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There is one common and fundamental key to good user experience, the user should never have to guess. This becomes even more important when you are asking the user to divulge personal information by creating a user account. A few months ago, I wrote an article on the importance of branding and design for registration forms. For an industry growing around web applications, user interaction has taken on a new role. Those points of interaction within a website, the programming and scientific elements have also taken a new role. In essence, this challenges the user. As a user interface designer, I want to reduce that challenge and make the experience as seamless and direct as possible.

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I’m so accustomed to lying about personal information when I create online accounts…

How many online accounts does a person need?

After designing what feels like my bagillionth registration form, I have to ask the question, how many online accounts does a person need? More accurately, how many accounts can a person have before maxing out on e-turgor? I’ve got a bad habit of signing up for accounts, poking around and then never letting them see the light of day again. I have more online accounts than a person should be legally allowed, no question. None the less, it all seems worth while when you find that amazing new tool that you, henceforth, couldn’t live without.

Given the phenomenal and ever-growing profusion of application offering online accounts, I had to stop and take a look at the doorway, the registration form.

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Today, I receive an email from Cameron Moll, reminding me about the (almost, August 28th) release of his long awaited Mobile Web Design book. Perfect, I thought. I’ve been waiting for this almost as long as I was waiting for the release of the iPhone.

One of the reasons I’ve been waiting in such anticipation is that, for the last 10 months or so, two of the biggest projects I’ve been working on, directly relate to mobile web. Not so much in the sense of mobile web design, but in the sense that both of these projects make use of mobile technology to extend the web beyond web browsers. I’m very pleased to say that one of these, KaDoink, just launched into limited public beta.

This is Delivery

This was extremely exciting news. Lauren and I have been working with KaDoink for the better part of the year and we’re continuing to work with them to better define this branch of web development and design.

On May 31, 2005 CNN reported on the “not far away” Smart Homes:

The entry “home” in your mobile phone address book will have a whole new meaning in a few years — your place of residence is likely to be clever enough to send SMS messages directly to you, and you will do the same to it.
Julie Clothier for CNN

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