The Importance of User Interface

The user interface is the key in connecting the person to the application. Its importance began with computing itself. From command-line based terminals to mobile applications, we've seen the concept of user interface flourish from one generation to the next.

It is necessary for survival in this day and age of applications. The usability and design of an application is what determines success. Though the code of your application is usually hidden under layers of abstraction, the beauty of a good interface can allow users to appreciate much more than they can see.

The truth of how user interfaces are.

It is without a doubt that humans have, decade after decade, been becoming more integrated with technology. I personally use technology for a high percentage of my day. From the morning to the very late night, there's a good probability you'll find me glued to one of my devices. 

Technology has become a part of humankind to the point where it has become inseparable. You could simply say that the goal of a user interface is to put something more human-like in a concept that is not so human-like. There are troubles when considering what is really intuitive and what is not.

People have many differences when abstracting something complex. "You have to look at how an every day person would view your website and what impact your page content will have on them" (Digital Zoo).

Frustrating reality of intuitiveness.

I have used many applications where there was much to be said about their user interfaces and the lack of concern for its importance. 

One application forget my details that I painstakingly inserted when I had pressed back to modify one little part.  Another application had an entirely different functionality for a button that what I figured was intended for it. 

All of these experiences were very frustrating and that frustration is valuable for designing good user interfaces. "The interface [should have] elements that are easy to access, understand, and use to facilitate those actions" (Usability).

There are so many little nuances in these user interfaces that leave users with a foul stench in their experiences. "No matter what expectations decision-makers hold for technology, goals won't be reached if [people] are uncomfortable or hampered by confusing, redundant tools" (Jobscience).

It sometimes becomes too much trouble for a user that he or she may even decide not to use the application ever again. 

Though the user interface is the key to connecting the user to the application, it can also be the key that disconnects them from it entirely. It is important to have concern for your user interface as it represents what your application truly is. 

References

Interface Development. (2016). Retrieved November 13, 2016, from http://www.jobscience.com/products-technology/the-importance-of-user-interface-design/

The importance of great User Interface Design. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2016, from http://www.digitalzoo.co.uk/blog/item/the-importance-of-great-user-interface-design

User Interface Design Basics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2016, from https://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-interface-design.html

The Reason for Innovation

Apple has always been at the pinnacle of innovation and it always came at a price. They have a history of removing technologies from beloved devices which they do ultimately render obsolete. As the world progresses further with technology, it loses those that Apple considers legacy. This happens from time to time and more often than not with the presence of Apple.

However, with the release of the new iPhone 7, it does not seem like Apple has made a great choice in removing what some people would not consider legacy. "I'm always hoping [the rumors are] always wrong and that they'll come up with something that totally surprise and astound us," Blodget discusses the potential of Apple. It may be too soon to tell if Apple has made the right decision with the release of the iPhone. People have expressed outrage for this decision but it does not look too entirely different from what has happened in the past.

The removal of the CD drive in the new MacBook Pro had received the same kind of outrage that we see today. Now people carry around flash drives or use the cloud to store and send their personal files. We’re being blinded by the present of the idea, however, we must look towards the future and what Apple wants us to see. It is assumed that Apple wants a wireless future. Though it may not only be such a grandeur ideal they are aiming for.

Some may say that Apple is aiming to profit in licensing fees from manufacturers who’d like to manufacture accessories for the new iPhone. Some may say that Apple is valuing the beauty of the device more than functionality by focusing on how thin their engineering team can design it. There’s a lot to say but not much ground to cover with the secretive nature of Apple. “Maintaining an ancient, single-purpose, analogue, big connector doesn’t make sense because that space is at a premium,” Phil Schiller from Apple comments on the headphone jack (Forbes).

Consumers may never know what Apple has in store for them and may never even understand why when it does in fact come to that time. Whatever it may be, Apple has been the pinnacle of innovation time after time. Though the true question is: will they remain that way?

References

Chamary, J. (2016, September/October). Retrieved October 28, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2016/09/16/apple-iphone-headphone-jack/

Levy, S. (2016, September/October). New from Apple. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://charlierose.com/videos/28785

The Importance of Usability Testing

There comes a time when users don't quite get the experience they expect from a product. It is times like these that usability testing is important. Usability testing is simply testing the usability of a product from the perspective of the user. There are two main types of tests when it comes to usability testing which are reliability and validity. It is something we can equate with human interaction. If a product is reliable and the output is valid, it can more often than not provide a great experience. 

Some of the usability tools that I've used are Selenium which automate web browser actions using Chromium Web Driver. This allows for me to test rapid usage of a product and program a set of steps that a normal user would take. There are many options that are available in mobile application development as well which provide developers a way to test user input through automating input testing.

There are many companies that use usability testing where usability is important and the essence of their product. Apple is a good example of a company that cares about user experience, "Today, UX and UCD is strong as ever at Apple" (Spillers). It is a critical step in perfecting the connection between software and client.

Developers must pay careful attention to usability. It is not only functionality that carries the product to success. What good can a product give if it does not provide the users with a good experience? Users are the fundamental basis of success for any given software. We create software for users. Some users even go into development because they are dissatisfied with the standards of user experience seen in products they've used. "[U]sability is a necessary condition for survival," an article states the importance of usability with a taste of natural selection (

Upon applying the idea of usability testing to a project I'm currently working on, I have discovered that there are many things that a developer would not normally see. Would it continue to work after an overnight stress test? How long does a session take when using my product? Applying usability testing to my product allows me to see the things that developers often are ignorant of. Thinking from the perspective of the user has been a critical resource for me and my team.

References

Spillers, B. F. (n.d.). Busting the myth that Apple doesn't do User Research. Retrieved October 14, 2016, from https://www.experiencedynamics.com/blog/2014/09/busting-myth-apple-doesnt-do-user-research

Usability 101: Introduction to Usability. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2016, from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-101-introduction-to-usability/

--what is usability testing?
--why is it important?
--what usability tools do you use?
--who uses it and why?
--why should we care about usability testing?
--how do you apply usability testing to your project?
--what has usability testing revealed to you?

Slack, the medium of the future

Slack is a popular messaging application that is aimed towards professionals or people who just like an easy way to collaborate. Slack doesn't mean to call its users slackers, it has a secret acronym: "Searchable Log of All Communication and Knowledge" (Quartz). Communication is a key feature in Slack because it simply involves the notion of working together in a team. One of the many features that are in Slack that many people love about it is the ability to drag and drop any file you could imagine (technically) and have it displayed with a brief summary or even in its entirety.

It's everywhere you go: an application for your mobile devices as well as a web application for those who prefer the computer. There are two types of channels which are public and private for what may suit your team best. A public channel needs no explanation. A private channel can only accessed by a member which of whom is invited to read and write the contents.  There are channel commands that can be accessed easily by using the "/" specifier. A channel can be referenced by "#" Simple as that!

There's something even more private than a private channel which is direct messaging. You can directly contact a teammate who you may require help from or vice versa. You just simply use the + button that's located next to their user name to send a direct message. Though if you'd like to make a public announcement regarding a teammate, it's no doubt that Slack automatically highlights your teammate's user name if found in your message.

Too many messages to look through? You can definitely search through using the assisted searching feature which searches through both files and messages all the way from the beginning of the Slack team creation. Slack becomes your personal drive which ultimately is your shared drive amongst teammates.

Slack itself is not only a messaging application but a platform. One is not limited by the default Slack functionality, there is a massive range of third-party applications that are developed and fully integrated for Slack! The genius design decision has led to an "$80 million fund that will invest in software projects that compliment its technology" (Fortune). While it may only be a messaging application, it serves a purpose so fitting that it integrates with ease to your professional and social life. You wouldn't know what to do without it after finding that it has become your daily necessity.

References

Griswold, A. (2016). Slack is secretly an acronym. Retrieved September 29, 2016, from http://qz.com/794524/messaging-startup-slack-is-secretly-an-acronym-for-searchable-log-of-all-communication-and-knowledge/

Clancy, H. (2015). Slack Starts $80 Million App Investment Fund. Retrieved September 30, 2016, from http://fortune.com/2015/12/15/slack-app-investment-fund/

Experiences with Phone Interviews

            We currently live in a world where technology can be a substitute for face-to-face communication. Some people may even find it more preferable to simply text or make a phone call. Nonetheless, the importance of human interaction still exists. Communication through a device could be seen as if it were the same for communication in person. Phone interviews are a good way for recruiters to get a sense of who their client may be. It saves time, however, it still replicates the same face-to-face mannerism. Although there may some conversations that seem a bit impersonal because of the more often than not stranger-to-stranger interaction, it still gets the job done.

            In some of the experiences that I have had with recruiters, I would say that I do not have many good ones. Once my resume was posted to an online job board such as Dice.com, it was open season on my number for recruiters. They called me during hours that people would not normally call. Some got very personal and asked me about my previous salaries in order to set a negotiating offer for the company they were applying me to. All of them had the same mannerism, which did get the job done but also left some room for human interaction such as making small talk.

            I’ve had several interviews that required a phone call or at least meeting software. They were nerve wrecking at first because I would spend the 30 minutes to an hour prior wondering how they would sound like based on the name that was on the email sent to me. Sometimes the nervousness would make me speak a little faster or forget my words in the middle of a sentence. And without a human face to attach to such a mistake, some of these nuances would leave me overbearingly embarrassed.  “A phone interview seems so informal on the surface that it can be easy to fall into the trap of "phoning it in"—i.e., not preparing for it as well as you would for an in-person interview,” an article states that it is important to make sure to prepare for a phone interview as much as you would an in-person one (Vogt).

            One of the most important ideas I’ve realized during my experiences with phone interviews is that the people who are calling you simply just want to know who you are. They’re not looking to extract revealing details about your life or make your day bad. They just want to see what kind of person. And if they’re already calling, they’re already considering. They want to see more than just a textual interaction with you. People who conduct phone interviews are people too, “Don’t make the mistake of sounding overly serious or timid.” (Zhang).

References

Vogt, P. (n.d.). Phone Interview Questions & How to Prepare for Them. Retrieved September 16, 2016,    from http://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/mastering-the-phone-interview

Zhang, B. L. (2014). The #1 Mistake People Make on Phone Interviews. Retrieved September 16, 2016,    from https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-1-mistake-people-make-on-phone-interviews

Welcome to the Technical Writing blog!

It's a fresh semester and we're ready to take it on! This is a blog about technical writing. Come visit back here for the rest of Fall 2016 to learn more about technical writing and documentation.