Mental models. Yipes! Stripes!
In Issue No. 267 of A LIST APART, For People Who make Websites…
Look at it Another Way
by INDI YOUNG
Before you can solve a user’s problems, you must see them as that user sees them. Once you understand what drives people’s behavior, not only do new ideas flow freely, but the ideas that flow are appropriate and useful. Indi Young tells how to get out of your own way and hear what your users are telling you.
and…
Zebra Striping: More Data for the Case
by JESSICA ENDERS
As designers or marketers, we share a desire that our tables and forms be easy to scan, read, and use. Does the widely practiced shading of alternate rows help, hurt, or have no effect? A previous study proving inconclusive, designer and researcher Jessica Enders has tackled the conundrum again, coming up with statistically relevant data and a set of recommendations.
Tags: jessicaenders, indiyoung, mentalmodels, zebrastripe, zebrastriping, alistapart, ALA, happycog, publications
Filed under: A List Apart, Design, Typography, UX, Usability, User Experience, work, writing
No big deal. Just to point out that there is a little typo in the post. The 7 in Issue No. 267 is outside the anchor tag. Sorry if I seem obsessed, I probably am. Anyway, you are one of my heroes.
Very interesting study,
recently I did some research on my own on how to best present information in various degrees of complexity and came to the conclusion that the really good ways to do it are far from intuitive even if you have already had some experience with information presentation.
The only way to find THE optimal frame to set your data in can usually be determined by field testing…
You should always try to look over the shoulder of the users or do eye-tracking.