This site is an outgrowth of
my Master's thesis, completed in December, 2002 at the University
of Washington. My interest in continuing my research lead
me to launch this site in September of 2003. I also felt
that the data I had collected (and plan to collect) would
be more accessible in a web-based presentation. I encourage
those interested in conducting related research to also
refer to my thesis, which can be downloaded at my personal
web site www.hpadkisson.com.
The data presented on this
site are intended to inform design decisions, not dictate
them. Common practice does not necessarily equate with best
practice—and the relationship between consistency
and usability on the Web is remains a lightly researched
area. I wrote more on this topic in an article for Boxes
and Arrows: Examining
the Role of De Facto Standards on the Web.
At this time the data on the site are limited
to e-commerce, which was the focus of my master's thesis.
As one reader has pointed out, there is so much more to
the Web. I do hope to eventually expand the data collection
beyond e-commerce into other site genres.
A goal of this site is to encourage
and highlight related empirical research. You’ll find
throughout the site links to related studies. If you find
I’ve overlooked a relevant study, please suggest
a study for inclusion.
Bio: I am currently a Senior
Interactive Architect at Blink
Interactive Architects, a Seattle-based user experience
consulting firm. My academic background includes Master’s
degrees in Technical Communication and Business Administration,
both from the University of Washington. My professional
experience includes over 15 years in the software /web development
industries, working with clients such as Apple Computer,
AT&T Wireless, Lexis-Nexis, Microsoft and RealNetworks.
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