Design Wise: A Guide for Evaluating the Interface Design of Information Resources [Paperback]

Alison J. Head (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

A badly designed Web site interface can result in a site that is hard to find and hard to use but a well-designed interface helps users find and utilize the information they need quickly and easily. Explaining what interface design is and how to evaluate it, this guide explores the importance of interface design to users, reveals how a product gets designed, and provides a design evaluation template and design analyses of CD-ROMs, Web sites, and online providers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alison J. Head is a lecturer, writer, and information management consultant. She has been a contractor on Internet design and evaluation at Hewlett-Packard and has lectured extensively on library and information science. She lives in Sonoma, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Information Today, Inc.; 1 edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910965315
• ISBN-13: 978-0910965316
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,614,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Overrated for the web savvy, December 28, 1999

By 

Rick Lynch (Mentor, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Design Wise: A Guide for Evaluating the Interface Design of Information Resources (Paperback)

Although I thought Design Wise was easy to read, and did a wonderful job of summarizing the history of interface design, it fell well short of offering significant real world solutions. As a GUI designer, this book seemed to address the obvious problems, but only scratched the surface with general and vague solutions. Alison Head writes very well and did a great deal of research, if anything, her endnotes serve as a great reference for other GUI books. Ironically, this book about 'design' was poorly laid out, and the 'helpful vignettes' were plunked right in the middle of chapters, making it difficult to read. Maybe Allison's publisher should apply some of her design concepts to their own book.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indespensible reference guide that is fun to read., March 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Design Wise: A Guide for Evaluating the Interface Design of Information Resources (Paperback)

This book is an reference guide for making decisions about computer based information resources. It covers CD-ROMs, web sites, and commercial databases. The first half of the book develops the design theory involved in human computer interfaces and the second half of the book shows how to apply that theory. The presentation of the material is well organized and flows in a logical manner. At the same time, the reader can dive into the book at any point, and completely comprehend the material or find useful items of information. It is an excellent reference guide because of the many tables, figures, and checklists that can be used immediately to make decisions on computer based information resources. At the same time, the coverage of the HCI theory and many reference resources make it an excellent text for learning more about HCI and design of computer based information resources. The interviews with experts in the field such as Don Norman and Jakob Nielsen, side bars on design interface issues, and the field tests of products such as the Southwest Airlines web site and Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia add to the readability and user friendly tone of the book. The variety of material makes the book interesting to read and hard to put aside. This is definitely an indispensable reference guide that will soon be worn from constant use

3 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides a New Approach to Information Sharing Development!, December 7, 1999

By 

Jim Moran - See all my reviews

This review is from: Design Wise: A Guide for Evaluating the Interface Design of Information Resources (Paperback)

The Internet has become a leading source for all kinds of information. Government agencies, companies, organizations, schools, libraries, hobbyists, and others have placed just about anything and everything online. In doing so many have neglected the ease of which people searching online can find and access what they are looking for at the millions of Websites that adorn cyberspace.

Design Wise written by Alison Head addresses the need to evaluate and re-think the way Websites are designed in order to allow quick and easy access to the information provided by them. User-interface, navigation design, structure, and overall interaction should contribute to more effective accessing of information, not impede it. These matters require serious attention.

Head offers an insightful look into the world of software and Web development and delivers her own assessments for the need of change and future direction that may take place. Input from industry leaders, news about current trends in information sharing technology, actual case studies, her tips and recommended guidelines, and the question & answer format contribute to a very fine treatment of information sharing development.

With the flood of information resources available online and the move in direction to search for information online, providers of information who have set up Websites, databases, and search engines should take heed to Head's advice and begin creating resources that are more user-centered in design. This approach would allow people to quickly and easily find their way around and obtain the information they are looking for. All will benefit from the fresh ideas and concepts presented in this book!