 | American Psychological Association | |
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 | Usability Professionals Association | |
 | Human Factors & Ergonomics Society | |
HCI Books for Hardware and SoftwareThe books described here are relevant to Human Factors Design and are available from Amazon. Please let us know if you would like to suggest additional titles.
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Because of overlapping subject matter, some books may be represented more than once. The books listed here are roughly divided into the following categories:
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by Jeremy Sydik
November 5, 2007
It's not a one-browser web anymore. You need to reach audiences that use cell phones, PDAs, game consoles, or other "alternative" browsers, as well as users with disabilities. Legal requirements for assistive technologies as well as a wide array of new browsing experiences means you need to concentrate on semantics, alternate access paths, and progressive enhancement. Give your audience the power to interact with your content on their own terms. It's the right thing to do, and with a $100 billion a year market for accessible content, new laws and new technologies, you can't afford to ignore accessibility. With this book, you'll learn basic principles and techniques for developing accessible HTML, audio, video, and multimedia content. In addition, you will understand how to apply the principles you learn in this book to new technologies when they emerge.
by Donald A. Norman
November 2007
From best-selling author Donald A. Norman, the long-awaited sequel to The Design of Everyday Things: a critical look at the new dawn of "smart" technology, from smooth-talking GPS units to cantankerous refrigerators. Donald A. Norman, a popular design consultant to car manufacturers, computer companies, and other industrial and design outfits, has seen the future and is worried. In this long-awaited follow-up to The Design of Everyday Things, he points out what's going wrong with the wave of products just coming on the market and some that are on drawing boards everywhere--from "smart" cars and homes that seek to anticipate a user's every need, to the latest automatic navigational systems. Norman builds on this critique to offer a consumer-oriented theory of natural human-machine interaction that can be put into practice by the engineers and industrial designers of tomorrow's thinking machines. This is a consumer-oriented look at the perils and promise of the smart objects of the future, and a cautionary tale for designers of these objects--many of which are already in use or development.
by Robert Hoekman
March 27, 2008
The trick to great design is knowing how to think through each decision so that users don't have to. In The Obvious Interface, Robert Hoekman, author of Designing the Obvious, presents over 30 stories that illustrate how to put good design principles to work on real-world web application interfaces to make them obvious and compelling. From the first impression to the last, Hoekman takes a think out loud approach to interface design to show us how to look critically at design decisions to ensure that human beings, the kind that make mistakes and do things we don't expect, can walk away from our software feeling productive, respected, and smart.
by James Kalbach
June 1, 2007
Thoroughly rewritten for today's web environment, this bestselling book offers a fresh look at a fundamental topic of web site development: navigation design. Amid all the changes to the Web in the past decade, and all the hype about Web 2.0 and various "rich" interactive technologies, the basic problems of creating a good web navigation system remain. Designing Web Navigation demonstrates that good navigation is not about technology-it's about the ways people find information, and how you guide them. Ideal for beginning to intermediate web designers, managers, other non-designers, and web development pros looking for another perspective, Designing Web Navigation offers basic design principles, development techniques and practical advice, with real-world examples and essential concepts seamlessly folded in. How does your web site serve your business objectives? How does it meet a user's needs? You'll learn that navigation design touches most other aspects of web site development.
by Adam Greenfield
March 10, 2006
Ubiquitous computing--almost imperceptible, but everywhere around us--is rapidly becoming a reality. How will it change us? how can we shape its emergence? Smart buildings, smart furniture, smart clothing... even smart bathtubs. networked street signs and self-describing soda cans. Gestural interfaces like those seen in Minority Report. The RFID tags now embedded in everything from credit cards to the family pet. All of these are facets of the ubiquitous computing author Adam Greenfield calls "everyware." In a series of brief, thoughtful meditations, Greenfield explains how everyware is already reshaping our lives, transforming our understanding of the cities we live in, the communities we belong to--and the way we see ourselves.
by Bill Moggridge
October 1, 2006
Digital technology has changed the way we interact with everything from the games we play to the tools we use at work. Designers of digital technology products no longer regard their job as designing a physical object--beautiful or utilitarian--but as designing our interactions with it. In Designing Interactions, award-winning designer Bill Moggridge introduces us to forty influential designers who have shaped our interaction with technology. Moggridge, designer of the first laptop computer (the GRiD Compass, 1981) and a founder of the design firm IDEO, tells us these stories from an industry insider's viewpoint, tracing the evolution of ideas from inspiration to outcome. The innovators he interviews--including Will Wright, creator of The Sims, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, and Doug Engelbart, Bill Atkinson, and others involved in the invention and development of the mouse and the desktop--have been instrumental in making a difference in the design of interactions. Their stories chart the history of entrepreneurial design development for technology. Moggridge and his interviewees discuss such questions as why a personal computer has a window in a desktop, what made Palm's handheld organizers so successful, what turns a game into a hobby, why Google is the search engine of choice, and why 30 million people in Japan choose the i-mode service for their cell phones. And Moggridge tells the story of his own design process and explains the focus on people and prototypes that has been successful at IDEO--how the needs and desires of people can inspire innovative designs and how prototyping methods are evolving for the design of digital technology.
by Jenifer Tidwell
November 21, 2005
Designing a good interface isn't easy. Users demand software that is well-behaved, good-looking, and easy to use. Your clients or managers demand originality and a short time to market. Your UI technology -- Web applications, desktop software, even mobile devices -- may give you the tools you need, but little guidance on how to use them well. UI designers over the years have refined the art of interface design, evolving many best practices and reusable ideas. If you learn these, and understand why the best user interfaces work so well, you too can design engaging and usable interfaces with less guesswork and more confidence. Designing Interfaces captures those best practices as design patterns -- solutions to common design problems, tailored to the situation at hand. Each pattern contains practical advice that you can put to use immediately, plus a variety of examples illustrated in full color. You'll get recommendations, design alternatives, and warnings on when not to use them.
by Dan Saffer
July 18, 2006
Explore the new design discipline that is behind such products as the iPod and innovative Web sites like Flicer. While other books on this subject are either aimed at more seasoned practitioners or else are too focused on a particular medium like software, this guide will take a more holistic approach to the discipline, looking at interaction design for the Web, software, and devices. It is the only interaction design book that is coming from a designers point of view rather than that of an engineer. This much-needed guide is more than just a how-to manual. It covers interaction design fundamentals, approaches to designing, design research, and more, and spans all mediums-Internet, software, and devices. Even robots! Filled with tips, real-world projects, and interviews, you'll get a solid grounding in everything you need to successfully tackle interaction design.
by Fang Chen
November 17, 2005
Designing Human Interface in Speech Technology bridges a gap between the needs of the technical engineer and cognitive researchers working in the multidisciplinary area of speech technology applications. The approach is systematic and the focus is on the utility of developing and designing speech related products. Included is coverage of topics such as neuroscience on the multimodal cortex, cognitive theories on multi-task performance, stress and workload, as well as human information process theory and ecological interface design theory for evaluating speech-related human-system interfaces. Of special emphasis are topics such as spoken dialogue system design, in-vehicle communication system design and speech technology in military applications. Also included are tools on how to analyze the design, different design theories and process, methods about how to understand users. The material systematically describes the user-center design process and usability evaluation methods. Designing Human Interface in Speech Technology is appropriate for designers, engineers, and decision makers working in the area of speech technology research. It is also a good text book for senior university students and postgraduate students in the respective interaction design areas.
by Patrick W. Jordan
August 22, 2002
Human factors considerations are increasingly being incorporated into the product design process. Users are seen more as being important factors in the overall look and usability of products than just as passive users. We are now treated as cognitive and physical components of the person/product system. The author, who is one of the leading lights in the field of cognitive ergonomics, looks at approaches that assume that if a task can be accomplished with a reasonable degree of efficiency and within acceptable levels of comfort, then the product can be seen as fitting to the user. In this book it is argued that in practice these approaches can be dehumanizing. People are more than merely physical and cognitive processors. They have hopes, fears, dreams, values and aspirations, indeed these are the very things that make us human. Designing Pleasurable Products looks both at and beyond usability, considering how products can appeal to use holistically, leading to products that are a joy to own.
Barbara Ballard April 20, 2007
Mobile and wireless application design is complex and challenging. Selecting an application technology and designing a mobile application require an understanding of the benefits, costs, context, and restrictions of the development company, end user, target device, and industry structure. Designing the Mobile User Experience provides the experienced product development professional with an understanding of the users, technologies, devices, design principles, techniques and industry players unique to the mobile and wireless space. Barbara Ballard describes the different components affecting the user experience and principles applicable to the mobile environment, enabling the reader to choose effective technologies, platforms, and devices, plan appropriate application features, apply pervasive design patterns, and choose and apply appropriate research techniques. Designing the Mobile User Experience: - Provides a comprehensive guide to the mobile user experience, offering guidance to help make appropriate product development and design decisions. - Gives product development professionals the tools necessary to understand development in the mobile environment. - Clarifies the components affecting the user experience and principles uniquely applicable to the mobile application field. - Explores industry structure and power dynamics, providing insight into how mobile technologies and platforms become available on current and future phones. - Provides user interface design patterns, design resources, and user research methods for mobile user interface design. - Illustrates concepts with example photographs, explanatory tables and charts, and an example application. Designing the Mobile User Experience is an invaluable resource for information architects, user experience planners and designers, interaction designers, human factors specialists, ergonomists, product marketing specialists, and brand managers. Managers and directors within organizations entering the mobile space, advanced students, partnership managers, software architects, solution architects, development managers, graphic designers, visual designers, and interface designers will also find this to be an excellent guide to the topic.
by Robert Hoekman Jr.
October 12, 2006
Designing the Obvious belongs in the toolbox of every person charged with the design and development of Web-based software, from the CEO to the programming team. Designing the Obvious explores the character traits of great Web applications and uses them as guiding principles of application design so the end result of every project instills customer satisfaction and loyalty. These principles include building only whats necessary, getting users up to speed quickly, preventing and handling errors, and designing for the activity. Designing the Obvious does not offer a one-size-fits-all development process--in fact, it lets you use whatever process you like. Instead, it offers practical advice about how to achieve the qualities of great Web-based applications and consistently and successfully reproduce them.
by Jonathan Arnowitz, Michael Arent, and Nevin Berger
December 12, 2006
There are many steps in the development of successful software projects, but one major key is prototyping: rapid, effective methods for testing and refining designs. Effective prototyping can be remarkably simple, yet provide powerful results without delaying the project. Indeed, effective prototyping is often the key to faster development. Up to now, there has been no single source for how it is done. But here, in this comprehensive book, Jonathan Arnowitz, Michael Arent, and Nevin Berger explain all in this essential guide to software prototyping. Everything you ever wanted to know, but had no idea who to ask. --Don Norman, Nielsen Norman Group & Northwestern University, Author of Emotional Design Artists sketch before they paint; writers produce outlines and drafts; architects make drawings and models; aircraft designers take models to their windtunnels-all these activities are forms of prototyping. Designing and building effective software requires deep understanding, and this requires effective prototyping, but most software designers and developers don't seem to know the full range of available tools, techniques, and processes. Effective Prototyping is written by steadfast and reliable guides who cover prototyping techniques in remarkable depth. This book is a thorough guide to prototyping for both newcomers and the experienced. It will take you step by step as well as explain the purpose of each step.
by Jesse James Garrett
October 11, 2002
Steve Krug, Author of Don't Make Me Think! "Garrett has finally expanded his famous diagram into a book that clarifies the entire jumbled field of user experience design."
by Thomas Erickson (Editor), David W. McDonald (Editor)
January 31, 2008
Over almost three decades, the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) has produced a rich and varied literature. Although the focus of attention today is naturally on new work, older contributions that played a role in shaping the trajectory and character of the field have much to tell us. The contributors to HCI Remixed were asked to reflect on a single work at least ten years old that influenced their approach to HCI. The result is this collection of fifty-one short, engaging, and idiosyncratic essays, reflections on a range of works in a variety of forms that chart the emergence of a new field. An article, a demo, a book: any of these can solve a problem, demonstrate the usefulness of a new method, or prompt a shift in perspective. HCI Remixed offers us glimpses of how this comes about. The contributors consider such HCI classics as Sutherland's Sketchpad, Englebart's demo of NLS, and Fitts on Fitts' Law--and such forgotten gems as Pulfer's NRC Music Machine, and Galloway and Rabinowitz's Hole in Space. Others reflect on works somewhere in between classic and forgotten--Kidd's "The Marks Are on the Knowledge Worker," King Beach's "Becoming a Bartender," and others. Some contributors turn to works in neighboring disciplines--Henry Dreyfuss's book on industrial design, for example--and some range farther afield, to Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis and Jane Jacobs's The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Taken together, the essays offer an accessible, lively, and engaging introduction to HCI research that reflects the diversity of the field's beginnings.
by Sandra F. Mendler, William Odell, Mary Ann Lazarus
November 29, 2005
The practical reference guide on the integration of sustainable, high performance design covers major sustainability issues on an introductory level. Newly updated, this edition emphasizes the project process, cost implications, case studies, and lessons learned from HOK's wide range of project experiences. You'll find: Coverage of issues and design strategies related to site planning and design, energy and water conservation, materials selection and specification, and interior environmental quality. Concise checklists of issues to consider at each stage of the design process, accompanied by detailed how-to guidance. New chapters on post occupancy evaluations and greening your practice. A detailed glossary of terms.
by Peter L. T. Pirolli
January 31, 2007
Much of the hubris and hyperbole surrounding the 1990s internet has softened to a reasonable level, but the momentum of information growth continues unabated. Although this wealth of information provides resources for dealing with the problems posed by our increasingly complex world, the availability of more information does not guarantee that it can be successfully transformed into valuable knowledge that shapes, guides, and improves our lives. When we try to use traditional research models to analyze what people do to make sense of the huge amount of information available on the web, they tell us a lot about learning and performance with browser operations, but very little about how people will actively navigate and search through information structures, what information they will choose to consume, and what conceptual models they will form about the landscape of cyberspace. Thus, it is fortunate that there is a new field of research, Adaptive Information Interaction (AII), that centers on the problems of understanding and improving human-information interaction. AII is about how people will best shape themselves to their information environments, and how information environments can best be shaped to people. Its roots lie in human-computer interaction (HCI), information retrieval, and the behavioral and social sciences. This book is about Information Foraging Theory (IFT), a new theory in Adaptive Information Interaction. Information Foraging Theory is one example of a recent flourish of theories in adaptationist psychology that draw upon evolutionary-ecological theory in biology. IFT assumes that people (indeed, all organisms) are ecologically rational, and that human information-seeking mechanisms and strategies adapt the structure of the information environments in which they operate. Its main aim is to create technology that is better shaped to users. The volume will be of interest to those in HCI and cognitive psychology.
by Helen Sharp, Yvonne Rogers, Jenny Preece
March 23, 2007
"The best basis around for user-centered interaction design, both as a primer for students as an introduction to the field, and as a resource for research practitioners to fall back on. It should be labelled 'start here'." -Pieter Jan Stappers, ID-StudioLab, Delft University of Technology In the field of Interaction Design one book stands out, a book that has established itself at the core of the field. With this new edition, the authors have successfully strengthened that position. The new structure and content makes the book highly relevant and needed in the field. Anyone who wants to learn about the basics of interaction design should make this book their first stop!" -Erik Stolterman, Ph.D., Indiana University, USA This new edition of Interaction Design is a welcome and timely support for those of us teaching and researching in the field. It fills in the gaps that were emerging in the first edition as new interactive technologies become available and older ones change so much. I value this text for the way it is so grounded in real examples and actual human practices, and for its strong design focus. It is a most useful and usable book. -Dr Toni Robertson, Interaction Design and Work Practice Lab, University of Technology, Sydney
by Ken Pugh
June 1, 2006
Interface Oriented Design focuses on an important, but often neglected, aspect of object-oriented design. You'll learn by pragmatic example how to create effective designs composed of interfaces to objects, components and services. You'll see techniques for breaking down solutions into interfaces and then determining appropriate implementation of those interfaces to create a well structured, robust, working program. Interface Oriented Design explores how to develop robust, reliable software as a collection of interfaces that interact with each other. You'll learn what polymorphism and encapsulation really mean, and how to use these ideas more effectively. See how to create better interfaces using agile development techniques, and learn the subtle differences between implementing an interface and inheriting an implementation. Take a fresh, modern view of Design By Contract and class responsibilities. Understand the basis of a service-oriented architecture, including stateful versus stateless interfaces, procedural versus document models, and synchronous versus asynchronous invocations.
by Stephen Few
January 24, 2006
Dashboards have become popular in recent years as uniquely powerful tools for communicating important information at a glance. Although dashboards are potentially powerful, this potential is rarely realized. The greatest display technology in the world won't solve this if you fail to use effective visual design. And if a dashboard fails to tell you precisely what you need to know in an instant, you'll never use it, even if it's filled with cute gauges, meters, and traffic lights. Don't let your investment in dashboard technology go to waste. This book will teach you the visual design skills you need to create dashboards that communicate clearly, rapidly, and compellingly. Information Dashboard Design will explain how to: - Avoid the thirteen mistakes common to dashboard design - Provide viewers with the information they need quickly and clearly - Apply what we now know about visual perception to the visual presentation of information - Minimize distractions, cliches, and unnecessary embellishments that create confusion - Organize business information to support meaning and usability - Create an aesthetically pleasing viewing experience - Maintain consistency of design to provide accurate interpretation - Optimize the power of dashboard technology by pairing it with visual effectiveness Stephen Few has over 20 years of experience as an IT innovator, consultant, and educator. As Principal of the consultancy Perceptual Edge, Stephen focuses on data visualization for analyzing and communicating quantitative business information. He provides consulting and training services, speaks frequently at conferences, and teaches in the MBA program at the University of California in Berkeley. He is also the author of Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten. Visit his website at www.perceptualedge.com.
by Gerry McGovern
September 2007
"Genius! Gerry McGovern gets it! If you read one book on managing a website, this is it. A must read for any web manager in any organization, large or small, government or private."-Bev Godwin, director of FirstGov.gov Written by an internationally acclaimed specialist in this field, Killer Web Content provides the strategies and practical techniques you need to get the very best out of your web content. The book helps readers to: provide visitors to their website with the right content at the right time, write compelling web content that users respond to and want more of, make sure their website has the best possible chance of getting into the first page of search results, and understand the benefits of blogs, RSS, and e-mail newsletters.
by John Maeda
August 21, 2006
In this breezy treatise, graphic designer and computer scientist Maeda proposes ten laws for simplifying complex systems in business and life-but mostly in product design. Maeda's upbeat explanations usefully break down the power of less-fewer features, fewer buttons and fewer distractions-while providing practical strategies for harnessing that power, such as SHE: "Shrink, Hide, and Embody." The first three laws, based on principles of reduction, organization and efficiency, form the foundation for increasingly complex and self-referential concepts like the importance of context and the potential for failure in simplification (by the end of the book, Maeda is chiding himself for using too many acronyms). Combined with trust and emotional engagement (laws 7 and 8), Maeda demonstrates how complex systems can become downright lovable: Maeda recalls "the Tamagocchi craze of the late 1990s... showed that anyone could fall in love with a small electronic keychain," drawing a corollary to the almighty iPod (an iconic example referred to throughout). Emphasizing the delicate balance-work involved in simplifying the complex, Maeda admits the process isn't easy, and that his ten laws don't necessarily provide all the answers-in numerous places, he directs readers to the web site where his theories continue to develop. Despite that, this slim book feels complete in itself; not only will it stimulate ideas, it will keep readers thumbing back for a second and third look at Maeda's deceptively simple advice.
by Janice (Ginny) Redish
August 21, 2006
"the book meets a major, previously unmet need of a very large audience: almost everyone who works on a web site. As Ginny points out, good writing is a critical success factor for every web site, and the really good book about how to write for the web just doesn't exist. Personally, I've been waiting for it for years, because I didn't want to write it myself." --Steve Krug, author of Dont Make Me Think! "Redish has done her homework and created a thorough overview of the issues in writing for the Web. Ironically, I must recommend that you read her every word so that you can find out why your customers won't read very many words on your website -- and what to do about it." --Jakob Nielsen, Principal, Nielsen Norman Group
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
January 2, 2007
Unabashedly inspired by Malcolm Gladwell's bestselling The Tipping Point, the brothers Heath-Chip a professor at Stanford's business school, Dan a teacher and textbook publisher-offer an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication. Drawing extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation, their study is couched in terms of "stickiness"-that is, the art of making ideas unforgettable. They start by relating the gruesome urban legend about a man who succumbs to a barroom flirtation only to wake up in a tub of ice, victim of an organ-harvesting ring. What makes such stories memorable and ensures their spread around the globe? The authors credit six key principles: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions and stories. (The initial letters spell out "success"-well, almost.) They illustrate these principles with a host of stories, some familiar (Kennedy's stirring call to "land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth" within a decade) and others very funny (Nora Ephron's anecdote of how her high school journalism teacher used a simple, embarrassing trick to teach her how not to "bury the lead"). Throughout the book, sidebars show how bland messages can be made intriguing. Fun to read and solidly researched, this book deserves a wide readership.
by Indi Young (Author), Jeff Veen (Foreword)
2008
There is no single methodology for creating the perfect product--buy you can increase your odds. One of the best ways is to understand users' reasons for doing things. Mental Models gives you the tools to help you grasp, and design for, those reasons. Adaptive Path co-founder Indi Young has written a roll-up-your-sleeves book for designers, managers, and anyone else interested in making design strategic, and successful.
by Matt Jones, Gary Marsden
February 10, 2006
Mobile Interaction Design shifts the design perspective away from the technology and concentrates on usability; in other words the book concentrates on developing interfaces and devices with a great deal of sensitivity to human needs, desires and capabilities. Presents key interaction design ideas and successes in an accessible, relevant way Exercises, case studies and study questions make this book ideal for students.Provides ideals and techniques which will enable designers to create the next generation of effective mobile applications. Critiques current mobile interaction design (bloopers) to help designers avoid pitfalls. Design challenges and worked examples are given to reinforce ideas. Discusses the new applications and gadgets requiring knowledgeable and inspired thinking about usability and design. Authors have extensive experience in mobile interaction design, research, industry and teaching.
by John Pruitt, Tamara Adlin
April 28, 2006
If you design and develop products for people, this book is for you. The Persona Lifecycle addresses the how of creating effective personas and using those personas to design products that people love. It doesnt just describe the value of personas; it offers detailed techniques and tools related to planning, creating, communicating, and using personas to create great product designs. Moreover, it provides rich examples, samples, and illustrations to imitate and model. Perhaps most importantly, it positions personas not as a panacea, but as a method used to complement other user-centered design (UCD) techniques including scenario-based design, cognitive walkthroughs and user testing. John Pruitt is the User Research Manager for the Tablet & Mobile PC Division at Microsoft Corporation. Tamara Adlin is a Customer Experience Manager at Amazon.com. For the past six years, John and Tamara have been researching and using personas, leading workshops, and teaching courses at professional conferences and universities. They developed the Persona Lifecycle model to communicate the value and practical application of personas to product design and development professionals.
by Giuseppe Iarossi
January 20, 2006
Are you in favor of financial incentives for poor countries?" If this question were asked in a survey many would be inclined to agree. Yet the result of this poll would be different if the question asked was "Are you in favor of subsidies for poor countries?" This is a simple example of how one single word, incentives or subsidies, can change the answers to virtually the same question. How we ask the question can often lead the respondent in one direction or the other. And this effect can be significant, in the order of up to 30%. Hence a skillful questionnaire designer can "demonstrate" popular support by wording the question in a way congenial to his or her desired objective. Similarly the international comparison of survey results is today a common occurrence, yet rarely survey design effects are taken into account when results are presented. So for instance underreporting will certainly be present if a question on corruption is asked by a government official. Henceforth if we wish to obtain a meaningful comparison of this phenomenon across countries we must control for this effect. If we don't China's corruption level will appear lower than Honduras', contrary to what Transparency International reports.
by Jakob Nielsen, Hoa Loranger
April 20, 2006
In 2000, Jakob Nielsen, the world's leading expert on Web usability, published a book that changed how people think about the Web-Designing Web Usability (New Riders). Many applauded. A few jeered. But everyone listened. The best-selling usability guru is back and has revisited his classic guide, joined forces with Web usability consultant Hoa Loranger, and created an updated companion book that covers the essential changes to the Web and usability today. Prioritizing Web Usability is the guide for anyone who wants to take their Web site(s) to next level and make usability a priority! Through the authors' wisdom, experience, and hundreds of real-world user tests and contemporary Web site critiques, you'll learn about site design, user experience and usability testing, navigation and search capabilities, old guidelines and prioritizing usability issues, page design and layout, content design, and more!
by Bill Buxton
March 30, 2007
"Bill Buxton and I share a common belief that design leadership together with technical leadership drives innovation. Sketching, prototyping, and design are essential parts of the process we use to create new products. Bill Buxton brings design leadership and creativity to Microsoft. Through his thought-provoking personal examples he is inspiring others to better understand the role of design in their own companies."--Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Informed design is essential. While it might seem that Bill Buxton is exaggerating or kidding with this bold assertion, neither is the case. In an impeccably argued and sumptuously illustrated book, design star Buxton convinces us that design simply must be integrated into the heart of business".--Roger Martin, Dean, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto "Design is explained, with the means and manner for successes and failures illuminated by engaging stories, true examples and personal anecdotes. In Sketching User Experiences, Bill Buxton clarifies the processes and skills of design from sketching to experience modeling, in a lively and informative style that is rich with stories and full of his own heart and enthusiasm. At the start we are lost in mountain snows and northern seas, but by the end we are equipped with a deep understanding of the tools of creative design."--Bill Moggridge, Cofounder of IDEO and author of Designing Interactions "I love this book. There are very few resources available that see across and through all of the disciplines involved in developing great experiences. This is complex stuff and Buxton's work is both informed and insightful. He shares the work in an intimate manner that engages the reader and you will find yourself nodding with agreement, and smiling at the poignant relevance of his examples."--Alistair Hamilton, Symbol Technologies, NY "Like any secret society, the design community has its strange rituals and initiation procedures. Bill opens up the mysteries of the magical process of design, taking us through a land in which story telling, orange squeezers, the Wizard of oOz, I-pods, avalanche avoidance, bicycle suspension sketching, and faking it are all points on the design pilgrims journey. There are lots of ideas and techniques in this book to feed good design and transform the way we think about creating useful stuff. "
by Wolfgang Wahlster (Editor)
April 2006
The result of four years of intensive research in a large multimodal dialogue project involving 12 partners from academia and industry, SmartKom is one of the most advanced multimodal dialogue systems worldwide and is a landmark project in the history of intelligent user interfaces. The system provides symmetric multimodality in a mixed-initiative dialogue system with an embodied conversational agent. The same software architecture and components are used in three fully operational application scenarios. The theoretical and practical foundations of SmartKom represent a new generation of multimodal dialogue systems that deal not only with simple modality integration and synchronization, but cover the full spectrum of multimodal dialogue. With contributions by leading scientists in the field, this book gives the first comprehensive overview of the results of this seminal project.
by Peter Merholz, Todd Wilkens, Brandon Schauer, David Verba
February 25, 2008
To achieve success in today's ever-changing and unpredictable markets, competitive businesses need to rethink and reframe their strategies across the board. Instead of approaching new product development from the inside out, companies have to begin by looking at the process from the outside in, beginning with the customer experience. It's a new way of thinking-and working-that can transform companies struggling to adapt to today's environment into innovative, agile, and commercially successful organizations. Companies must develop a new set of organizational competencies: qualitative customer research to better understand customer behaviors and motivations; an open design process to reframe possibilities and translate new ideas into great customer experiences; and agile technological implementation to quickly prototype ideas, getting them from the whiteboard out into the world where people can respond to them. In Subject to Change: Creating Great Products and Services for an Uncertain World, Adaptive Path, a leading experience strategy and design company, demonstrates how successful businesses can-and should-use customer experiences to inform and shape the product development process, from start to finish.
by Erik Stolterman
March 30, 2007
The authors of Thoughtful Interaction Design go beyond the usual technical concerns of usability and usefulness to consider interaction design from a design perspective. The shaping of digital artifacts is a design process that influences the form and functions of workplaces, schools, communication, and culture; the successful interaction designer must use both ethical and aesthetic judgment to create designs that are appropriate to a given environment. This book is not a how-to manual, but a collection of tools for thought about interaction design. Working with information technology -- called by the authors "the material without qualities" -- interaction designers create not a static object but a dynamic pattern of interactivity. The design vision is closely linked to context and not simply focused on the technology. The authors' action-oriented and context-dependent design theory, drawing on design theorist Donald Schön's concept of the reflective practitioner, helps designers deal with complex design challenges created by new technology and new knowledge. Their approach, based on a foundation of thoughtfulness that acknowledges the designer's responsibility not only for the functional qualities of the design product but for the ethical and aesthetic qualities as well, fills the need for a theory of interaction design that can increase and nurture design knowledge. From this perspective they address the fundamental question of what kind of knowledge an aspiring designer needs, discussing the process of design, the designer, design methods and techniques, the design product and its qualities, and conditions for interaction design.
by Steve Love
October 15, 2005
Taking a psychological perspective, this book examines the role of Human-Computer Interaction in the field of Information Systems research. The introductory section of the book covers the basic tenets of the HCI discipline, including how it developed and an overview of the various academic disciplines that contribute to HCI research. The second part of the book focuses on the application of HCI to Information Systems research, and reviews ways in which HCI techniques, methodologies and other research components have been used to date in the IS field. The third section of the book looks at the research areas where HCI has not yet been fully exploited in relation to IS, such as broadening user groups and user acceptance of technology. The final section of the book comprises of a set of guidelines for students to follow when undertaking an HCI based research project.
by Jonathan Lazar
June 18, 2007
Universal Usability is the concept of designing computer interfaces that are easy for all users to utilize. It is a concept which many decry as elusive, impossible, or impractical, but this book, which addresses usability issues for a number of diverse user groups, proves that there is no problem in interface design that cannot be solved, or at least improved upon. Individuals with cognitive, motor, and perceptual impairments, as well as older, younger, and economically disadvantaged users, face a variety of complex challenges when interacting with computers. However, with user involvement, good design practice, and thorough testing, computer interfaces can be successfully developed for any user population. This book, featuring key chapters by Human-Computer Interaction luminaries such as Jonathan Lazar, Ron Baecker, Allison Druin, Ben Shneiderman, Brad Myers and Jenny Preece, examines innovative and groundbreaking research and practice, and provides a practical overview of a number of successful projects which have addressed a need for these specific user populations. Chapters in this book address topics including age diversity, economic diversity, language diversity, visual impairment, and spinal cord injuries. Several of these trailblazing projects in the book are amongst the first to examine usability issues for users with Down Syndrome, users with Amnesia, users with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and users with Alzheimer's Disease, and coverage extends to projects where multiple categories of needs are addressed.
by Carol Righi, Janice James
April 19, 2007
As interaction design practitioners at all levels change jobs and get promoted, there are many new situations to face--many of which even a seasoned professional may not have encountered. Because with UCD there is often no one correct answer, there is a complexity with tradeoffs and solutions that require critical thinking and the application of the existing knowledge base. This book addresses this need by its method of eliciting the kind of critical thinking required, and will give readers the kind of experience they can only otherwise get with lots of time on the job.
by Steve Mulder and Ziv Yaar
August 21, 2006
How do we ensure that our Web sites actually give users what they need? What are the best ways to understand our users' goals, behaviors, and attitudes, and then turn that understanding into business results? Personas bring user research to life and make it actionable, ensuring we're making the right decisions based on the right information. This practical guide explains how to create and use personas to make your site more successful. The User Is Always Right: A Practical Guide to Creating and Using Personas takes you through each step of persona creation, including tips for conducting qualitative user research, new ways to apply quantitative research (such as surveys) to persona creation, various methods for generating persona segmentation, and proven techniques for making personas realistic. You'll also learn how to use personas effectively, from directing overall business strategy and prioritizing features and content to making detailed decisions about information architecture, content, and design.
by Eric Butow
May 9, 2007
User Interface Design for Mere Mortals takes the mystery out of designing effective interfaces for both desktop and web applications. It is recommended reading for anyone who wants to provide users of their software with interfaces that are intuitive and easy-to-use. The key to any successful application lies in providing an interface users not only enjoy interacting with but which also saves time, eliminates frustration, and gets the job done with a minimum of effort. Readers will discover the secrets of good interface design by learning how users behave and the expectations that users have of different types of interfaces. Anyone who reads User Interface Design for Mere Mortals will benefit from * Gaining an appreciation of the differences in the "look and feel" of interfaces for a variety of systems and platforms * Learning how to go about designing and creating the most appropriate interface for the application or website being developed * Becoming familiar with all the different components that make up an interface and the important role that each of those components plays in communicating with users * Understanding the business benefits that flow from good interface design such as significantly reduced support costs * Gaining invaluable insights into how users behave, including the seven stages of human interaction with computers * Working through case study based, in-depth analysis of each of the stages involved in designing a user interface * Acquiring practical knowledge about the similarities and differences between designing websites and traditional desktop applications * Learning how to define, conduct, and analyze usability testing
Recent Publications for User Interface Design Books
