Toward a Model of Innovation - 4 April 2008

by Hugh Dubberly in Methods

For the past few years, innovation has been a big topic in conversation about business management. A small industry fuels that conversation with articles, books, and conferences.

Infographics: Being and Doing (Part II) - 7 December 2007

by Venkatesh Rajamanickam in Methods

Information graphics reveal the hidden, explain the complex and illuminate the obscure. Constructing visual representation of information is not mere translation of what can be read to what can be seen. It entails filtering the information, establishing relationships, discerning patterns and representing them in a manner that enables a consumer of that information construct meaningful knowledge. In this article we will explore what an infographic is, how it evolved, and what it takes to create one.

Infographics: Being and Doing (Part I) - 27 November 2007

by Venkatesh Rajamanickam in Methods

Information graphics reveal the hidden, explain the complex and illuminate the obscure. Constructing visual representation of information is not mere translation of what can be read to what can be seen. It entails filtering the information, establishing relationships, discerning patterns and representing them in a manner that enables a consumer of that information construct meaningful knowledge. In this article we will explore what an infographic is, how it evolved, and what it takes to create one.

Design for the Dream Economy - 20 August 2007

by Pat Jordan in Methods

After the eras of the Commodity Economy, the Manufacturing Economy, the Service Economy and the Information Economy, we have now entered the era of the Dream Economy.The key to success in the Dream Economy is an in-depth and holistic understanding of people. It’s not only about meeting people’s practical needs, but also about meeting their aspirations and providing a positive emotional experience.

Getting from Research to Personas: Harnessing the Power of Data - 17 June 2007

by Kim Goodwin in Methods The usefulness of personas in defining and designing interactive products has become more widely accepted in the last few years, but a lack of published information has, unfortunately, left room for a lot of misconceptions about how personas are created...

Simplicity: The Distribution of Complexity - 12 May 2007

by Rob Tannen in Methods

When you face a product that’s not easy to use, don’t assume that the designers didn’t consider the problem of its complexity – they may have just disguised it, hidden it, or moved it around. While simplicity is extremely attractive, she can be tricky to get to know…

Starting a Career in User Experience - 5 March 2007

by Marcus Haid in Methods

This article is based upon my own experience transitioning from a career in corporate-world project management into the field of user experience design. With dedication, some talent, a few classes, and a healthy dose of self-promotion, the transition was fairly easy, very enjoyable, and took about two years. I have outlined a few key points to consider if you are planning to start a career in user experience design.

User Experience Group Development and Integration - 26 February 2007

by Mike Rundle in Methods

When a company wants to make a certain segment of the organization better, usually they “throw more money at it” and hire more employees. The problem with doing this for a UX team is that people with overlapping skills and ideas usually end up hindering user-centered design rather than helping. Conflicting design decisions will soon turn into a design by committee situation that won’t help the consumer nor expose individual expertise (Brown 2004). User experience groups need to be flexible, agile, and scalable, and should only expand if the projects they work on are sufficiently large. The following is an overview of skills and disciplines needed for a successful user experience group: