Boxes and Arrows: Comments by Holger Maassen

Holger Maassen — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:15:04 GMT

In my point of view there are roughly three related areas of human activity related to any kind of development – Often these sections are to some extent overlapping.
__Creativity
__Problem solving
__Design
Creativeness is the process of generating something new that has value, attraction and attaches importance to the user.
Typically I use the term creative methods / creative techniques. But often it isn´t very helpful to be to technical – to formal – so I transform these techniques into games – to get a bigger involvement.
The methods I use most are …
__Brainstorming (or its variants)
__Mind mapping
__Storyboarding

… and sometimes …
__Provocation
__Brainwriting
__6-3-5 Method
__Six Thinking Hats
__Walt-Disney-Method

Not only in my work brainstorming is by far the most known and widely used of all creativity methods. It is evident that this technique is an effective method that may uncover good ideas. However, it is questionable whether this technique is suitable and the one that best fits all situations. It is not enough to use creativity methods, it is necessary to select and use them accurately in order to maximise their performance potential.
Especially in Germany is the mixture of fun ( e.g. the subject joy of use) or games and business a very negative, refusal combination.

Holger Maassen — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:22:01 GMT

I like the way to develop prototypes by acrobat, power-point or a diagram-software – but it’s certainly the easiest method to use paper-prototypes. I don´t need nothing more than common office equipments, I draft and hand-print on a piece of paper, card or post-it each interface element that changes on the screen: dialog boxes, menus, error messages. I still believe that paper prototyping and hand scribbles have advantages over electronic prototyping technologies during the early stages of development. Previously we start modifying the screen shots again and again, it’s easier to do that with paper, post-its, glue, and photocopies than to rebuild the screen with a drawing software.
Last but not least one of the best things about paper prototyping is that it works well both for websites, mobile and other interfaces. Working on paper for a website takes a little imagination, depending on the stage of development, but the point-and-click metaphor works well for both designers and users.
During the first phases of a project I like to sketch and to check my conceptions by paper prototyping – later I produce the preproduction model mostly with diagram-software, acrobat or pesentaion-software – and just during the last phases of the development I like to work with HTML.

I can open a bottle of beer with my gaspipe pliers. But why should I? If I wanted to open a bottle of beer, I’d use a bottle opener, even if I am able to open a bottle with many other things

Sorry Hendrik – mostly I open my beer with a yardstick or high-lighter :-)

best wishes ___ holger

Holger Maassen — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:39:40 GMT

As a informationarchitect of an interactive agency I have to say that the research and the considerations you made makes sense for the type of site you based the study on. Users’ behavior may vary depending on the type of content they’re browsing. And how deep the user in the website or content, how well-versed or involved the user is with the topic or website.
If you visit a website several times or a blog I totally agree with your study, but, entertainment sites, campaign sites, ecommerce destinations or, fundamentally, online services sites won’t have the “privilege” of risking conversion on a scrolling action. Do you have any research on that?

Holger Maassen — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:47:27 GMT

Thanks for the article! – When I think about rich websites and in this case about forms – I believe forms have to make our lives easier, not more difficult. As informationarchitects, we can make our users’ lives easier by thinking about the way people interact with our websites, providing clear direction, and then putting the burden of sorting out the details in the hands of the computers—not the users.
We’ve all heard and read about big usability mistakes time and time again: “Don’t use images or flash for navigation,” “Don’t use Javascript for links,” and I certainly hope we’re all considering those lessons in our work. … Often javascript can help us and the user to develop supportive and helpful forms.
But I have some essentials – I like to …
… use the right field / area for the commission / task and or the help
… give the user enough room to type
… cut down forms and question “mandatory” fields – to make the form as concise as possible, I recommend a three-step evaluation of every element of the form. 1st – Is this a piece of information that is valuable to us? 2nd – Is this a information that is so valuable that it’s worth denying users access to (whatever lies beyond the form) if they do not choose to provide it? 3rd – Does the user need help to provide this information (where can she/he find her/his customer-number) – and then … :-)
… mark mandatory fields clearly
… provide descriptive labels for all of the formfields – does the user “understand” the expression/phrase – is it common to him
… the computer, not the user, handle information formatting – e.g. telephone number – There are many ways these numbers can be represented: #49-1234-123-123 or 0049 1234 123 123 or (*49) 01234 123123 or or or … the system has to accept every input !
… use informative error messages

And a last comment
Especially when I develop forms for financial or insurance – A Use-Lab is more then helpful …
… How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
… Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
… When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they bring back their know-how?
… How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how can we improve this point?
… and never the least – How pleasant is it to use the design?

There are many other important quality attributes. A key one is utility, which refers to the design’s functionality:
And the endless question – Does it do what users need?

Oooh forms – I like them and I hate them :-) I’m looking forward to read your next part of this article.

Holger Maassen — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:13:45 GMT

Hello Michael
I can see your point, but UX saves both money and time in the long term – UX creates business value, increased acceptance and market penetration and never the less it increases effectiveness.
The design and project team is more likely to make things that user/customers want, and more likely to reach the right people with the right communication. Reduce misspent development costs by making it right the first time.
More specifically, experience design helps companies make the right things for each platform and device and to ensure sure they make the right things for the right people.
Thx for your comment! ___ Holger

Holger Maassen — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:02:25 GMT

Placement of OK, CANCEL buttons – There have been a long-standing discusses about the placement of these buttons.
It principally comes down to two contrary viewpoints.
One viewpoint is …, that the OK button have to be placed to the left of the CANCEL button. The reason for this first opinion is because we read from left to right, top to bottom, buttons should be placed left to right in order of importance, importance being how likely a button will be used.
The second viewpoint says that because we read from left to right and from the top to bottom – in most parts of the world. The left side is typically implicit as being BACK and the right side is implicit as being FORWARD. When we look at our browsers it´s almost the same – the BACK is on the left and FORWARD buttons on the right have arrows – pointing left and right in that order. The function Cancel is a back action and OK is a FORWARD action, the OK button should be to the right of the CANCEL button.

I concur with the second viewpoint, as it is more consistent. I strongly believe that CANCEL always goes on the left, and OK always goes on the right.
( – On rare occasions I reverse this “common” practice – when I will avoid interruptions or abort by the user – )

Holger Maassen — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:30:21 GMT

Thank you for this article. Right now, … your article was just right to get a clearer view of how the different aspects are put together. It never ceases to amaze me that it is so difficult to do the job we do for our own. ;-)

This is the report for IAs for Germany … http://www.gc-upa.de/images/pdfs/branchenreport%20usabili…
published by the German Chapter of the Usability Professionals’ Association http://www.gc-upa.de/

___ holger

Holger Maassen — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:56:06 GMT

Excellent article and a interesting approach – Anthony.
I am working on a related story – UXdesign + planning is not a one-man-show – http://www.boxesandarrows.com/idea/view/13449

I’m curious about your next part / step.

Holger Maassen — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:56:11 GMT

Hello Maria
Many thanks for your comments. I will bear your comments in mind. As far as possible I will amend the story accordingly.

best regards ___ Holger

Holger Maassen — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:46:38 GMT

according to what I have heard of Axure – I am eagerly interested to hear of your experiences
with a view to OmniGraffle, Concept Draw and Visio – other diagramm software – would you be so kind to summarize the advantages that accrued!? tia _ best regards _ holger

Holger Maassen — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:56:31 GMT

Holger Maassen — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:29:13 GMT

We all trying to makes complex information easier to understand and to use.
Our stories inform, inspire and define our rapidly growing discipline.
Our results / our deliverables should be short and easy – but we have to think cross-functional and to anticipate complex processes ever.
We and our business came up from a mutlifaceted enviroment and on our way we have to connect a lot of ideas and conditions …
... but – last but not least … it depends on …

Holger Maassen — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:55:42 GMT

Hello Thomas

You really must have a look at that story:
Sensible Forms: A Form Usability Checklist ( http://www.alistapart.com/articles/sensibleforms )

or at “BEST PRACTICES FOR FORM DESIGN” by Luke Wroblewski
( http://www.lukew.com/resources/articles/WebForms_LukeW.pd… )

... lastly … further reading for your course on information architecture/ information psychology.
... I think you have read most of the book already – despite all that my book-list “must have” ...
_Information Architecture for the World Wide Web _ by Louis Rosenfeld
_Don’t Make Me Think _ by Steve Krug
_Designing Interactions _ by Bill Moggridge
_Information Architecture for the World Wide Web _ by Louis Rosenfeld
_The Humane Interface _ by Jef Raskin
_Prioritizing Web Usability _ by Jakob Nielsen and Hoa Loranger
_Defensive Design for the Web _ by 37signals

or maybe something in German …
Integrierte Informationsarchitektur _ von Henrik Arndt

Holger Maassen — Sat, 24 May 2008 13:59:52 GMT

I bought and worked with several programs … IMHO ConceptDraw (project) is awesome, completely full of features to do develope each deliverable from mindmaps to wireframes and prototyping. In my point of view ConceptDraw is a full application for pros and amateurs. The extended library, shapes, functions and tools let any kind of users to express there ideas. I am very glad to see a product that can compete with Visio in terms of functionality, definitely on price, and its cross-platform functionality is unbeatable – I can work on my PC and my MAC _ especially as a freelancer ConceptDraw give me more “freedom”. ... but I heard of ConceptDraw WebWave – has anybody experiences with ConceptDraw WebWave?

Holger Maassen — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:03:45 GMT

I subscribe to your opinion/view about culture – more and also less – ... in any case it´s interesting point. The specifically cultural skills, knowledge and experience in each set of circumstances are often wrongly understood as hindrances to development work. I quite agree with you that we have to look for this point(s). And this might be a “problem” which not to be underestimated. And furthermore for the future and or multicultural projects, it will be of major significance that culture is given adequate consideration. But … Is it not so that one element of culture is a part of individual history / his former experiences? I think Yes! But the longer I think about your comment I see the second element of culture and that´s a part of environment. This element of culture isn´t related to a person himself – it´s related to the area “customer in the present” in my Flow Of Experience diagram. Thanks a lot for your comment – Your comment will provide me ample food for thought. :-) thx