Notes on "Modular Web Design"

[kelleyP]

11.17.2010 // Modular Web Design, Nathan Curtis
Next book:  Observing the User Experience, Mike Kuniavsky (Jan 26th)
Coming soon: Wine & Wireframes to celebrate our 1.5 Year Anniversary

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THINGS WE LIKED 
- really usable; great templates for download
- the 8shapes methodology works really well & does allow clickable
export
- likes the description/differention between design patterns &
components
i.e. pattern = sign up, component = login, request password...


NOTES & DISCUSSION
- M|B is testing ProtoShare - anyone else?\\
- 8shapes has a template for a styleguide, but others are using Word,
PPT, excel,
- it's easy to add too much design when using tools like Fireworks &
InDesign
- sketching really helpful before using any wireframing tool
- pure Agile method is really painful for user experience


What kind of collaboration does everyone have with their teams?
- Rally (good & bad experience)
- Agile
- content strategist / UX combo + lots of collaborative sessions to
get everyone in the room & avoid surprises
- lots of brainstorming around concepts
- efforts in content curation to lead the strategy
- need to empower each discipline


Personas
- helped a team see shared tasks between groups
- could help keep "outside the box" thinking in check
What's the best way to sell/introduce personas?
- best when focused on goals, attitudes & motivation more than
demographics
- great to get everyone on the same page


TOOLS
- Firefox Pixel perfect (similar tool for Dreamweaver too)
- see InCopy


OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED
Predictably Irrational
Drive
Design for the Digital Age - great read on UX meets Agile



ATTENDEES // Confessions
Kelley - this shirt smells like mildew
Mike C - addicted to Craigslist (currently shopping for hottub,
recently bought a color printer)
Sheri - moves husband's piles and doesn't admit it when he can't find
them
Kirsten - when she puts her 2 kids to bed, she dresses them for the
next day
Kim - was nicknamed Pansy Mouse in high school
Laurel - likes to toast peanut butter & jelly & dip it in OJ
Travis - has to watch Top Gun at least once a year
Alison - felt guilty about her car when she bought it, but is now a
happy BMW owner/driver
Mike - has given his boys Benadryl twice (when they weren't sick)
Ryan - is always made fun of for being a "dog" person - has a dog-
child
Val - guilty pleasure - Desperate Housewives; went snowboarding this
morning