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The Edge of the World

Why Edge Cases Matter in Usability. The Edge of the World. UPA Boston 9 June 2010 John Biebel of Monster.com www.johnbiebel.com j@johnbiebel.com. 1: History and Definitions 2: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion.

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The Edge of the World

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  1. Why Edge Cases Matter in Usability The Edge of the World UPA Boston 9 June 2010 John Biebel of Monster.com www.johnbiebel.com j@johnbiebel.com

  2. 1: History and Definitions 2: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  3. 1: History and Definitions Current literature “Taleb's idea is that our lives are dominated by Black Swan events; that is events which are extremely rare but have very high impact. These events cannot be predicted in advance because they are completely different to anything that has happened before. Afterwards, these events are subject to intense scrutiny and explanations are developed which appear to show how they could have been predicted, but this does not prepare us for the next Black Swan.” Scintoblog, 3/18/2008. Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  4. 1: History and Definitions Current literature “I do not always do what I'm told, and this is because when people tell you what to do it is usually confusing and does not make sense. For example, people often say 'Be quiet' but they don't tell you how long to be quiet for...” Mark Hadon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, 2003 Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  5. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion Majority Rule Democracy Web Democracy Tyranny of the Majority Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  6. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion Majority Rule Democracy Web Democracy Tyranny of the Majority Perceived Democracy Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  7. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion Tyranny of the Majority rejection indifference adaptability awareness change dual adaptability (minority & majority) Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  8. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion Case: Language: Hawai’ian Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  9. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: He ‘ōlelo Polenekia ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, e like ho‘i ma ka ‘ōlelo Kāmoa, ka ‘ōlelo Tonga, a me ka ‘ōlelo Māori. English: Hawaiian is a Polynesian language, like Samoan, Tongan, and Maori. Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  10. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion 8,000 speakers Hawaiian fishermen’s knowledge: 5,000 names for fish, English Ichthyologists: 2,000* Embedded information Loss of knowledge and specification Loss of detail Loss of language diversification Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010 *”Endangered Languages: Language Loss and Community Response”, editor Lenore Grenoble 1998

  11. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion “Only around 20% of the world's plant and animal life has been officially classified, according to Edward O Wilson, at Harvard University in [Cambridge] MA, US. But much of the remaining 80% is known, he believes – just not to scientists in the West.” – Gaia Vince, New Scientist Magazine, 2007. Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010 *”Endangered Languages: Language Loss and Community Response”, editor Lenore Grenoble 1998

  12. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  13. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion “…Edge Cases kill inspiration…The Root of All Evil.” Brian Fling, dotMobi “(Edge Cases) represent truly unique activities completely beyond or fundamentally different from the most typical activities and needs, and require an individualized, special, or unique solution.” Jim Leftwich, LukeW Ideation + Design Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  14. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion “…Edge Cases kill inspiration…The Root of All Evil.” Brian Fling, dotMobi “We’re designing for the million, not the hundred.” (scale) “If you do x, it will affect y and z, and we don’t have the resources to change y and z.” (scope) “Our competitor doesn’t worry about it.” (competitive analysis) “No one’s complained yet.” (diversification) Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  15. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion “(Edge Cases) represent truly unique activities completely beyond or fundamentally different from the most typical activities and needs, and require an individualized, special, or unique solution.” Jim Leftwich, LukeW Ideation + Design “A vocal portion of our users need more attention” (scale) “If you do x, this presents a good argument to upgrade y and z, which we’ve neglected for a while.” (scope) “We are being proactive, unlike our competition.” (competitive analysis) “We’re finding edge cases and addressing them before the complaints arrive.” (diversification) Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  16. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion Web users as Edge Cases: Audio/visual impairment Limited speed, power, access Lack of web user experience Over-active web user (impatient user) Unilingual users (Non-English speakers) Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  17. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion Web activities as Edge Cases Detailed multi-platform transactions (letter, phone, email, web) Step / verification processes reversed (back button / disorientation) Typing / semantic issues (½ , 0.5, half) Doubling / redundancy (sticky actions) Prohibited actions Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  18. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion Web usability experience Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  19. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion • Mixed web and mail experience: • Ecom • Returned ‘brick and mortar’ item • Warranty • Received paper notification of web-based item redemption • Transaction Number • Gift Card Number (no card) • Gift Card PIN • Create web account • Order replacement • Shipment never arrives • Phone contact • Merchant • Delivery company • Decision: Merchant offers new redemption • Repeat paper notification process • Repeat web process • Email notification that item is discontinued • Shipping discount • Repeat web process • Conclusion? Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  20. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion • Web usability experience Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  21. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion • Web usability experience Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  22. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion • Web usability experience • At this stage of the experience, I’ve not been asked to identify my purchase type. Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  23. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion • Web usability experience • No request for purchase type (step 2), implied by ‘billing information’? Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  24. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion • Web usability experience • Request for gift card (step 3), still have not identified purchase type, stored purchase information, and no action available to move forward with purchase. Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  25. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion Web usability experience improvements: Inform user of: captured information (display) when information has already been consumed (alert) when information may need to be re-entered (alert) Indicate when a field no longer needs to be populated (grayed out) Provide accurate and more detailed chronological steps (two stage flow) Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  26. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Exploring and Dividing the Edges 4: Conclusion Web usability experience improvements: Configure entirely new experience Gift card? ✓ ✖ Gift card? ✓ Use this | Balance New card XXXX XXXX XXXX XX 0009090 Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010 ✖ Gift card? ✓ Use this | Balance New card Apply to order

  27. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion FACTS: Edge Case users are a reality of your web presence Edge Cases have a lifespan The edges always change due to: Technological streamlining Human adaptability Happy users can be loud; unhappy users are very loud. Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  28. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion PROJECTIONS: Edge Cases change at: different rates different intensities Only so many edges can be forecast Edges will help define need for: Future projects Upgraded experience Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  29. 1: History and Definitions: Fringes and Edges 2: Dividing Edges: Special Needs vs. Special Wants 3: Edge Cases in Usability Design 4: Conclusion ACTIONS: Don’t let an Edge Case become a road block or a wall between usability and creativity Be inspired by the edges Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

  30. John Biebel (monster.com) www.johnbiebel.com j@johnbiebel.com johngreenink uxbunny.wordpress.com Further research: www.livingtongues.org Presentation: www.johnbiebel.com/webwork Edge of the World: Edge Cases John Biebel UPA Boston 2010

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