I am a firm advocate in the practice of usability testing. In my graduate program I studied in depth the design model of rapid prototyping and its inherent connection to usability testing. I’ve found that the strength of rapid prototyping … Continue reading
As one year ends and another begins I’ve been bombarded by the usual articles, commercials, and news reports about resolutions for the New Year. Hearing about people who are getting out of debt, quitting smoking, and that commercial promising rock … Continue reading
The “3 Rs” (reading, [w]riting, and [a]rithmetic) have long been a shorthand way of identifying elements that seem fundamental to education. Coincidentally, there are 3 Rs that are fundamental to the development and use of any visual design: rhetoric, readability, … Continue reading
Around this time of year, the design industry starts to create lists about the top trends of the year. While I’m always eager to read those lists, a recent conversation with a friend started me thinking in a different direction … Continue reading
On a recent customer visit with one of our directors, I was struck once again by how each project we undertake is a learning experience, not just for our customers but for our team here at Allen. We take away … Continue reading
You’ve probably never rolled your eyes at a comment on your work or ignored feedback because you “knew better,” right? We can just talk about me, then. While I was studying creative writing in college, my work was constantly under … Continue reading
This past week, I ran into one of my friends who is a grade school teacher at a social event. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the adoption and use of the iPad, so I couldn’t help but ask … Continue reading
“Is Instructional Design Dead?” There was a great discussion around this question in one of the sessions. I am glad that the conclusion was, “No, it’s very much alive but it needs to change.” Almost everybody agreed that instructional design … Continue reading
Learning Affordances When technology provides additional capabilities for employees to do their work more efficiently, it allows us to think about the emerging technologies from the affordance perspective—rather than just the features or hype. For example, when designing for mobile … Continue reading
Last week I attended Elliot Masie’s Learning 2011 Conference with two colleagues. There were over 2,000 training professionals gathered at the magical Disney resort in Orlando. The energy around us was palpable—it seemed like everybody was full of anticipation to … Continue reading
