“How many participants do I need for my usability test?” is a topic that has been much discussed over the years. A thought for you: “One is enoug”. It’s a slide that I used to show attendees at my ‘IntroductionContinue reading… How many participants do you need? One is enoug
Tag: usability
Listen First Ask Second
For World Usability Day, November 14 2019, I’m excited to announce the first in a series of Effortmark stickers and posters. ‘Listen First, Ask Second’ is the result of a collaboration with award-winning illustrator Julia Allum. Good design starts withContinue reading… Listen First Ask Second
Draft curriculum for ‘How to Design a Form’
Post originally published in 2019; updated in 2022 In March 2019, I was working mostly with the NHS digital standards and redesign team on their advice about patterns. This post: gave the background to the work, explained about the draftContinue reading… Draft curriculum for ‘How to Design a Form’
Doing research with people who are not users: consultation
This post is co-authored by Naintara (Tara) Land, formerly Head of User Research for the UK Government Digital Service (the people behind GOV.UK). User research is central to our work in User Experience: doing research to find out about ourContinue reading… Doing research with people who are not users: consultation
“Interfaces include people” at SACon 16
Interfaces have always been areas of peril in software development. In this presentation to the 2016 O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference in London, I wanted to challenge teams to include interfaces with people – and maybe even with paper – in their notions of whereContinue reading… “Interfaces include people” at SACon 16
The next big thing in user experience – putting people first
In the June 2016 edition, UX Matters asked its expert panel what they see as the next big thing in user experience. Here’s my contribution. User experience seems to go in cycles. When I first started working in what we now callContinue reading… The next big thing in user experience – putting people first
Design patterns in government – 2016
How can we design at scale? That’s the challenge that I’m working on with Tim Paul at the Government Digital Service. When Tim first started working at GDS, the designers could fit into a room and sharing was easy. Now we’veContinue reading… Design patterns in government – 2016
Forms workshop for ConCon Manchester 2016
This forms workshop was my first opportunity to contribute to ConCon – a conference for content designers from across government. The differing perspectives of content designers working on GOV.UK and those working within services generated lively discussion during my forms workshop and throughout the conference.Continue reading… Forms workshop for ConCon Manchester 2016
Because the light bulb has to want to change
Sometime in 2011, Steve Krug and I were chatting about a puzzling challenge in usability: the agreed but unfixed problem. ‘Agreed problems’ are ones that clients are fully aware of and agree need to be fixed. ‘Unfixed problems’ are onesContinue reading… Because the light bulb has to want to change
Form design and usability – an interview in the UX review
“Whose work should you be checking out if you’re interested in better forms?” For me, that’s the most interesting question I was asked in a new interview on forms design and usability for theUXreview because it gave me the opportunity to share a host of linksContinue reading… Form design and usability – an interview in the UX review