Usability in Three Different Flavors

I'm always on the lookout for usable websites while browsing the internet, and for archiving, I use the online bookmarking site Pinboard. The three tags I use most frequently for organizing these links are 'Resource', 'Reference', and 'Inspiration', and though I categorize each of them with a different tag, they're all well-designed and straightforward experiences with easy to accomplish goals for the end user. I'd like to show you some specific examples and highlight what makes each site successful in their usability.

Resource:
Interhoods is a great resource created by Scott Robin and Naz Hamid for finding web designers and developers in your city. The userflow of selecting a city, clicking a neighborhood on a map (hence the name Interhoods), and browsing through the area's talented inhabitants is a joy and lends to its ease of use. One thing I personally love is how this site isn't creating a whole other online community, but instead parses profiles from two already-thriving communities on the web, GitHub and Dribble. The site's a favorite of our own Creative Director Nica Lorber, who was struck with how, "...it's easy and immediately gives you something. You can immediately find people by clicking on the map and the call to action is to add yourself". Interhood is great for recruiters and Project Managers looking to hire talented people, but even better for freelancers looking for a gig.

Reference:
Explorations In Typography is a handy reference tool for experimenting with typography, brought to us by Carolina de Bartolo, the renown Erik Spiekermann, and the good people at FontShop. EIT is actually a book you can purchase, but the interactive website is a way to get your feet wet with the art of type. The main page is a handful of paragraphs that you can experiment with using a toolbox, some default presets, and different fonts, empowering the novice or introductory typesetter to instantly jump in and learn what effect changing the 'leading' or 'exdent' does. The information and functionality is well prioritized and easy to digest within a a minute of tinkering. If you want to read more beyond the interactive elements on the main page, there's a glossary and an example of how to successfully mix different typefaces. Still want to learn more? Buy the book and become the typesetter you were born to be.

Inspiration:
House of Buttons is another one of those super-niche blogs on Tumblr, and while others are just hilarious, HOB may actually inspire some of us to design some really killer buttons for the web. When you arrive on the main page, all you're presented with is a grid of screenshots of different buttons and a link to the website or product they are from. HOB's curator Jason Long chose a good theme for this tumblog and made it all about the buttons, putting the images in a logical format and limiting the amount text, which would normally take away from the visuals and primary topic. If you're a designer and having a particularly tough time making a call to action look clickable and appealing, this list is something worth checking out for ideas. Long also welcomes submissions, turning the visitor into a content creator in a matter of a few clicks.

After browsing these sites, it's clear they all share something else in common besides being usable; they're very simple. Whether it's finding talented creatives in your area, learning a bit about typography through an interactive medium, or browsing a collection of variously-sized, pretty rectangles, a clear topic is in mind and there's no heavy-hand with features. We're bombarded and overwhelmed with complexity almost every minute of every day, both online and in real life, but understanding a website's goal within a minute contrasts with everything that's made to be complex.

A usable website makes you feel like you're winning something, and these three sites certainly provide some quick wins.