Category — GUI Prototyping Tool

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ended his silence about the recent privacy controversies in a letter to tech blogger Robert Scoble and via an op-ed piece in the Wall Street journal. Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook security features were too convoluted and stated that “in the coming weeks, [Facebook] will add privacy controls that are much simpler to use”.  In addition, Zuckerberg promises that Facebook users will be given a much easier method for opting out of all third party services.

Zuckerberg’s response was prompted by a tidal wave of fury about Facebook’s lack of easy-to-understand and easy-to-use privacy options in its interface design from users across the globe.  An initial security glitch, in which some users were able to view the private chats or messages of their friends, created a snowball effect among users as they also began to complain that Facebook’s interface design was a conveyor of confusing privacy policies and made their private data to easily available to third parties.  One of the main problems with Facebook’s interface design, according to many users, is that there are too many settings and the settings are anything but usable or clear in terms of allowing users to make their desired selections.

According to Webmonkey early builds of the new Firefox show that the latest iteration has picked up more than a trick or two from Google Chrome’s interface design. An example of this is through a new add-on manager that appears as an inline page rather than opening in a new panel or window. And just like with Chrome’s interface design tabs can be made to appear above the address bar. The similarities, however, end in aesthetics as Firefox 4.0 offers many unique technological selling points differentiating it from both Chrome and even earlier iterations of Firefox! With Microsoft already pulling out all the stops with the latest iteration of Internet Explorer, the announced IE 9, it will be interesting to watch how the next Chrome, Safari and Opera shape up in what continues to be a highly competitive, cutthroat market. The bigger winner here, of course, are the consumers.

Firefox has long been a big draw in the crowded web browser market even landing in the Guinness Book of World Records when iteration 3.0 became the most downloaded software in a 24 hour period after being downloaded over 8 million times in that period. Iteration 4.0 is slated to be released in November 2010 and it promises speed and a revamped interface design. According to the lead Firefox developer, Mike Beltzner, “Something UI designers have known for a long time is that the simpler an interface looks, the faster it will seem. The less the user has to take in with their eye, the quicker they can process it and the quicker the entire application will seem. So we’re actually looking at making our interface faster by changing the way it looks.”

Advances in speed are to be brought about by more than just offering a cleaner interface design with less clutter and GUI controls for the user to cope with. Navigation will also be improved via a “switch to tab” tool designed to better manage tabs by facilitating jumps between them and reducing their overall number. This in effect is done by adding further functionality to the Home button, allowing it to double as a kind of tab repository. Firefox 4.0 also embraces the powerful emergent HTML5 standard allowing for Geo-location and reducing the need for plug-in-based rich internet applications. This latest iteration will also support multi-touch technology, extentions that can install without the need to restart, and easier layout and styling with CSS3.

Facebook’s new privacy feature changes have many users in an uproar.  After embarking on the creation of a tutorial to help users  better understand these changes, The Electronic Frontier Foundation decided to inquire among Facebook and Twitter users alike, imploring them to find a catchy new term to describe social networking site faux pas’ and frustrations (The EFF did not explicitly refer to Facebook). Terms like “Confuser Interface Design”   “bait-and-phish” and “bait-and-click” were among the many tart ideas submitted by users. It was clear to the EFF that social networking site users were a little more that miffed.  But before you dismiss the masses of incensed Facebook users as “naïve” about the internet and privacy, make sure you understand what the anger is all about: interface design.

All users know the internet is not a private place.  Using social networking sites means you are on some level willing to make your life public, open for all to see. Naturally, there are risks associated with posting pictures of family, addresses, and telephone numbers on the web.  Facebook users are well aware of the hazards.  The real reason they are angry is because they perceive Facebook’s interface design to be tricking them into divulging or making public information they deem private.  For the sake of time, let’s look at one example of Facebook’s interface design involving partner sites.

Make usability the focal point of your eCommerce shop’s interface design

ECommerce shops with poor interface designs and hence poor usability frustrate consumers and often cause them to abandon their purchases in search of better alternatives.  One of the biggest usability problems facing eCommerce sites is the structure of the ordering process.  Many of the purchasing steps can be convoluted and ultimately confuse buyers.  If you want your eCommerce website to be profitable, then you must make it easy for shoppers to buy your products.  Here are a few tips that help you keep usability at the forefront of your eCommerce shop:

Break the ordering process up into small pieces: Simple steps increase usability. Dividing the ordering process into small pieces allows users to confront each aspect one step at a time. Make the steps logical, and follow by example.  Amazon.com, widely regarded as the world’s largest and most established eCommerce website, organizes the ordering process as follows:

1.    Login

2.    Choose delivery address

3.    Choose delivery options

4.    Enter payment details

5.    Review and submit order

•    Identify users with their e-mail address instead of a username: Email addresses are easier for users to remember when they login.  Usernames complicate the process for users, as there is a chance that they will not remember them.  Email addresses are also standard, meaning there are less special characters than in a username.  This makes is easier for you and the user.

•    Highlight required fields: Making it clear from the start even in the interface design what information users are required to provide augments usability.  Many users get frustrated when a form is constantly rejected due to missing critical information.  Highlight or bold the required fields to make things easier for your users.

If you want to ensure that the interface design of your eCommerce shop attracts and keeps customers, then you must make usability the driving force behind your interface design.  Vet out possible problems with your interface design by taking the time to conduct usability tests and evaluate user experience feedback. Though it may seem tedious, taking the time to thoroughly assess your eCommerce site’s usability will only increase the profitability and popularity of your shop.

Smart Storyboarding

Would you rather work smarter or work harder? If you tend towards the first, then you may find that utilizing a software program for your storyboarding purposes is a very effective option. Unlike with paper prototypes, with a software program you can use pre-fabricated building blocks for your storyboards allowing you to increase the efficiency of creating, but even more so of adapting or changing your storyboard. Wireframe tools, for example provide you with boxes, lines, shapes, and text to quickly create great storyboards. Of course, you can use programs such as Photoshop or Adobe’s Illustrator to create wireframe storyboards, but they may lead to a focus on graphical details thus slowing down the storyboarding process. Programs like Pidoco or other specialized wireframe software applications offer wireframe tools that are intended to be rapid by avoiding often unnecessary details.

Our conclusion of interface design software: It’s got the look and feel of pen and paper, but adds interactivity (making wireframes animated) and enhances developing speed through re-usable elements and layers. Many (real-time) collaboration components enable interface designers to new ways to work with higher efficiency, leaving more time for the creative process that really counts.

But even if screen designs have already been made in some high-fidelity graphics software (e.g. Photoshop, pidoco° can add value to the process by bringing interactivity to static screens. Adding ‘click areas’ to the finished screenshots enhance the collaboration and interaction capabilities of a former static screenshot. Colleagues, clients and test users can now easily be integrated in the feedback process and online discussions can be held. Just like web conferencing, but with real-time editing never seen before!

The pidoco° interface design software consists of three main components which complement each other perfectly. Together, they enhance the interface design process and optimize the general workflow in all stages of interactive web design.

Digital prototypes are quickly sketched with the Prototype Creator (just by drag&drop) and can later easily be shared and reviewed by colleagues, test users or clients. If there is need for even more in-depth feedback on individual aspects of the web concept, just use the clickable wireframes to perform a easy to set up remote usability test where moderator and test user are connected remotely by a shared screen and an integrated phone. All modules are aimed to increase productivity of the interface design process and ease communication within the team.

But even if screen designs have already been made in some hi-fi graphics software (e.g. Photoshop, pidoco° can add value to the design process by bringing interactivity to static screens. Adding ‘click areas’ to the finished screenshots enhance the collaboration and interaction capabilities of a former static screenshot. Colleagues, clients and test users can now easily be integrated in the developers team and online discussions can be held. Just like web conferencing, but with real-time editing never seen before!