natasha's corner

Ever since Microsoft improved the searching capabilities in Outlook, I have been using it more and more like Gmail (with its concepts of tags and archiving) rather than a traditional email client with folders. If you would like to reproduce the Gmail experience within Outlook, here is one way to do it. (Note: I use [...]

Many thanks to those who attended my presentation on “Connecting with Developers to Expand UX Influence” at the UPA Boston Mini Conference today. There were many excellent questions and I hope everyone found the presentation useful. You can download the slides here (in PDF form) or here (in PPTX form).

Recently, Jared Spool and Robert Hoekman, Jr. addressed the question of making a career move from developer to designer on their Userability podcast. I listened to it with great interest, having made this move myself not too long ago. Jared and Robert had some great advice, like to just start observing how people use your [...]

Nothing says “we care about our employees” more than a corporate hairdryer in the ladies’ room.

(Note: Hold your mouse over the image to view the notes.) The treasures of my file cabinet, left by some unknown office worker long ago and only now excavated by me, armed with a new key to open the cabinet. Using the penny-dating technique, I place these contents somewhere between 1975 and 1992.

One reader shared with me the story of his brainteaser interview. During a screening interview, I was asked how I would design a bike fit for someone visually impaired. I responded something to the effect of, “What, like, for blind people?”, and she answered yes.  I thought for a moment and then I responded, “Well.. [...]