“As part of our ongoing research of the UX environment, we recently took a closer look at the six major analyst firms (Aberdeen, AMR, Forrester, Gartner, IDC, and Yankee). We were hoping to determine if the analysts were paying much attention to user experience, so we searched a variety of UX-related terms (21, to be precise) on their respective web sites. We then looked at which firms paid attention to which UX topics, how these firms stacked up against each other, and how they compared to the web’s overall UX consciousness.” (Louis Rosenfeld - Rosenfeld Media)

“In design research, the issues of what exactly constitutes user value and how design can contribute to its creation are not commonly discussed. This paper provides a critical overview of the theories of value used in anthropology, sociology, philosophy, business, and economics. In doing so, it reviews a range of theoretical and empirical studies, with particular emphasis on their position on product, user, and designer in the process of value creation. The paper first looks at the similarities and differences among definitions of value as exchange, sign, and experience. It then reviews types and properties of user value such as its multidimensionality, its contextuality, its interactivity, and the stages of user experience dependency identified by empirical studies. Methodological approaches to user value research and their possible applications in design are also discussed. Finally, directions for future research on user value are discussed giving particular emphasis to the need of tools and methods to support design practice.” (Suzan Boztepe - International Journal of Design 1.2)

“It is time to review a company home page design. There are a number of stakeholders involved in home page design, and each of them wants a piece of the home page real estate. Are there questions you can ask before approaching home page design that can move it beyond the influence of specific stakeholders in the company toward a common vision? Are there tips to consider when designing a home page? This is article will help you better understand how to approach home page design.” (Daniel Szuc - UXmatters)

“Have you ever presented visual design choices to a product team only to have the proceedings disintegrate into an argument about the color orange? Visual designer Nick Myers shows how conducting user research with an eye towards visual design can get your audience to objectively evaluate your decisions and keep their subjective opinions out of the discussion.” (Nick Myers - Cooper Journal of Design)

Using player cards as visual reminders of your personas and the people you met during field studies is a great way to help keep your users at the forefront of your design team’s thoughts. Here’s a rough guide on how to create them.

UIEtips 8/15/07: Goal-Directed Design: An Interview with Kim Goodwin
The most valuable asset of a successful design team is the information they have about users’ goals and behaviors. When teams have the right information, the job of designing a powerful, intuitive, easy-to-use interface becomes tremendously easier. When they don’t, every little design decision becomes a struggle.
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Luke Wroblewski has written a fun post on his blog, Apple’s Input Device Alternatives, documenting a number of Human-Computer Interface patents Apple has filed at the US Patent Office in recent years.

In today’s SpoolCast, Christine Perfetti, UIE’s Managing Director, sits down with Kim Goodwin, the General Manager and Vice President of Design at Cooper. The folks at Cooper are widely regarded for their design methods, including Goal-Directed Design and Personas.