The usability discipline has responded to this challenge, to explore non-existing markets, by developing a range of tool to assist innovative activities. The tools include field studies, prototyping , user profiling, task analysis, and other methods and techniques. Of course there is not much news here since this is what innovators have always done. Only the usability discipline is refining the methods and applying them to new situations and levels of analysis. The benefit from detailed observation and deep understanding is better investments.
Most users find pop-up windows highly disturbing.
Yet, they are frequently used on ecommerce sites. UserForum, a new Danish usability community launched this week. The UserForum initiative is headed by Christina Hernvig who has done a remarkable job editing links, conducting interviews, and reviewing books.