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About Usability
Institute.com
Who? |
Jack Bellis, 10-years a technical writer with an
emphasis on multimedia and graphics, now working primarily
in usable interface design. Over the
years, I've also...
- Done some coding, including having written in 16
different languages and supporting myself with my
own product, SIMAX
VIDEO SIGNMAKER, for a
while. As the review shows, even in 1983 (yikes!)
I understood how to make a program that "will
not allow you to press an incorrect key."
- Installed over 100 point of sale systems and trained
the users.
- Participated in 25 projects for all of the world's
leading pharmaceutical companies, producing documents,
help, CBT, Web-based training, and Web design. Full
resume...
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What? |
Usability consulting without
making it more complicated than it needs to be. No lengthy
documents or fancy labs, just smart, concise advice,
at-a-distance or at your place. Here's the premise:
- Computers are a worst-case-scenario of an invisible
technology: electronics. Users aren't dumb, they just
need a fighting chance.
- Problems with UI design will not be solved by more
technology or testing—not that there's anything wrong
with that—but by straightforward thinking and words.
- Usability testing is nice stuff, but we believe
that in the same way that your best algorithmic
thinkers
always know the best code, we usually have a good
idea of your design solutions. Think about
it, even if you
spend
$100,000
for a formal usability test and find some flaws,
someone
has to decide what the solution is (or at least a
list of options), right? I've been studying the
solutions since that '83 project. It's
called interaction design, and though there's plenty
of creativity in it, most solutions
are already out there, just waiting to be put in
the proper place. There are billions of web sites
and pages;
do you think most problems are going to require new
solutions?
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Why? |
Just like the quote at the bottom of
the page, it's time to put the instructions right into
the system. Anything less, like help files or user manuals
is subterfuge at best, and at worst a slow death for
what might otherwise be a good system. Even good techwriting
is equivalent to "closing the barn door after the
horse has run." |
Where? |
Now that's a silly question
these days, isn't it? If not, here's the info: I'm in
suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (East Coast,
GMT-5). |
How? |
Send me a link, a bitmap,
a fax, or a brick-and-mortar address. I'll be there.
The lion's share of usability improvements
can be accomplished just by improving words on the
screen. Only occasionally does architecture really
need to be touched. In between these two extremes are
myriad visual and navigation improvements, comprising
interaction design. |
When? |
Now. jackbellis@hotmail.com |
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