Proximity

All relevant info is closely located

Having selected the Mac tab, the reader is presented with every piece of useful info relating to Mac products, including info for potential and existing customers, developers etc.

Alignment

Alignment of different webpage elements

Right from the top of the webpage as you scroll down to the bottom, all the elements of the page are aligned; the navigation bar at the top, the focal image, the content at the bottom and the links.

Repetition

Repetition in practice throughout different webpages

Throughout each webpage for Apple’s suite of products, the navigation style remains the same, as does the box style used to contain the maiin pieces of content.

Contrast

Contrast used to distinguish content

Headlines, links and top rated content are displayed using different styles (e.g. small font in blue for links). This draws the readers attention to exactly where Apple would like you to look.

This week, I think I will shamelessly peddle Google‘s excellent suite of (free) apps that could (and should) be utilised by SME’s, particularly in a time of financial troubles. Using the full suite essentially places all of your data and entire workflow in the cloud, meaning you can access it all anywhere, any time, from any Internet connection.

Gmail

The first big advantage of Gmail, like all the apps discussed here, is that it functions in the cloud. You don’t have to worry about downloading messages to multiple locations or syncing various devices. Your inbox will look the same from any web or mobile connection.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a web-based suite for word processing, presentation building (similar to PowerPoint), spreadsheets, and web forms. All the work is done in a web browser, and all the data is saved in the cloud.

The software can be a bit quirky at times, which may frustrate users of more stable products like Microsoft Office, but the payoff in online storage, shareability, and collaboration options may be worth the adjustment for many small businesses.

The above are simply the 2 most popular of the apps available. Check out the rest of this Mashable article for a detailed account of the full suite of Google apps….

Heuristic 1 – Help and documentation

Ryanair - poor customer service

Ryanair:

• The booking process on the initial screen is simple and negates the need for documentation.
• There is a customer service tab but it is on the periphery of the navigation options.
• As you progress, the booking process is relatively straightforward with no real need for help. The option would be useful though.
• The ‘Services’ screen has a poor layout with no evidence of customer service as they preset charges to the user.

Mark: 5/10

Aer Lingus:

Aer Lingus - evidence of customer service

• Initial booking screen is less cluttered, with help and customer servicereadilyavailable.
• The ‘Select Flights’ screen is well laid out with help available.
• As the user progresses, the user is presented with useful information points and an explanation of all charges.
• The use of breadcrumbs throughout the entire process is an excellent feature.

Mark: 9/10

Heuristic 2 – Aesthetic and minimilist design

Ryanair - Distracting Google Ads

Ryanair:

• Initial screen is cluttered with ads and unnecessaryinformation (e.g.) Cruise Holidays.
• Google ads are present on the ‘Select Flights’ page and are extremely distracting.
• Poor choice of font and colour scheme. Every page in the transaction process is cluttered.

Mark: 4/10

Aer Lingus:

Aer Lingus - tabular layout and excellent colour scheme

• Well presented initial screen, use of a tabular layout. Very few ads, not cluttered.
• ‘Select Flight’ page is minimalist, with important information highlighted.
• White and green colour scheme is an excellent template for the content to be displayed.

Mark: 8/10

Heuristic 3 – Error Prevention

Ryanair:

Ryanair - No evidence of error prevention

• Booking details area allow user to choose a date previous to the ‘going out’ date.
• Offers the user to select flights or else begin a new search.
• Once the user reaches the ‘Services’ page, the option to clear lists and return are not present.
• If the user doesn’t fill out your details and selects ‘Continue’, then the user is presented with a message box highlighting the errors.

Mark: 6/10

Aer Lingus:

Aer Lingus - Error prevention in effect

• Large ‘Book Now’ button. System doesn’t allow you to select a return date previous to the going out date.
• The ‘Continue’ button is clearly marked on each page.
• When you select a day which has no flight, the system still allows the user to procede to the next page.

Mark: 7/10

Quick post this week guys. Just want to highlight early buzz and pre-sales for the Apple iPad. A report by the Washington Post, aided by research carried out by Irish company O’Leary Analytics,  has shown that pre-sales orders for the iPad are brisk, with an estimated 91,000 sales in just the first six hours of availability.

Revolutionary or gimmick?

Perhaps the iPad won’t be such a roaring success with some doubters still remaining. Friday’s pre-order mania was tempered by considerable ambivalence among the geeked-out on discussion boards and on Twitter. It remains to be seen whether Apple can replicate the success of the iPhone or the iPod; however, CEO Steve Jobs sure makes a convincing argument….

Google Eyetracking

There have been developments in this area on the web in recent years but the real growth will be seen in future years, where content will be freely distributable and the advertisements linked to that content will be vying for your attention. The trick for companies is to monetise this new development. Here is an example of the attention economy being utilised and exploited:

Facebook

Defining social interaction

People are interacting at a level which wasn’t feasible in previous years and this will become more prominent as Facebook incorporates techniques that will promote and fuel the attention economy. Current attempts include the introduction of Facebook ads and applications which very often are free, their purpose being to draw your attention to a specific source (i.e. a website).

Future

The premise behind the future of the Attention Economy is that we will pay more for services/products that use our attention efficiently. This will especially affect TV online and customised advertisements during these shows. Check out the video below for a demonstration of the benefits (and disadvantages) of the attention economy.

Facebook Pages

Great example of a Facebook page

A Facebook page allows a business to create a profile to display information relating to the company, interact with their customers in real time, and promote themselves through the use of innovative marketing strategies.

Check out this article for a comprehensive analysis of Facebook pages and the companies who have got it right.

Facebook Ads

Spoof Ads

Located on the right-hand side of a users Facebook profile, Facebook ads are becoming big business and offer a range of benefits over Google Adwords: the ability to specify the demographic you wish to target; the time(s) the ad is broadcast. Most important is the relatively cheap start up cost of $5, which then includes the option of specifying a daily budget (minimum $1).

Early reactions to these  ads are positive and the future looks bright for this high growth medium and industry.

Winter Olympics 2010

The Winter Olympics are well and truly underway in the beautiful city of Vancouver and already the full spectrum of human emotions have been on display. From the tragic death that occured in the Luge event to the glorious beauty of Figure Skating, the Winter Olympics 2010 is a truly a global event.

Media Coverage

An event of this nature requires effective and clever use of a range of multimedia to promote the brand that is the Winter Olympics; provide sufficient coverage of the events; and ensure this coverage is accessible around the globe.

To their credit, the Vancouver games have provided a portal for all content relating to the games on their website.

Tools

Medal Ceremony

The website utilises a number of media:

Photo and video content, which are considered pretty by todays web standards. However, the website provides an aspect of interaction between the user and the games. This is achieved through the use of Facebook and Twitter applications on the site.

Despite the recent tragedy, the games are considered a success and part of this praise is due at the feet of a rich and interactive website brimming with media.

HCI Pioneer

Douglas Engelbart, born 1925 in Oregon, was a pioneer of human-computer interaction and a committed and vocal proponent of the development and use of computers and networks to help cope with the world’s increasingly urgent and complex problems. His thoughts on how technology should and will influence human activity were the basis of the Internet and world wide web, developed by Tim Berners Lee.

Influence on HCI

“Boosting mankind’s capability for coping with complex, urgent problems” – Doug Engelbart

Engelbart had a vision of turning organizations into augmented knowledge workshops, he went on to pioneer what is now known as collaborative hypermedia, knowledge management, community networking, and organizational transformation.

The Mouse

The First Mouse

Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute invented the first mouse prototype in 1963 with the assistance of his colleague Bill English. Engelbart never received any royalties for it, as his patent ran out before it became widely used in personal computers.

The invention of the mouse was just a small part of Engelbart’s much larger project, aimed at augmenting human intellect.

Check out the video below for a presentation made by the great man himself.

The Strength Guru

His legendary gym in New Jersey boasts some of the best coaches, training some of the best NFL players in America. But what about regular joes like you and me? How do we get access to such expertise?

Well Joe DeFranco believes in the power of free information distributed through multimedia.

His website includes an “Ask Joe” section, articles, pictures, audio seminars and most importantly video content, for free to provide his expertise for his legions of fans across the globe and generate brand awareness. Check out the video below and get yourself to the nearest gym…

Defrancos in Action