Jon Hartmann - UX Rule

UX Rule: Fixed Content Width

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:56:00 -0500

When you're laying out a site, one of the most basic questions you can ask is "Do we make this liquid or fixed width?" Do you let your site fill the user's browser, or do you hold it to a single fixed width? It's a good question, but let me make a suggestion, nay, let me suggestion a rule: Always use a fixed width for your content. [More]

UX Rules: Four Rules for Form Controls

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:46:00 -0500

Time again for another user experience rule, and this time I couldn't stop at just one. I've got four rules for you about forms; one of the most daunting aspects of UX design. You can save yourself some trouble with the following rules:

Rule 2: Ditch the Reset button.

Rule 3: Make your Cancel button look like a link, or make it visually washed out compared to your Submit button.

Rule 4: Make sure that there is at least a 2em distance between your Submit and your Cancel buttons.

Rule 5: Submit on the left, Cancel on the right.

Read more to see my reasonings and an example. [More]

UX Rule: Notification of Completion

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:29:00 -0500

So, as I move into exploring the realm of user experience(UX), I'm going to work on building a collection of rules for creating good user experiences. These rules are fast, but they aren't hard: every situation is different, and although these rules will be starting points, some negotiation may be required.

Rule One: All processing must display a notification to the user.

Read more to see my thoughts on when and how to do this. [More]