systems

It's been just almost a year since I focused my professional attention onto usability for web applications and launched this web site. I've known for about eleven-and-a-half months that, as a hybrid between a blog and a business web site, this site has significant issues. My goal was to see if I could mix my personal perspectives with a professional profile. The experiment is over and I'm not afraid to say it's a problematic mix and change is required.

What is a software application?

When we think of a software application, most of us will conjure up the image of some sort of user interface splashed across a computer screen. As far as most of us are concerned, whatever is on the screen is the software. Period.

Engineers will tend to look at it a little differently. They are of course very aware of what goes on 'behind the screen' that makes all this stuff appear as it does and do all the things it does.

Getting back to this story...

A few weeks ago I spent two and a half hours standing (literally) at the counter of the US Airway check-in counter trying to secure a ticket to San Francisco using a free travel voucher. (No the online experience just didn't work for this one. Another story.)

The last straw was the toddler ramming his stroller into the stranger's legs for the third time. The child's mother was behind a mountain of luggage filling out name tags. A slightly older sister was orbiting at high volume trying to get someone's attention. Anyone's.

It's five days to the software release date. Do you know what your icons mean?

Icon design is like an endless skirmish amongst transient zealots. I wish I had a nickel for every time I've been involved in a debate over the meaning of icons. OK, maybe a dollar.

You might wonder what is there to debate? An icon is a simple illustration of some important function. We all know a 'Print' icon when we see one. Heck, even my younger daughter knows what a 'Save' icon is - even though she's never seen a floppy disk.