How not-to-get-noticed4368

How *Not* To Get NoticedUsability Analysis of WordPress

How *Not* To Get Noticed WordCamp 2007

People don’t notice good design ...



... and people will do stuffwhen design fails.



Matt brought a small team in to analyze WordPress.


“That’s when I know WordPress is doing its job:

when people aren’t even aware they’re using it becausethey’re so busy using it!—Mark Jaquith, 21 February 2007

http://markjaquith.wordpress.com/2007/02/21/engine-awareness/


Our goals were simple:


Findability,


consistency,


and something called “unconscious design” or

“transparent design.”


To start, we could have looked at other models.


Solo Blogger Power User Pro Admin

Consultant Teacher

But instead, developed personas based on research.



We learned some things:


Users don’t care what designers intended.



index.phpindex.php?page=statspost.phppost-new.phpedit.phpthemes.phpwidgets.phppage.php

edit-comments.phpoptions-general.php

Most visited screens by numbers


Most people we talked to ignore most of the page.



So we considered a redesign like this.


Dashboard

Blog All | Edit | RSS

You have [19] unpublished posts, [27]

scheduled posts, and [31] comments in

[9] categories.

You use the [Hemmingway] theme.

You're using WordPress [x.x].

Right Now

Write a New Post

Recent Comments

Change your Theme

Stats Plugins See All | Edit | RSSIncoming Links

Update to WordPress [2.2]

See All | Edit

See All | EditSee All | Edit

Global Navigation

But research showed that more was needed.


People don’t like surprises.


“You have to show people something they've never seen before.

And if they've seen it, you have to show them

in a new way.”—Lorelle VanFossen, yesterday



People like it when you know what they’re thinking.


People think of their media as objects.


And people refer to objects using nouns.



Nouns!



People should navigate by nouns, not verbs.



Users didn’t get it.


Manage Create Posts Comments

Act

ivity

My Profile Plugins

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

“Refer or relate an old post to a new one”

“Add image to post”

“Post a video”

“Write a new blog post”“Post author”

“Post excerpt”

“Respond to comments”

“Moderate comments(approve/disapprove”

“Change my password”

“Post a photo frommy flickr account”

Blog administrator Advanced users, 2+ years Novice to mid-range, 1 year or less


Clearer verbs as navigation worked.


People got it.


Drafts are not drafts most of the time.


Saving for reference

Saving for reference

Removed from blog

Removed from blog

Working on it

Working on itWorking on it

Starting idea

In progress

In progress


Drafts


People like the whole truth.


The Present


The Future



Show when possible.





People tend to have one thing to say at a time.


After publishing a post, users see a new Post screen.


But they have nothing more to write.


They need suggestions. Nexts. And reassurance.


Be voyeurs.Don’t surprise people.

Anticipate what people need.Don’t be brief at the cost of clarity.

Show, don’t tell.Never stop at a dead end.


Get Unnoticed.

www.happycog.comwww.bobulate.com

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How not-to-get-noticed4368