Alertbox: A/B Testing, Usability Engineering, Radical Innovation: What Pays Best?
Jakob Nielsen <[email protected]> Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:16:57 -0400
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3 approaches to better design: each has its uses, but the costs,
benefits, and risks differ dramatically.
Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for March 26: A/B Testing, Usability
Engineering, Radical Innovation: What Pays Best?
> http://www.useit.com/alertbox/innovation.html
________________________________________________________________
Usability Week 2012 conference
* San Francisco: April 2-7
* Amsterdam, The Netherlands: April 23-27
* Washington, DC: May 14-18
* Chicago: June 25-29
* Toronto: July 23-27
* Sydney: August 12-17
Full conference program describing all full-day training courses.
> http://www.nngroup.com/events
Deadline to save $200 on advance registration for San Francisco:
* This Friday, March 30
> http://www.nngroup.com/events/san_francisco
__________________________________________________________________
iPad 3 Changing Use Patterns
The new iPad 3's crisper screen will lead to increased tablet use,
particularly when reading content.
* iPad 3 is the first broad-market computer with a good display,
meaning that it's currently the only computer that makes it
reasonably pleasant to read text. In other words, people with both
a desktop computer and an iPad 3 will tend to prefer reading from
the tablet, even though the desktop is otherwise more powerful.
(Users will stick with their desktop computer for tasks that
involve more intense interaction.)
* Also, as we know from all previous research, when the usability of
something goes up, users do it more. More pleasant reading =3D more
reading. I stand by the analysis in my previous newsletter that
the user interface design guidelines remain the same as those
discovered when testing the iPad 1 and 2.
> http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ipad.html
However, the expectation to see more use of tablets, now that they are
more pleasant to use, does have implications for design strategy: a
broader set of companies should now invest in designing tablet versions
of their websites or mobile apps.
See also the 2-day training course on [13]visual design for mobile and
tablet =E2=80=94 it goes without saying that these new designs need to=
take
advantage of the higher-resolution screen with more subtle visual
effects and better typography.
> http://www.nngroup.com/events/tutorials/mobile_visual_design.html
Longer-term, I hope we'll finally get better monitors for desktop
computers. It's a disgrace that 2560x1600 pixels has been the largest
broad-market monitor for about a decade now. This is slightly more
pixels than the iPad 3, but when spread across a 30-inch monitor the
crispness (and thus font legibility) is much worse. We need 40-inch
displays with 300 dpi pixel density for desktop computers to regain
their competitiveness. Luckily Windows 8 does have baked-in support
for high-density screens.
> http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/21/windows-8-is-retina-ready
__________________________________________________________________
Scottish Tweet
I don't know why, but the audience at last week's Edinburgh Usability
Week were particularly tweety. Many of the [15]Tweets are still online
if you want to get a feel for what transpired.
> http://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23nnguw
Copyright =C2=A9 2012 Nielsen Norman Group, All rights
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<div><blockquote style="padding-bottom: 4px; background-color: #ffffdd; margin: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px">
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 2px">
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=5e548aebdb&e=f405d0f72c" style="color: #505050; text-decoration: none">3 approaches to better design: each has its uses, but the costs, benefits, and risks differ dramatically.</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 120%; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 120%">
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=80e03bc84a&e=f405d0f72c" style="color: #505050; text-decoration: none">Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for March 26: <span style="color: #336699; text-decoration: underline"><strong>A/B Testing, Usability Engineering, Radical Innovation: What Pays Best?</strong></span></a></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<h3>
Usability Week 2012 conference</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=1f79748722&e=f405d0f72c">San Francisco</a>: April 2-7</li>
<li>
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=307ab92d58&e=f405d0f72c">Amsterdam</a>, The Netherlands: April 23-27</li>
<li>
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=b5eb68367a&e=f405d0f72c">Washington, DC</a>: May 14-18</li>
<li>
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=8061ffb2c6&e=f405d0f72c">Chicago</a>: June 25-29</li>
<li>
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=24fa8dd76c&e=f405d0f72c">Toronto</a>: July 23-27</li>
<li>
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=60959a6749&e=f405d0f72c">Sydney</a>: August 12-17</li>
</ul>
<p>
<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=2113b72044&e=f405d0f72c">Full conference program</a> describing all full-day training courses.</p>
<p>
Deadline to save $200 on <a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=d49c1da455&e=f405d0f72c">advance registration for San Francisco</a>:<br>
* <strong>This Friday</strong>, March 30</p>
<hr>
<h3>
iPad 3 Changing Use Patterns</h3>
<p>
The new iPad 3's crisper screen will lead to increased tablet use, particularly when reading content.</p>
<ul>
<li>
iPad 3 is the first broad-market computer with a good display, meaning that it's currently the only computer that makes it reasonably pleasant to read text. In other words, people with both a desktop computer and an iPad 3 will tend to prefer reading from the tablet, even though the desktop is otherwise more powerful. (Users will stick with their desktop computer for tasks that involve more intense interaction.)</li>
<li>
Also, as we know from all previous research, when the usability of something goes up, users do it more. More pleasant reading = more reading. I stand by the analysis in my <a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=f5edf585cf&e=f405d0f72c">previous newsletter</a> that the user interface design guidelines remain the same as those <a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=b7be885698&e=f405d0f72c">discovered when testing the iPad 1 and 2</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>
However, the expectation to see more use of tablets, now that they are more pleasant to use, does have implications for design strategy: a broader set of companies should now invest in designing tablet versions of their websites or mobile apps.</p>
<p>
See also the 2-day training course on <a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=57c8ae6dbf&e=f405d0f72c">visual design for mobile and tablet</a> — it goes without saying that these new designs need to take advantage of the higher-resolution screen with more subtle visual effects and better typography.</p>
<p>
Longer-term, I hope we'll finally get better monitors for desktop computers. It's a disgrace that 2560x1600 pixels has been the largest broad-market monitor for about a decade now. This is slightly more pixels than the iPad 3, but when spread across a 30-inch monitor the crispness (and thus font legibility) is much worse. We need 40-inch displays with 300 dpi pixel density for desktop computers to regain their competitiveness. Luckily <a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=ecf33a5fb3&e=f405d0f72c">Windows 8 does have baked-in support</a> for high-density screens.</p>
<hr>
<h3>
Scottish Tweet</h3>
<p>
I don't know why, but the audience at last week's Edinburgh Usability Week were particularly tweety. Many of the <a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=bdd037c112&e=f405d0f72c">Tweets are still online</a> if you want to get a feel for what transpired.</p>
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