Noddys Guide to Usability Testing and Gaming

Ben Weedon discusses how usability testing can be useful at all stages of games development.

Ben Weedon, published in Interfaces, April 07.

Usability review of Red Steel (Nintendo Wii)

We recently conducted a usability review of Red Steel on the Nintendo Wii, looking in particular at the use of the Wiimote and nunchuck.

Ben Weedon, February 2007.

Usability review of PES6

Read the results of our usability review of PES6 on the Xbox 360. 

Ben Weedon, January 2007.

User Challenges in the Connected Home

What are the major user related issues that present a barrier to the development of the connected home?

Lucy Stockbridge & Azia Mughal, September 2006.

Friends in Unexpected Places

Andrew Swartz discusses how to work with colleagues from other disciplines towards a better overall experience for users.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, October 2005.

Another usability tool: Marketing

Andrew Swartz discusses how working closely with marketing can improve usability.

Andrew Swartz, Published in Usability News, September 2005.

Life Intrudes

Andrew Swartz this month considers times when flexible design is required.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, July 2005.

User Type Shaping

Who should you include in a usability study? Andrew Swartz invites colleague Kate McCluskey to discuss a new technique that Serco have been developing.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, November 2005..

Searching Questions

Andrew Swartz addresses the design of search pages and offers some tips.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, May 2005.

Hand It To The Users

Games developers must get to grips with next gen handhelds, says Ben Weedon, a consultant at Serco Usability Services.

Ben Weedon, April 2005.

First Date with a Usability Agency

Andrew Swartz provides some helpful hints to those who are considering working with a usability agency for the first time.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, April 2005.

Living with the Nintendo DS

Andrew Swartz invites colleague Christina Carini to talk about her experience with the new Nintendo DS.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, March 2005.

Try Before They Buy

Avoid testing your consumers' patience by testing your game on users in advances, says Ben Weedon of Serco Usability Services.

Ben Weedon, January 2005.

Predictive Usability

Andrew Swartz looks at how to evaluate usefulness as well as usability.

Andrew Swartz, Published inUsabilityNews, January 2005.

Usability for Evil

Andrew Swartz takes a light-hearted look at the self-interested online practices that don't age well. Read the Devil's advocate...

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, December 2004.

Changing Bridges

Andrew Swartz discusses what changes will be shaking up usability in the future.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, November 2004.

Undercover Heuristics

Andrew Swartz goes beyond well-established heuristics to suggest the ten most common usability issues that prevent web sites from succeeding, a checklist which can be used against your own site.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, September 2004.

The Paradox of Usable Security

Andrew Swartz invites security specialist and colleague Simon Herd to discuss the implications of security usability.

Andrew Swartz and Simon Herd, Published in UsabilityNews, August 2004.

Hard Nose in a Soft World

Is the usability industry obsessed with cost-justifying itself? Andrew Swartz identifies the dangers of seeking cost justification in general cost saving terms and not on a project by project basis.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, July 2004.

Welcome, New Usability Graduates!

Andrew Swartz offers a few words of advice to new graduates seeking work in the usability industry.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, June 2004.

Fantasies of a Technical Writer

Andrew Swartz addresses the subject of usability in technical writing and where to put help for maximum effectiveness.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, May 2004.

Spanish in the Land of the Gringo

Serco Usability Services recently carried out an independent study reviewing the usability of tools for online learning. Here Andrew Swartz draws on some of the findings to offer pointers for designing digital language learning tools.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, April 2004.

Beyond User Testing: Using your customers to improve your products

Usability testing is perhaps the most popular of usability techniques. Andrew Swartz acknowledges the merits of usability testing, and discusses other user centred techniques and their applications.

Andrew Swartz, Published in New Media Knowledge, April 2004.

DiTV: Including the Excluded?

DiTV potentially offers a new communication channel for the government to reach the socially excluded. Andrew Swartz discusses findings from a recent independent study and considers techniques for encouraging more people to use government services online.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, March 2004.

A Mars Bar Among Light Bulbs

Andrew Swartz discusses where people look and how circumstance may change this, but how clever and intuitive design can accomodate it.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, February 2004.

Looks, Or Brains?

What do you do when people prefer a pretty face to a usable one? Andrew Swartz discusses the merging of beauty and functionality.

Andrew Swartz, Published in UsabilityNews, January 2004.