When good templates go bad

Among the problems I had at the Stouffer's/Nestle site, this was one. On submission of a Contact Us form, this was the confirmation screen I got:

So......
1) I already submitted my question....right? Did I? Now I'm not sure.
2) There is no form "to the right" to use.

I suspect they had a design template that changed, and no one checked the content to ensure it matched the template.

Show Me the DATA!!!

Me: "Do we have data about how effective search is for our users?"
Them: "Search is really quite effective! Here's why it works well..."
Me: "Yes, I see that, but do we have data about how effective search is for our users?"
Them: "Well...we would hear about it from our users if it wasn't!"
Me: (Sigh)

Recent Thoughts on Windows 8 (+ Tablet)

I've been using Windows 8 for awhile on two different systems: 1) an old 2005 tablet (stylus-type), and 2) a new Windows Surface tablet. I posted initial thoughts immediately on installing in the 2005 tablet. Here are some observations now that I've used it for awhile, and now that I've experienced Surface:

Dislike

1. I dislike that you have to go to the Desktop to get to certain functions. As a tinkerer, I appreciate being able to do it, but I wish the new interface would expose these functions without resorting to the Desktop app. It's like they ran out of time to make everything work in the new paradigm.
2. I dislike that I have to remember how to access the controls (left-swipe, top-swipe, right-swipe or bottom-swipe). They aren't intuitive human interactions, and there's no visual hint for each function (that I've found, yet.) I'd be very curious to know how this works for folks with dyslexia.
3. I have a personal Skype account that I like to use from work; however, it can only be associated with one Windows Live ID. So I can't sign into Skype using that account when logged into Windows 8 with my corporate login.
4. I dislike that other things are hidden: Search, for example, and viewing tabs in the browser, shouldn't require an action. Right-clicking in the lower-left of the screen gives you a tools menu. This would have taken me forever to find on my own (if ever), but I read about it. And it's GREAT.

Like

1. See "Dislike 1" above. As a geek and a tinkerer, I appreciate being able to access things "behind the scenes", which I've not been able to do on my iPad.
2. Prefer the swipes on the Surface tablet to the interaction afforded by traditional mouse/keyboard inputs. 
3. Surface USB port allows some peripherals. I plugged in a Microsoft Mouse and it worked without installing any drivers. Nice for those of us who don't like to use the touchpad (unless we're on an airplane).
4. I like the magnetic snap of the Surface keyboard. The TV ads show how nice this is, and it is true. Dumb, but cool.
5. I like that it uses cloud login IDs, but I'm still not sure about how to sync things between Windows 8 systems (or if you can).

Love

1. I think the Surface tablet with Windows 8/RT will be a great tool for business. It was really simple to set up with my corporate mail, and I feel it will integrate better with the security models and tools people use for work productivity.
2. It supports multiple user profiles (hear that, Apple?).

Design Critique

I had the pleasure of participating in a design critique panel this week for a class at the University of Minnesota's School of Design. Seven groups of students presented their screen wireframes for a scheduling application for Emergency Medical Technician students.

There was a wide disparity in preparation and design artifacts presented. Some of the student groups had clearly thought through many possibilities, while some seemed to be gaining clarity on the scope of their effort. There were digital prototypes and pencil sketches, with varying degrees of fidelity.

What I learned from them:

• There are some really creative, thoughtful designers coming up in the industry. It was fun to see the different approaches for the same problem.
• Presentation preparation can really make the difference in acceptance of ideas. There were some great ideas that were not presented well, either visually or verbally, and the lack of preparation was a real drawback.
• Some of the groups seemed collaborative, but several seemed to be struggling with consensus within the team about the best design approach. This is a real drawback in presentation, as well.
• While I am a proponent of rough sketches (especially in the Agile world where I work), the people who had high-fidelity wireframes were often easier to understand and follow. It's always a trick to find the right level for the timing of the conversation. It may be that they were farther along in their thought process, as well, and therefore better able to convey the concept.
• If you are designing for a specific platform, you need to understand design conventions of the platform.
• The students were good at defending their choices. It's important to have a reason based on research, even if you change your design later because it doesn't test well.
• A defense based on their own conversations with users would have been more compelling, but no one mentioned what they observed, or knowledge of the data, as being a reason for any design choice. Effective designs aren't based on heuristics alone; you need to understand the domain, users, and usage scenarios as deeply as you can.
• If you don't take notes during a critique, it appears you don't value the input of the critic.
• I would like to do design critique for a living. Wouldn't that be fun?

Initial Thoughts on Windows 8

I haven't been a Microsoft early adopter for a few years, so I hadn't seen Windows 8 until yesterday. The jury is out, but here are some initial thoughts:

Dislike:

1. Things are a little too hidden. It's not always clear how to find familiar functions; for example, I still can't figure out how to change display settings. For a tinkerer like me, this is hard to get used to.
2. Oh, wait--there it is. "Your PC can't project to another screen". Oh, well.
3. The contextual search isn't second nature for me yet. I like the idea, but I haven't embraced it mentally yet. It requires two gestures to access (move mouse to upper corner, click the magnifying glass), which may be my barrier.

Like:

1. I do like the simplified interface (even though things are hidden). The home screen can be customized.
2. Easy upgrade process: My old apps can still be accessed in a Windows-7-like "desktop" user interface. At first I was disappointed that it appeared to be a shell on the old OS, but now I'm pleased with the compatibility.
3. App store model: The app store model has become like the Apple or Android app stores, and it's really usable and easy to install applications that are compatible with the operating system.
4. Messages I've seen so far are in plain language. I think my grandmother could've figured this out. (Yes, I know--Apple probably did it first, but MS is doing it well.)

Love:
I installed Windows 8 on a 7-year-old tablet laptop ("No!" you exclaim. "Yes!" I reply.).  Though I'm sure it's missing some wicked-cool new features that I will discover soon (oh, yeah, can't use dual monitors--yet), it's running, frankly, pretty great.

Wait...which door?

Designing for Simplicity

Good article on designing for simplicity, by Rob Tannen, on Designing for Humans:

http://www.designingforhumans.com/files/keep-it-simplestupid.pdf

Some points I found interesting:

“Research by Accenture…found that only five percent of returned products actually have a malfunction – in many cases, the buyer has simply found them too complex to set up. Another study…found that the average U.S. consumer spends only 20 minutes trying to make a device work before giving up and returning it.”

He makes a great point about automatic improvements, using the example of automobile transmission: the example shows how complexity of the gear-shifting task was moved from the user (manual transmission) to the system (automatic transmission). Technically, though, automatic transmission is much more complex a system in its design. (In other words, design of simple interfaces isn’t simple.)

“In other words, what the end-user wants isn’t simplicity per se, but a simple way to access complexity.”

When we are challenged to do things like other companies known for their simple interfaces (such as Apple), we need to remind ourselves that it’s a lot harder to do that well.