No ticks for HSBC

With the recent introduction of their much-maligned two-factor authentication system, HSBC overhauled their internet banking interface. The Secure Key system prompts users to enter a memorable answer followed by a code generated dynamically from a separate hardware device (the “secure key”). Consistent with guidelines on the importance of providing timely and useful feedback (e.g. Nielsen; ISO 9241-17), entering one’s details triggers a visual indicator whose meaning is apparently obvious but which actually differs to one’s expectations and is therefore ultimately misleading. More

Snookered by an interruption? Use a cue.

For the main project of my MSc in Human-Computer Interaction I chose to explore the domain of interruptions. This is an important area that has seen quite a lot of activity in recent years (see this list of resources on the subject). As more devices and applications vie for our attention, interruptions are the inevitable consequence. And no matter how well trained we might be, we remain susceptible to their disruptive effects and we make errors. More

Postington Huff

I’m not much of a commenter when it comes to online news articles. I sometimes feel like blurting out at the end of a Guardian piece but usually someone else has had the same thought and in any case it’s buried in a stream of one-upmanship, aloofness and vitriol. But when I read this Huffington Post article, at the time devoid of comments, I thought I’d get involved. I was offered to connect via Twitter. “Why not?” I thought. More