Normally, when you click on a word on the web or on most word processing applications, the word is selected. Right?

Well, recently, I noticed that in addition to selecting a word, the New York Times website also launches a new window to display the search results associated with the double clicked word or phrase.

Here, try it. Double click on any word found in the body of the article that is not a link. It’s quite amazing, right?

This is a perfect example of significantly extending and improving function, usability and experience without eroding value or creating cognitive barriers for the user.

Granted, finding this function was a mistake. I was simply reading an article and double clicking on words that were key for me – and suddenly the pop-ups started coming. It took two or three occurrences before it dawned on me what was really happening. I went around the office and share with some people and everyone was consistently blown away.

In their defense, they keyed off a common user pattern: the double-click-as-you-read-thing – it turns out, I am not the only one that does it. Secondly, the have a note (albeit lost in the texture of the page) that reads “Tips: To find reference information about the words used in this article, double-click on any word, phrase or name. A new window will open with a dictionary definition or encyclopedia entry.”

The information provided in the search is incredibly useful, too. It offers related articles, dictionary definition, political dictionary definition, historical relevance, and much more.

Here’s a tip of the virtual hat to the NYT interactive group.

Labels: Design, New York Times, usability, user experience