05.07.2010
Corinna Proctor /
Creativity /
Usability
After years of suffering through accidental CAPITALIZATIONS and wondering why keyboard manufacturers give such prominence and high priority to the Caps Lock key, I decided to simply remove it. And wha-la, my life is all the better for it. The key functions remain in tact, as anyone who has accidentally popped a key will tell you, but now, the rubberized button takes up only about 3 mm of space in my life as opposed to about 2 cm. Granted it isn’t very attractive, but it is highly functional, as the risk accidentally tapping the bubble is significantly less than tapping the entire key. Customization rocks.
11.12.2009
Corinna Proctor /
Local /
Usability
In honor of World Usability Day, today, November 12, hundreds of usability conferences, design challenges and meet-ups are being sponsored and organized around the globe! Check out events in your local area and around the world.
HumanCentric will be attending North Carolina’s Triangle Usability Professionals’ Association and Carolina Chapter of HFES event at SAS. The event starts at 6 pm.
Staff from HumanCentric will present their solution to this year’s design challenge.
Happy usability!
10.20.2009
Corinna Proctor /
Human Factors
Our very own Mike Maddox, Senior Scientist at HumanCentric was inducted as a Fellow to HFES at this morning’s opening plenary session. Check out Mike in all of his glory. Mike is flanked by Miranda Capra and Barry Beith who are each presenting at this year’s conference. Congrats, Mike!!
10.13.2009
Corinna Proctor /
Medical
We are hanging out at Medtrade 2009′s semi-annual conference in Atlanta, October 12-15. Come join us!
Brian Chiarizia and Alex Hussain are roaming the floor, attending keynotes and chatting up their friends in the home medical equipment (HME) industry.
Medtrade is celebrating its 30th anniversary and has a large following of HME manufacturers, vendors and suppliers.
10.05.2009
Corinna Proctor /
Mobile /
User Experience
Yesterday I came home to find an enormous piece of junk mail from AT&T jammed into my mailbox. It was so big that it was a literal struggle to get it out, and in doing so, I almost took the mailbox right off of the post! One second in the door and I’m already annoyed…
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08.10.2009
Corinna Proctor /
Consumer Products /
Human Factors
Yes, it’s true – I’m in love. With… my vacuum.
Ridiculous? Maybe.
True? Totally.
My vacuum is honestly one of the best-designed consumer products that I own. But a vacuum? Really, Corinna? Yep. You’ve got it. To win my heart, it’s the little things that count the most. So let’s start with the basics…
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08.03.2009
Corinna Proctor /
Consumer Products /
Transportation
Gotta love it. A GPS system. The prices tanked. Every car on the highway has one. And I climbed right onto the GPS bandwagon, too, about 2 years ago. I have to say this device is one of my favorite gadgets of the decade. Imagine my sheer joy at feeling confident that I know my way around - even though at best, I can’t even fake a good sense of direction. I’m terrible. I have to memorize my way around town because I truly don’t know where I am in relation to things. It’s a fault. But I choose to say that I save my brain power for more important things. Well now, watch out, world. I’m going to get where I need to go without having to make that embarrassing call to a friend or my husband to be my trip advisor. I don’t need to think. I just listen and do what the unit tells me to do. It’s like being reborn with a sense that you were always missing.
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06.18.2009
Corinna Proctor /
Trends /
Web & Software
I gave in and took a few peeks around Bing – I have to admit that their ads, although confusing, are interesting. I’ve personally never experienced “search overload” or people around me spewing out words like they are playing a frantic board game, but, hey, maybe I’m the minority.
In our project work we are consistently asked to provide human factors or design reviews for our clients. So today, for the fun of it, I decided to conduct my own 5-second comparison of Bing v Google.
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06.10.2009
Corinna Proctor /
Trends
With so much discussion of economics and the future, practitioners in the design and human factors disciplines have all taken a step back to reflect and look at trends in our industries. No doubt, all industries have been impacted and everyone is affected.
Yet, in spite of the downturn, our day-to-day interactions with the world might seem somewhat unchanged.
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