By Stephen Turbek...
Stephen is a New York based user experience designer / analyst focused on solutions for Financial Services companies. more
Better charts from simple questions
Selecting the wrong chart, like bad chart design, can obscure the data. Here is a simple model pick the right chart for your needs. 9 June 2009How to make personas useful
Personas are a popular user experience deliverable, whose purpose and use are often misunderstood. This article suggests ways to make personas useful, and not just a pretty face. 1 March 2008Advancing Advanced Search
Advanced search is the ugly child of interface design -always included, but never loved. Websites have come to depend on their search engines as the volume of content has increased. A progressive disclosure approach can enable users to use precision advanced search techniques to refine their searches and pinpoint the desired results. 16 January 2008What I learned from my failed web 2.0 project
From April till December 2006, I conceived, designed, and coded survee.com. Though I dropped the project, it was very satisfying and taught me some harsh, but good lessons. 15 April 2007Automatically Create Table of Contents in Visio
I use Visio to create wireframe documents, and as updating Tables of Contents in Visio is very dull, I wrote a macro (a small program) that automatically generates a Table of Contents list for a Visio document. 4 April 2007Real Wireframes get Real Results
Realistic wireframes are easier for users to understand and respond-to in wireframe tests. Published in BoxesAndArrows.com 19 September 2006Improving Web Navigation with the "All-Menu" Nav
An Avenue A Razorfish whitepaper on a way to improve usability in website navigation. 20 May 2006Your Interface is your Company
An Avenue A Razorfish whitepaper on financial services business challenges and solutions. 30 March 2006Better practices for rich internet applications in financial services
A presentation at the 2006 Boston Usability Professionals Association Mini-Conference 30 March 2006Designing complex applications with digital and manual components
This presentation summarizes research and workflow techniques for designing complex applications, and was presented to the Intranet Benchmarking Forum on 21 March 2006 21 March 2006The Lazy IA's Guide to Making Sitemaps
Use these lazy techniques and spend your time on more interesting problems than lining up little boxes! Published on BoxesAndArrows.com 29 Jan 2006Does Outsourcing Work?
Project management techniques can determine the success or failure of an outsourced project. The discussion of IT outsourcing has been dominated by the advertisements of the companies selling it and the concerns of US workers. Less discussed is whether it makes sense for a US company to actually outsource major software projects. 13 April 2005How to Argue
Some tips on arguing, and how to avoid common logical errors. 17 January 2004Intelligence is not enough
Our Products solve physical problems, not intellectual problems. Intelligent devices won’t be useful until they can take action to achieve their tasks. This may be more difficult than making the device intelligent. 2003We're getting what we ordered
What food additives say about us as consumers. 23 March 2002The Good Login
A short paper on login best practices. 1 March 2001What is Audio Design?
by Gavin Shepherd, with Stephen TurbekThis report is a discussion of the issues regarding using audio elements and sound tracks in modern interactive environments. 31 January 2001
The OSI Model and You
by David Neier, with Stephen TurbekThe Open System Interconnection (OSI) model describes the way in which information travels across a network. This report illuminates some of the inner workings of your computer as it browses the Web. 29 January 2001
An Introduction to XML
XML, the eXtensible Markup Language is a simple, flexible, open system for sharing data between organizations. Though generally invisible to the user, it is rapidly changing the way information is exchanged and is used in thousands of applications. 22 January 2001Tales from the Cryptography
Secure Internet transactions have been as important as the Web browser in making the Internet useful. This report gives an overview of Public Key encryption and a brief history of cryptography. 12 January 2001Telecoworking and You
Collaboration with distant colleagues is one of the biggest challenges in the new workplace. Here are some ways to make it easier. 11 December 2000Analog & Digital
What does it mean to be “digital”? Why has the word ‘analog’ become synonymous with natural, old, or human? Why exactly is the future digital? 4 December 2000The Future of Plug and Play
Plug and Play technology is poised to make computers much simpler, if only we can agree on a standard. 6 November 2000Are Cookies Monsters?
Cookies have been fingered as agents against personal privacy, but in reality, they work for you. 23 October 2000Digital Sharing Ends Media Scarcity
Digital media can be easily duplicated, making it difficult to control the supply. A new model for commerce mustemerge. 2 October 2000What Can We Learn From Games?
Games illustrate what a good interactive experience can be. 28 July 2000How to Peel a Chicken
The French culinary technique, the 'Gallantine'. 9 June 2000Visualizing Data with Edward Tufte
Notes from the work of the master of information graphics. 6 June 2000What is Tacit Knowledge?
by Ben Kleinman, Mary Quandt, Stephen Turbek, Neil WerhleTacit knowledge is used in all communities to keep people informed and engaged. 25 April 2000
© 2006 Stephen Turbek