July Newsletter – User Experience (UX)

Some architects consider this topic to be critical, some others consider that only UX specialists must deal with it.

The Architecture Journal
July 2009
User Experience July 2009
 
User Experience Month
Dear Architect,
We want to start by thanking you for all the submissions you sent in for the SOA issue (to be released in September). The selection process was hard difficult with so many amazing proposals. We even had to postpone the announcement day for a week as we needed more time to review! The good news is that have more guest columns and for the very first time, some short videos of about 5 to 10 minutes in length. This month’s issue is devoted to User Experience (UX). Some architects consider this topic to be critical as it's considered strategic in terms of broaden the audience for software adoption, customer satisfaction and, as a desired consequence, company revenue. Some other architects consider that UX is a cross-cutting aspect that only UX specialists must deal with, so they must just focus on architecture definitions. These positions don't necessarily contradict each other, and the conclusion is that, while the architect is not directly responsible for the overall UX, there is certain background she must keep in mind as a stakeholder of the overall project. Sooner or later she will have to take decisions based on UX constraints. Just to mention a couple: RIA or plain HTML interface? What about allowing certain reports in a spreadsheet so the user can later massage the information to extract further results? We selected an assortment of updated resources of varying depth. As usual, we offer both MS and non-MS views. We hope you enjoy this input. Remember that you can always send us your opinions by emailing us to archjrnl\@microsoft.com. Sincerely, Diego Dagum Editor-in-chief

UX Resources for Architects: Editor's Choice
 
End users want design that's easy to learn and use and that fits their workflow. This MSDN Magazine column shows you how to deliver such designs. -Usability in Practice: The Series (MSDN Magazine)
 
Analyzing how effectively a Website provides for a net positive user experience can often turn into a subjective affair, rife with opinion and short on objectivity.
 
UX design patterns and a common design vocabulary to help facilitate collaboration among peers. -Lou Carbone: Go Beyond Best Practices. Evolving Next Practices to Prosper in the 21st Century
 
Agile methods aim to overcome usability barriers in traditional development, but pose new threats to user experience quality. -More articles by Dr. Jakob Nielsen, usability expert
 
In this presentation, the speakers explain what the Agile and User Centered Design’s (UCD) common denominators are.
 
Lessons learned and pitfalls of inefficient workflows, worst practices, and poor communication that will ensure the demise of any software project. -Simple tiered application development with .NET RIA Services -Just launched: community site for Web and RIA design and development
 
 
Prism's library and reference implementation helps you build modular applications that respond to changing business requirements. -Download this guidance
Other news:

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