December 20, 2006
Information Design Watch
From Dynamic Diagrams
Design for Understanding
In This Issue:
VISUAL EXPLANATION
- Latest Map of the Internet
INTERFACE DESIGN
- The Complexity Behind Simplicity
- Stock Chart Interface Design
- Away With the Mouse Click!
BUSINESS
- Does Good User Experience Pay Off?
DYNAMIC DIAGRAMS NEWS
- Information Design Consultant Needed
VISUAL EXPLANATION
Latest Map of the Internet
Posted by Lisa Agustin
A new approach to visualizing the Internet comes from former NASA researcher and sometime cartoonist Randall Munroe. Munroe uses the Hilbert Curve fractal to preserve IP address grouping, showing how any consecutive string of IP addresses will translate into a single region on the "map." Supporting comments on the visualization indicate that "the upper left section shows blocks of IP addresses sold to corporations and governments before the 1990's before the RIRs [Regional Internet Registries] took over allocation." It would be interesting to see how adding a dimension for time might affect the diagram (for example as a series of images, or as an animation). For more detail on his approach, check out the related blog entry:
http://blag.xkcd.com/2006/12/11/the-map-of-the-internet/
INTERFACE DESIGN
The Complexity Behind Simplicity
Posted by Lisa Agustin
The idea of simplicity has been getting a lot of press lately, with the popularity of gadgets like the iPod and the release of thoughtful writings by folks like John Maeda (http://lawsofsimplicity.com/). Joel Spolsky offers his own take on the issue, suggesting that what makes "simple" products successful isn't so much about what they are lacking, but more about what they encompass:
Devotees of simplicity will bring up 37signals and the Apple iPod as anecdotal proof that Simple Sells. I would argue that in both these cases, success is a result of a combination of things: building an audience, evangelism, clean and spare design, emotional appeal, aesthetics, fast response time, direct and instant user feedback, program models which correspond to the user model resulting in high usability, and putting the user in control, all of which are features of one sort, in the sense that they are benefits that customers like and pay for, but none of which can really be described as "simplicity."
This brings to mind client requests for web site features that look clean and simple, but in fact are quite robust in their functionality. ("Can you make it like Google?") Making something complicated is easy; making an elegant solution that addresses user needs, business goals, and content requirements--all while offering a positive user experience--is another matter.
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/12/09.html
Stock Chart Interface Design
Posted by Henry Woodbury
The Yahoo and Google Finance pages both sport neat Flash-driven stock chart applications, worthy of comparison. Both show daily (or hourly) highs for a particular indexes, equities and mutual funds, allow you to specify a date range via a drag interface, and provide a variety of preset viewing options.
One big difference between the two is the amount of historical data. Yahoo lets you track the Dow Jones Industrial Average back to the 1920s, offering the choice of a logarithmic or linear scale. On Google, while some individual stocks may take you back to the 1970s, the Dow Jones data starts in 2001.
http://finance.yahoo.com/charts
http://finance.google.com/finance?cid=983582
Away With the Mouse Click!
Posted by Henry Woodbury
Here's an example of some very interesting interface design work, whether or not you accept the premise:
http://www.dontclick.it/I find it impressive that the interface works at all. Still, for me there is a clear demarcation in ease-of-use between using the interface to read pages of information and using it to interact (forms, games).
BUSINESS
Does Good User Experience Pay Off?
Posted by Lisa Agustin
UX consultants Teehan + Lax have started the Teehan + Lax UX Fund, an investment experiment to see if companies that deliver a great user experience will see it reflected in their stock price. The group was inspired in part by the Design Council, whose Design Index research project showed that "the share prices of a group of more than 150 quoted companies recognised as effective users of design out-performed the stock market by 200 per cent between 1994 and 2003."
To be included in the T+L UX Fund, each company needed to meet the following criteria:
The list of companies includes ones you'd expect, like Apple and Target, as well as not-so-obvious ones like Progressive Insurance. As to the question of whether it will pay off, the fund looks like it's off to a good start: it's already outperforming the NASDAQ by almost double.
This experiment brings to mind those sticky ROI discussions that are often part of justifying a site redesign and its associated costs. While client stakeholders might agree that a redesigned site could look better and might even lead to a better user experience, the "real" (i.e., monetary) payoff is often hard to assess, partly because each company may have its own measuring stick (e.g., fewer customer calls, more registered users) and partly because you won't know the results until all is said and done. In the meantime, it will be interesting to watch how the UX Fund progresses, at the very least so those of us in the user experience/design arena can say, "See? It IS worth it."
http://www.teehanlax.com/uxfund/
DYNAMIC DIAGRAMS NEWS
Information Design Consultant Needed
Join the Dynamic Diagrams team and help create new ways to visualize complex information! We have a full-time, permanent position open for an information design professional with proven experience in information design, marketing strategy, and communications. For details, see our Careers page:
http://www.dynamicdiagrams.com/about/careers.html
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