It was a fantastic quarter for the company and I’m especially thankful for the word of mouth advertising network. In the past three months we’ve been working on:

• Auspice Corporation - defining the user experience and designing a browser-based application for both mobile and desktop delivery that will be used across the cable industry.
• Harvard University - delivering a top-level assessment of a large-scale query tool.
• Harvard University - defining the user experience and delivering a comprehensive top-level information architecture and content mapping strategy for the entire finance division.
• CSO (CSOonline.com) - designing the user experience and developing a standards-compliant set of front-end templates for the new CSOonline.com
• Vantel Pearls - delivering enhancements to the back-end order entry process and delivering a booking report for demonstrators.
• Apex Properties - continued the design and development of a new corporate Web strategy

The new quarter looks to continue with great success as we respond to RFPs for major learning institutions and corporate marketing divisions. We’d love to hear from you and look forward to helping you solve any user experience problems.

It’s funny when we get into a debate with a client about their own audience. We often find out in these situations how much both sides don’t know about the customer.

In these cases, we lean on both the statistical data and the experience we’ve collected and take a shot at running tests to see how close we can get. We usually get pretty darned close.

But what happens if the client isn’t willing to disclose certain information or the audience is not allowed to see the new interface design until it goes out to beta?

Design to the user.

It’s at the point where I say this in my sleep. I design user experience. It’s based on the user and their experience. End of story. I don’t design applications or Web sites or software UI to meet the specifications of a machine or a database. That’s left to the capable hands of the back-end development team.

What I expect them to return to me is the data the USER needs in order to make the EXPERIENCE as painless as possible.

Our lives are filled with applications that spit out millions of data points and while a user’s interaction is much more savvy on the Web than it was ten years ago, it’s not so savvy as to correctly guess at what they’re supposed to do without some sort of roadmap.

It’s still ok to hold hands and it’s still ok to give them a map.

Keep the user experience useful.

Has the way of the call to action really gone the way of the great snuffleupagus?

I had a meeting today to review design comprehensives for an online magazine. During said meeting, the client sponsor said that Marketing Sherpa has done a study that stated by using the words “click here” in one of their newsletters, they raised the click-through rate by over 20%.

Our newsletter, which really, if you haven’t read by now you are just missing sooooo much, is very much predicated on the new-age philosophy of removing any “click here” language. I don’t say it’s right, it’s just how we do it. And, also, I realize that my first statement revolves around a newsletter and the click here method surfaces in any user interaction experience these days.

We’ve tried running some very basic A/B tests during client engagements before, and I have to say, we’ve met minimal or no impact between incorporating the links into well-written text versus actually separating out the call to action and instructing the reader to “click here”.

I could turn to my left and right on most days in most any public place and get varying responses, but I’d love to know why this type of language still works. Not in the sense that I don’t understand the usability of it, it’s rather a question of when will we mature to the point where it is as unnecessary as telling someone else their name in an introduction “You are Jane. I am Keith.”

It’s quite possible that if we don’t start using some sort of standards in our copywriting we’ll just keep repeating the same dilemma and the same expensive usability studies to tell us something we can’t exhaust any further.

Maybe it’s the time of year. Maybe it’s the kooky font choice. Maybe it’s the way we all feel after indulging twenty spoonfuls of high-octane sugar and brain freeze. Regardless of the reason, the new baskinrobins.com site seems to me to resemble a Rankin/Bass production.

I half expect to see Rudolph appear and tell me “she thinks I’m cuuuuute!”

The brand needed a face lift and I’m glad that the new ownership group has taken charge of getting things going in the land of Dunkin’ Brands. If you haven’t noticed any changes, you will. More menu items (regardless of how you feel about them) and the addition (FINALLY) of a fresh-brewed, year-round iced tea, which is delicious for a chain.

The Baskin Robbins I visited in London (Richmond Upon Thames) could have been mistaken for just about any hole in the wall ice cream shoppe, but when the new branding hits, it’ll certainly stand out (for better or worse).

Enjoy a pint (not that kind) and have a safe, warm holiday.

I find it very difficult to explain more than any other discipline how incredibly unappreciated illustrators are in the world of 2.Now.

The reasoning behind my lack of articulation surrounding these folk is predicated on the sheer fact that you have to see it to believe it. In other words, I just need to make sure that when someone says, “I’m not really into that” or “I think it’s great, but I don’t pay attention to it” or even “It’s nice but that can get expensive” that I have a list of links to point them to.

I had an illustration created for my article on A List Apart in September. The genius that is Kevin Cornell brought to life the idea behind my piece that left me feeling like I hadn’t done HIM justice.

In trolling other people’s talented creative, I came across Steven Lefcourt. Steven is an artist who works wonders with animals and humor. One of his many designs was featured on shirt.woot.com (a fantastic place to fill your bureau with the strangest and brightest collection of t-shirts you’ll ever see… one at a time).

There are so, so many talented illustrators out there and their work needs to be seen more often in new design. Even a corporate entity can use a little love, so give the idea merit as you hire your next creative team.

We pronounce today: Illustrator Day.