Alertbox: The Most Important Usability Activity

Jakob Nielsen <[email protected]> Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:15:32 +0000
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What's worth the most: field studies or user tests? Depends on your
     company's usability maturity, but user testing is the safe bet if
     you can do only one thing.
     > http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3D538d934a891681a5d=
850bb4e5&id=3Ded3a6bbe9f&e=3Df405d0f72c

    Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for July 16: The Most Important Usability Act=
ivity
     __________________________________________________________________

Usability Week 2012 conference

     * Toronto: July 23-27
     * Sydney: August 12-17
     * San Francisco: September 23-28
     * London: October 14-19
     * New York City: Oct. 28 - Nov. 2

   Full event program describing all full-day training courses.
     > http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3D538d934a891681a5d8=
50bb4e5&id=3D2be5fb0f4d&e=3Df405d0f72c

   Deadline to save $200 on advance registration for Toronto:
   * This Friday, July 20
     __________________________________________________________________

Where do Usability People Live?

   Here are the 10 cities from which I get the most website traffic:
    1. London
    2. New York
    3. Sydney
    4. Melbourne
    5. San Francisco
    6. Toronto
    7. Chicago
    8. Bangalore
    9. Seattle
   10. Singapore

   6 countries on 4 continents in the top 10, proving once again my point
   that usability has become a truly world-wide profession in recent
   years. Moscow is breathing hard down Singapore's neck, with 98% of its
   traffic. I wouldn't be surprised to see Moscow on the list next year,
   considering how much leading Russian companies are now investing in
   usability.
     __________________________________________________________________

Super-HD Olympics Video

   Following up on my last column with wishes for truly great screens: the
   BBC has a limited amount of Super Hi-Vision (SHV) coverage of the
   London Olympics, being broadcast at a 7680x4320 resolution. Sadly, the
   frame rate is not what's really needed (more than 90 fps for continuous
   motion to look good). Even more sadly, these broadcasts can only be
   viewed at 3 locations in the U.K. because nobody else has SHV TV sets
   yet.

   If you're in London, Glasgow, or Bradford, do stop by and watch a good
   screen for once.
   > http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3D538d934a891681a5d85=
0bb4e5&id=3D8a942bcafa&e=3Df405d0f72c
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                                                            <div><div style="text-align: left;">
	<blockquote style="background-color: #ffffdd; color: #000000; line-height:130%; padding: 4px; margin: 0;">
		<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 2px;">
			<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=6ff91c4cc2&e=f405d0f72c" style="text-decoration: none; color:#505050;"> <span style="color: #505050;">Summary:</span><br>
			What&#39;s worth the most &mdash; <strong>field studies</strong> or <strong>user tests</strong>? Depends on your company&#39;s usability maturity, but user testing is the safe bet if you can do only one thing. </a></p>
		<p style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 0; font-size:120%; line-height:140%;">
			<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=ef4138ae49&e=f405d0f72c" style="text-decoration: none; color:#505050;"> Jakob Nielsen&#39;s Alertbox for July 16: <span style="text-decoration: underline; color:#0033aa;"> <strong> The Most Important Usability Activity</strong> </span> </a></p>
	</blockquote>
	<hr>
	<h3>
		Usability Week 2012 conference</h3>
	<ul>
		<li>
			<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=13ca809115&e=f405d0f72c">Toronto</a>: July 23-27</li>
		<li>
			<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=04fb67182e&e=f405d0f72c">Sydney</a>: August 12-17</li>
		<li>
			<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=3c91a07aa3&e=f405d0f72c">San Francisco</a>: September 23-28</li>
		<li>
			<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=a5e86dbac9&e=f405d0f72c">London</a>: October 14-19</li>
		<li>
			<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=2638e2342a&e=f405d0f72c">New York City</a>: Oct. 28 - Nov. 2</li>
	</ul>
	<p>
		<a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=e2eb885a6d&e=f405d0f72c">Full event program</a> describing all full-day training courses.</p>
	<p>
		Deadline to save $200 on <a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=43115b9679&e=f405d0f72c">advance registration for <strong>Toronto</strong></a>:<br>
		* <strong>This Friday</strong>, July 20</p>
	<hr>
	<h3>
		Where do Usability People Live?</h3>
	<p>
		Here are the 10 cities from which I get the most website traffic:</p>
	<ol>
		<li>
			London</li>
		<li>
			New York</li>
		<li>
			Sydney</li>
		<li>
			Melbourne</li>
		<li>
			San Francisco</li>
		<li>
			Toronto</li>
		<li>
			Chicago</li>
		<li>
			Bangalore</li>
		<li>
			Seattle</li>
		<li>
			Singapore</li>
	</ol>
	<p>
		6 countries on 4 continents in the top 10, proving once again my point that usability has become a truly world-wide profession in recent years. Moscow is breathing hard down Singapore&#39;s neck, with 98% of its traffic. I wouldn&#39;t be surprised to see Moscow on the list next year, considering how much leading Russian companies are now investing in usability.</p>
	<hr>
	<h3>
		Super-HD Olympics Video</h3>
	<p>
		Following up on my last column with wishes for truly great screens: the BBC has a limited amount of <a href="http://useit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=9e2feb6215&e=f405d0f72c" target="_blank">Super Hi-Vision (SHV) coverage of the London Olympics</a>, being broadcast at a <strong>7680x4320 resolution</strong>. Sadly, the frame rate is not what&#39;s really needed (more than 90 fps for continuous motion to look good). Even more sadly, these broadcasts can only be viewed at 3 locations in the U.K. because nobody else has SHV TV sets yet.</p>
	<p>
		If you&#39;re in London, Glasgow, or Bradford, do stop by and watch a good screen for once.</p>
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