The New DeKa Marketing Shopping Mall has Opened; A Dream come True for new Business Owner Del Morales, he was Inspired by the Following Thoughts and Facts
More and more shoppers are deciding to buy online as opposed to going to the store. Many find this more convienent than having to drive to a store. Finding the product you're looking for requires almost no effort. Sometimes the product finds you, through advertisements. [PRWEB Nov 13, 2005]
read more:

Billion Dollar Grid -- The Answer to Hassle-Free Christmas Shopping
Billion Dollar Grid (billiondollargrid.com)is a 5-floor shopping mall. When we arrive at a shopping mall or our favourite high street, we rarely look through a boring list to find what we want; rather we walk through the building or busy street, browsing through the shops looking for something we like. Well this site provides just that experience for shoppers and browsers. Choose from one of the 5 floors at the top of the page and browse through a multitude of attractive links for a world of shopping, business, information and much more. [PRWEB Nov 11, 2005]
read more:

Give the Gift of Family Memories with GiveFun.com Gift Certificates
The hunt is over! This year?s perfect gift comes wrapped in a memory. This holiday season, shoppers can avoid the much-dreaded department store shopping marathons by giving the gift of a fun family memory now available at GiveFun.com. [PRWEB Nov 14, 2005]
read more:

Saving the Spark: Developing Creative Ideas
Ideas are at the heart of every creative process. However, coming up with them can be hard work. Mark Boulton arms us with tools to meet this challenge.

 

Hide Your Shame: The A List Apart Store and T-Shirt Emporium is back. Hot new designs! Old favorites remixed! S, M, L, XL. Come shop with us!

read more:

Runner's Web Online Store
The store has been updated with new products (CW-X tights, Garmin, Oakley RAZWIRE, Polar S625x Speed and Distance , Timex Bodylink Trail Runner and more).
read more:

Switchy McLayout: An Adaptive Layout Technique
The introduction of new mobile and computing devices challenges us to look beyond the liquid layout. Marc van den Dobbelsteen offers a way to bring appropriate layouts to a wider range of screens and devices.

 

Hide Your Shame: The A List Apart Store and T-Shirt Emporium is back. Hot new designs! Old favorites remixed! S, M, L, XL. Come shop with us!

read more:

Making Compact Forms More Accessible
Space constraints can put the squeeze on accessibility and usability. Mike Brittain shares his method for making itty-bitty forms more accessible and easier to use.

 

Hide Your Shame: The A List Apart Store and T-Shirt Emporium is back. Hot new designs! Old favorites remixed! S, M, L, XL. Come shop with us!

read more:

Shopping-Sean.com announced grand opening the online books website
Shopping-Sean.com announced grand opening the online books website. Shopping-sean.com has thousands items, which fit your needs and budget. [PRWEB Nov 13, 2005]
read more:

Tesco's online sales buck trend with profits up to £56m
ONLINE shopping now accounts for almost £1 billion of Tesco's annual sales, up 31.9 per cent on last year - despite market reports that internet grocery shopping had failed to catch on.
read more:

How To......
How To Choose a Web Store. How To Become a DotCom Millionaire. How To Make Your Web Store Sticky. How To Find a Career in E-Commerce. Find the answer to these and many other E-Commerce questions in this selection of...
read more:

Motorola opens flagship store in Moscow
Mobile device manufacturer Motorola has launched a flagship store in Moscow's Red Square.
read more:

Vermont Artisans Retool Website to Present Unique Gift Items for 2005 Holiday Season
PiecesOfVermont.com, an online retailer of made in Vermont products, has redesigned its website top to bottom for the 2005 holiday shopping season. The website was established in 1999 and has evolved into a selective collection of unique products from individual artisans, crafters, maple syrup producers, and small store retailers. [PRWEB Nov 14, 2005]
read more:

More Banking Troubles; ''Black Friday'' Busiest Shopping Day Without Credit and Debit Cards
$25 billion annual hidden tax on consumers forces retailers to pay whatever interchange fees the credit card associations dream up. Until Now! Consumer revolt being readied for America?s busiest shopping day; Friday after Thanksgiving will be "A Day Without Credit Cards - A Day With Cash" [PRWEB Nov 2, 2005]
read more:

Writing an Interface Style Guide
Ever designed or developed a beautiful interface only to find your hard work ruined months later by gaudy graphics or invalid markup? With proper documentation you'll have a better chance at seeing your interface stay beautiful. Jina Bolton guides us through the process of developing an interface style guide.

 

Hide Your Shame: The A List Apart Store and T-Shirt Emporium is back. Hot new designs! Old favorites remixed! S, M, L, XL. Come shop with us!

read more:

Design.
Retailers shift to edgier and hip displays and architecture to get shoppers' attention

The loud music and dark nightclub-like lighting at teen clothing store Hollister is enough to drive Patricia Rock insane, but it's what makes the store one of her daughter's favorites.
read more:

Can NearbyNow Escape The Fate of Local Shopping Search Engines?
Greg Sterling points out that a number of companies are attempting to build out inventories of local brick-and-mortar stores and expose this info via search capabilities. Greg notes that NearbyNow has just raised $11.75 million in additional funding, and that there are compelling reasons to believe that local product shopping search satisfies a lot of [...]
read more:

The Want Some Get Some Store Now Provides Turnkey Dropship Website Solutions to Consumers and Small Business Owners, Just in Time for the Holidays
The Want Some Get Some Store (wantsomegetsomestore.com) is now offering Turnkey Dropship websites pre-stocked with over 10,000 products. Stores will be stock with some of the most popular brand name products on the market today. Products will be provide at wholesale prices that will allow website owners to enjoy high profit margins. [PRWEB Nov 11, 2005]
read more:

Knobs, Hinges and More Announces the Addition of Colombo Hardware, Rohl and Perrin & Rowe to its Online Store www.KnobsHingesandMore.com
Knobs, Hinges and More adds to its online store Colombo Hardware who imports door handle collections and bathroom accessories from Italy. We have also added Rohl and Perrin & Rowe with their line of kitchen and bathroom faucets and bathroom accessories. [PRWEB Nov 9, 2005]
read more:

Champion Henry Announces the Grand Opening of Its One-Stop Online Shopping Website
Champion Henry, champion-henry.com, announces the Grand Opening of its one-stop online shopping website. [PRWEB Nov 13, 2005]
read more:

Need Help with OSCommerce Store
x
read more:

H.P. to Unveil Radio Chips to Store Data
New York Times Jul 17 2006 4:54AM GMT
read more:

InsureMe Puts Lowering Insurance Costs on the Forefront
Online insurance shopping network provides consumers with saving tips [PRWEB Nov 4, 2005]
read more:

AP9 SimpleEscapes Offers Tips on How to Make the Most of the Holiday-Guests Season
AP9 Simple Escapes, by Adaptive Marketing LLC, provides great deals on travel, entertainment, shopping interests and more. [PRWEB Nov 12, 2005]
read more:

Action Line: Store balks at honoring lowest advertised price
San Jose Mercury News Jul 16 2006 10:27AM GMT
read more:

Polsteins.com To Operate Under New Name: HomeandBeyond.com
In order to better serve its branding effort to become the online leader in home shopping, Polsteins.com changes its name to HomeandBeyond.com. [PRWEB Nov 14, 2005]
read more:

New, All-Natural Cure for Diarrhea and I.B.S. Launches at CVS and Other Major Drug Store Chains Across the U.S.
Esdifan contains mineral that provides safe, effective relief for chronic sufferers. [PRWEB Oct 26, 2005]
read more:

Coupons are Cool
In a recent survey, CoolSavings.com reports that 60% of people who responded find online coupons useful when shopping. (Maybe not so surprising as this is the line of business CoolSavings.com is in.) The survey also shows that promotional offers and...
read more:

>>>>>>>>>> (DrippingSprings)
Beautiful 3 Horses Wall Hanging w/ Rod!
The Authentic Jacguard Woven made in US
36x26 $45.!!!!!!!!!!

JUNE SPECIALS IN OUR STORE!!!!
Please go to our website
www.rusticdesignimports.com
or call Rustic Design Imports
@894-3330 cell@698-0689

Thanks

read more:

PhoneDog.com Introduces the First Unbiased Cell Phone Shopping Site
With the new cellular phone comparison grid consumers can find the best online deals. For those interested in purchasing a new celluar phone with a carrier plan, phonedog.com should be your first and last stop. [PRWEB Nov 11, 2005]
read more:

Rapid Growth of Abebooks.com Continues with Bookfinder.com Acquisition
Abebooks.com, the world's largest online marketplace for new and used books, has acquired BookFinder.com - the leading price comparison shopping service dedicated to books. [PRWEB Nov 9, 2005]
read more:

Comfortable Slippers Remain Top-Seller as a Holiday Gift
Buying online at Shoebuy.com?s new Slipper Store makes it easy to find the perfect slippers that are both in your size and in stock. [PRWEB Nov 9, 2005]
read more:

NewYorkWebsiteDesigner
New York Website Designers is a professional web site design company offering Professional website designs & application development, Website Design and Maintenance, Ecommerce Shopping Cart Solution at affordable prices.
read more:

MGSE Article Takes a Humorous Look at USA Lifestyles: ?Retail Therapy?The Common Cure for Feeling Good?
A former UK and European resident takes a humorous look at American "leisure shopping" behavior and says America "is really one huge shopping mall." It's a great place for women to shop and have a kid-free day. [PRWEB Nov 10, 2005]
read more:

Sep 15, Go for Electronic Payment Gateways with Most Effective ANTI FRAUD Tools!
While shopping for Electronic Payment Gateways, the importance of available fraud prevention can never be overestimated. Get the best, especially if processing high volume credit card transactions...
read more:

The SCOOTER Store Celebrates the Grand Opening of New Brookhaven Retail Showroom
Hands-on demonstrations of power mobility equipment offered during Ribbon-cutting ceremony. (PRWEB Jun 30, 2006) Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/chachingpr.php/Q291cC1GYWx1LVBpZ2ctUGlnZy1JbnNlLVplcm8=
read more:

Drafting Table and a Barstool for sale (South End) $100
I am selling this drafting table and a stool due to my relocation.
I used this drafting only one and is very much like new. I paid over $250 for them at the Art Store in Fenway. This is a great deal! Pick up only. Cash only.
read more:

Translating Brick and Mortar to the Internet
Case study of a small brick and mortar retailer and how they are working to translate their unique store onto the Internet. [PRWEB Nov 13, 2005]
read more:

The Working Person’s Store Has a “Full House” in 6TH Annual “Dollars Against Diabetes” Poker Run Event
Poker Event Raises Nearly $8,000 for Diabetes Research Institute (PRWEB Jun 30, 2006)
read more:

Drafting Table and a chair for sale!!! (South End) $100
I am moving to NYC and I have to sell my drafting table (used only once) and a barstool to go with the drafting table. I paid over $250 for both at Art Store in Fenway. This is a great deal!!!! Please give me a call if you are interested (617)784-3311. Pick-up only.
read more:

Fine Home and Garden Accessories, Gifts, and Collectibles Now Available Online from PerfectKeepsakes.com
Perfect Keepsakes, Inc announces the grand opening of its new online store offering premier home decorating accessories and accents. [PRWEB Nov 11, 2005]
read more:

Christmas is Creeping Up on Us; Have You Started Your Christmas Shopping?
Powerhouse Warehouse has amazing brand name items at discounted prices. Have you started your christmas shipping yet? Powerhouse Warehouse offers a wide range of wonderful gifts for various occasions such as holidays, weddings, birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduations, kids and other special events. [PRWEB Nov 9, 2005]
read more:

Triggit! Make money out of it
Triggit - a web application allowing you to place media and ads with simple clicks and drags without embedding code on your page now launching it application by invitation. You just place a snippet of code and you are set to go. You can make money out of different affiliate system like amazon, shopping [...]
read more:

Glass Sheets... (Giddings)
4 - Sheets of smoke colored tempered glass 28' x 72'.

These sheets came out of commerical store front doors, but would be good for table tops, desk tops or other custom projects.

Make me an offer and come get them, my cell phone number is 512-569-5352.




read more:

Design Research: A Conversation with Steve Portigal
To help me work through some recent thoughts I’ve had about Design Research, I asked Steve Portigal -founder of Portigal Consulting and all around bright guy- to talk about context within digital products and the connection between ethnographic research and design. Part one of our conversation follows.

Luke Wroblewski
Just to set some context here, most of my experiences with design research have been for Web or Desktop software design. For a long time, this meant usability testing. Over the past few years, however, I've been part of an increasing number of ethnographic studies that take product testing out of the lab and into people's homes.

The researchers I work with feel they are more successful engaging customers outside the sterile confines of a usability lab and in the context of their natural environment. This provides them with an opportunity to discover unmet needs that ultimately become business goals. But somehow I feel I'm missing something.

In my experience an ethnographic study for a Web site usually amounts to watching someone work on their personal computer set-up and Internet connection. All the activity is on the screen. Most of the context is online. So shouldn't 'real' ethnographic research for these types of products take place online? What is the biggest advantage of going to their homes? Seeing their environment? Their distractions? Their use of offline data and artifacts? I can see it being useful to gain insights into how offline processes are used in conjunction with online process like shipping an item you sold on eBay. But when the product, the community, and all the interactions happen online? Isn't a huge amount of the context digital?

Steve Portigal
I'm going to sidestep any discussion of what 'real ethnographic research' means because we're going to get into that later, I think where I will once again sidestep it. Here's a few thoughts on what you've raised - and I think you've hit on some of the core advantages already but I'll expand (admittedly it may start to bleed together)

The Personal Computer
People have their own computers, with their own browsers, plug-ins, bookmarks, history, and whatever else. The tools they use are individually configured, personal, and varied. I've handed someone a PC and asked them to show me how they would accomplish some task. And their first response would be 'Well, I'd look in my bookmarks for [site] and then....' Oops. Now whatever we were asking them to do was extra-challenging and our observations were going to be skewed. Heck, handing them our testing-lab mouse could immediately send them off into adapting-to-our-tools. In that example, I was really surprised by how hampered people were by what they did or didn't have with this machine versus their own machine. Even down to what default screen we started them off with. We set it to MSN.com before they came in, and of course some people decided to start the task we gave them by using MSN, absolutely not what they would normally do. Heck, I use the Google toolbar - put me down at someone else's machine and I'm really at a disadvantage (I'm sure we could come up with a million different examples of this sort of thing).

Sometimes there is data (or a trailhead for a line of inquiry) from their desktop picture. There's richness there, it's great to have the chance to ask about it.

Where The Action Is
Are we always sure that all the activity is on the computer? What if, in order to complete a task I look in a book, look at a post-it note on the wall, make a phone call, review a printout or some other offline piece of information. I'm not talking about shipping, a larger offline interaction; I'm talking about micro-interactions that are interleaved with the key task, on the computer.

I really don't agree that all the context is digital. Unless someone is fully jacked into the Matrix, the key behavior we are looking at may be digital but the context is meatspace. Where our customers really live.

Their Territory
One important way to establish rapport in any research process is to be on someone else's turf. It's important philosophically. We go to them. We're in their space. We're going to learn from the person right from the moment we pull up in front of their house. Even if we spend 98% of the time in front of the computer, we're going to see the room filled with 20 dead PCs and understand more specifically what their off-the-cuff comment 'I buy a lot of gadgets' means. There's an important aspect of serendipity to being in their world - we allow the unplanned to happen. The phone call (as you say, the distractions), or the roommate dropping by to share her version of some success or failure she's had in solving the problem we're curious about.

Luke Wroblewski
No argument from me, there. Native environment certainly influences behavior in all the ways you've described: personalization (browser bookmarks and home pages, hardware set-up), integration of environment (notes, phone calls, roommates), and rapport (being in their space). I guess what I am looking for is the equivalent of the grocery store in the infamous IDEO 'shopping cart' video.

For those unfamiliar with the piece, it's a documentary of the IDEO team 'hitting the streets' to learn how they can improve the standard shopping cart. They observe how people use carts in context: within actual grocery stores. Seeing how people interact with the products, the people, and the spaces inside the store gives them a clear set of considerations for improving things.

So how do you get into that context online? Web applications are becoming increasingly immersive and social. To use the de facto example of a social Web application, let's look at the ecosystem of flickr. The contacts, groups, pools, sets, streams, and more within flickr create a lot of different contexts that shape people's behavior. How do we get at the digital versions of personalization, integration of environment, and rapport that we know are important in the offline world.

Steve Portigal
I'm glad you refer to the IDEO example as 'infamous' - because it's not a real example. It's a made-for-TV special that is filled with fakery. In one shot, a woman is walking through a grocery store supposedly documenting the environment with a digital camera. But she's an IDEO staffer, not an actor, so her body language as she pretends that the camera is not watching her pivot right and left snapping away carefree outs her (and indeed the whole process) as manufactured.

The camera did not document IDEO doing what they do, IDEO agreed to stage an event specifically to be documented. They created (and the producers edited) an idealized process that none of our work will ever live up to, because it can't, because it's real and constrained and challenged in ways that real projects always are.

As far as the cart goes, the grocery cart is part of the shopping activity. People are involved in the activity when they make a shopping list, when they schedule the trip to the store, in the store and packing up the car (of course), and then back home when they are putting groceries away and looking at what they've got in the context of their own home and kitchen (from storage space to emotional reactions of other family members to purchases).

Same with photography, right? There's a moment that is experienced when the shutter is opened, there's a decision to select and upload the picture, there's a process of tagging or whatever, and then there's interesting things that happen afterward...going to a party and having someone ask you about a recent trip or a stranger opening up a communication with the photographer of an image they have a connection with.

But diving into flickr as an example. You've got a lot of methods that you can pull in (and I'm certainly no methods junkie - but let me take a shot) and integrate, depending on what usage your are interested in (and what you want to get out of that)

• Log every usage automatically
• Ask the person to log every usage that fits certain criteria ('beeper study' or 'diary study') and then go back and revisit those examples and ask about them
• Sit with the person and ask for a guided tour of how they use some aspect of flickr
• Sit with the person and ask them to show you various features - including their impressions of things they may not use regularly, or ever
• Sit with the person and ask about flickr ('show me how you would do X....') but probe on analogous examples that they could show you (Q: Show me your contacts on flickr A: They're pretty basic, like this Q: Do you use other sites or programs where you have a list of contacts? A: Yeah, I'm way into LinkedIn Q: Okay let's take a look at that, then....)
• Show the person some simplified or storyboarded idealized version of flickr, or of a generic application, and have them walk you through how they would solve some kind of problem

I'm obviously going over a lot of ground you are familiar with above, but maybe at this point you could clarify what you're pushing at in terms of getting into these digital contexts, and I'll try and be more relevant in my response!

Continued
Read part two of this conversation on Steve’s site.

Tags: research, context, web2.0, design organizations
read more:

Jupiter Research Reports Online Holiday Spending to Increase 21% in 2003
A survey by Jupiter Research suggests that online holiday spending will increase 21% this year to reach $17 billion. Almost 40% of Internet users will do some, or all, of their shopping online. (I'll certainly be one of them!) Perhaps...
read more:

Web Design Company India
Web Design Company India. web design:

• India web design
• site development India
• web solutions
• affordable web services
• web site hosting
• web promotion
• Custom Shopping. . .
  read more:

Contacts handled properly
(Warning: Serious “my eyes glaze over” stuff ahead, but better to talk about it than not.)Google has a way to store contacts in JSON form. JSON stands for (JavaScript Object Notation), and it means that data can be loaded and parsed directly by JavaScript. Unfortunately, a security hole meant that other pages could also access [...]
read more: