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How do routefinders find their routes?

TechDept — Wed, 04 May 2011 09:00:33 +0000

Many now rely on satnav or online routefinders for directions – instead of paper maps – but how do these gizmos find their way?

Once, you gazed at the map, remembered that cursed bridge on the old A30 near Bodmin where lorries got wedged, thought of a number, doubled it, gave up, guessed, set off at 4am, whatever.

Now, you consult an online routefinder.

Or maybe eight, as I did. I wouldn’t usually, honest. It’s like having eight argumentative backseat drivers, as you’ll see.

By Michael Blastland for BBC News, 14 April 2011.

H&M e-commerce launch disappoints #sitereview

TechDept — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:06:31 +0000

H&M, one of the last big brands to sell online, launched its UK e-commerce site last week.

The launch follows that of Gap and Zara, two other fashion brands late into e-commerce in the UK. So how does the new site shape up?

Homepage

If you arrive having searched for H&M in Google, you will not arrive at the e-commerce site, but the page shown in the screenshot below. There is a link to buy online at the e-commerce site, which is hosted at shop.hm.com, and shop online link is not the most prominent link on the page. Worse still, while there is a huge banner telling visitors they can now shop online with H&M, it doesn’t actually link to the e-commerce site. Nuts.

Why not just have the e-commerce site on the main page to make it easier for customers to buy?

By Graham Charlton for Econsultancy, September 16 2010

Is Pivot a turning point for web exploration?

TechDept — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:11:24 +0000

Gary Flake demos Pivot, a new way to browse and arrange massive amounts of images and data online. Built on breakthrough Seadragon technology, it enables spectacular zooms in and out of web databases, and the discovery of patterns and links invisible in standard web browsing.

From TED.com March 2010

How Much of Your Website Do People See? Google’s Got a Tool to Tell You

TechDept — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:36:56 +0000

We already know that Google is obsessed with their own speed and efficiency, but the search giant is also trying to make everybody else faster on the web as well. Google Site Performance, for example, provides tips from Google on how to speed up your website, while Speed Tracer increases the efficiency of web apps by tracking performance.

The company is once again tackling the realm of website efficiency with a new tool that doesn’t track site speed or app performance, but the size of the browser window. The app, Google Browser Size, aims to help website owners solve one of the most fundamental problems in web design: How should I lay out and design my website for higher engagement and conversions?

December 16, 2009 by Ben Parr - from mashable.com

We communicate with words…why don’t we design for them?

TechDept — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:33:53 +0000

Words, Words, Words….We love them….We hate them…We fight over them. (We fight with them.) We celebrate them. We fear them. We embrace them. And we just don’t think about designing for them as much as we should.

We are completely reliant on these assemblages of letters and spaces to articulate everything…to share what we think, to connect with others and to better understand the world. So what’s the connection between words and experiences, and how can we make it better?

This and similar questions have sparked a lot of recent dialog about content strategy, brand voice, and the trajectory of language. So this year at UX Week in September, we’re heating up the conversation with speakers that address these topics head-on…

Showcasing Modern Navigation Trends

TechDept — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:22:35 +0000

Yet again Smashing Magazine have compiled another fantastic resource - this time for current navigation trends in web design, great for inspiration and ideas… http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/04/showcase-of-modern-navigation-design-trends/