Week 12

I picked two different websites for my final week here. Each convey the same information, but in a different way. I frequent biblegateway.com to find Bible verses for various projects. There are other websites that offer the same service, but there are multiple reasons I prefer this particular site.

BibleGateway keeps their homepage incredibly clean above the fold. I love this. When I visit their site, I have one purpose, and that's to look up verses. They keep their search bar right at the top - no scrolling necessary. The only ad is a subtle strip below that (until further down the page).

Christianity.com has a very similar page.

At first glance, it seems there really is little difference between their page and BibleGateway's. But there's an ad right at the top (the huge call to action is always annoying when it leads to another site). Then a pop-up shows up (I don't care what site I'm on - I immediately get irritate when there's any kind of pop-up). Upon further investigation, the choices of Bible versions in which to look up verses is also very limited compared to BibleGateway.

It's amazing how little it takes to produce negative feelings when visiting a website, but this is a perfect example. The ads alone are enough to turn me off, then with fewer search options too, I go straight back to BibleGateway.

I think this observation could be very valuable for a designer as choices are made to building solutions. Quite often it's the little things that either turn off users, or make them happy.

Week 11

Last week I shared a couple sites relating to a videogame that I play. This week, I'm going to share about two different controllers that I use for my games. I have a Nintendo Switch, and have two different controllers. One is Nintendo brand, and the other is an "off brand," Beboncool, which is compatible with the Switch gaming console.

At first glance, they look practically the same. But after using both, I can say with confidence that they are not. No surprise, I prefer the Nintendo name brand controller. It is heavier/sturdier, the buttons are arranged more like the original controller for the Switch, the battery charge lasts longer, and it is much more intuitive to subtle finger movements during play.

There is nothing wrong with the Beboncool, and it makes a great backup. But it's not as user friendly. It won't turn on the console like the Nintendo one will (I have to get up, go walk to my television, and turn it on), the charge doesn't last nearly as long, and the buttons are not as sensitive/intuitive.

Like many times, going with something other than a name brand can have its downside. Of course, these items are generally cheaper... which is why I have the Beboncool. Again, there's nothing wrong with it, but Nintendo is definitely more concerned about the user experience. In this case, you pay for quality... but the quality is worth it.

Week 10

I'm not a "gamer" in the strictest sense, but I do enjoy a few videogames on my Nintendo Switch. A game called Animal Crossing recently came out for the Switch, and it's been great fun. One of the things I can do is create hybrid flowers from other flowers that I plant, depending on the type and color. In order to come up with the hybrids I wanted, I searched for some kind of guide online. Of course, there were many. I came across this particular article. It explains each individual type of flower, listing the color combinations to achieve he hybrid colors.

It was a bit of a pain whenever I wanted to remember which colors to combine, since I had to scroll down through the article and pictures each time. I later found this article on another site, that included this chart:

So much simpler! I could save the image if I wanted, and no more having to scroll through an entire article and hunt to refresh my memory. It struck me that this was much more user friendly. Sure, the first article I had found was helpful, albeit a bit long-winded, but this second one was easier to use. Whoever made the chart was thinking of actual users like me, who might frequently need to just glance at it in order to keep playing the game - rather than searching through a whole article time and time again.

Two articles giving the same information can be so different, as proven just by this one example. Once again, it comes down to thinking of the user and meeting their needs.

Week 9

This week, I decided to use something printed for my example(s). I utilize a small wall calendar in my home on a daily basis. Someone usually buys me one each year, so I'm always surprised by the designs.

Last year I was given a yoga kitty calendar. Besides how cute it was, it was also very useful, as each day had a clear square in which I could write (please pardon my marks). This year, I received a Star Wars themed one. While the design itself is cool, the practicality isn't as well done. Because of a background image/texture, not only do I need to make sure my own handwriting is seen, but the print for holidays etc. is, in some places, barely legible.

The problem has occurred at the graphic design level. Someone in the original process was not thinking about usability when they picked that kind of background. Instead, they chose aesthetics. That might be fine with some people, but I find it rather inconvenient, and I can't imagine a company actually wanting holidays etc. to be that hard to read. While the design is cool, they could have maintained a cleaner look for the calendar squares themselves, while still having vibrant pictures on the top.

If I simply utilized my small wall calendar to know which day it was, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it. But because I actually use it, I took into consideration more aspects. It makes me think, yet again, about always putting oneself in the user's shoes.


(Yes, I posted something to do with Star Wars on "May the 4th". Believe it or not, I didn't even realize it until after the fact!)

Week 8

This past week, I wanted to listen to a radio station online through my phone - which is something I don't normally do. I googled Star 104.5 and found a direct link to their "Listen Live" page on their website. After arriving, I saw 2 "Listen" buttons. I thought the one at the top was part of the banner, so I clicked on the second one... which downloaded the image to my phone. (What?!) I was instantly displeased and frustrated after having only been there for a matter of seconds. What I didn't realize until later was that part of their page was simply slow to load, so I wasn't seeing everything I needed to at first. Regardless, when I finally clicked the correct button, it did play, but I couldn't close that screen or else it would stop playing. It had an annoying little pop-up screen, and a mandatory commercial that played first.

I decided to try Sweet 98.5 instead. I searched the same way, found their listening page which had a big screen at the top and a play button - with very little else on the page, making it instantly obvious what actions were needed. Whew! All I had to do was click that, and I was listening to their station. Not only that, but I could close the screen and go to someone else, and still continue listening.

Both radio stations provide the same kind of service, but Sweet 98.5 has streamlined the process and it is much more user friendly.

(I found out later that I could close the screen while listening to 104.5 (and then I was only seeing 1 "Listen" button, but by then I already had such a negative impression that I didn't want to go back.)

Week 7

I recently had a bad experience with an instant messaging app, so I thought I would share that - and the solution - this week. (I didn't include screenshots for privacy sake.)

A good friend of mine and I chat online nearly every day. We use both our smartphones and computers, so we wanted an app with which we could seamlessly carry on our conversation(s). For a long time, we've been using Skype. We've been able to chat via text or video, and exchange pictures/files. Recently though, we started not receiving each other's messages. This was huge for us, since we get concerned if we don't hear from one another. This went on for a while, and we finally decided it was time for a change. That's when we found WhatsApp.

I wasn't super thrilled that it's owned by Facebook, but we thought we'd give it a try. Both of us love it! We can use it on both our smartphones and computers just like we want, and we can carry on text or video conversations. We can also transfer files just as easily as we could before. The benefit to switching wasn't just limited to ensuring our messages were received though. Through the smartphone app, the conversation background can be changed to a photo of the user's choosing, the notification sound may be customized, and new messages may show up on the lock screen and even be replied to without having to unlock the phone - none of those features were offered with Skype.

Most messaging apps are all pretty much the same. You make sure your contact has the same app, you start a conversation, type, send, and that's it. But it's the little things that make a difference. Even ignoring the fact that Skype wasn't sending/receiving messages like it should, the "bonuses" of WhatsApp make it an even more pleasant experience. I recognize that simple features can make or break an app.

Week 6

I seem to have a thing about how containers are designed. Lotion bottles are no exception.

When considering lotion, I've experienced an array of cap designs, and the most frustrating is probably the most common. I'm not sure why since it makes little sense, but it's probably a matter of what is most affordable.

This is one of those frustrating - yet common - caps.

It's a basic screw-on lid that works perfectly fine to open and close a bottle. However, when considering the contents, that's when it doesn't make sense. After squirting lotion into my hand, I'm faced with the dilemma of putting the cap back on, while I have the contents in my palm. If the lotion is thick it's not too hard, but if it's runny, I wind up with lotion either on the bottle, or dripping onto my clothing.

Here's the kind of cap that I like.

This is a flip-top that is brilliant. I can flip the top open, squirt lotion into my hand, and close the bottle again easily with one hand. No lotion on the bottle or on my clothes.

Obviously in the great scheme of life, this is a pretty trivial thing. But when considering design and user experience, it becomes a bigger issue - one of ultimately pleasing the user (or not).

Week 5

After a couple frustrating online shopping experiences this past week, I took advantage and decided to use them for this week's blog post.

My frustration came when searching for some items on target.com. This screenshot isn't the item I was looking for, but it shows a product page on their website.

What gets me every time I try to shop online from their store is figuring out whether or not something is orderable. You'd think this would be clear. But time and time again, I've been confused as to whether an item can be shipped or not, or picked up in a local store or not. Their buttons are unclear, and there are extra steps to figure out if something will ship to me at my zip code - or not. The above item says it's not available at all, but it was still in their list of water bottles without notice of this until reaching the actual product page - all that does is frustrate me.

Here's a screenshot of a product at walmart.com.

They have the same kind of setup as Target, but theirs always seem to be much clearer as far as what I can order online, or what I have to go pick up instead. Sometimes I'm frustrated when an item can't be shipped, but I have not had nearly the same trouble understanding what can or can't be done, as I have with Target.

Target's website needs different prompts or notices to help customers understand exactly what possibilities (or constraints) there are. In my opinion, Walmart has done a better job with their online store.

Week 4

I recently got a new electric toothbrush, and it wound up being a great example for this week. Here's my old one.

It's a Philips Sonicare - which was the first electric toothbrush I'd ever tried. Because I had no other experience, I thought it was basically the same as most other electric toothbrushes... but I was wrong. This brush was 1) very heavy, 2) big to hold, and 3) hard to clean. Where I live, we have very hard water, so each time I used the brush, I would need to unscrew the head, which had some mechanics in it, and rinse and dry it separately. If I didn't, water would get inside, form calcium deposits, grime and whatever else, making it nasty. Also, the handle fit into a charging base where water/grime could also collect. Eventually it quit charging so I explored some other options.

Here's my new one.

It's an AquaSonic. From the pictures online where I ordered it, it appeared to be about the same size as my Sonicare. Boy was I wrong. This brush has a much smaller diameter, it weighs about half of what my old one did, and it's super easy to keep clean. The designers of this brush were really thinking about the users. (Another perk is it has several different settings.) As far as cleaning, this head simply pops straight off, I can wipe it down and pop it back on - there's nowhere for water to collect. It also sets on a peg to charge, which means there is nowhere for water/grime to form.

I'm really enjoying my new AquaSonic brush, and can really see how the difference in design makes a difference to me, the user. 

Week 3

This week, I picked 2 of the apps I use to watch movies or shows. Since I don't have internet access other than on my phone, I use several mobile apps almost daily to watch tv shows or movies.

The first one is Netflix.

What I like the most about this is that the home screen has everything I want, right there. I'm often in the middle of a series, and so having the Continue Watching category right at the top is super handy for me. After the come more categories, of course, which I often browse for something new. In each category I can scroll to the right to see all that's listed there. No extra steps.

The second app I chose is Hulu.

I don't use this nearly as much, and I think a lot of it simply has to do with interface. I just don't like it as well. The Keep Watching is there, but I have to tap on it to get to the shows I've been watching, rather than having it available right at the start. The home screen shows whatever is popular (I think?) but it's just one long strip that scrolls up or down and I get tired of looking through it (since one show/movie takes up almost the entire screen) - versus Netflix, which I think is much better organized.

I still use both apps, but I think the designers of the Netflix mobile app have organized things in a more efficient manner.

Week 2

Considering some of the more recent objects with which I've interacted, I'm going to pick on a couple different bottles this week. Each is a bottle with a different kind of cap.This one is my daily vitamin bottle:

Honestly I didn't think much of it until recently. It has a "push and turn" type lid, which normally isn't a problem at all. However, about two weeks ago I was in a car accident. I received some pretty good impact from the seat belt, leaving my sternum very, very sore. I never knew how many everyday actions require those thin chest muscles... including motions like pressing something together... like a push and turn lid. That first day, I didn't think I was going to be able to take my vitamins at all, and I started to hate this type of lid. Of course, we all know the reason they make the lids this way - so youngsters find it harder to get into the bottles. But here's a bottle with a much easier design for adult fingers:

This was some medication I was given to manage my pain after the accident. Instead of having to push down the entire lid, all I had to do was press the little plastic "lever" with my thumb. It took far less strength overall, didn't create a horrible grinding noise if I wasn't pressing hard enough, and it still served it's purpose of being "hard" for youngster fingers to open.

Now that I am being more intentional about really looking at design as a whole, I'm starting to compare things like these - the design of which I never actually paid attention to before. It's making me realize that one can't be flippant about design. Everything has to be thought through.

Week 1

This blog is to be used weekly for my Bellevue University course, GD332-T301 Interactivity Basics (2205-1). I am to provide pictures and talk about my user experiences - one good and one bad each week.


Course instructions for this ongoing assignment:

...record each week (during weeks 2–11) an example of good UX and an example of bad UX. You need to take pictures or screen shots of the products or experience and describe what makes it good or bad. Don't just use UI or apps for your examples. Organize and label your content so we know which week it was posted.

Once you have your blog created - please go to the UX Journal - blog links forum found below and add your name and URL to the list. Please use the "insert file" tool (looks like a paper clip) for your URL.

Each post is worth 10 points and is due by the end of day on the Sunday of that week. Obviously since this will be outside of Blackboard - comments are not necessary.

Please take some time and see what each of your classmates are finding.