The PDF format has many merits for its use–standardized formatting, easy production and publishing. But it seems that today it is being abused as a means of bypassing having to write a web page formatted in HTML. More and more frequently I see companies forgoing this task of writing a web page and just tossing up their content in a downloadable PDF file. It is now so prevalent on the web that search engines such as Google have opted to add PDF content to their index.
When I worked at Harvard we frequently had clients ask us to just publish PDF versions of their Word documents because they didn’t want to foot the bill for us to convert it to a web page. Much of the time it was just a client liaison who didn’t want to spend more money but was told the information needed to be online. I can not fault them for not knowing how PDF files severely affect the user experience.
Organizations and/or web teams need to create and enforce a policy on the proper use of PDF files on the web. This is becoming a rampant problem which instead of attempting to promote awareness and manage it we are succumbing to defeat and poorly adapting to it.
In user interface design icons play a major role, as they provide the user with a simple visual cue intended to easily convey the meaning of a feature or action at a glance. Icon design in web applications is especially paramount as web users typically scan pages as opposed to actively reading them. The choice of icons can greatly affect how users interact with a web application and ultimately the usability of such an application.
The recent design update of MyNeu brings a new set of icons for the web application’s utility navigation (Email, Calendar, My Account, Logout, and Help). Unfortunately these new icons are a step backwards for MyNeu and I’ll take a look at each one to examine the pros and cons.
Email
The email icon luckily has not varied much since the previous design. The icon of an envelope has become a fairly common standard on the web as a representation for email.
Calendar
Typically we see calendar icons represented by their physical form, that of the wall-hanging or desk calendar. The previous MyNeu design used such an icon but the new design takes a more disconnected approach by using an icon with the representation of a sun. This breaks away from the standard conventions we see on many other major sites such as Yahoo! or MSN. When using standard conventions the user has less to learn about how to use a particular site and in turn increases the ease of use. MyNeu took a major step backwards on this one and failed to capitalize on what users already know.
My Account
There are times when it can be difficult to represent a feature in a simplified icon representation and My Account is one of those times. The previous design represented the feature with an icon of a key hole which in many ways is a fairly close mapping to the feature’s function, that of changing your account’s password. The new design utilizes an icon representation of a treasure chest which unfortunately is severely lacking in comparison to the key hole’s mapping.
Logout
MyNeu’s previous design showcased a lock as its icon representation for logout which provided the user the with a mapping of security when clicked. The new design has one of the worst icon representations I have ever seen, that of a pinwheel. It can be said that this icon provides the user with ZERO help as to what its function is. In more cases it probably hinders the user’s perception of the site as he looks for the logout feature.
Help
The question mark is without a doubt one of the most common web conventions used in representing help. Luckily MyNeu managed to carry that icon over from their previous design.
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Figure 1. Map of Banks in Harvard Square
Since my term ended at Harvard my time in the Harvard Square area has dropped off significantly. Recently I ventured back through to meet up with some old co-workers. I was literally floored by what I saw. Harvard Square is becoming so commercialized and now exists mainly as a marketing tool for companies.
The Boston area banks have destroyed the culture of Harvard Square by invading its every space. Upon walking out of the MBTA station you have access to six full service banks all within eyeshot. It’s not about taking in the history and atmosphere of Harvard, it’s about taking in the brand.
The compiled map shows the Harvard Square locations of Bank of America, Citizens Bank, Sovereign Bank, Cambridge Savings Bank, and Cambridge Trust Company.
No where else have I seen more iPod Minis than on the women of Northeastern campus.
Why has the iPod mini become such a success when all the technology pundits hailed it an instant failure when Apple announced it?
Why the Technology Pundits Were Wrong
The majority of those commenting on technology are men. I myself questioned Apple’s decision with the iPod mini. It looked cool but the price and capacity just were not enticing to me. There in lies where the failure speculation occurred, like me, other men saw the same faults. But we all seemed to forget that not just gadget geeks use these devices.
Why Women Love the iPod Mini
If you look at the shopping trends of women you can see that functionality is not always their top priority. This is not to say that the iPod does not have top notch functionality but that aspects such as battery life and hard drive capacity take a much lower priority than aesthetics.
The iPod mini is the ultimate digital accessory. It is compact enough to fit in a purse and comes in a variety of colors allowing for a more individually tailored component.
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With the Fall semester of school already underway you can probably tell by the lack of updates that I have been inundated with work. Currently I’m working on a few projects which include a fair amount of writing; pleading for grant money and asking for acceptance to conferences.
So I have found myself lately hanging out at various places doing work because at my apartment there are just too many distractions. So I just felt that I should give thanks.
Espresso Royale Cafe
And my soon to be new home: Penguin Pizza