Train of Thoughts Designing the Effective Web Experience

Is creativity the enemy of usability? How do we judge the success of a persons experience interacting with a Web enterprise? Is the effectiveness of an online resource defined only by how usable it is? In Train of Thoughts: Designing the Effective Web Experience, Web strategy and design consultant, John Lenker, gives us a vision for how Web enterprises must interact with people to be successful in the twenty-first century. This book is non-technical and is written not only for Web designers and developers, but also for any stakeholder in a Web enterprise that has a vested interest in making sure that their online resources become more meaningful and valuable. Youll learn to: - Understand what motivates peoples online behavior and then convert that motivation into online results - Communicate with people effectively online so that they really understand what the value proposition of an online resource is - Combine forward-thinking information design techniques with systems that pave experiential pathways for people to journey along in pursuit of their interests and goals - Properly employ personalization to build relationships - Understand the true role of creativity online - Uncover screen-space designs that aid and inspire the mind - Reconcile business objectives with stakeholders needs - Approach process in a way that keeps projects on time, on budget, and on target - Create online resources that actually work when theyre completed - Actualize creative vision appropriately for the Web "While leading Web design experts rely on fixed usability standards as their guidepost which focus almost entirely on practical issues, these standards are overly restrictive, dont consider peoples needs holistically, and are keeping the Web from living up to its fullest potential. John Lenker offers an alternative perspective that addresses peoples online needs much more comprehensively. Tackling an aspect of the usability debate thats often misunderstood, Lenker explores why soul-less rejection of creativity can be every bit as ineffective as graphically garish design. Specifically, he brings important principles of psychology, understandability, and creativity to bear on Web experience design in a way thats easy for everyone to follow along with and understand. This book teaches you to look beyond the status quo to find experience design strategies that increase the value of online resources. Its refreshing to read a thoughtful title like this, in which the author digs deep into real issues instead of trying to find the lowest common denominator, one size fits all approach." -Lynda Weinman author, educator URL: www.trainofthoughts.comLenker, John C. is the author of 'Train of Thoughts Designing the Effective Web Experience', published 2002 under ISBN 9780735711747 and ISBN 0735711747.