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szymon:

Dream Product? Lego remote (by fueledbycoffee)

The message is unhelpful for so many reasons, especially the part that states “Ensure that your phone is turned on”. Ahem. If my phone wasn’t on, how would I be reading this message, exactly? (via Fun with Windows Mobile Error Messages - Kim Hiltz’s Journal - Kim Hiltz - User Experience Geek)

The request to install a keyboard tracker on peoples’ laptops sounded a bit odd at first, but eventually volunteers lined up once they understood exactly what we were trying to accomplish. We really didn’t want to peer into their lives, we just wanted frequency of use data. After an extended period of time the data was translated into what we call a “heat map”. The more frequently used the key, the more red we used to color it. This visual mapping technique quickly revealed patterns that suggested design changes. (via Design Matters » Blog Archive » ThinkPad T400s: Key to a Better Experience)

The act of pressing a button, speaking to a remote person is part of our urban literacy. (via Objects and Distant Voices - Jan Chipchase - Future Perfect)

At first, an urban planning firm (Quadrat) was tasked with simply burying the parking lot, repaving the square, and planting some trees. But at the last minute, the city approved their bygone suggestion to add an oval pavilion, with a restaurant and cafe. That left van Zuuk just five weeks to complete the design—and they had to adhere to the urban planning that was going forward. (via How to Revive an Ailing City Center: Ban Cars, Build Public Spaces | Design & Innovation | Fast Company)

We recently conducted a study that involved making a choice between several (somewhat complex) product offerings. While participants were drawn to a product comparison chart—and found it useful—most  also asked the question “what do most people choose?” (via blink design library: What do most people choose?)