Archive for the ‘Information Design’ Category

How to provide a best user experience of a mobile app

May 21, 2012. One comment.

Smart phones have made the cellular experience more fun filled for the users and the credit goes to the applications for smart phones that have made the lives of the users much easier. Mobile application development market is on boom and a number of apps are introduced each day, how to make your application stand out depends totally on the user experience it is providing. As a simple rule of thumb don’t forget the easier the learning experience of the users the higher the ranking of the app would be. Follow the following set of tips to get a user friendly application designed:
- Try and conduct a user survey on your idea so that you can have some functional requirements in front of you before you proceed further. These functional requirements will define what functionality to expect from the mobile application.
- Next define the non-functional requirements clearly. This includes the performance of the application (speed, precision and capacity etc.) and technological support needed for the application in terms of software and hardware and communication interface needed for the application. Trust me! Lay out your plan and you can do wonders.
- It is always wise to draw the follow of your application on paper and then on computer even before opening Photoshop or any other text editor that you are using. There are a number of free tools available online which can help like Google Drawings. Remember! the disturbed flow of application annoys the users, so at this stage make sure every single click makes sense.
- Never complicate the application by inducing various ideas in one. You can always develop a new application for a new idea.
- While making the actual application makes sure the user interface is interactive and simple. There are certain guidelines stated by Android and iOS don’t forget to follow them.
- Test-run the application and try to remove the bugs on the spot. Also trail run the application on various users’ cell phones and record the reactions. Incorporate the feedback given by the users before the launch, to make sure application does not lapse any major functionality.
One of the applications that I thoroughly enjoy because of its UX is LinkedIn app for android. Those who have seen and used it know well how interactive and user friendly it is. However recently I got to use Pin Share for Blackberry, the application is weird in terms of its UX, it is slow and would get stuck up a number of times. The look and feel and fonts everything somehow irritated me to bits. Try some of the applications and share your experience, it is always good to learn.
Casting a consumer magic

April 13, 2011. No comments.

Many of us wonder how brands are coming up with so creative marketing campaigns – making their target audience jump from the seat and get in action. We can see some top advertising trends being done in 2010 with a lot of innovation involved. So what is it that really sets fire in a marketing campaign and at same time, everyone gets some benefit out of it. campaigns become powerful when designed on better user experience.

I won’t bind user experience with just software or cool Apple devices, but with anything that lets everyone make most of anything a business owner has to offer its consumers. So back to campaigns, QR codes are a new way into engage user and get online and offline experiences. As a matter of fact, they offer even more on both consumer and business ends. Smart marketers make sure they put in some nice piece of information when a user scans the QR code from mobile. Better experiences don’t just related to scanning codes but a powerful campaign would involve leveraging all platforms in a synchronized way – traditional as well as new digital mediums. A welcome Facebook page offers some discounts, group discounts or local deals websites, collaborative offers, promo videos on YouTube and what not :).

Here the first implementation of QR codes is a public awareness message. Like, a QR code with few instructions and how to scan – I recommend using BeeTag and Kaywa; as they support most of the mobile phones with camera. Seems like a hassle doesn’t it? Going through the download of a reader from native app stores is a single exercise making the next moves smooth and easy. Once this public campaign gets a good footprint, the job is done for many businesses. Then you go posting QR codes on store windows, street lamps, magazines, flyers, coupons, event tickets and where not. It’s easy said than done. As discussed earlier, a marketing campaign today needs to be coherent. Let’s play QR codes!
Microsoft Tags for Mobile Marketing

March 22, 2011. No comments.

Learn More about Mobile Tagging at Microsoft Tag.
How to Personify your Brand

March 8, 2011. No comments.

A common thing that all unsuccessful brands lack is – persona. Any selling entity whether a person, group, product or service should discover its persona and bring it to the limelight. So speaking for businesses, a persona becomes the foundation and drives the way they’re presented.

You cannot present a brand as only a tagline, product or a logo. Brand is a Relationship. A brand:
- Connects businesses and customers through a rich emotional relationship and experience.
- Delivers the sense of relevance to customers about your identity and services.
“Whether you are a Mac person or a PC person, even the briefest exposure to the Apple logo may make you behave more creatively, according to recent research from Duke University”
Let’s shape up your brand persona in step-by-step approach:
1. Create a point of view. You need to have a strong identity. Who, what and why are questions to ask yourself about your business.
2. Be passionate and obsessive. Whatever you’re going to present to customers – be very mean about it. After all, it’s all about creating an impression and inspiration.
3. Know your targets. Getting to know the audience of your brand is really very important. Actions packed games are just right for teens and so are golf club promotions for the elder lot. No discrimination here; just being specific.
4. Consistency in the brand. Different logos on each marketing communication (web or print) can be a setback when consumers would be judging on same good quality in your business solutions.
5. Delivering a unique experience. Brand persons bring a differentiating experience. Same two businesses can represent themselves in totally different way with USP (Unique Selling Points).
6. Connecting and collaborating. “I’ve never been particularly good at numbers, but I think I’ve done a reasonable job with feelings. I’m convinced that it is feelings, and feelings alone, that account for the success of the Virgin brand and all its myriad forms.” -Richard Branson.
Design Matters

November 1, 2010. No comments.

“Over the last year online banking has attracted 6.3 million users, but a massive 3.1 million of those have closed their accounts already due to poor website design and inefficient service.” - Internet Money Issue 4
Apple’s user experience

October 21, 2010. 2 comments.

What counts for a good user experience? Is it the set of application features, interface or help content? All of them combined., Each compliments the other with the beauty of design, interaction and experience. Now poeple actually do relate some of the best user experiences with Apple. It made the user experience its top priority and not just for the customer or end user’s sake, but through personal experiences. Steve Jobs steers his boat of design concept towards his own consumer-wise satisfaction. Just consider it like the buzz of Disruptive Technology in terms of killer user experience.
Information designers community is now more active and geared to providing quality content for User Education. The way text, graphics, tables or any other content should be displayed, is becoming more appealing and interactive. Either the writer keeps it to just plain text or images or develops interactive videos, is all a game changing approach. Now what major vendor companies are doing – publishing their standards for publication – for developing content for their software or hardware. Apple , likewise Microsoft, has its own style guides for publishing. The objective is to help authors deliver information which is user-friendly for their respective interface environments. On top of it, there are some popular help authoring tools that are specifically targetted to develop user helps for Apple’s proprietary assets and supported applications.

Here are some tools that I came across:
- ReadCHM
- CHMate
And some mailing lists and recommended readings:
On Simplicity

October 19, 2010. One comment.

“A modern paradox is that it’s simpler to create complex interfaces because it’s so complex to simplify them.” – Pär Almqvist
Emotional Experience in User Education

October 12, 2010. 2 comments.

Ever thought about user education as an emotional experience? Learn from Samsung!

Samsung replaces traditional manuals with an engaging user manual that readers can interact with to explore the product and learn different operations instantly. Going beyond bulky manuals and confusing topics – Samsung enables its consumers to instantly interact, learn and love the product as they un-box it.

These books actually contain the phone. Each page reveals the elements of the phone in the right order, helping the user to set up the SIM card and the battery. The phone can be slotted in the user manual and becomes the center of attention. Arrows point to the exact locations the user should press, avoiding confusion and eliminating the feeling of being lost in a menu. This allows users to learn and enjoy the product – the result is: loyal customers.

Smart idea, very smart indeed!
How to conduct a 5-seconds usability test?

October 6, 2010. No comments.

Are you an information designer or a technical writer experimenting with a new information portal, website design, technical illustration, product interface or a new layout of online help document? If yes, I suggest that you put yourself in the shoes of a novice user and test your design for its usability. Imagine how an average user would try to understand your new design.

An easy way to analyze your design is to conduct a usability and memory test. Grab a screenshot of your new design/layout, show it to your friend (an average user) for a few seconds and then ask him what items he can recall. If your friend can understand the purpose of your design and recall core components, your design is successful.

If you want to conduct a usability/memory test at large scale, try Clue. It creates online memory tests that you can share with your friends via facebook, twitter and email.

It also lets you analyze test results to:
- Understand how users interact with your online contents, data, or website design
- Test how many people can find the ‘Buy Now’, ‘FAQs’, ‘Help’, or ‘Products’ links
- Make sure that your product or website explains it purpose to average users
- Get ideas for design improvements
Creating a usability/memory test with Clue is simple and fast. Try it today!