9-bits by David Kaneda

A tumblog by David Kaneda, creative director at Sencha.


POWERED by FUSION

June 21st 2010

Now it’s not good enough to just be usable. The design has to fit into peoples’ lives. It actually has to make people happy, and anticipate their needs.
Dana Chisnell offers great insight into the psychology behind design, with a set of detailed case studies, in Beyond Frustration: Three levels of happy design.
Author William Poundstone dissects the marketing tricks built into Balthazar’s menu, as well as some of the general lingo behind menu design:

“A puzzle is high-profit but unpopular; a plowhorse is the opposite, popular yet unprofitable. Consultants try to turn puzzles into stars, nudge customers away from plowhorses, and convince everyone that the prices on the menu are more reasonable than they look.”

This is also very applicable to anyone designing a pricing page for their web app. As a side note, Balthazar is one of my favorite places to eat whenever I’m in NYC — awesome French bistro setting and great for brunch.

Author William Poundstone dissects the marketing tricks built into Balthazar’s menu, as well as some of the general lingo behind menu design:

“A puzzle is high-profit but unpopular; a plowhorse is the opposite, popular yet unprofitable. Consultants try to turn puzzles into stars, nudge customers away from plowhorses, and convince everyone that the prices on the menu are more reasonable than they look.”

This is also very applicable to anyone designing a pricing page for their web app. As a side note, Balthazar is one of my favorite places to eat whenever I’m in NYC — awesome French bistro setting and great for brunch.

Also noted: