Userfocus Usability Newsletter, December 2009

Welcome to the Christmas edition of the Userfocus usability newsletter.

• Message from the Editor
• Feature article: The Fable of the User-Centred Designer
• What we're reading
• Upcoming training courses
• User experience quotation of the month

Message from the Editor

Although everybody’s idea of a great Christmas is different, field studies I carried out with people in the office showed me that one common Christmas Day activity appears to be settling down to read a good story in front of a roaring fire. So this month we have a short story for you: The Fable of the User-Centred Designer. Set in the depths of Winter, the story follows a young man on his journey to find the secrets of user centred design. You can download and print a PDF of the book for free — but if you’re feeling charitable this Christmas you can order a bound version, with all profits donated to Room to Read.

I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter.

— David Travis

Feature article: The Fable of the User-Centred Designer

Follow a young man's journey as he discovers the three secrets of user-centred design. After reading this 40-page fable, you'll understand the framework of user-centred design and know how to apply it to your own design project. It's a small book that has big results. Read the article in full: The Fable of the User-Centred Designer.

What we're reading

Some interesting usability-related articles that got our attention over the last month:

• "I read Playboy for the articles": How we unconsciously justify and rationalise our preferences.
• Football experts are better at predicting results when they don't think about it.
• Interesting take on user experience: using design to influence users' behaviour. Many great design examples.
• Valuable resource for those interested in measuring the benefits of information architecture.
• The iPhone book. Augmented reality for kids — a fabulous 2-min video of a great user experience.

Like these? Want more? Follow us on Twitter.

Usability Training: Now Booking

How to carry out a usability expert review, December 10 2009, London

This Thursday! For people in design teams who need to spot usability problems in prototypes and finished products, "How to carry out a usability expert review" is a 1-day seminar that teaches delegates cost-effective methods to evaluate designs. Unlike courses in usability testing, this seminar teaches delegates how to find and fix usability problems without involving end users. More information about this training course: Expert review training.

Web Usability, January 20-21, London

For web designers who want hands-on experience with usability tools and techniques, "Web Usability" is a 2-day immersion seminar that shows delegates how to boost sales and conversion rates, increase usage and improve customer satisfaction. Unlike shorter introductory courses, this in-depth workshop covers the entire design and development lifecycle. More information about this training course: Web Usability training.

A Practical Guide to Usability Testing, February 18, London

For people in design teams who want to gain confidence in usability testing, "A practical guide to usability testing" is a 1-day workshop that shows delegates how to obtain customer feedback on prototypes and finished products. Unlike lecture-based courses, delegates get practical, hands-on experience moderating and logging usability tests. More information about this training course: Usability testing training.

User Experience quotation of the month

"Every person takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world." — Arthur Schopenhauer.

Hungry for more?

Read previous newsletters.