized in a variety of required courses.

This area of study is so important for those in the Graphic and Web Design department, that CDIA has hired instructors with experience in Human Computer Interaction along with Information Systems and Graphic Design.

Within the two-term Graphic and Web Design Certificate program, special presentations, such as “Understanding Information Architecture,” are designed to provide additional insight into the human factors that should make-up the design of a successful Web site or media project.

CDIA’s Web Development Certificate program, meanwhile, offers extensive courses in “Building a Content Management System Community,” “Web Services and Ecommerce,” and “Introduction to AJAX,” which require a “heavy” understanding of human factors and interactions on the part of the students.

Overall, user experience, ergonomics, and human factors are three of the many areas of study that are emphasized at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University, where access to emerging technologies and an emphasis in real world experience put students ahead of the game by the time graduation rolls around.

Author Bio: Stephanie Miles is a freelance writer for the education site Guide to Online Schools.

Full Sail University is an award-winning online degree program that has become renowned for its extensive courses in media, Web, and game design. The program has led students to a number of career opportunities in the entertainment and media fields.

Students who graduate from Full Sail University have the opportunity to earn associates’, bachelors’, and masters’ degrees in a number of technology-driven areas, including media design, entertainment business, Internet marketing, game development, and many other fields.

While Full Sail University is a top rated school in a number of academic areas, it has become especially well-known in recent years for its emphasis in the areas of usability, user experience, and interactive design.

Usability

When it comes to the study of usability, Full Sail understands how important the topic is for students who may be interested in pursuing careers in media or Web design. Because of this, the university has begun offering a number of courses with curriculum that is designed to teach students how to properly integrate usability patterns into the overall design of the Web sites they build.

Web design courses such as “Human Computer Interaction and Usability,” which is a required course for those studying Web Design and Development, along with “Web Design for Search Engine Optimization,” teach students seeking a bachelor’s degree the concepts and strategies necessary to create successful Web interfaces for consumer-driven audiences.

Throughout these courses, students are asked to examine usability patterns to create intuitive system designs and interfaces. For masters’ level students, additional usability-focused courses, including “Introduction to Web Interface and Usability,” are offered as well.

User Experience

Whether students are seeking bachelors’ degrees in game design, computer animation, Internet marketing, or Web design and development, user experience is a theme that arises in many of the classes taught at Full Sail University. Professors encourage students to use rich media and unique animation approaches to enhance the user experience on a number of student projects that are required over the course of the online program.

Meanwhile, students taking part in classes, such as “Web Design and Development,” are taught that increasing front-end usability can work to make the overall user experience more intuitive and favorable on the Web sites they help to design. The concept is cemented in popular courses like “Rich Media Optimization,” “Scripting for Web Applications,” and “Design Integration.”

Interactive Design

Professors at Full Sail understand the importance of building a Web site that is both interactive and user-friendly, which is why they have integrated the study of interactive design into a number of undergraduate-level courses.

The concept of computer-human interaction is one that is studied intensely throughout “Psychology of Human Interaction,” a required course for Web Design and Development majors. It is also studied by those who choose to take the “Emergent Technologies in a Collaborative Culture” course.

Whether students are interested in careers as interface designers, usability experts, or any other media-related field, understanding the basics of interactive design is a key component to landing a position in the field, which is why the topics are studied so thoroughly by students at Full Sail University.

Author Bio: Stephanie Miles is a freelance writer for Guide to Online Schools.

Established in 1924, the University of San Francisco has a long reputation as a leader in business education and thanks to the implementation of its flexible online learning program, even those unable to make it to the University’s sprawling campus are able to earn a degree using the latest technologies and online learning systems.

Through the University of San Francisco’s online program, students are able to earn advanced certificates or master’s degrees in areas such as Internet marketing, supply chain management, and sales management. Each of these programs is specifically designed for professionals looking to improve their performance on the job or increase their marketability in today’s competitive job market.

It is through these courses that students enrolled in the University of San Francisco’s online program are able to study areas such as usability, user experience, and interaction design in a variety of upper-level classes.

Usability

Usability is emphasized in a number of USF courses. Specifically, for students working to obtain a master’s degree in Internet marketing, usability is covered extensively in the popular course, “Search Engine Marketing and Usability.” The course is designed for those looking to fine-tune their current online strategy, along with those preparing to obtain a Google Advertising Professional Certification. While beginning Web marketers will learn the basic skills necessarily for online usability, those who come into the course with more experience will still be challenged by the course’s emphasis on learning to optimize online presence and marketing efforts.

Starting at week one, instructors give students an overview of what usability truly means in the business world. The lesson is followed up with additional lectures on the topic of information architecture and usability. In addition, students must complete a usability case study as a requirement at the end of the course.

User Experience

USF’s Internet marketing online program employs a number of instructors who are experts in the field of user experience. Understanding proper use of user interaction in website design is a key component for completion of the course “Integrated Online Strategies.” Not only do students receive lectures on the basics of social media and Web 2.0—of which user experience are both major factors—but they are also taught about creative planning opportunities, podcasts, and blogs.

Interactive Design

To become an expert in the field of Internet marketing, individuals must master the concept of interactive design because consumers are much more likely to stay on a Website if an interactive element is present on the page.

In the course “Advanced Web Analytics,” this issue is discussed in great depth. During the second week of the eight-week program, the topic is brought up during a lecture titled, “Visitors: Site Interaction.” In this class, University of San Francisco stresses that in order to succeed in developing effective Web sites and media ventures in the real world, there must be an emphasis made on interactive design. This is a concept that is brought up when discussing traditional analytics components as well, since user variables and site interaction are two imperatives when looking at “vital visitor info.”

At the University of San Francisco’s online program, Internet marketing students are consistently presented with information on the areas of usability, user experience, and interactive design, with the hope that this information and knowledge will prove useful once they enter the working world and begin developing Web sites and marketing campaigns on their own.

Author Bio: Stephanie Miles is a freelance writer for the education site Guide to Online Schools.

Let’s clear the air about a few things.

First, I never said that UX’ers were STUPID. In fact, I implied quite the opposite. UX’ers are freakin’ brilliant. I love them. Hugs, and all that.

(Don’t put words in my mouth. See, I say enough stuff that confuses people without outsiders clouding the waters.)

By the way, to set the record straight, most marketing folks are dumb as rocks. Big, stupid rocks.

Those big, stupid rocks don’t mind being stupid as long as they make a lot of money. And, they don’t mind getting smacked around a little. In fact, it’s part of The Angry Monkey Game.

By the way, let’s clear up something else –

UX’ers *do* make good money. I don’t question THAT…

The numbers don’t lie. A blind man can see that. So, I don’t deny that UX’ers can make a good living. My point is that they have a hell of a time making a GREAT living.

Allow me to use some fancy pants words: UX’ers have a limited ability to make extraordinary income. UX’ers don’t tend to get crazy bonuses. They don’t tend to get paid on commission. They’re income is linear not exponential. Put another way, UX’ers get paid for their time, not their true bottom line VALUE.

The high end compensation ain’t there.

** Ouch. **

The market says this, not me. Throw turds at me if you want but you’re just throwing turds at capitalism. Good luck.

But all that is kind of boring. Here’s what really matters…

And, this keeps us on topic…

UX’ers tend to look inward. UX’ers are naturally introspective. And, they’re mostly a passive lot. Fight this if you want, but UX’ers tell me this. They validate this every time shuffle around and stare at their feet in social situations. Most UX’ers are wallflowers. Most UX’ers are deep thinkers — they care about other people, but at arms length.

Nothing’s wrong with that, and look, I don’t have an incentive to make this stuff up. I’m not slamming UX’ers, if that’s what some of you might be thinking. Hell, I am a UX’er 50% of the time. Or more. I’m not going to poop on myself that much. What I’m doing is spitting out a stereotype that most UX’ers will agree with, if they have the guts to do a self assessment.

‘Nuff said.

OK, next. Let’s do a little contrasting –

Marketing and sales folks look OUTWARD. The Angry Monkey is an engine of creation because he sees the world for what it is — brutally competitive but also full of opportunity. The Angry Monkey sees people in the world as PROSPECTS not USERS.

Sales and Marketing folks focus on building value for *customers* and then extracting cash.

Sales and marketing folks are highly focused on money. Yeah, I’m saying they’re much more greedy than UX’ers. (How controlversial.) They’re ANGRY they don’t have more money. Well, maybe not “angry” but they tend to care an awful lot about the cash. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

That’s also why they call bullshit so often…

I suppose I could give some personal examples of how the Angry Monkey is different than the average UX’er. But, that would be rather disingenious. Plus, I don’t kiss and tell. How freakin’ rude. If you, my dear reader, cannot see the difference between the Angry Monkey and the UX’er, then you need to leave a comment and get it off your chest.

~ John S. Rhodes

p.s. Let me know (publicly of privately) if you want me to talk more about marketing. I’d be happy to share.

I just finished reading a long rant by a marketing genius about complexity. I’m going to extract two lessons for you. Leave me a tip when you pay the bill on the way out…

First, marketing folks are just as angry about complexity as usability professionals. They are human, afterall. The difference between “them” and “us” is that they express their anger, analyze that anger, and turn that anger into an opportunity.

Let’s get all fancy pants with a little quiz. Here’s the question –

Do you see complexity as a problem to be solved or an opportunity?

The difference is profound. It’s why that junior marketing executive is making $187,674 (before the fat, year end bonus) and you’re still making under $100K.

Waaay under $100K.

“But it’s not about the money!”

OK. If you say so.

In that case, let’s move on… That is, if you’re interested in this stuff. If you’re not, that’s cool. I know that many folks reading this think marketing is dirty. (I get it. Usability folks like to poop on me when I talk about marketing.)

The second lesson is HOW this marketing wizard expressed his frustration…

The Wizard was talking to a guy about poorly designed smart cards. And, how the whole process is broken. The rocket scientist — literally, a NASA rocket scientist — didn’t understand the pain. He talked about the elegance and convenience of these pay-as-you-go cards.  The Wizard simple said:

“That’s bullshit!”

He clearly explained that every new smart card requires a new learning curve. You have to LEARN again and again. No matter how simple each card is, you have to learn how to use it. You have to learn the process. If there’s learning involved there probably isn’t enough simplicity. Instead — there’s PAIN.

Marketing guys speak the language of the Angry Monkey…

Any time YOU are frustrated, you are the Angry Monkey. The difference between great marketers and usability professionals is that the great marketers call bullshit when they see it — that’s the language of the Angry Monkey.

The Angry Monkey is HONEST about feeling pain. The Angry Monkey doesn’t have time to put up with bullshit so the Angry Monkey tells you about it. Openly. Instantly. Emotionally.

The Marketing Wizard shared one more thing: We crave simplicity. We crave EASY. We’re starving for it.

Is this an opportunity to you?

Or, is this just something else to research?

Question: Are you hunched over solving problems or do you provide solutions to the starving crowd? I’ve already told you what puts more green in your wallet… Now you know why.

An Angry Monkey,

~ John S. Rhodes

My friend Dr. Peter Meyers is giving away a usability library. Here’s what he says:

“If you’re counting, that’s 9 books and roughly a $200 value. What do you have to do? Just write a blog post telling us (the world, that is) why you love usability and want to jump-start your usability training, whether you’re completely new to the field, making a transition, or are currently an expert in another field. Once the post is live, either leave a comment on this post or email me to become an official contest participant.”

~ John

p.s. Pete’s also put together a list of usability and user experience books.

Editor’s Note: This is a transcript of an audio that I’ve only released to a few people. Please excuse the conversational tone.

This short report provides you with 11 guidelines related to the design process. It’s based on material generated and maintained by the U.S. government, specifically the Department of Health and Human Services (usability.gov).I’ve just giving it to you in plain English.

I’m really excited to share this material with you, it’s based on very rigorous research, but also hundreds of man years of experience. For each of the next 11 usability guidelines, I will give you a rating of importance, and also an indication of how well the research supports the principle. Again this is scientific, tested and proven material.

Let’s dig in. To insure the best possible outcome for a design, the designers should consider a full range of user interface issues, and work to create a website that enables the best possible human performance.

The current research suggests that the best way to begin the construction of a website is to have many different people propose design solutions, i.e. parallel design, then follow up using an appropriate iterative design approach. This requires conducting the appropriate usability test, and using the findings to make changes to the website.

Let’s talk about the guidelines.

Guideline 1: Provide content that is engaging, relevant, and appropriate to the audience. The relative importance of this is extremely high. The strength of evidence is likewise very, very high. Content is the information provided on the website. Do not waste resources providing easy access and good usability to the wrong content. That’s a waste. One study found that content is the most critical element of a website, other studies have reported that content is more important than navigation, visual design, functionality, and even interactivity.

Guideline 2: Establish user requirements. Here’s the exact guideline. Use all available resources to better understand user’s requirements. The relative importance – very, very high, again. Strength of evidence, again, quite strong.

The greater the number of exchanges of information with potential users, or your customers, the better the developer’s understanding of the user’s requirements. The more information that can be exchanged between developers and users, the higher the probability of having it a successful website. These could include customer support lines, customer surveys, and interviews, bulletin boards, salespeople user groups, trade shows, focus groups and so on. Blogs and forums of course as well.

Successful projects require at least 4, and average 5, different sources of information. Do not rely too heavily on middlemen. Try to go directly to the customer.

The information gathered from users can be used to build use cases. Use cases describe the things that users want and need the website to be able to do. In one study, when compared with traditional functionality oriented websites and analyses, the use cases provide a specification that produced better user performance, and higher user preferences. In other words, use cases that are generated from direct interaction with users is more effective than simply looking at the functionality that a particular website can provide. Doing your work in a vacuum is not going to work, interact with your users.

Guideline 3: Understanding and meeting user’s expectations. Here’s the guideline, insure the website format meets user expectations, especially related to navigation, content and organization. The relative importance here, again, extremely high. Strength of evidence is quite good here. Here are some of my comments…

One study found that users define usability as their perception of how consistent, efficient, productive, organized, easy-to-use, intuitive and straight-forward it is to accomplish tasks within a system.

It is important for designers to develop and understand user’s expectations through task analyses and other related research. Users can have expectations based on their prior knowledge and past experience. One study found that users acted on their own expectations, even when there are indications on the screen to counter those expectations.

The use of familiar formatting and navigation schemes makes it easier for users to learn and remember the layout of your website. It’s best to assume that a certain percentage of users will not use a website frequently enough to learn to use it efficiency. Therefore using familiar conventions is going to work best for you.

Guideline 4: Directly Involve users to establish better user requirements. Involve users to improve the completeness and accuracy of user requirements. Relative importance – again, extremely high. The strength of the evidence for this – very, very good again, as well. Here are some comments…

One of the basic principles of user center design is the early and continual focus on users. For this reason user involvement has become a widely accepted principle in the development of usable systems. Involving users has the most value when trying to improve the completeness and accuracy of user requirements. It is also useful in helping to avoid unused or little used system features.

User involvement may improve the level of user acceptance — Although the research is not yet 100% clear on this. In fact, it’s mostly anecdotal; there is little or no research suggesting that user involvement leads to more effective and efficient use of the system. (Still, intuitively, it’s a good idea.)

Finally the research suggests that users are not good at helping make design decisions. To summarize here, users are most valuable in helping designers know what a system should do, but not in helping designers determine how to best have the system do that.

Guideline 5. State and set goals. Relative importance – very, very high, extremely high. Strength of evidence – not quite as strong, but still quite important.

The guideline is: identify and clearly articulate the primary goals of the website, before beginning the design process. This is somewhat of a common sense guideline, more based on experience than the research. Here are some comments about this. Before starting design work, identify the primary goals of the website. For example, educate, inform, entertain, sell, and so on. Goals determine the audience, content, function, and the site’s unique look and feel.

It is also a good idea to communicate the goals to and develop consensus for the site goals from management and those working on the site. These are the stakeholders that you’ll want to involve.

Guideline 6: Focus on performance before preference. Relative importance – still quite high. Strength of evidence – quite high as well. Here’s the guideline.

If user performance is important, make decisions about content, format, interaction and navigation before deciding on things such as colors and decorative graphics. Here are some comments about this. Focus on achieving a high rate of user performance, that is help people achieve their goals through the design and functionality, before dealing with aesthetics, or the look and feel of the website. Graphics tend to have little impact if any on user’s success rates or speed of performance.

Guidelines 7. Consider many user interface issues. Relative importance – very, very high. Strength of evidence – not too bad, middle of the road. Here’s the guideline…

Consider as many user interface issues as possible during the design process, get all the cards on the table. Consider numerous usability related issues during the creation of the website, instead of looking at them after the fact.

These issues can include the context within which users will be visiting a website, the experience levels of users, the types of tasks users will perform on the site, the types of computer and connection speeds used when visiting the site, evaluation of prototypes and the results of usability tests. So this one is quite nice, common sense, very powerful.

Guideline 8. You want to be easily found in the top 30. In order to have a high probability of being accessed in the first place, you want to insure that your website is in the top 30.

What that refers to is top 30 within the major search engines, and typically this means Google. Relative importance – again, from a usability perspective, 4 out of 5. Strength of evidence – again, quite high, 4 out of 5.

Now, if you’re into marketing, or you’re pushing a particular website so that it can reach customers so you can generate income, obviously the importance would be a 5 out of 5.

Here’s some comments about this guideline, about being found in the top 30. One study shows that users usually do not look at websites that are not in the top 30. Some of the features required to be in the top 30 include appropriate meta content, effective page titles, the number of links pointing to a particular website, or to your website, as well as updated registration within the major search engines.

There’s enormous amounts of information on the internet as well as from some top consultants in the internet marketing field, and that does include John S. Rhodes the reader of this material.
Guideline 9: Set usability goals. Relative importance – moderate, 3 out of 5. Strength of evidence – also moderate, 3 out of 5.

Here’s the exact guideline: set performance goals that include success rates, and the time it takes users to find specific information, or preference goals that address satisfaction and acceptance by users. Also consider some of your financial goals and the goals of your stakeholders. Here are some comments about this particular principle.

Setting user performance and/or preference goals helps developers build better websites. It can also help make usability testing more effective. For example, some internet websites have set the goal that information will be found 80% of the time, and in less than 1 minute.

Be as concrete as possible, we have found that this is the most effective way within organizations to generate metrics that are going to be useful for monitoring, measuring and managing your website to specific goals. Be as specific as possible.

Guideline 10: Use parallel design. Relative importance – not quite as high, we’re looking at a 2 out of 5. Strength of evidence – very high, 4 out of 5 strength. Here’s the exact guideline. Have several developers independently propose designs and use the best elements from each design. This is in contrast from having a group work together on design.

It’s more effective to have the individual designers and developers work independently, then come together after, and they can blend their material together.

Do not have individuals make design decisions by themselves or rely on ideas of a single developer, even if they’re very influential and have quite a bit of experience. You want to have everyone involved.

Most designers tend to adopt a strategy that focuses on initial satisfactory but less than optimal solutions. In other words, people go with their gut and they go with a typical response, don’t allow that to happen.

Group discussions of design issues, i.e. brainstorming, do not lead to the best solutions.

Remember what I said moments ago about having designs generated independently and then bring everyone together after the designs of each individual have been generated.

The best approach is parallel design, where designers independently evaluate the design issues and proposed solutions. Attempt to saturate the design space, cover all the bases in other words, before selecting the ideal solution, or as I like to say, put all the cards on the table. The more varied and independent the ideas that are considered, the better the final product will be.

I want to reemphasize something, and that is the strength of the evidence for this is extremely high, the importance isn’t quite as high, but that evidence is overwhelming. This is a smart thing to do. This is the way to get your designers and developers to generate their best work and increase the usability of your website at the same time.

Guideline 11: Use personas. Here’s the guideline. Use personas to keep the design team focused on the same types of users, the same type or the same types, of users.

We don’t want people designing for a different type of individual or different audience. The importance is pretty low here, this doesn’t happen very often, it’s usually not an issue, the importance is a 1 out of 5. The strength of evidence isn’t super high, nevertheless, this is a good design guideline. Here are some comments about this design guideline…

Personas are hypothetical stand-ins for actual users that drive the decision-making for interfaces. Of course you can generate these personas based on interviews that you’ve conducted, and also looking at some of the materials that you’ve gathered from interactive sessions mentioned in 1 or 2 of the previous principles above. These personas are not for real people, but they represent real people as I mentioned just a moment ago. They’re not made up, but they are discovered as a by-product of an investigation process with rigor and precision.

Interfaces should be constructed to satisfy the needs and goals of these personas that you generate.

Some usability specialists feel that designers will have far more success designing an interface that meets the goals of one specific person, or a general type of person, instead of trying to design for the needs of many. I believe this is true because of the focus you can apply as you’re generating your design.

The design team should develop a believable persona so that everybody will accept the person, so if you have 5 designers, each of the 5 designers should have some say in the construction of the persona. It is usually best to detail 2 or 3 technical skills to give an idea of computer competency. If the user is required to use those technical skills. Also to include 1 or 2 fictional details about the persona’s life. This adds some realism and helps the designers get their mind around the design problem overall.

Keep the number of personas for each website relatively small, use 3 to 5, no more. For each persona include first name, age, photo, relevant personal information, and work, and computer proficiency, or website experience.

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I hope you enjoyed these 11 Usability Design Guidelines.

You can support great content like this by grabbing a copy of Selling Usability. I explain exactly how to “sneak” usability and user experience into any organization. It’s getting great reviews.
Cheers,

~ John S. Rhodes

I use a lot of paper.

There are a three reasons for this. First, I like to organize material offline. I’m a paper and pencil kind of guy so I often print emails, online references and PDF files.

Second, I like to do editing offline. I like to break out my highlighter and red pen or trusty pencil. I like to circle things and draw arrows. It’s my way expressing emotion with ideas and concepts.

Third, paper is so physical. I can hold it in my hands. I can fold it. I can rip it. I can burn it. There is something about touching paper that turns on my imagination and ability to clearly think.

And, I’m a paper pusher…

Many times I will encourage people to print out my emails or my articles online. I do this because I know that many other people react to paper like I do.

Words on a screen are quite powerful. Yet, those same words, when placed on paper, are more meaningful and relevant. They are transformed into a real presence. Many things are harder to ignore when they are printed. They are given flesh and a handsome smile.

I’m also a paper pusher because I’m an author. Recently I published Selling Usability, which is a book about “sneaking” usability and user experience into organizations. Yes, you can purchase the PDF version but most people want the physical, dead tree version. Curiously, the PDF version is about 40% less than the paperback yet people still go for the version they can carry around.

(Or, carry on a plane. Or, throw on their bookshelf. Or, burn for warmth in the middle of a cold, dark winter.)

Sidebar: I did some investigation about paper. I figured the facts and figures would open my eyes. Let’s take a look:

• Over 99 million tons of paper were used in 2005
• For every 100 lbs. of trash 35 lbs. of it is paper
• Toilet Paper Usage Analysis (educational!)
  

So, the truth is that we all waste a lot of paper in many ways and for many reasons. I don’t really see that changing much. I think most of us love to “consume” paper. It’s everywhere.

Here’s the summary: Why do we still use paper (especially for reading)?

• It’s bright and cheerful
• It’s highly mobile
• It’s satisfies our physical needs (e.g., control)
• It’s easy to draw on
• It’s easy to hold
• It’s easy to carry and transport
• It doesn’t require batteries

Cheers,

~ John

p.s. There are many ways to reduce the amount of paper that you use.

• Don’t print out emails (me culpa but I cannot stop)
• Stop junk mail from flowing
• Use more email vs. paper
• Buy more ebooks and PDFs
• Print on both sides, when feasible
• Use old printed paper as scrap paper
• Recycle paper like crazy