Tcbigboss's Blog

GROUT PROCESS

tcbigboss — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:57:22 +0000

GROUT PROCESS

tcbigboss — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:27:29 +0000

DISCONNECTED

tcbigboss — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:58:44 +0000

This film was pretty interesting. I always knew I used the computer for a lot of things, in fact Im probably on the computer for almost half of every day. I never really thought about what it would be like not to have a computer and after seeing this documentary it put all of that in perspective for me. A computer is just like any other time saving useful thing such as a cell phone or a car. It would be very difficult not to be able to use a computer in a sense that I would’nt be able to check my email, facebook, look up valuable information etc. It would basically just be a huge pain in the ass. As a designer it would pretty much be impossible not to use a computer, but even if I wasn’t it would still be very difficult becuase I dont just use the computer for homework.

Dont Make Me Think: Chapter 11

tcbigboss — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:25:52 +0000

In this chapter Krug talkes about accessibility. Krug talks about how you can make your site more accessible for the average user and one of the best ways to do this is to test your site throughout the design process. Try to make everything very easy to recognize and put yourself in the users frame of mind.

Concept and the Audience

tcbigboss — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:21:35 +0000

A concept is an idea and our job as designers is to visually explain that idea to the audience. A concept doesn’t just appear out of nowhere, it takes time and research to come up with a good concept. The best way to come up with a concept is to start sketching and brainstorming ideas. Some of the best ideas come from sketches because they are simple. After sketching creating story boards is a great way to realize your idea. Also always be collaborating with your client becuase they can inform you about what they want to get across to the audience. Don’t be satisfied with the first idea you come up with. Always be thinking of new better ideas and be open to changes. Know your audience and understand what they want to see.

Dont Make Me Think: Chapter 9

tcbigboss — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:22:40 +0000

In this chapter Krug talks about web usability. Krug explains that a usability test is one user at a time is shown something and they are asked to figure out what it is or try to use it to do a typical task. When designing a site, usability testing is a must. It is a good idea to start usability testing early and test often, at each phase of web developement. Jus testing one user early in a project is better than testing 50 near the end. Testing is an interactive process and should be continued throughout the design process. Krug gives some tips on how to save money on testing and still get the result. Krug believes that its not worth trying to recruit users who you think will reflect the target audience, just grab three or four people that use the web and get started. Some typical problems users find while doing web usability testing with sites are an unclear concept, the user can’t find something they are looking for, or theres to much going on.

Don’t Make Me Think Chapters 7-8

tcbigboss — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:03:40 +0000

Chapter 7: The first step in recovery is admitting that the Home page is beyond your control

This chapter is about the importance of a homepage and how it can effect the users experience of a website. The homepage has to tell the user what the site is, what its for, and why the user should visit this site and not another one. A good way to do this is a tagline. In a short phrase the user can get an understandig of what the site is about. If the homepage doesn’t have an attractive design the user might move onto a better more attractive site. The homepage also needs to give an overview of what the site has to offer. It should tell the user what they can find at this site and what they can do here. The navigation of the home page is also important because if a user looks at the nav bar and isn’t sure how to find what they want, the designer hasn’t done a good job. A homepage can be difficult to design because it can often get cluttered because everyone that is involved with the site wants a link or a promo to their section.

Chapter 8: The Farmer and the Cowman Should Be Friends

This Chapter talks about web design team arguments for usability and why it is such a waste of time. In the web design world not everyone sees eye to eye about what a website should look like. The CEO, designer, developer and business man all have different opinions on what looks good. The problem with web design is that there is no average user everyone thinks differently and are attracted to different things. There is no “right” answer when it comes to web design questions. What works is good, integrated design that fills a need-carefully thought out, well executed, and tested.

Don’t Make Me Think Chapters 5-6

tcbigboss — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:46:57 +0000

Chapter 5

In chapter five Krug stresses the importance of keeping a webpage free of unneeded words. If there is a lot of unneeded text on a page it can confuse a user. The user should be able to glance at a page and quickly understand what the site is about. Also if there is to much text on a webpage it can make it look cluttered and noisy. The appearance of a webpage will look a lot better if it is not crowded with useless small talk and happy talk. Instructions are also not a good thing to have on a webpage, a user should not have to read instructions to figure things out on a webpage.

Chapter 6

In this chapter Krug talks about the importance of navigation. Navigation is the key to finding things online. Without navigation a user would be lost and confused. I really liked Krug’s comparison of shopping for a chainsaw at the mall. The shopper doesn’t know where to find it but they don’t want to ask someone unless they have to. This compares to a search box on a webpage, no one wants help unless they absolutely need it. This helped me understand how a user thinks when navigating a website. On a webpage it is very important to have a clear navigation system. Everything should be obvious to the user. If the user looks at the navigation and isn’t sure where to find what their looking for then the navigation hasn’t really done its job. Consistent placement of the site ID and navigation is also very important for user friendliness.

Device Comps

tcbigboss — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:31:54 +0000

Don’t Make Me Think Chapters 1-4

tcbigboss — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:31:40 +0000

Chapter 1 – Don’t Make Me Think

In this chapter the author Steve Krug talks about website usability. A good website is easy to navigate through and very user friendly. A user should not have to think or put in any extra effort to find the information they are looking for on the site. If the site is not user friendly and there are a lot of little things that are inconvenient for the user, it can keep them from coming back to the site. The less confusion the user has the better the site.

Chapter 2 – How We Really Use the Web

In chapter 2, Krug talks about how the average person navigates a website. When people use the web they are usually in a hurry. Most people do not read every word of every paragraph on a website, instead people scan through information looking for items that catch the eye. The user will sift through the information on a site in hopes of finding what they are looking for. If the user doesn’t understand how the site works, then they wont be able to find what they are looking for.

Chapter 3 – Billboard Design 101

In this particular chapter, Krug talks about the importance of visual hierarchy. If the user is scanning the site at a fast pace, the best way to ensure that the user will see the important information is to build a clear visual hierarchy. A good example of this is a billboard. Billboards are designed so that people in passing cars can take a quick glance at it and come away with the information given. The same goes for a website. Things that are important on a website should be more prominent so that they catch the users eye. Font size, color, or placement are all good ways to create visual hierarchy. Krug also talks about web conventions and how they can be very helpful when used correctly. If the user can figure out how your website is organized without reading or scanning then it is a successful design.

Chapter 4 – Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral?

In chapter 4 Krug talks about how web users usually make mindless choices. A user will navigate through a site and most likely spend more time if they don’t have to think about what the right choice is or where they should go next. If a user doesn’t have to think about were to go next then the design is a success.