Jackob Nielsen, former Sun Microsystems columnist and support technician, has a information -rich site with one image, a measly arrow, that is so interesting to read, and educational to comprehend. When leaving Sun he took his column, "Use It!", and kept it archived on http://www.useit.com/alertbox. His articles address issues with web design and culture, and every topic mentioned has been outlined elsewhere.

If there was ever a cure for the graphic-laden DTP Web designer, this site is it. Refreshingly, it is not about working around graphic limitations of browsers,(as in, not being WYSIWYG), but designing a structure of consistancies to work within. This site knows that there is a better way and is not ashamed of making it's thoughts known.

archiving and cataloging the do's and dont's of the usable web. The usable web is one that tells the user where to go and how proceeed through hypertext and raw data, not an amalgam of screenshots, screen savers, and otherly poorly converted facets of media.

At one second or less, pages "appear" in an instant from his server, mostly because of a consistent design and tidy layout. The site is also one of the few that discuss design while carefully following all of it's finding. Many companies neglect "user-testing" their interfaces, mostly because of ignorance of how important intuitiveness and subjective value can be discovered through analysis. The users, not knowing the "right" way to use something, or what may go wrong, are the litmus test.

Some software companies throw in a batch of features, relagate a team of coders to extract bugs, and release before they have bulletproofed or anticipated design problems. By testing people, you find out what works. You can show each person a different interface, and therefore focus in on a blend of reactions. Some companies have entire labs, with two-way mirrors and videocameras, screen grabbing and the like.

This site will pop some bubbles and inflate many new ideas. Use It!

Tech Tips
Tech Terms
Tech Tips Forum