Web applications live in this strange world, half application, half web site. Something as simple as making a command look like a command, becomes difficult quickly. Do you make it a button? Should it be a link? Visual design problems affect an application’s success in a variety of ways. In the mildest form, they slow [...]

What is Seductive Interaction Design? More and more, we’re seeing web sites use rewards systems, competitions, and fun progress indicators to get people engaged. Interactions such as these trigger different elements of human behavior and encourage your visitors to engage with your web site more. They differentiate the casual glance from a longer involvement with [...]

Here’s one way to try to get married: Go to a singles’ bar, walk up to every eligible candidate, stick out your hand, and ask, “Will you marry me?” Visit enough bars, talk to enough potential spouses, and, eventually, someone will say yes. At least that’s the theory behind the method. Interestingly, many web-based applications [...]

In our next UIE Virtual Seminar, Wednesday, September 9 (09/09/09!), Bill DeRouchey shows you examples of how to tackle this question – What is the essence of your product? Interaction with a product is more than how it’s used or how it behaves. It’s about a connection between two sides. One side is the customer, [...]

On Tuesday, April 14, we’ve got one of our most popular presentations from the last UI Conference, and one of our most popular presenters in Scott Berkun. Scott will ask the following: How often do you celebrate failures? Yes, you heard that right. Most shun failure, but in the right environment, you can get past [...]

UIE’s Virtual Seminar on February 11 is sure to be a special treat for you.  Ginny Redish, author of the book Letting Go of the Words, will talk with us about Writing Web Content that Works. We love Ginny’s book and recommend it to all of our clients. This is going to be a great [...]

UIEtips 5/03/07: The Problem of Dirty Data Gerry McGovern explains how many organizations fail to focus on what’s most important to a site’s success: the site’s ability to help users complete key tasks.

Ashley McKee points out a few simple ways to create loyal customers.

Ashley McKee looks at an article by Seth Godin that points out the benefits of interactive marketing.

“Made to Stick” authors Chip and Dan Heath touch upon a common mistake we see in our work: When design teams focus on satisfying the needs of everyone, they often fail to entice the people who actually matter, the target audience.