If it has the word ‘button’ in it, it’s a good blog. At least that seems to be the case in my experience so far. I recently came across two excellent interaction design blogs, “The History of the Button” and “Upressable Buttons“ which talk about buttons in more depth than you ever thought possible.Â
When you think [...]
Author Archive for admin
Buttons Buttons and More Buttons
Published by October 29th, 2007 in Human Computer Interaction, Uncategorized and Usability. 1 CommentSteelcase Treadmill Workstation — Office of the Future?
Published by October 29th, 2007 in Chairs and Furniture, Human Computer Interaction, Occupational Safety, Office Ergonomics, Product Design and Uncategorized. 9 CommentsI wrote in the past about the “walking while working” movement composed of a small but growing group of people abandoning their desks for a healthier alternative– a workstation jerry-rigged to a tread mill.Â
You just may be able to get a treadmill-workstation at your local office supply store sooner than you think. Steelcase recently unveiled [...]
Eating At Your Desk: A Guilty Pleasure
Published by August 9th, 2007 in Occupational Safety, Office Ergonomics and Uncategorized. 11 CommentsJudging by how often I see my coworkers do this (and yes, I do it too), and the plethora of images I found on Flickr when entering the tags “lunch” and “desk,” eating at one’s desk is a common occurrence in offices everywhere.
The days of hanging out in the break room or lounge are over. [...]
High Heels Have A Future After All (with Crocs)
Published by July 18th, 2007 in Clothing Designs, Product Design and Uncategorized. 4 CommentsCrocs, a Boulder based shoe company, began as a niche item for kayakers (they’re light and they float) and were soon adopted by gardeners, chefs and hospital workers. The first edition of the shoe, although hideously ugly, has become an icon up there with the Birkenstock.
The key to Crocs’ success is not necessarily their [...]
Computers Cause Headaches (no surprise)
Published by June 27th, 2007 in Human Computer Interaction and Uncategorized. 1 CommentExcerpts:
You feel like an invisible vise has had your head in its grips for days. The Aspirin you took has done absolutely nothing to loosen the grip. They might as well have been sugar pills.
So look down. Are you hunched over the computer? How long have you been there? Are you playing computer games? Is [...]
iPhone 1.0: What could possibly go wrong?
Published by June 22nd, 2007 in Humor, Mobile Devices, Uncategorized and Usability. 0 CommentsOK-Cancel posted this comic about the iPhone that I just had to share. I think this really captures the general attitude toward Apple products these days. Only time will tell if touch screen technology really is the wave of the future.
[tags]iphone, usability[/tags]
High Heels: Here to Stay?
Published by June 22nd, 2007 in Clothing Designs, Ergonomics and Society, Humor and Uncategorized. 4 CommentsMy post on the ergonomic nightmare of high heels if one of my most popular and controversial. I think it is time for a response from me. This passage in particular has gotten the most negative response from people who love high heels and think they look great:
I would be perfectly happy if high heels [...]
Ergonomics Economics: Prevention is a Good Investment
Published by June 5th, 2007 in Occupational Safety, Office Ergonomics and Uncategorized. 0 CommentsA post from Ergonomics Economics sound eerily similar to the climate change debate to me. Basically, industry tries to save money by ignoring problems until they reach crisis state. Whether it is the atmosphere or the human body, the same rules apply. It makes more financial sense to invest in prevention rather than waiting until [...]
Microsoft Surface: Better Than Pac Man?
Published by May 31st, 2007 in Human Computer Interaction, Product Design and Uncategorized. 5 CommentsI have to agree with doane paper, Microsoft’s new touchschreen interface, Surface, may well be the future of human computer interaction, but it has an “old school” design flaw…straining the neck to look down at the screen is not ergonomic! What were they thinking?
[tags]microsoft surface[/tags]
Ergonomics Vs. Aesthetics and Hello Kitty
Published by May 23rd, 2007 in Keyboards and Mice, Kids Products, Product Design and Uncategorized. 2 CommentsIt is often said by HCI experts and interaction designers that good design is good ergonomics. It has also been found that products that look better are easier to use.
This Hello Kitty mouse misses the target on both design and ergonomics. Ergonomics does not equal cute!
[tags]hello kitty, HCI, interaction design[/tags]