Month: March 2015

  • The UX of the Nexus 6

    I recently traded in my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 for a Nexus 6.  I wanted the latest greatest OS from Google.  I could have gotten an iPhone 6 Plus or a Galaxy S6 (or Note 3) or other device, but I chose the Nexus mainly because I wanted to get the latest OS quicker. (Current version…

  • The UX of Windows 10 beta

    Let’s get something out of the way.  I appreciate Apple, but I don’t like MacOS X.  I have many different kinds of devices, iPods, iPads, Laptops, Wearables, Mac Minis and desktops.  They have a wide array of operating systems.  I think iOS is brilliant for the iPad/iPod/iPhone family.  However, I think MacOS X is inferior…

  • Designing with Data or Intuition

    Yesterday, a colleague asked my opinion about the Data vs. Intuition debate amongst designers. Should a designer rely on data or intuition to do their job? It seemed to me to be a false choice.  These are not mutually exclusive ideas. Great design requires both at different times. When a new feature or product begins,…

  • On-boarding Employees via Support

    It’s not the most common technique, but I fully endorse the idea of employee on-boarding by spending time on phone support. I think 3 weeks is probably the right amount of time. Certainly 3 days is too short and 3 months is too long. The reason this is a good technique is that it forces…

  • Conference Room Names

    UX should apply to your working environment.  Naming your conference rooms as funny names will actually change the culture in your office.  Here are a bunch of name themes I have collected that are fun. Some are better than others. This is meant to inspire you to name with some fun. Snow White Snow White…

  • Size Matters

    Contrary to what you have heard, size matters. However, bigger isn’t always better.  Here is the rundown: Taller In business, if you are taller, you are more likely to be promoted.  Also, in SmartPhones, a taller screen is helpful.  Especially if you are scrolling down.  In fact, I have three screens on my desk. See…

  • Misfits First

    When you want to change people’s behavior you must take into account a simple social fact. Early adopters feel social anxiety when everyone is doing the same thing. They feel wrong when they are in the pack. On the contrary, the early majority feel anxiety when they are NOT following the pack. If you want…

  • Passive Aggressive in Palo Alto

    I was in a nice restaurant in Palo Alto. (Less than a mile away from Stanford University).  This was a picture I took in the bathroom. Nice, real nice. Classy.  

  • The Quadratic Formula

    I failed high school.  Badly.  My grade point average, to be exact, was 2.2.  I slept through Math, literally.  I never got past basic algebra. I was good at “proofs” but bad at everything else. I just didn’t see the point. Well, Karma has a wicked sense of humor.  Here is the joke: A child…

  • Passwords still suck

    I hate passwords in general.  The weird Cr@zyPa$$w0rd style that people ask for today ensures that users will never remember them and just write them down at their desk.  They are also difficult to type. The worst offenders are like Dell below.  They demand that you use only a few special characters $?=.,  Seriously?? You…