“How humans perceive color depends on the interplay of three elements: the nature of light, the reflective properties of an object, and the ways in which our retina and visual cortex process light waves. Regardless of what medium we work in — be it paint, print, or the Web — our ability to effectively use color depends on these processes.”

“On the web, a blurb is a line or short paragraph (20-50 words) that evaluates (or at least summarizes) what the reader will find at the other end of a link. A good blurb should inform, not tease. Usability testing will help you determine the best way to lay out your blurbs, but this document will help you write the content.”

“Java never ran as smoothly on PCs as Microsoft-haters hoped. Buggy versions of the Java engine in Netscape and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, the difficulty of writing a good user interface in Java, and Microsoft’s efforts to deflect the threat of platform-independent software all contributed. Consequently, only a limited number of PC programs were written in Java. The current wisdom: Java is a great language for application and database servers, where it’s terrific at integrating functions across several different computers, but it’s dead on the desktop. Which makes the current renaissance of Java programming for the PC all the more surprising.”

“Unisys Corporation today issued a public apology for the many human inconveniences resulting from its invention of UNIVAC I, the world’s first commercial computer, introduced on June 14, 1951.” Funny.

“Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) have become the user interface of choice. Yet despite the GUI’s popularity, surprisingly few programs exhibit good interface design. Moreover, finding information explaining what constitutes a good and intuitive interface is exceedingly difficult. In this article, I describe the basic rules for all good interfaces — the cardinal dos and don’ts.”

“Designing good road signage can’t be easy. How much do you tell drivers? How soon? In words or with diagrams? The trouble is that signs are specified by engineers who know exactly how an intersection is supposed to work. If it’s a big interchange, they’ve spent months working out exactly how vehicles should flow from all the entrances to all the exits. The designers could drive through the interchange with no signs at all to guide them, and that’s the problem. Nobody can give them the priceless gift of ignorance; they can’t see what ordinary drivers will see when the interchange opens to traffic.”

“Memory “illusions” may result from the basic human need to make sense out of events. A series of experiments has provided the first scientific evidence that when people see effects (a student toppling onto the floor) without also seeing its cause (a student leaning back in a chair), they automatically “fill in the blank” with that probable cause — even if they haven’t actually seen it with their own two eyes… Because memory for pictures tends to be very accurate and robust, the experiments used pictorial stimuli, not the more typically studied text stimuli, as a more rigorous test of the error. What’s more, ‘we put a lot of confidence in things that we have seen with our own eyes,’ says Reinitz, ’so applications to real-world situations are probably more varied and interesting than would be the case if we used text.’”

“In web-speak, a wireframe is a skeletal rendering of every click-through possibility on your site — a text-only ‘action,’ ‘decision’ or ‘experience’ model. Its purpose is to maintain the flow of your specific logical and business functions by identifying all the entry and exit points your users will experience on every page of your site. The goal is to ensure your needs and the needs of your visitors will be met effectively in the resulting website.”

“Anyone with more than a passing interest in issues of GUI design will profit from reading GUI Bloopers: Don’ts and Do’s for Software Developers and Web Designers, by Jeff Johnson. Like the classic works by Edward Tufte, Johnson illustrates deep principles using concrete examples.”

“The complete set of 50 passenger/pedestrian symbols developed by AIGA is now available on the web, free of charge. Signs are available in EPS and GIF formats. This system of 50 symbol signs was designed for use at the crossroads of modern life: in airports and other transportation hubs and at large international events. Produced through a collaboration between the AIGA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, they are an example of how public-minded designers can address a universal communication need.”

“Google’s Image Search is the most comprehensive on the Web, with more than 150 million images indexed and available for viewing. To use image search, go to the advanced search page and enter a query in the image search box, then click on the ‘Search’ button. You’ll see up to 20 thumbnail images on the results page. Just click the thumbnail to see a larger version of the image, as well as the web page on which the image is located.”

“Alan Cooper, known as the ‘Father of Visual Basic’ and the author of The Inmates are Running the Asylum, is one of the keynote speakers at the InfoWorld CTO Forum this week in San Francisco. His firm, Cooper Interaction Design, innovates and improves software and interactive products. In an interview with InfoWorld Editor in Chief Michael Vizard, Cooper talks about what ails the industry today and what it should do — including abandoning browser technology — to reinvigorate itself.”

“A true science of data visualizations requires both a theory of perception and of computer graphics. However, visualization designers have paid relatively little attention to perceptual issues. In this article, I outline how knowledge of human visual perception and physiology can lead to more effective visualizations. Bertin’s (1983) Image Theory, the only comprehensive perceptual theory in the visualization literature, will serve as the medium for the discussion. Experimental vision research grounds Image Theory in ‘first-principles’ and suggests corrections, modifications and extensions. The resulting updated version of Image Theory can serve as a guide to visualization design.”

“The Dalai Lama once said that simplicity is the key to happiness in the modern world. This philosophy can be adapted into the realm of web design and digital interface design. The expressions ‘Keep it simple, stupid,’ ‘Kill your darlings’ and ‘Less is more’ all pinpoint the fact that simplicity is important. Simplicity lasts. Simplicity is necessary in order to properly convey any idea.”

“The Dalai Lama once said that simplicity is the key to happiness in the modern world. This philosophy can be adapted into the realm of web design and digital interface design. The expressions ‘Keep it simple, stupid,’ ‘Kill your darlings’ and ‘Less is more’ all pinpoint the fact that simplicity is important. Simplicity lasts. Simplicity is necessary in order to properly convey any idea.”