Usability
Design
Ubuntu
Three main types of user behaviour found in ubuntu.com testing
by Canonical on 23 March 2013
Understanding user behaviour through user research is an integral part of our design process. In the last ubuntu.com website testing, some insights surfaced...
Ubuntu
Ubuntu Developer Summit: Design Theatre
by Canonical on 7 May 2012
Normally the Ubuntu/Canonical Design Team are busy working on our own projects, but it makes a really good change to work on other Free Software design...
Ubuntu
Task switching in Ubuntu, and a introduction to ‘The Spread’
by Canonical on 16 March 2012
Introduction to task switching A key part of any operating system user interface is how it enables the user to switch between multiple tasks. In most desktop...
Ubuntu
About Usability Testing – Recruiting
by Canonical on 2 March 2012
Every three months, I conduct benchmark usability testing. I’m calling these tests ‘benchmark testing’ because the aim of these sessions is to measure our...
Ubuntu
The Unity design process (and how you can play a part in it)
by Canonical on 16 February 2012
How is Unity designed? How can I contribute to this process? Why did you make thus and such decision? The Unity Design Team is frequently asked these...
Ubuntu
Thunderbird & Evolution Usability Testing
by Canonical on 4 August 2011
Recently we hired an external consultant to compare the usability of 2 email clients: Thunderbird and Evolution. I have taken some highlights from the report...
Ubuntu
Unity Benchmark Usability – April 2011
by Canonical on 22 April 2011
First and last impressions of Unity were that it was quite user-friendly, and pleasing in its design and ease of learning. The majority of participants left...
Ubuntu
That’s it, we’re quitting
by Matthew Paul Thomas on 7 March 2011
The “Quit” command in applications today is a relic from the days when the original Macintosh had no hard disk and couldn’t multitask. Modern applications...
Cloud and server
Thunderbird in the Usability Lab!
by Canonical on 16 February 2011
I have just completed sessions of usability testing of Thunderbird. This time, I had the pleasure of working with Andreas Nilsson, who came to London to...
Ubuntu
DanRabbit on the Ubuntu One Desktop
by Canonical on 16 February 2011
Hey Ubuntu One and Design fans! This is my first post here, and I have to say I feel priveledged to be able to write to you all. Recently I’ve been working...
Ubuntu
Can We Appropriate Design?
by Canonical on 13 January 2011
’Appropriation’ – the taking of a product and using it for one’s own purposes, in ways unintended by the product creators – is implicitly at the core of the...