Designing the Obvious
by Patrick Havens
Total Improved Presentation. through away planned, and wrote a new one.
What makes an obvious blog?
Striping out features
Reducing form elements to focus a page.
But they don’t relate to blogs
Wore the coat, so he’s a professional speaker….
But the two main ideas for blogs
- Building only what’s necessary
- Servicing the important elements
You want people to take action. Be able to read you tidbit and reply back.
What exactly is essential
- Search
- Comments
- Title
- Post
- Color Contrast/Readability
- Byline – Name
- Permalink
Tumble Blogging, Has none of the things that you take for granted. Most everything is stripped away, but it works.
But look at your content. What will make sense for it. Will Tumble Blog work for it.
Make it easy for people to glance at page, and just know how to work.
The 5 second test. Have them look at a screen, and have them figure out how it works.
Blog posts don’t relly have actions that need to be taken, but what do you want people to do.
- Comment
- Digg This!
- Read more stories
- Changing the action from “Comment” to “Question?”
Graphically/Visually
What is important.
- Informative
- Moving
Don’t stick in usless graphics
Interesting icons?
Use graphics to compel action.
Write Compelling (read Lorelle’s Presentation)
Make Trackbacks obvious…
Community verses Audience
RSS links are important, let them find your feed. Use the name Syndicate, Subscribe. Perhaps a definition of what it is.
Contact information?
blogroll? If you don’t have business goals, and you want to let others know about similar or favorite links.
What colors to use… just make sure they contrast. No matter what the scientists say, make sure that people can easily read your text.
Give links to other posts: Related posts, Most Popular Posts, Random Post button?
- Good value of your product
- A good idea of your products
- A good usability
- You can’t focus on just one area.
Always explain yourself fully. Or better way to put it “Always explain what you mean.”
Design for usabilty – Fonts Size, layout according to audience.
Why does MySpace still remain popular with such a bad design. – rhjr.net
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The Slide Show got posted (even if didn’t really use it). The SlideShow is interesting in its own right.
July 24th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
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August 6th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
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October 11th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Cool post on Designing the Obvious!
January 12th, 2008 at 10:09 am
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