everyday products and usability
Here’s a list of everyday products, most have question for you, if you are able to answer all… great! you are a weirdo man!
- Door knob: Everybody uses it without even giving it a thought, probably one of the most used products.
- Toilet paper dispenser: You get the point don’t you?
- TV remote: Next time you have it in your hands? Take a good look at it and think about how many buttons it has, how many you use regulary AND why you don’t use most of the buttons.
- Refridgerator: If your fridge is ‘user friendly’ answer this: What is defrost and why is it on your fridge?
- Mobile phone: What is message center number? (ho ho ho!)
- Gas stove cylinder: Answer this without thinking: How would your turn off the cylinder regulator?
Last night was crazy! dinner at 11 in Indore’s only south indian mess. A two hour fight with my girl friend-on phone she’s in bangalore man – Went to bed at two a.m after playing outlaws on my pc. At 6:45a.m. I remembered that I forgot about the usability test at 8:00 a.m. five more minutes sleep? my mind begged me so I slept only to wake up at 7:30 and multi-task beautifully (brush teeth+crap and next shave and shower) land up at work bang at 7:59:58 a.m. And two developers supposed to be observers irritate the shit out of me by telling the users how to perform tasks… not it is over I have 98MB of video: everything the users did, each mouse click, and the way they shag the mouse when they are frustrated has been beautifully More...
I got my grand pa’s magnum opus ‘The Advanced History of India’ (co-authored with Nilakanta sasthri)ISBN : 8170231450. It was published in 1970 by Allied publishers. After my gramps passed away, the royalty from this book helped grand ma make ends meet. It is a shame that none of my gramp’s children has bothered to save a copy… I had to scour for it in all book stores and finally got it from firstandsecond.com after almost an year. Finally I have a copy now and I hope I’ll save it for my kids. In this volume I see inspiration, a grand fatherly slap-on-my-back, and a senile and sarcastic laugh at my inability to make headway in my writing. I will write consistently from now on for, my grand pa is home now, to watch over. LinktoComments('')
Usability Testing and the Developers (Part 2)
Summary
This article deals with the ‘How to’ of presenting your usability test findings to the developers, and convincing them about the changes in design.
Presenting Your Work
The most important thing about usability test is ‘how well you have documented the results?’ Here are some tips.
Checklists/Questionnaires
Always use a checklist for usability testing. Maybe the Top 10 heuristics that Jakob Nielsen propounded? I used it (gave a rating scale of 0-9 for each item) and the results were great. I complemented the test results with a UI satisfaction survey on the users. I had only five users, but I knew that was enough. If you are wondering how I had developed the questions for the survey, More...
Usability Testing and the Developers (Part1)
Summary:
This article deals with the ‘How to’ of presenting your usability test findings to the developers, and convincing them about the changes in design.
Introduction
Face it. It is their baby. They have toiled and burnt their midnight oil before finally coming up with a product that they are so proud of. Now, picture this: A hot shot comes along tests the product with some users and lists down a set of changes to be made to the product. It will make the developers’ blood boil. You are bound to face hostile developers who aren’t too keen to lend an ear to your words on usability, and the worst thing that can happen to you is, when the developer takes it out on
Wish you were there
(My latest verse.) When the gray clouds trampled over summer’s last resistance, I stood there, watching the world change, right before my eyes. I wished you were there.
Through the wilderness of words I ran, the earth in sync with my soul, I stumbled upon a placid lake; I stood for an eternity drowned in bliss, Wishing, you were there.
Away from the perils of civilization, I lie down, on the cushion called solitude, Sleep’s at arms length, and I slide into our dream, Wishing, you were there.
I walk upside down to avoid facing the foolish world. I want to make a run for it – out of the conformist’s isle, Cos I know you wish, I were there.
How to get rid of assholes
- Ignore: The best way to stop yourself from being a murderer
- Plug your ears with cotton
- Say nothing. NOTHING!
- Fall down and froth at the corner of your mouth. Shake your legs voilently
- Burp once every 3 seconds
- Fart loud and be proud of it
- If you’re eating chewy chocolate, with the help of your tongue apply the well chewed choc over your teeth and lips and exhibit your teeth
- Keep slapping the wall hard
NoteThere is a great risk in doing one or some or all of the above. People might start thinking you are an asshole.
yet another week comes to an end. For the first time since i started writing my book, I am so very clear about the plot and the characters. it is so good to know what you want to do! Did a lot of research too for the book. What would I have done if i hadn’t Internet and ‘google??
Food for thought: The best way to not hear the wake up call is sleeping in the other room. If you haven’t washed dishes in a week and you see fungus colonies all over the utensils, no sweat! Just wash them under the tap (but throw the fungus away in the bin). Life-when you are all by yourself -is such a (mis)adventure!