Human Factors

Have you ever looked at a website and thought there’s something absolutely wrong with it? I tried to find accommodation in Christchurch for the weekend and one of the backpackers came up with a website you can only use with Microsoft Internet Explorer – they even have a huge warning next to their link buttons. I can’t believe it…

Google has decided to stop Ecocho.

screenshot:www.ecocho.co.nz/blog.php

Does that mean Google don’t support the idea of making a difference for climate change? Apparently I have to use Yahoo as a search engine now, as they seem to support Ecocho massively. This can’t be in Google’s interest, can it?

Ecocho is the eco friendly search engine you should use from now on. For every 1000 searches users make using search engines Yahoo and Google (you can chose which one you prefer), Ecocho will sponsor the growth of up to two trees. Use it! Now!

Last year the “Innovation Forum Interaction Design” took place in Potsdam/Germany. It focussed on all aspects of interface and interaction design; and their fabulous speakers (Gillian Crampton Smith, Anthony Dunne, Tim Edler, Frank Jacob, Gesche Joost, Bernard Kerr, Patrick Kochlik, Kristjan Kristjansson, Bill Moggridge, Dennis Paul, Mike Richter und Bruce Sterling) were recorded. The Videos are now online, there are some available in English.

Today I came across Zlango. It is some kind of a graphic universal language, which works on the basis of emoticons. On their website they announce that they’ve already developed an interface to 20 languages, with more than a million users in 20 countries. I’m not sure what I think about it – the idea is good, but some of the icons are not as self explaining as they should be, I guess. At least with the text I tried, I wouldn’t be able to decipher the meaning.

And the interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood is interesting, too… ;-)