Jack Bellis, a colleague at Elseivier, used a phrase I hadn’t heard before.
User value versus Vendor value
The basic example is a form that asks for a telephone number with three input boxes. The user has to enter information in three boxes, either tabbing to each or (hopefully) javascript automatically moves the focus to the next. This has vendor value – the vendor doesn’t have to parse the various methods that might be used such as (xxx) xxx-xxxx, xxx-xxx-xxxx, and so forth.
Contrast this with a single input box where the user can type a phone number as he/she wishes. It’s easier on the user. It can be copied and pasted, or automatically filled in via a browser setting. This has user value
I wonder if you could create a user/vendor value scale to rate web pages. Give a +1 for each case of user value. Give -1 for each case of vendor value. 0 when neither is benefited. If you get a positive score, you’ve done well.
Probably a little simple, but I might play with this to see if I can make something of it.
Tags: design, userexperience, uservalue, vendorvalue