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- Gorilla Usability TestingJuly 6
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So, what exactly is Silverback? It’s “spontaneous, unobtrusive usability testing software for website designers.” It gracefully records the on-screen action, including mouse clicks, as well as video and audio of the subject so you can create a library of usability testing videos to share or review later.
The Genesis of the Idea
Great software is the usually the result of people “scratching their own itch,” and Silverback is a perfect example. Clearleft has been doing basic usability testing with a video camera and tripod since they opened their doors. It got the job done, but it wasn’t ideal. They had spent some time exploring other options, but none of the solutions met their needs.
One day, a friend of theirs participated in a usability study run by Leisa Reichelt. He noticed that she had created a simple little hack to run iChat video and automatically create screen captures every 5 seconds in order to create a single file showing the screen as well as the test subject’s reaction. One thing led to another, and Clearleft decided they could take this idea to the next level, and the vision for Silverback was born.
- Getting SatisfactionMay 6
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It’s not forum software. It’s better. It’s designed from the ground up to be more inviting and less technical than what we traditionally associate with the word “forum”. If you take a quick spin through the site, it’s easy to see, but it wasn’t until after I started using it myself and had a brief chat with Lane Becker, one of several people behind the interface, that I began to realize just how impressive their vision is.
Figure 1 The primary page doesn’t simply provide a link to “make a new post” or something equivalently dry. Instead, it immediately engages visitors with normal language about the primary contexts that a customer or potential customer would use to talk to a business or its representatives.
The site itself is designed to be provide “people-powered customer service”, and it shines through in the attention to detail seen throughout the interface. You can think of it as forums designed to help people more effectively communicate with businesses. More importantly, it also serves as a place where people can help each other regardless of whether or not they’re official representatives of a given company. While some comp
- HousecleaningApril 29
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Things have slowed down here a bit as I’ve shifted from designing Sifter to actually building it. As I’ve started posting all of the information about Sifter at the Next Update blog, I wanted to set everyone’s expectations about what you’ll see here in the future as well as making sure you’re watching the right places for information that’s of interest to you.
For Sifter & Next Update Information
It’s unlikely you’ll see anything here about Sifter or Next Update anymore. I’ll probably post about the launch when it happens, but in general, I want to avoid posting about any of our products here on GarrettDimon.com. My goal is for GarrettDimon.com to focus on interface design in general. So, if you’re really only interested in bug and issue tracking or Next Update, we’ve got several options.
- The Next Update Blog Feed will be the primary place for information about Sifter and Next Update.
- The Next Update Twitter Account has a lot of small updates about how things are progressing.
- The Next Update Product Email List will be used incredibly infrequently for announcing product launches and other significant announcements. I don’t imagine we’ll ever be sending out more than a few of these per
- A Profoundly Simple WidgetApril 3
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When it comes to Widgets, I’m a fairly pragmatic guy. I’ve tried adding a bunch of whimsical little widgets like a hula girl, sports scores, Twitter, and even some productivity widgets, but none of them stick around for long. When it’s all said and done, the only widgets that have survived are the work horses. Transmit, Calculator, Screenshots, and Weather. That all changed this week when I found “The Big Questions” widget.
Figure 1 The “The Big Questions” widget (or gadget for the Windows folks) offers a daily profound question and enables you to submit your own.
With questions like “What are you looking forward to telling your grandchildren about?” and “What would you do differently if you could start over?”, it’s a daily dose of thoughtfulness. That’s about it. I just thought this was unique enough to share. Enjoy.
- Use the Ideas, but Make it Your OwnMarch 26
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I have a problem when people steal visual design. Visual design is somebody’s signature, and copying it is akin to forging their professional signature. As in art, there will be periods of web design where many designers will adopt similar styles, and that’s to be expected. However, to copy a design almost entirely is pathetic. Period. When it comes to interface elements and concept though, I have an entirely different opinion.
Copy the Concept, but not the Style
If I implement some interface element and it seems like a good idea for your site or application, I strongly encourage anyone and everyone to use it. Have at it. That’s not to say the ideas I write about are always correct, but I lay no claim whatsoever to the bits and pieces of what I create. That’s a huge part of the reason I invest so much time sharing my real-world experiences and ideas. I want them to be used to make the internet a better place.
For Example…
Let’s look at automobiles for a moment. I don’t think anyone would argue that a Kia is equivalent to a Lexus. They’re at opposite ends of the styling and quality spectrum. However, beyond the styling, they both have four round wheels with tires, a round steering wheel, the radio or navigation head unit in the middle to the right of the steering wheel, gauges behind the steering wheel just below the dash, sticks coming off of the columns that control windshield wipers and the sort, and gas and break ped