• Why the Jets slow down my internet access

    Follow this trail. I want to watch the New York Jets football games.  The problem is that I live in California. So I chose DirecTV with their NFL Superfan package to get the games. (Crazy expensive) DirecTV doesn’t have internet access so I got DSL from DSLExtreme. I also have…

  • The UX of a Great Vendor

    In the course of your life, you will outsource a bunch of things.  Mechanics, accountants, programmers, copy writers, lawyers, handymen and more.  You try to get a referral, but often you are on your own, trying to guess whom to grant your business.  There is one common experience though, that…

  • Kicking our Windows 7 Google Traffic Part 2

    It took a few days, but I am no longer the #1 result for “Windows 7 blue screen of death”.  Yay. Here is what happened to my traffic in the last few days: That decline is pretty much Windows 7 Google traffic.  One funny thing that is messing up my…

  • The UX of Justinmind Prototyper 3.0

    Justinmind Prototyper 3.0 is released and they state on their blog that a UX review of the product gets you a free license.  I was contacted by someone at their company as well.  A positive review is not required, so I feel free to be completely open and objective.  No…

  • Kicking out my Windows 7 Google traffic

    <rant> Apparently my 15 month old post on Windows 7 BSOD is the #1 ranked post on Google for the search query “blue screen of death windows 7“.  A ridiculous amount of my traffic goes to that page.  Like 30%.  I don’t want this traffic.  The page had like 40…

  • The UX of Dealing with Problems

    Woodward and Bernstein and their series on Watergate set the modern lexicon of scandal and how people deal with them. Here is the formula: A problem or suspicious of a problem arises. People look to the source and say, “What is going on?” If the source says, “Nothing, nope, no…

  • UX Greatness Part 3 of 3

    Three things to have UX greatness.  Last one. Good enough isn’t good enough. Eat bad babies. Invest in your future. Invest in your future. It is so rare that anyone does this.  Seriously, everyone talks about it and no one ever does it. At a previous company (which shall remain…

  • UX Greatness Part 2 of 3

    Three things to have UX greatness.  Here is #2. Good enough isn’t good enough. Eat bad babies. Invest in your future. Eat bad babies. Every group I have ever witnessed has reached this point sooner or later.  They have something that used to be a good idea.  However, right now,…

  • UX Greatness Part 1 of 3

    Three things to have UX greatness.  Covering just one today. Good enough isn’t good enough. Eat bad babies. Invest in your future. Good enough isn’t good enough Most products, services and expectations are pathetic.  Flying on a plane is a horrible experience, even when it’s good.  Most cars look exactly…

  • Don’t know how vs. time consuming

    I think alot of people confuse these two concepts. Not knowing how to do something may not be surmountable.  Either you learn how or you get lucky or you just do it wrong. I’ve made a handy chart to help understand. If you don’t know how to do something, it…

  • The UX of Andrew Garcia

    Who is Andrew Garcia?  He is a contestant on American Idol.  What can he tell us about UX?  I’ll jump to the answer and then backtrack. Great UX comes from making a segment of the audience love you with fanaticism, not from trying to please everyone.  Critics are the sign…

  • UX Rule Number 1

    I made a little sticky note for someone I manage, but I don’t have a scanner here.  So I recreated it for you. It’s amazing to me how often people break this rule. Everyone thinks the other person knows what they are talking about.  People are happy to pass the…

  • The Little Things Illustrated

    Previously I posted on how the little things are the ones that make/break your product/service.  Here is an illustrated example. Don’t be fooled.  This doesn’t mean you can just build the details and forget the big features.  Obviously a cup holder without a car isn’t much good.  Table stakes are…

  • Request: Microsoft Office Real-Time Collaboration

    An open letter to the Microsoft Office team: You have to produce ONE specific feature to secure your future.  If you do as I suggest, you will kneecap Google Docs and breath new life into MS Office.  Just one feature.  It may not be easy, but you have smart engineers…