Before we starting using Morae-enabled laptops to record video from usability testing sessions (a period we like to refer to as “the Stone Age”), we used to drag around two giant cases of cables, cameras, mixers and the like. It was an impressive kit — but heck on the lower back, especially hoisting the cases into the overhead compartment of a small regional jet. Those days are gone, thanks to Morae, and most of our former kit is collecting dust in the closet. Until now! Morae is sponsoring an “Outrageous Lab” contest. Entrants submit photos of their pre-Morae lab setups, accompanied by written tirades describing the staggering inefficency and unreliability of these rube goldberg specials.

Now’s your chance to show your support for advanced lab-based usability testing technology; plus nifty prizes for the winners. Details here.

We don’t need another bubble; a tub ‘o suds will do just fine, thank you.

Whatever you may think of the term Web 2.0 — or, for that matter, the strategies and technologies that the term purports to represent - if you are in the business of designing, developing, marketing, or maintaining websites or applications you should be afraid, very afraid, of the jargon-hype beast that has gurgled back to life over the last year or so. Full Article »

Check out the new CNNMoney.com homepage. The page and site header required redesign to reflect the fact that the site now aggregates content from the major Time Warner business magazines: Fortune, Fortune Small Business, Business 2.0, and Money.

We worked closely with a team at CNNMoney.com to explore multiple user interface and visual design options for the page. It was a true collaboration between internal and external resources. We’re very happy with the result. Let us know what you think!

For design geeks only: check out the Public Voice debate going on at Newstoday.

Could it be that Apple, that arbiter of design sensibility, is stymied by the screen resolution problem? We’re not saying they are — and we weren’t able to independently verify the information below — but it is true that the new Mac product pages are designed at a greater width than the rest of the Apple site, including the homepage. That’s interesting in itself. Full Article »

I think we can all agree that, from a customer experience point of view, the quality of air travel is not exactly on the rise. It seems that every other flight I’m on is late, overbooked, and overcrowded. Don’t get me started on the food. So, I was happy to note that the airline industry appears to be considering some changes to their boarding procedures in an effort to prevent the usual aisle-clotting (and knee-bashing, luggage-falling, overhead-compartment-cramming, etc…). It doesn’t sound like they have exactly settled on the right methodology, yet, but I’m glad they are at least trying to make the experience more efficient.