The UI Observatory

Most of my favorite software applications are made by indie developers.

A lot has changed in the user experience realm since I last posted an article on this site.

The sit/stand desk in our home studio is the best furniture investment we ever made.

Most mobile phone applications access or synchronize at least some data via the internet.

As much as I like the instant gratification of purchasing music online, I still prefer the experience of handling a physical CD and its — hopefully extensive — printed booklet.

Why do power lights on TVs and computer monitors stay on when the device is powered up?

Our media collection contains a number of DVDs whose region code is 2, because I had bought them when I was still living in Germany.

Error messages are always annoying, but designers and developers can make them less painful by addressing three questions (in a language that is meaningful to their users): What went wrong?

Corporate newsletters that are actually worth reading are few and far between.

When you order something online, wouldn’t it be great if you could tell which carrier will deliver your order?