As you may have already heard, Windows Vista made its debut this week. Bill Gates even made an appearance on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart to celebrate!
The new Windows Vista includes new features that add a more interactive element to the product. Files don't have to be viewed in a traditional Windows Explorer tree structure anymore. Each file can be visually upright, allowing the user to skim through the files as they would the papers on their desk. Seems pretty cool, plus extends the desktop metaphor fairly directly. Desktop items can be added, such as the weather, currency exchange, etc, allowing the user to customize their daily desktop activities and feel more connected to the world. Apparently it is easier to find the files you are looking for with the decision to move the search onto the Start menu itself.
Kind of reminds me of the BumpTop 3D Desktop prototype:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ODskdEPnQ
Overall, the graphics are rounder and more appealing to the eye. The transitions are smoother and feel natural. The customizations techniques are attractive and long overdue. I can't wait to get my hands on a Mac OS too! Oh, I mean Windows Vista...
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Why Usability?
Hello everyone!
This is the first official usability-related post for the Usability Rocks blog!
Before I begin, Happy 2007 to everyone.
Today's post contains random ramblings on why usability has not made more of an impact in the technological world that we live in today. Usability is probably the first thing to be cut from a project when the budget is tight, but one of the major money savers for any project in any company out there.
Well, this is something that usability specialist and advocates have known for some time now. Usability's stock continues to rise as tech giants and pioneers like Google and Apple flex their corporate positioning muscles and continue to innovate while focusing on the user experience. Their products and success alone provide the reasons for any company to value and continue pursuing good usability.
Yet, even with these excellent role models to follow, so many companies do not take the time to include usability in their product development, and many do not know what usability is in the first place. Are they afraid of what it may costs? Or maybe they are scared of what they already know...that they are in DESPERATE need of a usability team? I think part of the reason is, like the technology that it is used on, usability is sometimes considered too new. It's too wet behind the ears, too eager to jump into the software delivery methodology that is many times restrictive and inflexible because of common rusting agents such as close-mindedness and fear of new ideas and techniques.
Slowly and surely, the industry is growing and gaining newfound respect, thanks in part to technology giants who consider usability an integral part of their development life cycle. It makes sense that sooner or later, that other companies will catch on to the value of usability, and in an effort to compete with the leaders of their fields, emulate them in an effort to work as they do. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, as they say.
This is the first official usability-related post for the Usability Rocks blog!
Before I begin, Happy 2007 to everyone.
Today's post contains random ramblings on why usability has not made more of an impact in the technological world that we live in today. Usability is probably the first thing to be cut from a project when the budget is tight, but one of the major money savers for any project in any company out there.
Well, this is something that usability specialist and advocates have known for some time now. Usability's stock continues to rise as tech giants and pioneers like Google and Apple flex their corporate positioning muscles and continue to innovate while focusing on the user experience. Their products and success alone provide the reasons for any company to value and continue pursuing good usability.
Yet, even with these excellent role models to follow, so many companies do not take the time to include usability in their product development, and many do not know what usability is in the first place. Are they afraid of what it may costs? Or maybe they are scared of what they already know...that they are in DESPERATE need of a usability team? I think part of the reason is, like the technology that it is used on, usability is sometimes considered too new. It's too wet behind the ears, too eager to jump into the software delivery methodology that is many times restrictive and inflexible because of common rusting agents such as close-mindedness and fear of new ideas and techniques.
Slowly and surely, the industry is growing and gaining newfound respect, thanks in part to technology giants who consider usability an integral part of their development life cycle. It makes sense that sooner or later, that other companies will catch on to the value of usability, and in an effort to compete with the leaders of their fields, emulate them in an effort to work as they do. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, as they say.
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