Focusing on top tasks
Evidence-based decision making at Cisco support In many models of web management, every 2-3 years the site gets a redesign. This could be called the ‘lipstick on a pig’ approach to website management. The result is…
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Reviews, lists, and responses to articles or resources we think are interesting or useful.
Coloured lists in Trello
As you probably know, we’re big fans of Trello here in the web team. We have a number of project boards, overseen by one master, everything-we’re-doing™ board called @Web team. It currently has 24 columns (or lists)…
The shift to mobile and tablet devices
When will more people visit Gov.uk using a mobile or tablet than a PC? Mobile and tablet traffic to the Admissions website almost doubled during 2013. Mobile/tablet traffic is rising all the time. But often the largest…
We are all international
Sheffield SU – We are all international students The video makes an interesting point – one that fits with the original ethos of the website developed by the Lean group, which was that the whole website should be…
Whitespace, copywriting and Google Now
Why whitespace matters There is a tendency among non-experts to cram as much information as possible onto a webpage. But you should not think of whitespace as wasted space. Designers know that whitespace is hugely…
Drop the assumptions, re-frame the question
More than two years ago, on 7 November 2011, I created a new card on our Trello board called “Fix memos on internal homepages”. It then sat on the board for the next 24 months, and was not touched, apart from to…
Responsive design, launch and leave, and designing for drunk people
Responsive design won’t fix your content problem Responsive design won’t fix all the problems with device compatibility. Karen McGrane outlines why the increasing diversity of devices requires smarter thinking in terms…
Web strategy, and why user-centred design excels
Why are colleges flunking web strategy 101? I’ve talked to organizations that have spent 3-4 painful years developing a governance model that works. But it often ends up in a tangled Web of committees and steering…
Making forms easier, and how to improve usability
University of Strathclyde Web Transformation Project The University of Strathclyde is currently building a new website. This blog shares their experience. They are taking an interesting approach, so it will be worth…
Making distinctions clear, infinite scrolling, and stock photos
Explicitly state the difference between options Jakob Nielsen’s latest article is highly relevant to us, as it looks specifically at information architecture decisions made by university admissions departments. This…