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  • Will You Add? - Interface Design - It's Not Yahtzee!

    Small Business Ideas, Success by Faith
    You have to believe in your small business ideas. What you believe truly and with feeling will become your reality. When you change what you believe, you can change your reality and your performance.Your thoughts and beliefs can either help you achieve your goals or keep you from achieving success.People with a negative approach to life and the naysayers says : “I don't believe it until I see it!” In fact, it's the other way around, it is not until you believe it, you'll see it! And it doesn't matter what "it" is.To limit your self by your thoughts is the worst thing you can do. That will for certain keep you from achieving the success you want. There is an old s
    e of error notifications with phrases like "Access Violation!", "Warning!" or "Security Breach" when a user clicks a control that has data they do not have access to, is an absolutely ridiculous waste of time and an unnecessary cause of user anxiety.

    In most cases it is preferable to allow the user to see all of the controls upon a form including features they cannot access; features which can be disabled. If you hide controls upon a form you risk discombobulating your well organised form layout which violates the guideline of improving the user's working experience. Even more disconcerting is hidden controls that magically appear in front of the user: Yes I know the controls have a visible property but it does not mean we have to use it.

    In summation of the above:

    • Well ordered and laid out controls are easier upon the eye and easier to navigate with the mouse cu
      Why You Should Get A Cash Advance Loan Online
      Getting money from an online cash advance company will take almost no time and this is considered as a simple yet cost-effective way to get the much needed emergency cash that you are seeking. Many people have raised the questions regarding the length of time getting a cash advance loan entails. However, the cash advance process is really simple and quick. Once approved, your cash is released within a few days.One does not have to wait for several days in order to get a cash advance. Applying for the cash advance loan only takes filling out a simple form that needs to be submitted online. You may also opt to have the release cash amount deposited direct to your account. T
      The interface is the face of the application behind which all of our instructional code is hidden; the interface between the user and the machinations for data crunching. It is imperative that the interface is well organised and easy to traverse with a mouse. I have seen command buttons thrown upon a form as if the developer were throwing dice in a game of yahtzee! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahtzee%21)

      Ugly or disheveled design does not entice a user to utilise the application we put our blood, sweat and tears into and after all of our effort we want to motivate the user to utilise our application as much as possible.

      One of our purposes as programmers is to improve the user's experience of their working environment. Well ordered and aligned controls upon a form and well spaced details within a report will be easier upon the user's eye and easier for the user to navigate the information presented. The user often uses the mouse cursor to guide their eyes around the display screen in a more focussed way. This is a similar principal to using a pencil to guide one's eyes as a speed reading method (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_reading).

      It is important to understand the psyche of the user. Most users live in a very different work space to us developers. A user who works for Administration services relies heavily upon grammatically correct written language and a particular spatial sense of proportion and balance with regards to information printed upon a report which also extends to an application's forms. Inconsistent use of capitalisation within a report or spelling mistakes within an application will be revealed by the user or client. Some programmers may conclude that the user or client is being pernickety but would we want this type of grammatical or syntactical error to appear within our code? For instance; would we want to find the word employee to be misspelt as employea and appearing as employea or Employea within a case insensitive language?

      Accurately named buttons upon a form are preferable to images. An image can speak a thousand words but what does an image of a tree say? I've seen trees and fish used as images upon buttons. Really, it is not kindergarten and images are always open to interpretation. Write out a button's intentions clearly in written language. Images are useful for toolbars or coolbars and there are well defined and almost universally acceptable sets of icons available for these purposes and I suggest buying a quality set of icons from a graphics house like IconExperience or IconFactory.

      Application colour is also a critical aspect of usability and application identification. Brand colours of a client's organisation or your own is often a good choice. You can give the user the option of changing the primary colour of an application specific to their PC. The main proviso in colour choice is consistency and as few as possible. I have seen many programmers first attempts at an application become a fairground of diversely coloured forms or having a form within the application that changes colour from green to red during data validation errors. My first application was an example of the full colour spectrum. When I first started programming, colour computer screens had not long been on the market and I used the new functionality to it's fullest extent! It drove the user batty and someone else edited the application to use more uniform colours.

      Limitations to a user's access to data within an application needs to be made obvious. If a user cannot access a control's data then disable that control and colour it a non-intrusive grey. Profligate use of error notifications with phrases like "Access Violation!", "Warning!" or "Security Breach" when a user clicks a control that has data they do not have access to, is an absolutely ridiculous waste of time and an unnecessary cause of user anxiety.

      In most cases it is preferable to allow the user to see all of the controls upon a form including features they cannot access; features which can be disabled. If you hide controls upon a form you risk discombobulating your well organised form layout which violates the guideline of improving the user's working experience. Even more disconcerting is hidden controls that magically appear in front of the user: Yes I know the controls have a visible property but it does not mean we have to use it.

      In summation of the above:

      • Well ordered and laid out controls are easier upon the eye and easier to navigate with the mouse cur
        How To Make It Easy For Your Web Designer To Build Your Website
        You have an idea for a website and you are now looking for somebody to build you the site. You want it to be a smooth ride, and want to have a good working relationship with your web designer. You are also looking for a low cost website, so how will you make all of this possible?I believe that if you make life as simple as possible for the website designer, you are likely to keep him happy and onside. This way you are also more likely to obtain a cheap quote.Before contacting the designer or designers, have a clear picture in your mind about how you want the website to look. You will need to decide colours, graphics and content.I would put all of the content
        . The user often uses the mouse cursor to guide their eyes around the display screen in a more focussed way. This is a similar principal to using a pencil to guide one's eyes as a speed reading method (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_reading).

        It is important to understand the psyche of the user. Most users live in a very different work space to us developers. A user who works for Administration services relies heavily upon grammatically correct written language and a particular spatial sense of proportion and balance with regards to information printed upon a report which also extends to an application's forms. Inconsistent use of capitalisation within a report or spelling mistakes within an application will be revealed by the user or client. Some programmers may conclude that the user or client is being pernickety but would we want this type of grammatical or syntactical error to appear within our code? For instance; would we want to find the word employee to be misspelt as employea and appearing as employea or Employea within a case insensitive language?

        Accurately named buttons upon a form are preferable to images. An image can speak a thousand words but what does an image of a tree say? I've seen trees and fish used as images upon buttons. Really, it is not kindergarten and images are always open to interpretation. Write out a button's intentions clearly in written language. Images are useful for toolbars or coolbars and there are well defined and almost universally acceptable sets of icons available for these purposes and I suggest buying a quality set of icons from a graphics house like IconExperience or IconFactory.

        Application colour is also a critical aspect of usability and application identification. Brand colours of a client's organisation or your own is often a good choice. You can give the user the option of changing the primary colour of an application specific to their PC. The main proviso in colour choice is consistency and as few as possible. I have seen many programmers first attempts at an application become a fairground of diversely coloured forms or having a form within the application that changes colour from green to red during data validation errors. My first application was an example of the full colour spectrum. When I first started programming, colour computer screens had not long been on the market and I used the new functionality to it's fullest extent! It drove the user batty and someone else edited the application to use more uniform colours.

        Limitations to a user's access to data within an application needs to be made obvious. If a user cannot access a control's data then disable that control and colour it a non-intrusive grey. Profligate use of error notifications with phrases like "Access Violation!", "Warning!" or "Security Breach" when a user clicks a control that has data they do not have access to, is an absolutely ridiculous waste of time and an unnecessary cause of user anxiety.

        In most cases it is preferable to allow the user to see all of the controls upon a form including features they cannot access; features which can be disabled. If you hide controls upon a form you risk discombobulating your well organised form layout which violates the guideline of improving the user's working experience. Even more disconcerting is hidden controls that magically appear in front of the user: Yes I know the controls have a visible property but it does not mean we have to use it.

        In summation of the above:

        • Well ordered and laid out controls are easier upon the eye and easier to navigate with the mouse cu
          Who Loves Money? Who Loves Zero Cost Marketing?
          Who loves money? Well, most of us do to be honest. Most of us would like to earn a little more and many of us would like to earn a lot more. Perhaps we've also considered using the Internet as a means to do that. One of the problems, though, is that many Internet businesses need an investment up front - in advertising, web space or domain names - before you can make money. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a form of zero investment marketing where you could make money without having to fork anything out at the start?Actually there is. And it's staring you in the face. It's Article Marketing.The principle is simple. You write an article about somethi
          ithin our code? For instance; would we want to find the word employee to be misspelt as employea and appearing as employea or Employea within a case insensitive language?

          Accurately named buttons upon a form are preferable to images. An image can speak a thousand words but what does an image of a tree say? I've seen trees and fish used as images upon buttons. Really, it is not kindergarten and images are always open to interpretation. Write out a button's intentions clearly in written language. Images are useful for toolbars or coolbars and there are well defined and almost universally acceptable sets of icons available for these purposes and I suggest buying a quality set of icons from a graphics house like IconExperience or IconFactory.

          Application colour is also a critical aspect of usability and application identification. Brand colours of a client's organisation or your own is often a good choice. You can give the user the option of changing the primary colour of an application specific to their PC. The main proviso in colour choice is consistency and as few as possible. I have seen many programmers first attempts at an application become a fairground of diversely coloured forms or having a form within the application that changes colour from green to red during data validation errors. My first application was an example of the full colour spectrum. When I first started programming, colour computer screens had not long been on the market and I used the new functionality to it's fullest extent! It drove the user batty and someone else edited the application to use more uniform colours.

          Limitations to a user's access to data within an application needs to be made obvious. If a user cannot access a control's data then disable that control and colour it a non-intrusive grey. Profligate use of error notifications with phrases like "Access Violation!", "Warning!" or "Security Breach" when a user clicks a control that has data they do not have access to, is an absolutely ridiculous waste of time and an unnecessary cause of user anxiety.

          In most cases it is preferable to allow the user to see all of the controls upon a form including features they cannot access; features which can be disabled. If you hide controls upon a form you risk discombobulating your well organised form layout which violates the guideline of improving the user's working experience. Even more disconcerting is hidden controls that magically appear in front of the user: Yes I know the controls have a visible property but it does not mean we have to use it.

          In summation of the above:

          • Well ordered and laid out controls are easier upon the eye and easier to navigate with the mouse cu
            Gift Cards - You've Got To Spend Money To Make Money!
            The old adage you've got to spend money to make money is no where more true than with gift cards. Look around all I've seen advertised on television and in the newspapers this holiday season has been for the purchase of gift cards. It's as if Walmart, BestBuy and Target don't have any merchandise to sell.Advertising today is very expensive. People in marketing know that to advertise for 1 specific product nationally or locally can cost thousands if not millions of dollars. Is it worth it to sell 1 product. For those interested in that product they might venture into the store and while there, they may purchase other items, but what about those not interested in that produ
            . You can give the user the option of changing the primary colour of an application specific to their PC. The main proviso in colour choice is consistency and as few as possible. I have seen many programmers first attempts at an application become a fairground of diversely coloured forms or having a form within the application that changes colour from green to red during data validation errors. My first application was an example of the full colour spectrum. When I first started programming, colour computer screens had not long been on the market and I used the new functionality to it's fullest extent! It drove the user batty and someone else edited the application to use more uniform colours.

            Limitations to a user's access to data within an application needs to be made obvious. If a user cannot access a control's data then disable that control and colour it a non-intrusive grey. Profligate use of error notifications with phrases like "Access Violation!", "Warning!" or "Security Breach" when a user clicks a control that has data they do not have access to, is an absolutely ridiculous waste of time and an unnecessary cause of user anxiety.

            In most cases it is preferable to allow the user to see all of the controls upon a form including features they cannot access; features which can be disabled. If you hide controls upon a form you risk discombobulating your well organised form layout which violates the guideline of improving the user's working experience. Even more disconcerting is hidden controls that magically appear in front of the user: Yes I know the controls have a visible property but it does not mean we have to use it.

            In summation of the above:

            • Well ordered and laid out controls are easier upon the eye and easier to navigate with the mouse cu
              Article Marketing - Preselling Your Sales Page
              One of the most important thing you can do when you are promoting your sales page or your web site is to presell it. By preselling it, I mean instead of just having a link to your web site in some advertising medium, have a sales piece, review, article, or blurb that prepares the reader to want your product when they get to your sales page.One way to pre-sell is through the use of articles about your industry/product/service. These can – and should – be as short as about 500 words and should cover a wide variety of articles about your business. You can place your articles on your own site, but if you really want to gain a following, it is in your best interest to syndi
              e of error notifications with phrases like "Access Violation!", "Warning!" or "Security Breach" when a user clicks a control that has data they do not have access to, is an absolutely ridiculous waste of time and an unnecessary cause of user anxiety.

              In most cases it is preferable to allow the user to see all of the controls upon a form including features they cannot access; features which can be disabled. If you hide controls upon a form you risk discombobulating your well organised form layout which violates the guideline of improving the user's working experience. Even more disconcerting is hidden controls that magically appear in front of the user: Yes I know the controls have a visible property but it does not mean we have to use it.

              In summation of the above:

              • Well ordered and laid out controls are easier upon the eye and easier to navigate with the mouse cursor.
              • Check for grammatical errors or inconsistency in the way words are used.
              • Use written names instead of icons or images for a form's controls.
              • Use a uniform colour identifier for applications. Corporate branding colours are a good choice.
              • Do not hide controls from the user. If the user cannot access a control then notify them of the limitation in a a non-intrusive way.
              • Do not make controls appear and disappear upon a form.

              For those interested in improving the grammar and punctuation within their applications I highly recommend the following book:

              Renton, N.E. (2004) Compendium of Style & Good Writing - Third Edition, John Wiley & Sons Australia.

              The older copies, of which I own one, were: Renton, N.E. (1990) Elements of Style & Good Writing, Schwartz and Wilkinson, Melbourne, Australia.

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