J!nx is a clothing manufacturer that produces video game-inspired and licensed clothing. They hold merchandising rights to many video game-related properties (‘The Guild’, ‘Starcraft’, ‘Eve Online’) and cater to gamers, a technically proficient and lucrative market. Jinx has set some unique best practices for e-commerce that demonstrate how well it understands its... [Read more]
There may be times when you should consider looking to your brand ambassadors for help with a time-consuming aspect of your company’s operations. One effective model: recruiting your user base as moderators for a forum. Not only is it good business; it can also be a great user experience for participants as well as observers. Of course, Slashdot is the pioneer in involving its user base on a... [Read more]
Long before the theatrical release of TRON Legacy On December 16th, I – and many others - had the opportunity to see TRON Legacy content (such as first looks at trailers and concept art) ahead of any media outlet, by playing the TRON Legacy Alternate Reality Game. The TRON campaign is a masterpiece of marketing via user experience, and demonstrates a carefully designed digital strategy. In... [Read more]
Those of you who have forums on your Web site understand that spammers and trolls can be a real nuisance. Perhaps you can relate to the trouble Activision Blizzard has with dealing with the multitude of undesirable posts on their official World of Warcraft forums. On July 6th, Activision Blizzard, Inc. unveiled a controversial plan to help regulate the forums: Anyone posting on forums would have their... [Read more]
For companies with respected online brands using stock photography can be a terrible disservice to all Web site visitors and your online reputation. In user tests at Interface Guru, we have found the more tech-savvy users (like engineers and programmers) are particularly intolerant of stock photography and will think less of a brand if they see it used on a Web site. Stock photography recognition is... [Read more]
Recently I ordered Domino’s Pizza for the first time in years and discovered that the new sauce isn’t their only innovation. Their new Web site includes the Domino’s Tracker, an application that gives you the real-time status of your order (the Tracker activates after an order is placed, so I’m including a screencap from a recent order). A glowing status bar tells you exactly... [Read more]
Over the past weekend, I had the opportunity to use my Nintendo Wii and explore a game called Silent Hill: Shattered memories. I found the game’s use of the the interaction capabilities of the console noteworthy. I won’t give a review of this game here; however there are many user experience and interaction concepts that are set forth in this game. WARNING – major spoilers ahead... [Read more]
