As library websites evolve, will parts of them become online applications like Google maps and Flickr? I can almost visualize one for aggregated database and catalog searching that users could personalize to their needs. It could be a solution to the simplicity vs. power debate.

Digital Web Magazine – Usability for Rich Internet Applications

Rich Internet applications (RIAs) can provide opportunities to design much better user experiences. They can be faster, more engaging and much more usable. However, this improvement is not without its downside—RIAs are much more difficult to design than the previous generation of page-based applications. The richer interaction requires a better understanding of users and of human-computer interaction (HCI). Although there is a lot of HCI material and research available, it can be difficult to determine how it applies to this new environment.  In this article, I provide some practical tips for designing usable RIAs, based on fundamental principles of HCI.