ExperienceLab

Facebook shedding pounds

Facebook has released a test version of the new stripped-down Facebook site. Facebook Lite (http://lite.facebook.com) was initially focused on providing a faster and more accessible version for users in countries with low bandwidth and slower internet connections. Now it seems existing users will be given the chance to switch to this ‘diet’ version, allowing users to write on friend’s walls, look at photos and share content without all the additional applications.

Apple touch tablet … meh!

With rumours abounding that Apple will release an oversized touch tablet, which may be up to 10 inches diagonally, potentially in time for the Xmas shopping season, I began wondering why I wasn’t glowing with excitement or working out my finances in preparation for the release.
While there’s something tempting about a computer that's all screen and nothing else, if I think beyond my initial attraction (spawned by Sci-Fi) towards the practicalities of using a tablet device, queries and doubts creep in. Indeed, while I acknowledge that the touch concept can readily work with smart phones such as the Apple iPhone, exclusive touch interaction on a larger device makes me wonder what the ‘hook’ would be.

Are UXperienced?

The growth of online music services has changed the way that people discover, buy, organise and listen to music. The way that services support these activities plays a key role in their success. With Virgin, Sky and BT set to launch online music services in the coming months, we decided to take a look at the user experience of some of the key players in the UK market. This report describes our findings and offers some usability tips for designers and developers working in this competitive market.

We looked at four of the leading suppliers of online music services in the UK: iTunes, Spotify, Last.fm, and Nokia Music, and found that no one service offers the best solution for all of a listener’s digital music needs. We look at what works and what doesn’t in each, and conclude that by prioritising user experience and effectively supporting listening behaviour, a service can gain a real competitive edge over their rivals.

Waiting for the sign to change

Timetable signs in airports and train stations started a new and unfortunate trend a few years ago, about the time they took down the old CRTs and replaced them with thin displays.

Instead of showing a single screen of information of the most imminent departures and arrivals, they began to show two or three screens in rotation. Their hearts were in the right place. They wanted to show more trains and planes. But the effect is not what was intended.

The main effect is that these signs often now cause pedestrian traffic jams underneath them while people wait for the sign to change, often in already chaotic environments full of people all in a rush.