今天出地铁口，看到了一个卖煎饼的阿姨，没走几步路就看到了一个卖水果的大爷。

http://hi.baidu.com/shoufengdz/blog/item/0735d454fa6a925c564e001d.html

微博客的优点就是不用长篇狂写，不用标题和内容，只用一句话即可。而且客户端众多。大部分的微博客都开放了API以供开发人员开发出更多的客户端应用。比如Twitter的TwitterFox、 TwitBin、 TwitterWin等通过Firefox扩展、Windows平台、手机客户端更新、IM工具更新、手机WAP更新，手机短信更新，电子邮件更新等。当 然饭否也有它的优点，饭否可以通过MSN、Gtalk、QQ、手机短信等进行更新。对于国内用户来说也不错。但是如何解决同步更新的问题呢？

下面来介绍下面这种方案

解决方案地址：http://hellotxt.com

注册一个 Hellotxt帐号并将fanfou帐号和Twitter帐号进行绑定。最后添加Gtalk联系人im@hellotxt.com并输入网站提供的验证 码即可验证成功。最后，使用Gtalk向im@hellotxt.com发送信息试试吧。同步更新到两种微博客。当然还有Fackbook、 Myspace和更多其他的知名服务，你需要的话也可以添加。甚至可以添加你的博客。

Hellotxt也提供几种扩展服务，可以定义博客的更新自动更新到微博客服务上，可以将微博客的更新进行订阅。还有Iphone的更新m.hellotxt.com。更多的需要自己是尝试。

只推荐最好的！

据国外科技博客报道，Twitter Update是用户的常用交流工具，可用于生日祝福，表达个人政治观点等。但Twitter Update也有一些特殊妙用，如求婚和突发事件的快速报道等。以下为Twitter Update的10项特殊、不同寻常的应用：

　　1. 求婚

　　去年5月28日，麦克斯·凯斯勒(Max Kiesler)通过Twitter Update向艾米丽·常(Emily Chang)求婚，后者欣然接受，只说了三个字“Yes，I do！”。

　　2. 6个月胎儿使用Twitter Update

　　克瑞·曼斯彻(Corey Menscher)为自己6个月大的胎儿制作了一个Baby Twitter弹力腰带，内置传感器和低频振动检测器，通过蓝牙设备能把得到的传感器数据转化成文字并更新到Twitter上。其实，该装置只会记录婴儿踢腿的次数，然后写道“i kicked mommy at xxxx(我于xxx时间踢了妈妈一下)。

　　3. 来火星的祝福

　　“火星发现冰”的消息不是从电视、报纸或博客，而是来自Twitter。当时，“凤凰”号火星登陆器项目工作人员率先在Twitter上发布了该消息。

　　4. 慈善筹款

　　2月12日，“上善若水(charity:water)国际推特节(Twestival)”在全球范围内展开，这是Twitter“粉丝”自发组织的一个全球性的公益活动，为全球水事业集资。

　　5. 一个单词的Twitter Update

　　去年4月10日，加州伯克利大学研究生詹姆斯·卡尔·巴克(James Karl Buck)在参加反政府示威时被埃及警方逮捕，在被带到警察局的路上，巴克用手机向Twitter发送了这条消息，只有一个单词“被捕了”(Arrested)。数秒钟后，美国的大学同学和埃及的博客好友得到了这个消息，导致校方为巴克聘请了律师，一天后巴克被释放。

　　6. 突发事件抢先报道

　　写一篇高质量新闻或博客可能需要几个小时，简讯要30分钟，只有几行文字的新闻概要也要5分钟，而使用Twitter Update只需几秒钟时间。

　　去年12月美国丹佛国际机场发生的飞机脱离跑道事件，今年1月美国航班因遭飞鸟撞击而迫降纽约哈德孙河面，以及去年5月12日的中国汶川大地震等都是用户通过Twitter率先公布的。

　　7. 工作岗位主动送上门

　　用户在Twitter上找工作已经不新鲜，但开源分析与咨询公司RedMonk却变被动为主动，向汤姆·拉夫特瑞(Tom Raftery)抛出了橄榄枝，拉夫特瑞欣然接受。

　　8. 挽救一条生命

　　本月3日，一名妇女通过Twitter向好莱坞明星黛米·摩尔(Demi Moore) 发出了一条自杀威胁，摩尔回应道：“希望你是在开玩笑”。随后，摩尔在Twitter上成千上万的粉丝们进行人肉搜索，确定了该名妇女的大概位置并报警，最终该妇女被送医治疗。

　　9. 通过Twitter采访

　　有些采访内容十分冗长，如何取其精华，去其糟粕呢？3月17日，ABC News通过Twitter对议员约翰·麦凯恩(John McCain)进行了采访，每个问题的回答不能超过140个字符，成千上万的用户在实时观看。

　　10. Twitter上的第一条Update信息

　　如果没有第一条Update，上述所有Update可能根本不存在。Twitter上的第一条Update信息是联合创始人杰克·多尔西(Jack Dorsey)于2006年3月21日发出的。多尔西写道：“我刚刚创建了Twitter帐户。”

http://hi.baidu.com/vegaking/blog/item/c2ee38c7850404d4d1006007.html

关于twitter式微博客的一些思考的笔记2009年06月11日 星期四 下午 03:20       广告大观约稿：探讨twitter的模式。我们没有那么狂热的twitter，只能研究一下叽歪。

       1、美国目前最火的2个web2.0案例是facebook和twitter，facebook模式在中国已经复制成功，开心网们至少得到用户认可。
       2、从理论上说，twitter很可能如facebook一样是一种可以复制的互联网模式！我们有必要相信：微博客很可能是下一个创业热点！
       3、然而，迄今为止，叽歪、饭否、腾讯滔滔等都还不算成功。这些中国微博客先驱依然处于探索期。不过，twitter也是去年才出现爆发式增长！
       4、才看过一个关于twitter的报导，与去年同期相比，twitter的用户量从200万增长为3200万！这个数字足以让国内的微博客先驱赞叹！
       5、twitter为何成功？国内微博客的差距何在？我们的思维方式必然是：看国外的经验，分析国内微博客存在的困难，找出国内微博客运营的问题！
       6、国内微博客困难何在？
       ·核心问题：对微博客运营了解不够深刻，执行力很弱。
       ·创业模式风险：一旦火起来，会不会被巨无霸模仿和超越？
       ·创业问题：小规模创业，模式不清晰，运营人才匮乏。
       ·微博客产品缺陷：纯粹文字似乎难以满足国内用户需要，不过最近该问题逐步被解决
       ·国内BBS发达，无聊的水分适合在BBS发泄，用户习惯是可怕的东西

       7、facebook式的sns关系为王，twitter式ugc则是内容为王。仔细想，内容比关系难做，因为需要创造！
       twitter是什么？web2.0经过多年淘洗，淘出ugc和sns两块真金。这样，我们可以认为：twitter属于UGC的范畴。

        而我们已经认识到：让用户自己去UGC，那是扯淡！

        twitter，从web2.0角度分析，是重内容轻关系的，而内容的核心是人。这点与BBS类似！
      

       8、从twitter发展能看出哪些微博客运营手段？
      ·名人效应；
      ·即时新闻报导；
      ·做好移动通信应用；
      ·做细分行业应用（例如培养行业微博客明星等）

以下网站均通过http://www.go2web20.net搜索关键词“twitter”而得。

目前twitter类的网站很火，正如几年前的myspace和facebook，人们在这种简单而即时的网络工具上看到了很多true or false的 illusion，于是开始了一轮追逐之旅。当twitter自己还未达到自己美好的愿景的时候，当twitter被一片又一片光环与泡泡笼罩神圣而诱人时，很多人也选择了为尚未清晰的未来而风雨兼程。

1、Twitter Follow Badge - Twitter Badge for your Site/Blog

样式为：

Twitter has proven itself to be a great communication channel with your site visitors. This badge calls your users to start following your twitter account. The badge can be installed almost on any site. Just customize it a bit and take the code.

此网站用户来生成一段twitter的代码，用户可以放到自己的网站中，鼓励大家由此找到自己的twitter帐号，并跟随自己，了解自己的最新动态。在这里可以看出很多人把twitter当成了自己与受众的 沟通渠道。一种简单、即时的信息到达途径。

2、Mixero - Reducing the Noise

The new generation Twitter client for people who value their time and are tired of information noise.

一个客户端，买点是可以节省你的时间，主要是依靠对你follow的对象进行分组。

3、Presently - Keep up with your Coworkers in Real-time

应用到工作场景的类twitter产品，促进同事的沟通，可作为twitter垂直领域发展的一个尝试。

特点1：可以提问并得到及时的回复。类似一个带页面历史功能的MSN群组。

特点2：可以在140字之外，添加更多内容作为引用，浏览时通过点击更多来展开，并可用Email转发邮件到网站上。

特点3：可以添加附件。

4、Twtjobs - A Simple Career Manager via Twitter

Twtjobs is a business tool to help job seekers and employers connect via Twitter. You can create your "Twitter Resume" and employers can post a job opening. To apply for a job, you simply enter your Twitter name (and if you have a twitter resume, it will email it to the employer)

快速制作一个个人简历，相当“简单”的介绍要在140字以内，并有行业分类、tag等，帮助你做好本人搜索的准备。这也是twitter形式垂直方向的一个发展。

5、Hollrr - Shout about the things you love

Got a product from a small company you really love? Think this product is so great, it’s going to be a big success? Tell your friends about it via Hollrr. Hollrr allows you to root for products you think deserve to succeed. By joining a Tribe of Followers, you are able to promote a new product to all your friends via Twitter, your blog or even Facebook.

一个可以分享最新发现的最好玩意儿的网站，并通过他人评分的方式评选出贡献最大的用户并给予物质奖励。是一个可以帮助中小公司宣传、帮助人们发现好东西的地方。这里很多和twitter相关是指可以与twitter或facebook绑定同步信息。看来在大家心中facebook和twitter都是大平台。这也是做SNS，不管是综合的还是微博客最期待的局面，聚合人们到一起，其他一切就都皆有可能了。

6、sfeed - The Shopping Microblog

sfeed is a shopping microblog that helps you share your findings with your friends, discover new products and create visual sets of items.

可以分享B2C、C2C网站的产品，并可以把几个产品整理成套进行分享，用户可以通过关键词和颜色进行搜索。这一网站给那些网购一族们一个非常好的展示购物成果和寻找产品的口碑评价的好地方。也是一个非常perfect的女性购物爱好者扎堆儿解闷的地方

7、

SNS用户的一个比较快速的增长方式就是通过用户发送站外的邀请信，来邀请入更多的人加入，如果拉来的人又能够邀请他们自己的好友则能够形成良性的级数增长。这也就是近来很热的病毒传播的营销方式。靠用户人拉人的口碑传播方式，既较少了企业的广告成本，又能够帮助用户在网站上建立自己的紧密的人际圈，看起来是一件双赢的事情。

但事情的真正结果却是双方都没有得到自己想要的结果。

一个原因是来自于用户：由于自己现实生活中的各个圈子是相互独立的，因此是否要拉上全部的联系人来看自己的真实生活秀，是否要让不同圈子的朋友在这里会面？前女友和先在的老婆是否会见面？以前的老板会不会看到自己博客中写的抱怨他的话？种种顾虑限制了用户狂热的使用邀请。

而另一个原因则是邀请本身了，有几个步骤严重影响着邀请信发出以及回来注册的效果。

1、用户能够主动使用邀请？是否能够成功使用邀请？

用户在网站上需要找到特定的地点，无论是叫邀请朋友还是寻找朋友，最终都是邀请信的朋友来加入。

>通过MSN或Email联系人的导入群发邀请信，这对于用户来讲稍有些门槛的，比如密码究竟是邮箱的密码？还是MSN的？还是网站登录的？

>通过链接直接邀请则相对比较简单。

What to do：

>在站内让邀请朋友的入口更明显，最好在主要界面就能引导用户填写进入邀请流程;

>突出邀请最主要的邀请方式，MSN联系人和链接（现有的四种邀请方式中，选择人数的排序为：MSN邀请>链接邀请>直接写邮件邀请>Email联系人导入邀请）

>在导入后能够方便用户选择要发送的对象，并让用户清楚了解自己的行为产生的结果。

2、第二个问题就是当成功发送邀请信后，收到邀请信的人的反应了？

当你看到了邮箱里是来自于不同网站的不同朋友发送的邀请时，小明邀请你加入A网？小黑邀请你加入B网？……目不暇接。你是怎样的处理呢？

>每封都打开看看，感兴趣的就点入看看？

>只看邀请人的尊姓大名是否感兴趣？

>都不管，统统放入垃圾箱？

>看心情？随机乱点？

What to do：

>鼓励邀请者使用真名了

>当A邀请过B后，C再邀请B时可以考虑聚合姓名，A、C邀请你加入啥啥网。群众的邀请或许带来的去注册的动力更大些。

3、第三个问题就是当接受者已经打开邮件后，是否点入到邀请注册页呢？

当前打开后点击到邀请页面的比例非常小，不到20%。也就是有大于80%的用户看了邮件，并没有点击注册。这究竟是什么原因呢？人们打开这封邮件后，期望看到什么呢？

>Who-邀请我的人是谁？最好有头像，尤其是当没用真名时，否则我怎么知道“流川枫”就是隔壁班的刘小川呢？

>Where-邀请我去什么地方？这是个寻找人脉的电子商务网站，还是个婚恋社区呢？要是婚恋网我可不敢去，老婆会一巴掌piu飞我的。

>What-那里有什么好看的，好干的的，他在那混的如何啦？可以照着我吗？

>Why-我为什么要去呢？我想关注这个邀请我的家伙？那里的都市氛围我很喜欢？那里有好几个我最爱的偶像？还是已经是第八个邀请我的人了，再不去太不给大家面子了？

>How-我怎么才能去呢？需要花钱吗？

What to do：

>根据以上4W+1H来设计好邀请信的布局和内容，包括显示邀请人的真实头像，最新动态，网站的介绍

>把接受者放到一个已经进行到一半的进程中，发生启动效应，让对方可以不假思索的直接点击进入注册页，如显示登陆箱，让用户点击下一步填写登录密码。（如果邮件服务商允许的话）

>关于这个跳转的链接应该长得像按钮来引起更多人注意吗？可按钮更多时候表示的又是执行和操作，会让用户变得更小心翼翼不敢轻易点击。如果

关于这个跳转的链接的文案呢？是应该叫“接受好友邀请”？“查看详情”？“立即去看看”？“立即注册”？

因此如果是链接那就叫的隐晦写，如果是按钮就叫的委婉些吧

4、第四个是点入到邀请的注册页后，TA可以成功注册吗？

这个时候有30%的用户看了页面后能够成功注册。到了这个地步，最主要的就是减少过多页面的跳转，直接显示填写注册内容的区域，告诉用户胜利就在前方。

5、第五个就是怎么让被邀请来的人留下了，这不是本文主要讨论的问题，是个更为tough的nut。

http://www.yeeyan.com/articles/view/pestwave/39630

最近很闲，没有入主流的感觉，心很痒痒，像被杨柳絮挠了痒痒一样。

最希望的状态就是充实而忙碌的一直向前冲，在我跑不好、找不好方向的时候能有人带领着，指引着方向。

或许不应该抱怨，要能够自己发现道路，并能够影响他人协助自己达成目标。

可是并不清楚自己能够有多大使用资源的能力，有怎样的权限可以做多少的事情，只是觉得被郁于狭隘之地。仍然内心有无比多的迷茫的感觉。

又很像以前上学时，对有的东西不了解，想努力的学好却找不到突破口的状态了。

向上的心态一直在心中，但苦于找不到可以有条理的进步的方式。

想到高三时最喜欢的事情就是做完形填空，每天做几篇，统计正确率，看变化的曲线，非常的投入这种有趣的事情，在被自己规划好的计划中充分的享受，成长与进步。

当面对一团mass时候，怎样才能抽出一跟跟丝理出头绪呢？

现在却感到无法行走了，知道有太多的需要积累的东西，但是第一步却迈不出去了。

当然还有其他的原因，比如遇到了一些负面的因素，尽管不是恶意攻击，但仍然产生了长久的心境的影响，有局部阴影一般的浓雾笼罩。使得内心缺少动力了。

有些环境，或许跟我期待的有出入。

立大志，做大事，入主流，上大舞台。

如果仅仅是在门外徘徊着，纵有无数朵花也无法开。

http://ui-patterns.com/pattern/Wizard

Solution

The task of inputting data into the system is parted into multiple steps. Each step is presented to the user one at a time.

The user should be presented with information about the steps that exist and which are completed.

The Wizard pattern is very similar to the Steps Left pattern. The difference between the two is the focus. Where Steps Left is focused only on explaining the steps of a process, the Wizard pattern is about parting dependable sub-tasks needed to perform a complex goal into separate steps.

The Wizard pattern is also different from the Steps Left pattern in that the steps needed to perform a goal can vary depending on the information inputted in earlier stages. In this way, the Wizard pattern separates itself from being merely an visible aid for the user.

Buttons

Basically, a wizard is a series of screens or dialogue boxes walking users through the completion of a task. Each screen asks the user to input information by either making selections or filling in fields. After inputting data, users navigate through the wizard by clicking navigation options like “Previous” and “Next”. At the final step users click “Finish” instead of “Next”, which thus indicates the completion of the wizard.

It is also practice to include a “Cancel” button on all screens that will lead the user back to where he or she came from. Typically, a “Cancel” button is located near other navigation buttons, but in a position that clearly separates the button from the “Previous” and “Next” buttons. Furthermore, it is also good practice to provide a warning if data inputted up to that point will be lost clicking the “Cancel” button. It is fair for to assume that the user expects that he or she can return to the wizard later and start from where they left off³. In order not to frustrate the user more than necessary, the consequences of exiting the wizard should be communicated.

Wizards are meant to be fast and easy. For this reason, it is a good idea to keep the content of a screen as well as its navigation above the fold.

Keep the purpose clear: explain

Keep the wizard’s purpose clear on every screen by placing a clear and concise label on every screen. Optionally accompany the label with a brief explanation of the wizard’s purpose on the first screen. This will help users remember why they entered the wizard in the first place and how they will benefit from finishing the wizard.

Use plain language

Users of a wizard aren’t necessarily experts, why you should refrain from using technical jargon to prompt users. The language used should fit in to the user’s frame of reference⁵.

Summarize choices

It is good practice to present a summary of choices made throughout the wizard to the user near the end of the wizard. This will allow the user to review and double-check inputted data before the final “Finish” button is clicked. In the case the user wishes to change the data entered, he or she should be able to navigate back to the given page where the date was entered. If the amount of steps in the wizard is greater than 8-10, it is a good idea to provide links directly to the screen of the data input.

Good defaults

A wizard is a perfect place for using Good defaults. Most wizard users are not familiar with the task they are performing and is thus likely as unfamiliar with good values for the choices they are asked to make.

Rationale

By separating complex tasks needed to achieve a goal into several steps, the process of inputting data can take several different directions depending on what input is entered.

The complex task of inputting large amounts of dependable data can be adjusted and streamlined to fit the decisions of a user throughout a process. In the context of decisions the user makes in each step, unnecessary steps can be cut out and important steps can enter into the focus.

In a system with many variables, a user can reach many goals manipulating these variables in different ways. The Wizard pattern can be used to group such variables into separate goals. This will convert the task of completing a complex goal from requiring multiple actions from the user into being a coherent process.

When users are forced to follow a set of pre-defined steps they are less likely to miss important aspects of a process and will thus commit fewer errors.

Minimum of training

Wizards are often made for the untrained user. For this reason, make sure your wizard can be completed without training. A rationale behind using a wizard is to avoid training for rare or intimidating tasks – not to develop expertise⁵.

Discussion

Using the Wizard pattern helps the user perform a complex task, but can at the same time effect the performance time of the task.

An effective wizard breaks down a complex tasks into sub-tasks and possibly sub-sub-tasks. Sub-tasks are through task analysis broken down and sequenced in a way that feels familiar and comfortable for the user. Such task analysis is conducted before screen design begins and is best done observing real users performing the task in their own work environment. The output of the task analysis is an outline and information architecture for the wizard.

Keep the amount of screens low

By breaking a task up into many screens, there is a chance to loose the user. If the process of finishing the wizard feels too long, the user often gets annoyed and possibly abandons the wizard before finishing it.

Be careful not to make each step too long

While the amount of screens should be limited, you should not always keep the amount of screens to a minimum. When a screen of a step in your wizard grows to a height that does not fit into a regular screen solution, there is a risk of annoying the user and making the wizard tiresome to finish as it forces the user to scroll to enter data and navigate back and forth. Consider breaking such steps up into two or more screens.

To find out whether you have hit the right balance between a low number of screens and short screen heights, put your wizard through a usability test. It is hard to define other means of checking when a good balance between the two has been found.

Allow alternatives to using the wizard

A wizard support users performing a task by lowering the learning curve. It can seemingly bring a user to a achieve a higher performance in less time than without the wizard. It however comes with the cost of dumbing down the task as users perform tasks without understanding them and being aware of the underlying decisions⁵. The result is users not being able to perform a task if the wizard is not available as well as not being able to fine tune decisions made by manipulating other parts of the system.

A wizard should not be the only way for users to complete a task, but merely an alternative to another more complicated method of completing the same task. Use a wizard for allowing the untrained user to get started quick and let the more experienced users, who prefer more flexibility than the wizard allows, use the more complicated method.

Sources

More example images of the 'Wizard' pattern

• 

  The wizard used to get an insurance quote at homesite.com uses a highlighted tab in the menu to communicate the purpose of the wizard, uses the good default pattern for selecting options, has a clear communication of the wizard length as well as how far the user has gone, uses large navigation buttons, has all its content above the fold, and provides a nice alternative to the wizard by letting the user talk to a real-life person for assistance.

• 

  The wizard for uploading images for printing is a common process to split up in a wizard. Before you can order your prints, you must first upload the images you want printed, so that quality, sizes, etc. can be chosen based on the file you uploaded.

• 

  Before you can set permissions, you first need to create a repository – this sequence dictates the wizard.

• 

  You can’t set permissions and create users on a repository unless it has been created first. This is why this process of creating a new repository dictates the wizard format. Notice how well the process is communicated with the steps-graphics in the top of the page as well as with the next button.

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/us-wizard/

Jodi Bollaert (Jodi.Bollaert@compuware.com), Information Architect/Usability Specialist, Compuware Corporation

01 Sep 2001

Designing an effective wizard is no magician's trick. Even though wizards are intended to make complex tasks appear easy, shielding users from complex details is real work to designers and developers. This article will share 15 dos and don'ts gleaned from the author's experience to help you create a wizard that works.

What is a wizard?

A wizard is basically a series of screens or dialogue boxes that walk users through completion of a task. Generally, each wizard screen asks users to enter information, either by making selections, or filling in fields. After entering required data, users navigate through a wizard by clicking navigation options like "Back" and "Next." At the final step, users click "Finish" to indicate completion of the wizard.

When should a wizard be used?

According to the experts at User Interface Engineering (see Resources), wizards should be used when:

• Users want to accomplish a goal that has many steps
• Users lack the necessary domain knowledge
• Users must complete steps in a specific sequence

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Wizard don'ts

In creating wizards, here are several mistakes you'll want to avoid.

Unclear purpose

There are two things that are essential to being clear about your wizard's purpose: a clear, concise wizard label on every screen and a brief explanation of purpose on the first screen. Believe it or not, some users may forget why they chose to enter a wizard if not reminded. At Homesite Home Insurance (see Resources), many good wizard features were included, however the designers forgot to include a wizard label and a purpose statement on the first screen (see Figure 1). It's not apparent that the wizard will provide users with a homeowner's insurance quote. If users enter this page directly from a different site, they might have a difficult time understanding what this wizard will help them accomplish. A wizard label and a short explanation about the wizard's purpose up-front would remedy any potential confusion.

Figure 1. Home Insurance Quote wizard

Too many screens

Be careful not to break your wizard into too many screens. Users often get annoyed if they start to feel the process is too long, and may even abandon the wizard before finishing it. Keep in mind that wizards should make tasks easier to complete than traditional methods. If the wizard feels cumbersome, users will opt to do things the old way. In the newly published book, Designing Effective Wizards: A Multidisciplinary Approach (see Resources), the authors recommend no more than 10 screens per wizard. Putting your wizard through a usability test will help ensure the number of screens is acceptable.

Long wizard screens

If a wizard requires users to scroll to enter data, its efficiency has been jeopardized. In a wizard, users should be able to enter data and select a navigation option (for example, Next, Back, or Finish) without scrolling. Long wizard screens may be a consequence of not breaking the wizard task down sufficiently into subtasks and sub-subtasks. To prevent long wizard screens, make sure each screen allows the user to complete a single subtask. If a subtask is particularly complex, consider breaking it down further into sub-subtasks, and creating additional screens.

No alternatives

A wizard should not be the only way for users to complete a task. Generally, a wizard should be an alternative to another, albeit more complicated, method for completing the same task. For example, in Microsoft Word 97, a Web page wizard is available to users who want a quick, easy way to create a Web page without coding (see Figure 2). More experienced Web page developers, however, may prefer to have more flexibility than the wizard allows, and may thus want to create Web pages using raw code. Microsoft would be doing a disservice to more advanced users if they only offered the Web page wizard.

Figure 2. Microsoft Web Page wizard

Technical jargon

When writing your wizard content (instructions, field labels, etc.), keep your target audience in mind. Because wizards are often intended for novice users, remember that they may not be familiar with technical jargon related to the task. Avoid technical jargon and always write for the layperson.

No "Cancel" option

Sometimes a user enters a wizard and, for various reasons, decides not to complete it. To avoid frustrating users who are looking for a way out, include a "Cancel" button in the wizard interface. This button should typically be located near other wizard navigation buttons. The Homesite Home Insurance wizard did not offer users this flexibility (see Figure 1).

No exit warnings

When a user decides to click a "Cancel" button, or perhaps another navigation option that is not part of the wizard, it's a good idea to provide a warning if data entered up to that point will be lost. Some users may assume that they can return to the wizard later and start where they left off. (Hey, there's a good idea!) Due to the potential significance of losing data, a message should be presented to the user communicating the consequences of exiting the wizard and asking for confirmation.

External tasks

Wizards are best applied to tasks that can be completed in an integrated, sequential fashion. When users enter a wizard, they should not have to leave the wizard to complete a task. Retrieving information from another location within the site might be an example of an external task. External tasks are usually a sign that the task flow was not well thought out, or that additional effort was not taken to integrate the task into the wizard. An external task may also signify that the task does not lend itself to an integrated, sequential flow, in which case a wizard may not be the best approach. All tasks required to complete the wizard should be contained within the wizard.

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Wizard dos

When designing your next wizard, there are also several good things you can do to ensure its effectiveness.

Minimize download time

People who use wizards are extremely interested in completing a specific task as quickly and easily as possible. When designing wizard screens, pay close attention to how quickly pages download using the lowest or most common Internet access speed. According to usability guru Jakob Nielsen, at 28.8 bps, a 1 KB file takes one second to download. Nielsen's research has shown that users begin to lose patience after 10 seconds (see Resources). To help ensure that your users don't lose patience and exit the wizard, screen file sizes should be 30 KB or less. This means using graphics very conservatively.

Provide additional help

In the event that a user gets confused, or some aspect of the wizard doesn't work, it's a good idea to include easy access to additional help. This can be in the form of a telephone number that's visible throughout the wizard process. If your budget allows, readily accessible chat help can also be a good option. If you can't staff your phone or chat help 24 hours a day, a simpler option is to include context-sensitive help on each screen. This could be text that appears adjacent to the wizard, or in a secondary window when a user clicks on a help link. At the Homesite Home Insurance site, the designers keep things simple, but effective, by including a phone number on every wizard screen (see Figure 1).

Break tasks down logically

An effective wizard breaks down a task into subtasks and sub-subtasks, and sequences them in a way that is familiar and comfortable to users. An effective task breakdown is accomplished through task analysis. Task analysis is best conducted by observing real users performing the task in their work environment. This activity should be conducted before screen design begins. The outcomes of task analysis should include a task breakdown (in the form of an outline) and an information architecture for the wizard. The task outline and information architecture should be reviewed with users to ensure accuracy and completeness. For more information about task analysis methods, check out Task Analysis for User Interface Design, a great book by JoAnn Hackos and Janice Redish (see Resources).

Inform users of progress

A wizard's boundaries should include a distinct beginning and ending point. Wizard users appreciate knowing where they are relative to these points. For this reason, many wizard designers incorporate a progress meter of some sort in the wizard interface. The progress meter informs users of where they are in the wizard process, providing them with a sense of how long it will take to finish. The progress meter may indicate an approximate or exact location. At Homesite Home Insurance, the designers have done a nice job of communicating progress in the wizard (see Figure 3). Homesite's progress meter tells users how many steps are in the wizard, which steps they've completed, and where they currently are in the process.

Figure 3. Homesite progress meter

Indicate required fields

A wizard is similar to a form in that users must enter text in field boxes and/or make selections with drop-down menus, radio buttons, or check boxes. As with online forms, be sure to indicate which items are required. Don't surprise uninformed users who do not complete required fields with error messages. It's best to be clear about what's required up-front. Required fields can be indicated with a special symbol (such as an asterisk) or by using a bold font. Avoid using color to indicate required fields as color does not always show up well on some monitors or to visually impaired users. Also, include a note at the top of every wizard screen that defines how required fields are indicated.

Limit navigation options

When users are working with a wizard, it's a good idea to keep them focused on the task at hand. For this reason, you may want to minimize the navigation options that are available outside of the wizard. At a minimum, you should include a link back to the home page for the site. Anything more than that could cause users to lose data if they inadvertently exit the wizard.

Summarize wizard data

Near the end of the wizard process, users should be able to review a summary of the data they entered on the previous screens. If the summary accurately reflects the information users want to submit, a "Finish" button should allow final completion of the wizard. Before clicking "Finish," users should be able to go back to previous screens, make changes, and easily navigate back to the summary screen. If the wizard process is fewer than 10 screens (a good thing), a "Back" button should be sufficient to enable changes to data. If the wizard process is longer, you might want to include direct hyperlinks back to specific screens.

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Conclusion

While wizards should look easy to an outsider, designers and developers know the truth. There's a lot of planning, trial and error design, and complicated development that goes into wizard creation. As technology continues to encroach upon every aspect of our lives, there will be a growing appreciation for the relief wizards provide. While more research and shared experiences are needed, these dos and don'ts will help you begin to develop your wizard craft.

Resources

Learn

• See More wizard tips and tricks, Part 2 of this series, here on developerWorks.
• Usability guru Jakob Nielsen's useit.com site includes the essay "Why This Site Has Almost No Graphics," which includes information about how file size affects download time.
• If you're designing wizards, you should take a look at User and Task Analysis for Interface Design by JoAnn Hackos and Janice Redish.
• The Homesite Home Insurance site includes a good example of an effective wizard design.
• Check out a just released copy of Designing Effective Wizards: A Multidisciplinary Approach by IBM's own Daina Pupons Wickham, Dr. Debra Mayhew, Teresa Stoll, Kenneth June Toley III, and Shannon Rouiller.
• IBM's Ease of Use site offers new innovations, user-centered design, guidelines, stories, technologies, and other resources to help improve the total user experience for your products and services.
• Stay current on the latest technology with developerWorks technical events and Webcasts.
• Visit the developerWorks Web Architecture zone for more articles, tutorials, and resources that specialize in Web technologies.

Discuss

• Participate in developerWorks blogs and get involved in the developerWorks community.

About the author

		Jodi Bollaert doubles as a Usability Specialist and Information Architect at Compuware Corporation in Farmington Hills, Mich. She has been immersed in wizard design for the last six months and shows no signs of growing weary.

http://designinginterfaces.com/Wizard

Wizard

Flight Wizard from http://expedia.com
What:	Lead the user through the interface step by step, doing tasks in a prescribed order.
Use when:	You are designing a UI for a task that is long or complicated, and that will be novel for the user -- it's not something that they do often or want much fine-grained control over. You're reasonably certain that those of you who design the UI will know more than the user does about how best to get the task done. Tasks that seem well-suited for this approach tend to be either branched or very long and tedious -- they consist of a series of user-made decisions that affect downstream choices. The catch is that the user must be willing to surrender control over what happens when. In many contexts, that works out fine, since making decisions is an unwelcome burden for people doing certain things: "Don't make me think, just tell me what to do next." Think about moving through an unfamiliar airport -- it's often easier to follow a series of signs than it is to figure out the airport's overall structure. You don't get to learn much about how the airport is designed, bu you don't care about that. But in other contexts, it backfires. Expert users often find Wizards frustratingly rigid and limiting. This is particularly true for software that supports creative processes -- writing, art, or coding. It's also true for users who actually do want to learn the software; wizards don't show users what their actions really do, nor what application state is changed as choices are made. That can be infuriating to some people. Know your users well!
Why:	"Divide and conquer." By splitting up the task into a sequence of chunks, each of which the user can deal with in a discrete "mental space," you effectively simplify the task. You have put together a preplanned road map through the task, thus sparing the user the effort of figuring out the task's structure -- all they need to do is address each step in turn, trusting that if they follow the instructions, things will turn out OK.
How:	Chunking the task: Break up the operations constituting the task into a series of chunks, or groups of operations. You may need to present these groups in a strict sequence, or not; there is value in breaking up a task into Steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 just for convenience. A thematic breakdown for an online purchase may include screens for product selection, payment information, a billing address, and a shipping address. The presentation order doesn't much matter, because later choices don't depend on earlier choices. Putting related choices together just simplifies things for people filling out those forms. You may decide to split up the task at decision points, so that choices made by the user can change the downstream steps dynamically. In a software installation wizard, for example, the user may choose to install optional packages that require yet more choices; if they choose not to do a custom installation, those steps are skipped. Dynamic UIs are good at presenting branched tasks such as this, because the user never has to see what is irrelevant to the choices they made. In either case, the harder part of designing this kind of UI is striking a balance between the sizes of the chunks and the number of them. It's silly to have a two-step wizard, and a fifteen-step wizard is tedious. On the other hand, each chunk shouldn't be overwhelmingly large, or you've lost some benefits of this pattern. Physical structure: Wizards that present each step in a separate page, navigated with Back and Next buttons, are the most obvious and well-known implementation of this pattern. They're not always the right choice, though, because now each step is an isolated UI space that shows no context -- the user can't see what went before or what comes next. But an advantage of such wizards is that they can devote an entire page to each step, including illustrations and explanations. If you do this, allow the user to move back and forth at will through the task sequence. There's nothing more frustrating than having to start a task over just because the software won't let you change your mind about a previous decision. Back buttons are, of course, standard equipment on separate-page wizards; use them, and make sure the underlying software supports stepping backwards. Additionally, many UIs show a selectable map or overview of all the steps, getting some of the benefits Two-Panel Selector. (In contrast to that pattern, Wizard implies a prescribed order -- even if it's merely suggested -- as opposed to completely random access.) If you choose to keep all the steps on one page, you could use one of several patterns from Chapter 4: Titled Sections, with prominent numbers in the titles. This is most useful for tasks that aren't heavily branched, since all steps can be visible at once. Responsive Enabling, in which all the steps are present on the page, but each remains disabled until the user has finished the previous step. Responsive Disclosure, in which you wait to show a step on the UI until the user finishes the previous one. Personally, I think this is the most elegant way to implement a short Wizard. It's dynamic, compact, and easy to use. Good Defaults are useful no matter how you arrange the steps. If the user is willing to turn over control of the process to you, then odds are good he's also willing to let you pick reasonable defaults for choices they may not care much about, such as the location of a software installation. (The Design of Sites discusses this concept under the pattern name "Process Funnel." Their pattern is aimed more at web sites, for tasks such as web shopping, but the concepts generalize well.)
Examples:
From TurboTax TurboTax is a web application that presents several steps in a wizard-like fashion. Each major step is on a separate page, and the pages have "Back" and "Continue" (or "Done") links at the ends of the pages, as traditional wizards do. (They're not visible on these screenshots, but trust me, they're there.) A Sequence Map at the top shows where you are in the steps at all times. Good Defaults generally aren't used here. That may be because sensitive information -- personal financial data -- is involved, but many users will find themselves entering "0" for a lot of fields.
From http://thetrain.com The Expedia example (top of page) showed a wizard structured with Titled Sections (Chapter 4); the TurboTax example uses a paged model, replacing the contents of the browser window with each successive step. This example uses a Card Stack (also Chapter 4) to fit all steps into a very limited space. When a user selects a date from this calendar and clicks "Next Step," panel 2 opens up. When that step is done, the user moves on to Panel 3. The user can go back to previous steps anytime by clicking on the yellow titlebars. Also note the use of a Preview (Chapter 5) on the righthand pane of the window, entitled "Your Itinerary." This tracks the user's choices (no pun intended) and shows a summary of those choices. This is convenient because only one wizard page is visible at a time; the user can't see all his choices at once.

Use when

A slideshow is typically used on photo sharing sites such as Flickr or Picasaweb

How

Usually the screen-estate is maximized for the photos and only a minimal representation of the required controls are used. The controls must be placed either at the top of the photo or below it.

Make sure the following aspects are covered:

• The controls should fade out in time if they are placed over the image
• The time between the photos must be configurable
• The user must be able to exit the slideshow mode
• Use a nice transition between photos! It make it a lot nicer...
• Consider adding captions for the image title or comments

In some cases it may also be useful to show a bunch of thumbnails and highlight the one that is currently shown. That way the user knows better what to expect. However, this reduces the 'immersive experience'...

Why

Slideshow are very common even in everyday live. The user doesn't have to do much and basically she can sit back and enjoy the show. The controls are only there for going back in case you missed something or pausing it when you are interrupted.

More Examples

Use when

A non-expert user needs to perform an infrequent complex task consisting of several subtasks where decisions need to be made in each subtask. The number of subtasks must be small e.g. typically between ~3 and ~10. The user wants to reach the overall goal but may not be familiar or interested in the steps that need to be performed. The task can be ordered but are not always independent of each other i.e. a certain task may need to be finished before the next task can be done. To reach the goal several steps need to be taken but the exact steps required may vary because of decisions made in previous steps.

How

When the complex task is started, the user is informed about the goal that will be achieved and the fact that several decisions are needed. The user can go to the next task by using a navigation widget (for example a button or some other form of Paging mechanism). If the user cannot start the next task before completing the current one, feedback is provided indicating the user cannot proceed before completion (for example by disabling a navigation widget). The user is also able to revise a decision by navigating back to a previous task.

The users are given feedback about the purpose of each task and the users can see at all times where they are in the sequence and which steps are part of the sequence. When the complex task is completed, feedback is provided to show the user that the tasks have been completed and optionally results have been processed.

If relevant, users that know the default options can immediately use a shortcut that allows all the steps to be done in one action. At any point in the sequence it is possible to abort the task by choosing the visible exit.

Why

The navigation buttons suggest the users that they are navigating a path with steps. Each task is presented in a consistent fashion enforcing the idea that several steps are taken. The task sequence informs the user at once which steps will need to be taken and where the user currently is. The learnability and memorability of the task are improved but it may have a negative effect of the performance time of the task. When users are forced to follow the order of tasks, users are less likely to miss important things and will hence make fewer errors.

More Examples

This example is taken from the KLM web site where you can buy tickets online.

2009/04/24 16:56

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可以上传各种文件，协同办公；

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2、在线的visio

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可以在线画流程图、图标、UML，也可以画SWOT分析、室内平面图等，内部模块很多，使用起来和visio基本上无差别，除了速度有待改善；

并可以很方面的通过连接分享给其他人，也可插入到ppt等文档中；

也可以协同办公，共同修改同一文档；

3、各种网站的入口，可以称作管理用户帐号的工具

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以前有过IM的集合入口的，现在这是web的集合入口。