I just had an awesome experience. I had to create a prototype for something and used HTML. Because it was a prototype, and therefore throw-away code, I could use a single browser. I chose Firefox 3.5, which is fast and supports Firebug as well as CSS3. It was a dream come true. In just a…
Healthcare is one of the most complicated things I have ever seen. It’s no wonder so many Silicon Valley startups have tried and bounced off this impenetrable fortress of horrible user experience. The complications arise from many, many, many players in a single use case, plus the spectre of “privacy” that puts FUD into every…
One of my favorite lunches has been at Bon Sante in Burlingame, CA. I called them Baby Sandwiches. Not because they were small. Quite the contrary, they are the size of a small baby! And they tasted so good. The chef put love into every bite. At my new job, there is a place that even…
For most of 2009, I have been using Windows 7. Suddenly, this week, I was thrust back in time to using Windows XP. It has been quite a shock. Here are some of the things I picked up on: Fonts. The ways fonts are handled in XP is alot different. Everything feels sharper and blurrier…
Today is the first day at my new job. I’m excited and nervous. At Marketo, I had built up a ton of respect from my colleagues for solving problems over the years. At the new job, I have to start from scratch. I need to learn what they do and how I can best help.…
The decisions you make in the beginning of a product determine a large portion of the headaches you will feel for the next several years. The first month can make a huge difference. (Think butterfly effect) Here are my key tasks to do to when you look at the UX of a new product. Understand the scope…
2 years ago, there was this great moment at Ajaxian. The idea was something I called Browser Possession. Here is the business case: HTML and CSS are easy enough for non-engineers to create. However, they aren’t powerful enough. We want rounded corners, shadows and gradients using CSS and simple markup. We want simple interactivity like…
With Katie on the roadtrip with Ethan, that leaves me alone with the other 2. Man, they are flat out exhausting. It’s one thing after another. Drive here, pick up that thing, drop off that other thing, feed, clean, drive to that other thing, rinse, repeat. How the hell does Katie do this each day?…
As I begin to ponder starting with a new company, I have been dreaming about the UX mainstays I have built into my philosophy over the years. I imagine having each principle printed on a single page. Here are a few in no particular order: (I’ll post more over time) Modal dialogs on top of…
Ethan had a week off of school, so Katie decided to go on a road trip with him. Just the two of them. They are traveling down the coast of California visiting a couple of different Missions a day. (A Mission is an old style church built during the colonization of California by the Spanish.) They travel…
Of course, the minute I get my phone, Verizon announces that they are getting the Palm Pre , Android phones as well as Windows Mobile 6.5 versions of the HTC Touch. Just my luck! I have 30 days if I want to return this one, but I think I am going to keep it, even…
I joined Marketo in December 2006 as the first non-founder and began a wonderful journey that has lasted 3 years. I learned a tremendous amount from the people here on a cornucopia of topics and I will miss them. I have accepted a new position at another company (I’ll post that later). Some UX…
Great experiment showing that you can encourage better behavior by making the experience more fun. (under 2 minutes) What else can be made fun that is good for you?
Problem: Forever, the content business model has been to control access and force payment in advance. Then digital transfer (and the internet) arrived. Anything that could be digitized could be shared for free, blowing away the access controls and the pre-payments. Blowing away the business model. The problem in the 21st century is not how…