The Five Worst UX Mistakes Websites Make
The user experience of websites has improved by leaps and bounds over the years, but I still run into sites that make me ask, “What were they thinking?!”. From a design perspective, it’s easy to get caught up in internal squabbles (“No, no, THIS is the content that has to be front and center”) or distracted by tools or methods (“I say we use lean UX on this project”). (more…)
Magic and Mobile Apps
Apple long ago abandoned its original “Magical and Revolutionary” tagline for the iPad, probably out of some embarrassment at how the word ‘magical’ made so many of us groan. But the more I use, build and learn about touch-based software, the more I think magic is really a key component of this stuff, even if it’s not exclusive to the iPad. (more…)
Why Sketchnoting Makes You A Better UX Designer
I haven’t written about sketchnoting much since my article Sketch noting 101: How To Create Awesome Visual Notes, which is kind of silly of me given it’s one of the most popular articles on our site. Part of my hesitation to do so (read excuses, excuses!) is because this is a site about user experience design, and I’ve never been quite sure where sketchnoting fits under the UX umbrella. (more…)
5 Things to Know When Designing for iOS
This seems obvious, but designing apps instead of websites actually represents a huge shift in mindsets. Apps aren’t websites and shouldn’t be designed like them, either. Let’s talk about specifics. Apps have a completely different user interaction model from websites: taps vs. clicks, views vs. pages, buttons vs. links, etc. (more…)
Don’t let user experience design methods die
This is where I disagree. I started my career in the product world. I worked at big companies, startups, and now an agency. I’ve used (and have observed others using) these “terrible” UX methods very successfully. Ryan is extremely lucky to work at a company like 37signals where personas, user journeys, and wireframes are not needed. (more…)
Visceral Apps and You
For the past few years, I’ve been watching the buzz around various products and trying to figure out just what it was that made them so tantalizing. Obviously, great UI and beautiful graphics are important. The use of white space, typography and functionality are all critical. Great apps also have great attention to detail. It’s important to really nail each of these things (more…)
Designing for Mobile, Part 2: Interaction Design
Welcome to Designing for Mobile, Part 2: Interaction Design. Here’s some background in case you’re just joining us mid-series: Designing for Mobile, Part 1: Information Architecture demonstrated the key challenges designers face when designing for mobile, primarily the mobile context: from viewing conditions, to behavior and emotion. (more…)
Designing for Mobile, Part 1: Information Architecture
How is mobile different? The first thing we need to understand about mobile design is that it’s different – and not just with regards to size. The physicality and specifications of mobile devices impart different design affordances and requirements. Because mobile devices are lighter and more portable, we often find it more convenient to use them. (more…)
A Look Inside Mobile Design Patterns
Design patterns for mobile are emerging as the platform matures. Theresa Neil’s new book Mobile Design Pattern Gallery provides solutions to common design challenges. Read a sample chapter on Invitations and learn how to immediately engage your customers with your application. We recently had a new mobile project starting and all of our experienced mobile designers were booked. (more…)
Wireframing Your Web Application
There are many “right” ways to design an application, so I want to be clear that this is my workflow (and the one I recommend), but it’s not mandatory. I know other designers who just jump right into Photoshop (or code) and produce great work. But if you find yourself having trouble visualizing a design or workflow in your head, give this method a try. (more…)
Walking Through the Design Process
I was rummaging through my drafts folder and stumbled on this old post walking through the process of designing the “Goals” feature on our old product, before we switched to what Segment.io is now. I think it’s an interesting look into how a mockup progresses in Photoshop, so here it is: (more…)
Creating Wireframes And Prototypes With InDesign
Hundreds of tools may be available for interaction designers, but there is still no industry standard for interaction design (more…)
Design for People, Not Interfaces
Interaction Design has been practised long before the digital revolution, but under different guises and representing many other facets of today’s design language. Once you understand the underlying principles, you will probably realise that everything that has ever been designed effectively, has had some interaction design techniques applied. (more…)
Wireframing and Sketching for Web Designers: Tools, Utilities and Reasons
A website wireframe is a visual guide, or a skeletal framework that will help you define your future website’s characteristics. By wireframing you are basically defining the primary steps and the shape your website or product is going to have. One of the main purposes of wireframing is to set the main priorities and describe the functionality of your future creation. (more…)