Does the Social Web Impact Human Behavior?
CNN’s online news site recently posted a poll that asked, “Are you tired of social networking?” When I had checked their results, it showed that 74% chose “YES.” Yet according to Inside Twitter by Alex Cheng, Mark Evans and Harshdeep Singh, after analyzing information disclosed on 11.5 million Twitters accounts, 72.5% of all users joined during the first five months of 2009. 85.3% of all Twitter users post less than one update per day. Twitter is not the sole means of social...
Read MoreAngelina’s Leg and User Friendly Web Design
In case you missed it, Angelina Jolie made quite the impression at the recent Oscars by showing off her right leg. One small act was a marketing sensation. Would it not be truly incredible if web designers were able to find and flaunt their web site’s sweet spot, I wondered? (Because of course, I see a woman’s leg and immediately think of usability, right?) I mean, come on. Another winner from a different category, a man, after seeing Angelina strike her pose on stage,...
Read MoreSneak Preview: Emotional Design and Affective Computing
According to popular prejudice, women embody ‘emotion’ and ‘irrationality’ whereas men embody ‘rationality’ and ‘objectivity’. As such, designing for emotions/affect stir up gender issues. Are women better designers of technology which uses emotion and affect? Affective Computing, Affective Interaction and Technology as Experience One free chapter and several videos are available now for Affective Computing, Affective Interaction and Technology...
Read MoreDoes Technology or the Internet Make People LESS Connected?
I was recently witness to a debate at a local gathering that began when one man angrily claimed that people who live on their cell phones and laptops are “selfish” and “not connected with people”. His statement turned into a long discussion with people as young as a woman in her early 20′s to a gentleman in his 70′s speaking their opinions. Interestingly, the youngest one in the bunch was the most reasonable. She agreed that many behaviors are impolite. She...
Read MoreCre8tive Human Journal Launch
I’ve launched my own online magazine, called The Cre8tive Human Journal. The material I’m targeting is a blending of my passion for people, computers, Internet and creative living. There are several search engine marketing and usability online magazines already and I don’t want to encroach upon them or get into their space. I subscribe to many of them myself. Each one, uses Paper.Li for their CMS. This allows customization that makes each magazine unique to the...
Read MoreCommunication is Vital for Start-Up Companies
Over the past five years or so, long-time search engine marketers with years of client work, speaking engagements, and expertise with all the various tools and techniques have found like-minded persons and grouped themselves into one company. Being part of one of those types of situations I now admire them more than ever. Were I asked what the ONE thing is that can make a gathering of one-time competitors survive as a company unit, I would say it’s Communication. It comes in many...
Read MoreLearning From Conference User Feedback
I spend most of my days in my office with 2 cats and 2 dogs as my office-mates, dual monitors and a laptop. For me, “talking” to people is all done virtually. When I tap into what’s happening in the industries I work in, the feedback is limited and based on my “friends” and “followers” living in the land of the Internet. This is one reason why I enjoy industry conferences. They get me out of the house and office. They’re far more exciting than...
Read MoreKim Krause Berg Has Helped People “Realize their own Dreams”
The following testimonial is a true account from someone who was there at the very beginning. Alan Runfeldt says: As one of Kim’s earliest clients, I can attest to her story – and still recall the time I invited her over to use my credit card to buy food for the kids. It was a worthwhile investment in an extremely creative and energetic go-getter. When our CEO refused to pay her more than $25/hour, I upped her billing hours to make up the difference – again a good move on my...
Read MoreIs it Usability or Adaptability?
As someone who is technically blind without my eyeglasses or contacts for correction, sometimes I feel like the forgotten user. The spectrum of usage for sight usability seems to be there is the perfect experience designed for those with 20/20 vision and on the other end, tools and code to make web pages accessible to those who can not see. I’m in the in-between stage. With correction, I can fumble my way through. I have bi-focal contact lenses in both eyes now. I used to have one eye for...
Read MoreUsability Tip: Preparing to Build Your Web Site with Requirements Gathering
Before you begin to build your web site, let’s pause for a moment and think about your goals. When you first sat down to consider your plans, did you think about your business requirements? Why do you want a web site? What do you hope to accomplish? How will you do this? How do you know if you remembered to include everything you’ll need to do? What do you want your web site to do? Some example business requirements may be: 1. Increase the amount of qualified Search Engine...
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