japanese & web design

I really should have paid more attention in Japanese class in high school.

From Robert Hoekman, Jr.’s Designing the Obvious, so many references to Japanese ideas:

改善 / KAIZEN: “change for the better,” applied to web application design—seek general improvement, trying to find a way to make a web interaction smoother, faster, easier

ポカヨケ / POKA-YOKE (poh-kah yoh-keh): “mistake-proofing,” preventing user errors in an application to improve user satisfaction and prevent frustration

The 5S of the Japanese Workplace Applied to Web Design

整理 / SEIRI: “sort” through features, interface elements, and screens to minimize an application; keep only what is essential

整頓 / SEITON: “straighten” the design—keep it uniform and understandable

清掃 / SEISO: “shine”—keep it clean and attractive

清潔 / SEIKETSU: “standardize” the style, design, and layout

躾 / SHITSUKE: “sustain” all of the above, continuing to improve (KAIZEN)