Part 2: Modal Windows

View Part 1 on Mega Menus.

Modal windows, also called overlays or lightboxes, have long been used in traditional software interface design and have also made their way to the Web. They typically prevent any other action until the dialog has been dismissed. This is useful for drawing the user’s attention to an important task or decision, such as an action that can’t easily be undone. However, modal windows can easily be over-used and it’s because of this they often get a bad rap, sometimes lumped into the same category as legitimately annoying pop-under windows. But modal windows do have their place and can be put to good use for preventing error, increasing user confidence and calling attention to critical tasks. (more…)

Photo credit: Matteo Parrini via Flickr

Over the past few days I spent some time on the road. When traveling alone we often look for someone we can have a conversation with. In most cases the people we interact with most while traveling are those who are providing a service — the waitress, hotel clerk, doorman or bartender.

I had the pleasure of meeting a bartender who blew my mind. Let’s just call him Chuck, mainly because I am bad with names. He wasn’t just any bartender who stands back and flings drinks; he truly cared about those sitting in front of him, and it showed.

Chuck has a way of making you feel like you are a guest in his home. This is not a job for him, but a way for him to entertain you, as he would close friends and family in his own home. He talks to you as if you’ve been friends for years. (more…)

Part 1: Mega Menus

Browsing the Web, you may notice patterns of interaction design and development techniques rise and fall in popularity over the years. Rather than simply calling these out as trends, I thought it would be useful to examine some of the popular patterns of the day from a UX perspective. How do they stack up in terms of usability, discoverability, intuitiveness and other factors? Which sites are using them well and when does it make sense to implement them on our own sites? In a three-part series, we’ll take a took at four trending techniques in Web design today: mega menus, modal windows, progressive reveal and fixed positioning. Today’s topic is mega menus. (more…)

My monthly shoutout to the latest and greatest interactive eye candy making the rounds in cyberspace.

We are skewing a bit 18 and older this week. Be warned – some of the content below contains crude language and/or imagery of a disturbing nature. (more…)

Image Source: AllPostersImages.com

Becoming a project manager after having been an account executive has, surprisingly, been a fairly easy transition. Many skills I developed have proved useful. Here are some of the areas where there are similarities.

Sales:
Account people deliver the issues. Project managers deliver the results.

One major responsibility of account executives is to discuss, and be knowledgeable of, the amazing skills within the walls of B|G. Having that knowledge, which includes the iProcess (even in 3-D) and abilities of those way more talented than I – I’m now the one supporting each internally. (more…)

Source: someecards.com

The equation for an effective, strategic and well-executed Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program is a Holy Grail of sorts within the brand world. Done properly, CRM will produce results – in consumer engagement, rise in purchase consideration set, brand loyalty and sales lift. Those are big results. But it may take a bit of reframing to get there, since we’re conditioned (if not wired) to consider the marketing equation in a certain way – from our own perspective. (more…)

I flew, slept like a grown adult without children, ate a lot of San Francisco bay mussels, and learned that no matter the industry, in-house or consultant, in UX everyone has the same pains and joys (give or take a few luxuries those in-house kids have.) MX: Managing Experience is a conference for user experience professionals who manage teams or lead the experience design process.

While there was a lot covered, from hiring and growing teams, the concept of relationships vs. interactions being the next big thing, to building a culture of UX, the three biggest themes that came up repeatedly were “culture of complaint,” agile UX and the customer journey. If you want to check out all of the presentations from some amazing folks in the field, download them here. (more…)

Think of a car alarm. The first time you heard one going off, you probably asked yourself, “What is that noise?” Then car alarms became a little more common, you gained a better understanding of their value and, I’d hope, ran toward the alarm to help a fellow human. Fast-forward to today. Chances are if you hear a car alarm, you become annoyed and ignore it, making this once-valuable product invisible.

Being invisible can be a good thing. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of brands that people buy and use without thinking twice. They’ve become so common that they don’t have to stand out. They have become the “go-to” product for many consumers and are used without the realization that a competitive product may be better. (more…)

Photo Source: Sybren A. Stüvel (via Flickr)

With a phone, tablet or laptop in hand, we wander in and out of reality. We run around all day carrying some sort of device that allows us instant access to people and information. These devices continually taunt us to take action, while we ignore what is staring us in the face.

In my opinion, these devices cause us to be reactionary. Little by little, our ability to proactively plan our day, month or year is diminished by the non-stop buzzing emanating from our pocket. (more…)

Photo Source: orangeacid via Flickr

As kids, we’re willing to try anything. Why? Well, mainly because we don’t know any better, but more important: because we have no fear. We are unaware that there may be repercussions to actions we take. We try things because we believe we can accomplish anything we set our minds to.

Over time this fearlessness gets squashed. We become more careful. We take fewer risks. There are many reasons why this happens, and the reasons vary for each kid.

For brands or companies, it’s no different. Younger companies or brands that are new to the marketplace are more nimble and willing to try techniques that those with legacy baggage may not be willing to try. By doing so, these new companies or brands quickly become the golden child by building strong support from people who truly like what they stand for or how they represent themselves. Why? Because they are different. They are willing to take the risks other companies or brands don’t feel comfortable taking. Simply put, they stand out. (more…)