Does anyone ever read the editorial? I must admit I rarely do. I’ve been told I have the patience of a three-year-old—no wonder I usually jump straight to the articles. So, let me make this short and sweet. You know: 140 characters or less. Oh, you think I’ve already exceeded that? Well, it’s a good thing you’re still with me.
Our Editor’s Notes usually focus on the theme of the issue, but this issue (gasp) doesn’t have a theme! And that’s what’s so exciting about it; there is something here for everyone:
Design? We have that. (Didn’t you see the cover?) Brian Sullivan encourages us to strive to be like Leonardo da Vinci, while Mike Katz, Beverly Freeman, and Kerry Hebert describe how they partnered with users to design successful interfaces for eBay and PayPal.
Qualitative evaluation methods? Yes. Hilary Palmén shares her Look-and-Feel Tool that helps participants, even the really quiet ones, effectively describe their experiences.
Quantitative evaluation methods? Right here! Jeff Sauro celebrates the 25th anniversary of the System Usability Scale by revealing ten little-known facts. Also, if you’ve heard about web analytics but are fuzzy on the details, Michael Beasley’s article is a must-read.
Accessibility? Look no further. Jonathan Lazar and Brian Wentz are against having separate accessible web interfaces and they are not afraid to say it.
Job seeking? Chelsey Glasson has just landed her dream job and has some tips for us.
Looking forward to the World Usability Day this year? Learn about how WUD is celebrated in the Philippines in our interview with Regnard Raquedan. (November 10th—don’t forget!)
Also, be sure to read the articles on designing for social change—this year’s theme for both WUD and UPA: Laura Keller’s account of a community-centered approach to the revitalization of the Bronx Grand Concourse, and Aaron Houssian’s story about the KnowHow2GO campaign to encourage high-schoolers to go to college.
Speaking of the UPA Conference, many of us who could not attend this year were following it closely on Twitter. It was almost like being there. Our twentieth anniversary was a great success! Take a look at some of the highlights below.
