While not as big as the Apple App Store the Andriod market has some interesting and useful apps

Techno geek

I may have only just jumped into the world of smartphones but when it comes to technology I’m a bit of geek. I love it and look for any opportunity to embrace it. The Nexus One has made some significant changes to my life over the past week. Firstly I never get lost. A quick search for a bar or restaurant and a quick check of Google maps always sets me on the right path when meeting friends. It has also helped me to embrace the use of social media far more than before. Being able to keep in touch with friends, share interesting usablity articles on twitter and also find alsorts of useful information while on the go mean the social connections become far more integrated within my life. The last big point is learning through experience and exposure. I believe the more interfaces and the more websites I experience and use the more I develop as an information architect. The Nexus one has not only exposed me to countless apps and mobile sites it also gives me the chance to explore interfaces even when I am out and about.

Having Google Maps everywhere I go is something I love about having the Nexus

Thumbs up? Thumbs down?

The leap from dumbphone to the mighty Nexus definetely gets the thumbs up from me.

A simple and clear page allows users to access a list of articles

The goal

The site is very focused and this focus helps to create a usable and enjoyable experience for the user. Upon entering the site the the user is presented with a list of of Mashable articles. A user can scan these easily and select the article they want to read. Keeping the users process as simple as possible by focusing on the single task of reading articles provides a simple and usable site.

Users can easily share articles through social media links at the foot of every article

Share and spread the word

Users are also provided with the option to share an article at every stage. Right from the landing page a user can hit a tweet button to share the story via Twitter. At the foot of every article the user is provided with options to share via other sources such as Digg and Facebook. Allowing users to share posts easily not only keeps users happy but benefits Mashable by spreading the word.

Loading equals yawn…

Loading times are always a problem when we are out and about. Mashable limit the number of posts loaded onto the landing page at one time. This limits the amount of time the page takes for it’s initial load. The user can then choose to load more posts if they desire.

To sum up

Mashable have kept their eyes on the goal and created a simple site with a single focus. This in turn gives the user an enjoyable and intuitive experience.

Quick n’ dirty

Creating wireframes and prototypes on a daily basis I like keep an eye pealed for usefull tools to add to the kit. When creating wireframes I like to spend my time thinking. I don’t want ot spend my time wrestiling with an application. I need to translate the picture in my head onto the screen as quickly and easily as possible. Luckily there are some great tools out there for creating both static wirframes and interactive prototypes. One that I came across a while ago is Balsamiq Mockups.

Wireframes are quick to produce and post-it note style widgets can addded

Easy as 1-2-3

Balsamiq Mockups is currently a desktop application but with an online version in private beta. The tool allows users to quickly drag and drop interface elements much in the same style as other more commonly used tools such as Visio or Axure. Balsamiq Mockups would however sit much more within the initial stages of my development process. Its rapid development of ’sketchy’ looking wireframes makes it perfect for throwing together first thoughts. Its quick enough to be a viable option for producing the initial sketches in a clear and neat format that retain the skethcy feel that works so well with paper sketches.

iPhone widgets allow for quick iPhone mock-ups

Tasty features?

There are some tasty features in the Balsamiq Mockups interface.

• A library of 75 interface features such as browser windows, radio buttons and iPhone interface elements.
• Nice snap features allowing users to quickly line up elements within minimal effort and time.
• Usefull post-it note style comments.
• Full screen presentation mode that allows users to present work to clients and collegues.
• Runs on both Mac and PC.

For more information on we are:london’s wireframing and interactive prototyping services please contact hello@WeAreLondon.

Unboxing

As a great lover of Apple products I believe the experience starts with the packaging. So what was it like with the Nexus? The whole thing felt very Apple. A clean white box with just a hint of the Google brand colours. The packing felt like it belonged with a high end product and that is exactly what it contained. The only draw back of shipping a phone across for the US is the need to buy an extra charger for the UK sockets.

The Nexus One and it's simple packaging

The device

The Nexus One is a sexy piece of kit. The phone feels solid and screams quality. I was impressed at how thin and streamlined the phone looked. The touchscreen is crisp, sharp and responsive. The interface runs smooth and fast. This is a definite iPhone rival.

The overall product is thin and sleek.

The set-up

Setting up the device was painless. As you would expect it is integrates well with your google accounts and I had my email, twitter, facebook and various other accounts running in no time. Some nice interface touches such as the “See password” function (makes passwords visible not disguised) definetely help when setting up accounts on a touchscreen.

Watch this space

So keep your eyes on this space for more Nexusness and Andriod mania.

The homepage is clear and simple

The homepage

The homepage can be summed up very easily. Clear and simple. This is what struck me as I visited the site. A strong simple hero item with clear calls to action, then some slightly deeper information around ‘Why use it’ and ‘Who is it for’. The homepage not only provides a simple route into the information of the site it answers the questions most users will have when they first visit: ‘What makes this better than anything else?’ and ‘Will this suit my needs?’ Answering these questions upfront will not only help many users decide it is for them without the need to look further but it also gives the site an open and honest feel.

Clearly labelled navigation creates a more usable site

Navigation

Primary navgation is simple and easy to use. Clear calls to action at the foot of pages allow me easy access to the sign-up process.

The use of a table delivers the key information in a easy to interpret way

Content

The content of the site is kept very concise and easy to digest. The tour page contains only a well put together tour video. The pricing page contains simple table outlining the attributes of each price plan. Content is direct, the users are given what they need with no uneccesary information.

Keep it simple

The website as a whole is a good example of how simplicity can lead to a strong and usable website. Users visit a site to get information, a good website needs to identify the key information they are looking for and deliver it in a simple, clear and usable way.

Nexusness

“Wake up, time to die.”

Bladerunner is possibly one of the best films ever made and all of the companies whose neon signs float in the sky during the film have gone bust, or be taken over. Not a good omen for a phone named after one of the main characters.

Is it any good?

And what’s it really like to use one in anger every day? Well I’ve handed over my iPhone to the wife after loving the Apple for 3 years. For the record I usually struggle to keep a phone for more than 6 months.

And the answer is yes, it’s good, in fact it’s really very good.

I had high hopes for other HTC phones and desperately wanted the Palm thingy to be good, but they were all pants compared to the Apple.

What’s hot!

The screen is sharp and clear and the phone is easy to navigate. Setting up email is easy, the app store is much better than I expected; forget Unix geek, think Apple chic.

Email works offline for reading and deleting, unlike the iPhone. Email, address book and social media stuff rocks. I love the widgets for news, twitter and facebook that live on the home screen.

The voice dial and dictate email is not bad either, a long way to go but it’s tempting to start everything by speaking and not navigating.

Oh and it lets you play Spotify in the background which is now the only source of music I have .

What’s not!

The only real hardware bug is the use of the back, menu, home and search  buttons printed on the bottom of the screen. Why bother? you click them by mistake and it’s a real pain.

Software bugs are wider, but with time they will get sorted and remember that Apple have had 3 years to sort out the iPhone.

1. Why does the calendar not sync with MS Exchange when mail and contacts do?

2. The screen redraw speed is slow compared to Apple, but not bad.

3. Cut & paste is not anywhere near as neat or intuitive.

Should I buy one?

Yes - not sure why but yes get one.

Time will tell.

Now that I have committed to use it for work and home life I have no choice but to get on with it, warts and all, and I guess learn to fix the issues and watch as new software updates bring all of my life, blogs, tweets, photos, music, friends, work and life together.

Or I might buy the Apple tablet, nick my iPhone back and delete this post.

• Communicates service benefits - the hero item clearly communicates the service benefits of the site. A bold headline stating the purpose of the service, a key marketing message highlighted and further explanation provided.

• Clear visual hierarchy - A very clear visual hierarchy is used. This allows users to identify the most important information and read only as much information as they require. Some users may not wish to read further than the headline then go straight to an action within the page, while some users may feel the require more information.

• Route into information - The hero item provides a route into information. A user can view the introductory video, They can learn more about the service offered or they can go for gold and sign-up straight away.

• Bold imagery - The imagery used is bold and striking but does not overpower the user or distract from the information presented within the hero item.

Love him or hate him.

It all comes down to one single, tangible factor, which marks out the good from the bad; soul.

The reason for the Clarkson tribute on the left is this weeks Sunday Times Motoring article on an Aston Martin which sees Clarkson pitting it against design perfection in the shape of an Audi R8 V10.

And to save you the read, the Audi is just too perfect, where as the Aston has soul, something that can’t be created by following set rules, but comes from the heart of those involved and is a direct result of the creator’s passion.

All of which brings us nicely to the argument that has raged on since the start of website design; who is best placed to create the perfect site?

The Good, the bad and the ugly.

Let’s go back to basics and look at who the usual suspects are, in the red corner we have “visual designers” (brand and marketing) and in the blue corner we have “interaction designers” (user centred).

Whilst visual designers have a wealth of ability and passion, it is often focused to heavily on making something look good and the risk of making the same, beautiful creation completely unusable.

Now wheel in the interaction designers, who’s passions lie in the creation of the perfect experience, through usability testing, prototyping and more testing. However, there is a strong argument against all of this testing and refining as it can just blunt a sharp, creative idea, making the end result more function than form.

Experience is all, or read Experiential

For years I thought experiential was about experiencing a design, but it’s not it’s about experience, and this where soul comes from.

An experienced designer is passionate about the look and the effectiveness of a design and ensures their soul is applied to everything they do.

An excellent example of what not to do is a site we reviewed a while back that seemingly missed both design and ease of use steps during it’s development and almost certainly skipped public testing.

Help me help you

If you want to avoid the common pitfalls of digital procurement, ensuring your acgency has suol, then follow these easy steps:

• Check potential agencies have a proven user centred design methodology as well as a creative portfolio
• Ask for CVs of key staff and make sure they are guaranteed to be on the project
• Meet the team and chat to them about what they think is good and bad
• Don’t ever feel that it’s not your right to ask questions
• Ask for clarification on every point until it’s clear
• Remember you’re the client and paying the bills

If you would like to know more then give me a call or drop me a note and we’ll take you through our experiences and see how we can help.

BBC iPlayer infographic

Would you buy one?

It’s been a mad year and next year is set to be even more crazy.

2009 has seen luxury good sales boom, e-commerce sites explode and the final mass adoption of digital video and e-ink.

Mobile internet has taken off thanks to Twitter, Facebook and the iPhone. Social has started to be more powerful than most could have hoped and TV has gone down hill so fast it’s breathtaking.

2009 retrospective

Early this year we predicted a few things that have happened, some clever and some obvious. BBC iPlayer has seen an amazing take up across the country and handled 70 million requests in October,  which is about 7 Petabytes of data or 12.5 Gigabytes per second.

Top 10 key changes in 2010

1. The end of free. Well at least as we know it owing to a drop in ad revenue and cold feet amongst media owners.
2. A new media monster. As the old guard struggle to reorganise, one or two new, media goliaths will take over, buying paid content from the old order and giving it out for free to meet the needs of us consumers.
3. Mobile web will overtake fixed line. For key content mobiles will become the only way to access key info, buy stuff and keep in touch.
4. Visualisation goes mainstream. With the increase in e-commerce traffic the only way to get your head around the numbers is to change your view. Being able to represent numbers in new, visual ways will be coming to a vendor near you soon.
5. The customer will become king. Crowds are causing even more trouble for corporates, as I type, Eurostar is suffering huge PR issues; surely it’s time to wake up to what your customers want?
6. Content strategy is the new usability. Too much emphasis has been placed on cool tech recently such as augmented reality, but these are just shiny bows on a box of rubbish. Clients and customers will wake up to the power of well organised content.
7. Data will kill UK networks. As the iPlayer shows, and to some extent the iPhone, when people get going, they really get going. Streaming video and large file transfers are going to carry on causing the biggest customer satisfaction issues as networks fail over the sheer volume of traffic.
8. No one will beat Apple. When it comes to technology that has completely changed the world, the iPhone is an amazing example, and no matter how hard people try (Palm) no one can get close.
9. e-ink will become the norm. We all love our Kindles, those who have them that is, and finally there is some competition, which means cheaper, better ebooks for all. Migrate newspapers from print to digital and you have a new outlet for old media. Shame about the latency of stories though.
10. Measure your customer’s empathy. Stats, conversion and marketing data standalone to offer a crutch, but only when you bring these together can you really measure how successful your business is. 2010 will see customer empathy ratings used as the standard metric for success.

We will have a review in the summer of 2010 and see what’s on, what’s not and what needs to be added.