Restore Photoshop Text Layer Name Auto-Updating?

Text layers in Photoshop will auto-update the layer name with the text content of the layer unless you manually edit the layer name in the layers panel. Then it retains the manually entered layer name. How would one go about restoring this auto-updating of the layer name to a layer whose name has been manually edited?

user behavior - Alternatives to showing file size in a download?

I think I've seen somewhere that only showing the size of a file for download is not particularly useful for some users (in particular those less technical users). I guess the argument for this would be that the size of the file is less meaningful than how long the download will take.

I've seen dialogs which give estimates for download times - does anyone know if this is more useful and if there are any suggestions on how to provide estimates?

It seems to me the meaningful information would be if it's a small file size (trivial download time no matter your connection) or medium (fast on a good connection, longer on a slow connection) or large.

Thoughts?

research - An online resource where writers can get quick answers to questions about the real world?

Detailed research is all very well, but quite honestly there are times when it would just be a better use of your time to fire off a quick question and get a quick reply from the bounteous well of Helpful People On The Internet. To pay the good deed forward you could give a little of your time to answering the questions of others.

I'm primarily talking about things that can be answered in a flash by someone who knows an area (which could be a literal area or an area of knowledge), but which I would have to spend quite a lot of time delving into to even find out which forum, Stack Exchange or otherwise, would be best place to get an answer.

To illustrate, here are two questions of the sort I mean:

I was very happy to offer answers to both questions, but many people do not approve of this sort of question appearing on StackExchange. One of the questions above was closed, and the other got votes to close. Similar questions on Worldbuilding.StackExchange have had a similar mixed reception.

My main question is whether there is a forum where writers are unquestionably welcome to ask and answer questions of this sort.

(Lurking in the wings I have a potential second question as to whether Writing.StackExchange should be such a forum. But perhaps that would be better asked in meta - and in any case if somewhere else is already open to such questions, there is no need to start a controversy here.)

There are also types of questions that I would like to ask in this "Research Exchange for Writers" forum (if it exists) that would probably be rejected as idea generation here. Things like suggestions for plausible names of characters, places or institutions in foreign countries, requests for little snatches of dialogue in foreign languages, suggestions as to advice on convincing little details to add to the dialogue of characters from backgrounds or places unfamiliar to me.

In the hope of heading off criticism for being slapdash, I would like to emphasize that I'm a great believer in detailed research for the core of your story. However the level of research suggested in this excellent answer would be just too time consuming when all you want to do is have a secondary character throw out a few words about his job or her hometown. For me, spending too much time on that is an addictive temptation I must avoid. This is why I'm looking for a place where I can get answers quickly, if anyone knows of one.

Answer

You might have a look at the Little Details community on LiveJournal. The administrators describe the purpose of the site as follows:

We have a large, diverse membership that can answer questions such as:

• "If I hit my character on the head like so, what will happen?"


• "Will this destroy the Earth?"

All types of fiction writers--professional, amateur, fanfiction, original--are welcome to post questions. Our focus is on factual accuracy rather than general writing advice.

There are a few rules regarding posting that can be found listed on the community's profile page, the most pertinent of which are listed below:

• 
  

  At least attempt to research your question before posting. This means a Google search, at the very least. If your question isn't the type that can be googled or you need help coming up with fruitful search terms, no worries; just say so.

  
  


• 
  

  If someone asks for a translation of a word or phrase into another language, don't refer them to Google Translate or another automatic translation site. Automatic translation has gotten a lot better since this community was founded back in 2004, but it can still give results that are nothing like what a native speaker would say.

  
  


• 
  
  

  Avoid giving the impression of reliability where there is none. Most of the writers who ask questions here are looking for accurate information. If you're only offering speculation or information from an unreliable source, then let the poster know.

  
  

usability testing - Why is embedded help not popular?

I'm wondering why modern help systems are more passive than active? For example, each good guide through something look like this:

So why we don't see this directly on website (service provider), but have to search for another guidelines somewhere else?

Looks like Google Adsense Help is more static (with no images or interactivity) rather than active and interactive.

Context Help:

Steps in Help Center:

Is it a better approach then directly navigate user through interface? And show him at (least once) what buttons to click in order to do something?

Answer

Here is my theory:

Its about the ROI. Its not that there is a good reason for the passive ui for help sections, by all rights every part of a system should have an excellent and active ui. But we tend to focus harder on the core customer experience, because that's where the money is. And just tack on documentation / help sections. The effort that help sections deserve is absent because there is not enough of a business driver to do so.

Have you ever stopped using a web-app because the help section did not have active enough ui? I haven't. But I certainly have rejected web-apps because of the core ui.

As for embedded help, it has to be passive. If it was more active it would be distracting and get in the way of UX rather than helping it. Embedded help should be like a good waiter: out of the way, there when you need it, and off your mind when you don't.

Hope that helps.

branding - Having 4 colors in logo (like Google, Microsoft and eBay), for which kind of companies does work too?

Google, Microsoft, eBay (and some other corporate companies) use 4 colors in their logos: Blue, Red, Green and Yellow.

How does it help their branding? And for which kind of companies does it work. too?

Answer

There are several design reasons

1. 
   

   The colors are complementary - The four colors are roughly evenly spaced across the color wheel, which is a basic approach to creating complementary colors. Technically, this approach is called using a tetradic color palette. For more, you can read about color theory.

   
   


2. 
   

   Colorful palettes create a sense of openness, diversity and optimism, which are positive for a consumer brand. The following chart shows some of the alternative approaches to using color to create user brand experiences:

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   • With color selection, often the qualities/attributes communicated by color are subjective, but the side-by-side chart above is helpful because it allows you to see the difference in "feel" between different palettes.
   
   
   
   



3. 
   

   Color is excellent for global brands. There are several reasons for this.

   
   
   
   
   • Using a diverse and bold color palette helps brands to communicate an open approach to global cultures, race (skin color), preferences, and ideas.
   
   
   • Using multiple colors allows brands to avoid cultural taboos that may arise from focusing on one specific color. For example, red may symbolize luck in the east but "warning" in the west. Green may be patriotic in Ireland but forbidden in Indonesia.
   
   
   
   


4. 
   

   Color stands out - For consumer brands which advertise on TV, billboards and multimedia, a colorful brand helps a logo stand out for attention in a sea of other brands consumers are exposed to.

   
   

---

It may help to see a side-by-side comparison of colorful logos vs monochromatic logos. Here are some prominent global brands using colorful and then monochromatic colors.

• 
  

  You will see that the monochromatic palette communicates a sesne of prestige, seriousness, neutrality and focus, whereas colorful palettes tend to communicate a sense of playfulness, openness, informality, and creativity.

  
  


• 
  

  Note that visual layout often mimics the color palette....the logos on the left have deliberately dissonant layout...rough edges, irregular shapes or abutting characters. These are all designed to enhance the sense of playfulness that the color palette communicates.

  
  
  


• 
  

  Although it's a subject for a longer post, I deliberately included the "old" and "new" versions of the Microsoft and Apple logos....you can see how the brands have evolved their color messaging as Microsoft has sought to become a friendlier global consumer brand and Apple has evolved into a premium/aspirational consumer technology company.

  
  

user - Can UX without research really be called UX?

However bold the question may seem it is still valid since how many UX Pros we are out there do we really know things before we test on real users?

UX teams are responsible for creating desirable experiences for users. Yet many organizations fail to include users in the development process. Without customer input, organizations risk creating interfaces that fail, writes Hoa Loranger of the Nielsen Norman Group.

“User experience cannot exist without users. Creating user interfaces involves intricate and complex decisions. User research is a tool that can help you achieve your goals.

Even the most well thought out designs are assumptions until they are tested by real users. Different types of research can answer different types of questions. Know the tools and apply them accordingly. Leaving the user out is not an option.”

Ref: UX without users is not UX

So the question is: can UX live without users? Can UX without research be UX?

Answer

It is, of course, possible to produce a UI without involved the users. So yes, in a purely technical sense, you can create some kind of UX without directly involving the people who will actually use your product or service.

That said…

I've been involved with building software that people other than myself use since 1986. Nearly 30 years.

Every single time I've involved users in testing prototypes and products — we've ended up changing what we build to make it better. Every single time.

Every time I've talked to and observed users before we've started building — we've ended up changing the concepts behind what we're going to build, sometimes quite radically. Every single time.

So if you're not doing user research, you're not producing the best UX that you can. Which in the current climate is a dumb, dumb move.

high frequency - Modelling HFT data

In the context of Market making, how important is recent trades? In general, would i be able to get away with just modelling the Limit Order Book (LOB) and the evolution of the LOB in order to decipher a 'fair price'?