Live.com Search Has Serious Usability Problems

Joel Spolsky, the guru behind Joel on Software, has a straightforward and on point definition of usability:

“Something is usable if it behaves exactly as expected.”

By that definition (and just about any other), the beta web search currently available off of Microsoft’s Live.com website isn’t usable....

What’ll it Be? Lots of Visitors or Lots of Users?

As a moody consumer and cynic, I’m beginning to find that there are way too many websites that claim to be “a one stop shop” or the “complete” or “ultimate” resource for their field. In many cases, these sites are so unappealing and loaded with so much content, that users like myself are forced to seek help from other sources or forget the whole matter entirely and continue watching television,...

What Industries Have the Best/Worst Websites?

Adrants has a breakdown of the Web Marketing Association’s (WMA) Internet Standards Assessment Report, which examines which industries have the most/least effective websites. The study found that gaming, music, sports and automotive sites are the best while public relations, directory/search engine and radio sites are the worst. You can download a copy of the report from the WMA website....

Wall Outlets That Spin.

I hate contemporary wall outlets, something that designers have overlooked forever. Adapters are too big, receptacles are too close to architectural elements and bulky plugs — can only use one of the two outlets. Waste no more. Check out the spinning outlets at 360 Electrical.

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Worst Designed Website Ever?

I think the Association of International Glaucoma Societies’ site is in the running. It makes just about every design mistake you can imagine – use of frames, background music, elements that spin, etc. And then takes the comedy factor to the next level by letting you switch the site’s background music to Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds”....