Tag Archives: design

Wells Fargo ATMs: an example of usability

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It’s not only that they speak many languages. Or that you can make envelope-free deposits in them now. The single most impressive feature I’ve found on Wells Fargo ATMs recently was that they are sensitive to  your most recent (or common) transactions.

Say you normally go to the ATM to withdraw $80 for weekly meals or to deposit a check. Now, on the screen where you are prompted for your PIN, instead of only letting you enter the 4-digit number (as shown above), you are presented with that VERY option directly, so you can skip the selection process altogether which typically followed once you hit the green OK button.

Not only that, it remembers preferences such as whether you wanted or not a receipt, or whether you wanted the scanned version of any deposited checks or not… THIS is an amazing example of usability! Plus it shaves about 20-30 seconds of time at the ATM for each customer that uses this convenient feature.

Update (Jan. 31, 2011): thanks to Wells Fargo for sending a screenshot showing the above capabilities. I am even more impressed with you guys having spotted the blog post AND taken action about it!

The New Ning

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Ning just announced a new logo and a new look and functionality on Ning blog.

The new logo is very slick… a big change from the Serif-font logo they had since they started:

The new home page provides a new Discover feature that lets you find new networks by category: a departure from the Search-based approach they had before. For example, when I clicked on the “Causes” category, TuDiabetes was one of the networks listed. When I clicked on TuDiabetes, an assortment of relevant Ning-based diabetes networks appeared, which means the algorithm is doing its job.

If you click on any of the networks surrounding the network in the center, the networks around it will update accordingly, offering a new list of networks that closely match the one highlighted. Very Visual Thesaurus-ish.

I admit I still miss the Search box to allow for a broad discovery of networks, but I like the new Ning overall.

d-store: tienda temporal de diseño

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Me llena de orgullo presentarles el trabajo fruto del esfuerzo colectivo de mi cuñado Ciro Eleazar (estudiante del último año de diseño industrial), quien presenta y vende sus diseños junto a varios otros diseñadores en Mérida hasta el 24 de Diciembre.

Visita d-store:
http://d-store.com.ve

Música: Maseratti 2Lts
http://www.2litros.com

Editado por: Manuel Hernández
http://twitter.com/askmanny

Designing for the Social Web

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A great book for people needing to get their sites caught up with the social web
Joshua Porter pours his knowledge about user interface design in social media in this title. While the AOF method (Activities, Objects and Features) he presents early in the book gets a bit confusing when you first read about it, very quickly you get his point.

The design framework he presents is aimed at taking new users of a social site through the steps that make up the usage lifecycle: not being aware of the site > becoming interested in it > using the site for the first time > becoming a regular user > becoming a passionate user.

I see a practical application of Joshua’s design philosophy in the way Ning (a platform for you to create your own social network) is put together: it is easy for a new member to sign up and create/manage a profile page, interact with other members and sharing with others inside or outside the network so as to make more people aware of the network.

The main downside I found to the book was that, in an attempt to be more comprehensive, it went into certain topics that had little to do with design, such as the case with the chapter on “Authentic Conversations” (why they are the most important thing you can do for your social web site) and the closing chapter on “Funnel Analysis” which seemed a bit rushed and disconnected from the rest. Still, the chapter on authentic conversations was useful and even the one on metrics carried weight and useful tips, just not as much as the rest of the book.

Overall, “Designing For the Social Web” is a very good reference for folks needing to catch up with the social web in the sites they manage.

Why User Experience Rules!

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As I was reading the “Ten principles that contribute to a Googley user experience“, I thought I’d share a fantastic book that I read during the trip to Boston last week. It was the result of the effort of four members of the Adaptive Path crew in SF and it’s titled “Subject To Change“.

If you are into user experience design at all you MUST read this book. They do a phenomenal job at establishing a framework for the creation of products and services that are resilient in the midst of today’s changing and uncertain world. Get a copy so you can see for yourself.

An Incredible Demo Reel

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Camila, my sister-in-law, is graduating from Full Sail University this week.

As if seeing her work through days and nights to refine her textures and models wasn’t enough, today I was blown away when I saw Camila’s work come to life as a mature artist ready to take over the world of computer animation! :)

See what I mean by clicking on the image so you can see Camila’s demo reel. She is looking for a job as a Texture Artist, so if you know anyone hiring for this position, please send them this link: www.camiladavila.com.

We are VERY proud of you, Cami!

Here is the demo reel of Reilly, Camila’s boyfriend and another VERY talented artist.

New TItle by Author of Designing The Obvious

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I just noticed Robert Hoekman has a new book coming out, titled Designing the Moment: Web Interface Design Concepts in Action

Robert is the same author of Designing The Obvious, one of the best titles on the topic on GREAT web design to come out in 2007.

I can’t wait for my review copy to arrive so I can devour it like I did with his previous book! You can pre-order it through Amazon. It comes out April 10, 2008.