Situated Research's Blog

How the machines will come out and meet us in 2015

The user interface is big business right now. In truth, it always was, but it’s taken the mass popularisation of the iPhone to bring it the public agenda. Until then, a good interface was one which you didn’t notice. If no one mentioned it, then it was doing its job. It was allowing the user to perform the task they’re looking to do with minimal fuss, but when the famous talky tablet turned up, it brought with it something that would change this principle for consumers everywhere – a touchscreen. Read more »

Color in design is very subjective. What evokes one reaction in one person may evoke a very different reaction in someone else. Sometimes this is due to personal preference, and other times due to cultural background. Color theory is a science in itself. Studying how colors affect different people, either individually or as a group, is something some people build their careers on. And there’s a lot to it. Something as simple as changing the exact hue or saturation of a color can evoke a completely different feeling. Cultural differences mean that something that’s happy and uplifting in one country can be depressing in another.

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Illustration: Olly Moss

On the last day, they gathered for a group photo. They were videogame programmers, artists, level builders, artificial-intelligence experts. Their team was — finally — giving up, declaring defeat, and disbanding. So they headed down to the lobby of their building in Garland, Texas, to smile for the camera. They arranged themselves on top of their logo: a 10-foot-wide nuclear-radiation sign, inlaid in the marble floor. Read more »

A user’s perception of a Web site can evoke a wide range of emotions and attitudes.  These emotions and perceptions impact the user’s attitude towards the Web site’s content, advertised products, company, credibility and site usability.

The design and presentation of a Web site is strongly visual and users are known to make aesthetic judgments of a site very quickly. As the Web site likeability and credibility increases so does the likelihood of purchasing from the site. Since the site’s aesthetics can influence brand perception and credibility, the importance of design and color treatments must be considered. Read more »