Recommended User Experience Books
June 3rd, 2008A list of the best books about user experience, usability and Information design.
These will all make you see use of web pages and applications in a different way, encouraging User Centred Design (UCD) which allow your users needs and requirements to be met and not just yours or your clients.
Emotional Design - Why we love (or hate) design
Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior
Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning
Designing for Interaction: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices
Don’t Make Me Think - A common sense guide to usability
The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web
GeeKyoto Links and Notes
May 29th, 2008From the GeeKyoto conference a few weeks back.
Mark Simpkins and Ben Hammersley ran a one day conference in central London, with designers, technologists, artists, architects, policy-makers, explorers, economists and scientists, and lots of clever clever people, to discuss the future and how we’ll live in it.
I was attracted to this conference partly as I am fascinated about how other people percive the future, but also likeminded people attend conferences because we ‘are’ thinkers, innovators and shapers.
Seen as a progression or journey by developing ideas together, online, offline to make communication easier, quicker and without boundaries or frontiers. And perhaps encouraging others to think about their role in society now and in the future.
Play in todays world:
- 71% of adults used to play outside when they were young only 21% do now.
- Why? The public realm, and fear of, and for children
- Kids seeing play where adults don’t see it, and the result is often vandalism as it doesn’t work out.
- Experimented with swings at bus stops to see if adults utilise this.
Beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk - what will the future of education look like in 2025?
Paleofuture - A blog that goes ‘Looking into the future that never was’.
- The future happens everywhere to everyone
- Economists and technologists are the ones who know
- Often people are mistaking the present for the future
‘The future demands your participation’, says Richard sandford. Who helps transform the way people learn through innovative technology and practice.
A good introduction and demonstration of diykyoto.com - electricity consumption that you can see, with the help of Wattson.
Finally, we were shown the wide channels of different way of thinking with todays online tools that let us collaborate and share more than ever before. At sites like:
A really thought provoking day and inspiring event, something different from the web design and development events I have recently attended. A new bunch of people to meet and share ideas with. Certainly will be back next year for what looks like to be a larger event.
Funding for launching and developing your business
May 29th, 2008A message to let you know of a few opportunities that could be of relevance to you, especially if based in the UK.
1 - Catalyst Awards
Catalyst is an award programme for people who’ve used social technology (web, social networking, gaming, mobile, etc) to do something good for their community in the UK.
It’s for all kinds of people: in business, volunteers, employees, individuals and groups. And it’s for all kinds of ideas, including education, environment, skills, health and community cohesion.
If you’re running a relevant project, or have a good idea, then check it out: Catalyst Awards
2- British Library IP Centre
The British Library Business & IP Centre is designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs from that first spark of inspiration to successfully launching and developing a business.
The Centre offers free access to the UK’s most comprehensive collection of business and intellectual property information, including around 50 million patent specifications, unique databases on trade marks and registered designs, thousands of market research reports, company reports, trade journals, business directories and guides to legal information and government publications. British Library information experts are on hand to guide you to the resources.
There is also a programme of workshops and events run by British Library experts and partners.
Chinwag Live - Notes from Real World Usability event
April 26th, 2008Usability is at a crossroads - are we looking at “Back to Basics” or “Brave New World? I attended the latest event from Chinwag, and here are the notes.
On the panel were a Brighton trio - who were presenting their ideas and beliefs on usability and accessibilty as part of the tools for effective web marketing. Bryan Rieger, Andy Budd and Niqui Merrett.
My articles elsewhere
April 2nd, 2008Two articles published this month - online, and in print.
Firstly I’ve had another article published over at FreelanceUK.com.
I haven’t written about SEO for a long time, and I just wanted to recap on what is happening out there with Web 2.0 and SEO. Perhaps demonstrating by following a few ethical methods for SEO, you can create meaningful content for the search engines as well as more importantly, your sites readers.
5 Relaxation techniques every geek can use
March 31st, 2008Work can all too often take over our lives outside the office with various ways to ’stay connected’.
However, I encourage you to make your office hours more productive by offering the following relaxation techniques every geek can use.. try the following tips that I use, you may find they will allow you to see things differently and achieve your work/life goals more successfully and more effectively.
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