In order to make an omelet you sometimes have to doodle a few eggs.
Title: The Cognitive Benefits of Doodling Context: If one must think, one should first doodle. Synopsis: The art of doodling is in fact exactly not at all that. It is not about aesthetics, or style, or museum quality renderings suitable … Continued
#ux iota: More design inspiration videos than you can shake a stick at…*shakes stick*…never mind.
Title: Inspirational Videos For Designers – The Big Collection Context: In dire need of creative inspiration? Here’s a bajillion hours of videos that’ll cure what ails ya. Best Bit: “For me, a good TED video is much better than another … Continued
Come and see the printable, customizable, wearable, touchable, magnetic future of interaction design!
Title: 12 Fascinating Projects From the Bleeding Edge of Interaction Design Context: The future of interaction design looks…a little bonkers actually. Synopsis: What does the future hold for interaction design? A little bit cool, a little bit crazy, and a … Continued
You can design software for some people some of the time but you can’t design software for all people all of the time.
Title: Should Software Come in Advanced and Beginner Versions? Context: Treating new and veteran users the same in your software is a sure way to ensure no one will be happy with it. Synopsis: You can’t be all things to … Continued
“Do you want a career in business or a career in design?” Yes.
Title: How Designers Are Building Careers in Silicon Valley Context: Designers aren’t just designers anymore. Synopsis: (Ignore the navel gazing “Silicon Valley” qualifier in the title of this post because it adds nothing to the dialog which, make no mistake … Continued
Quick: what company is designing the best software right now? Everyone who said “Apple” go and Google “shame”.
Title: How Google Finally Got Design Context: If Google can achieve design superiority, anyone can. I hope. Synopsis: Remember how the minimal, search-box-only approach to “design” that Google built its empire upon was viewed as a success in spite of … Continued
The road to hell is paved with new features.
Title: The Next Feature Fallacy: The fallacy that the next new feature will suddenly make people use your product Context: “C’mon man! just one more hit…” —Junkies and people arguing for more features in your software Synopsis: There is only … Continued
Everything you thought you knew about innovation is wrong (says the guy who invented just about everything).
Title: 5 Steps To Re-create Xerox PARC’s Design Magic (From The Guy Who Helped Make It) Context: Want good ideas? Most companies can’t handle what it takes to have good ideas. Synopsis: Innovation. There is no substitute. All of our … Continued
If you don’t know how to design accessible software, you don’t know jack about designing software.
Title: 7 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about Accessibility Context: Accessibility isn’t just a good idea, it’s the law. Seriously. Synopsis: You’ve just finished a many month-long redesign of a huge UI overhaul. You spent sleepless nights agonizing over … Continued
If your default setting is to make everything a user setting you are setting yourself up for failure.
Title: Designing Settings Context: All software has user settings. For some reason. Synopsis: We live in a personalized, customized, bespoke world designed, developed, and made specifically for you. You want a firmer mattress than your sleeping partner? Turn a dial. … Continued
Design without empathy can be really, really scary. Like, “I need to be sedated I’m so scared” scary.
Title: The Story of Doug Dietz: Creative Confidence in the MRI Suite Context: When design is at its best it doesn’t make products better, it makes people’s lives better. Synopsis: It is entirely possible to design something and convince yourself … Continued
#ux iota: Life’s short. The crappy UX of most of the things you use daily make it shorter.
Title: What are some examples of products that have bad user experience (UX) designs but are still used with ease? Context: People offer up some of the most painful examples of user experience in the world. You can’t argue with … Continued
Perhaps you can talk the UX talk, maybe you can even walk the UX walk, but can you pass the UX test?
Title: The User Experience Designer’s Charlatan Test Context: Good UX is never graded on a curve. Synopsis: How does one gauge an individual’s UX acumen? Well, you can work side by side with them for long periods of time, see … Continued
“TGIM!” is what everyone will say once design solves life’s single greatest problem.
Title: How Ideo Redesigned Monday to Be Less Awful Context: Hating Monday’s days are numbered thanks to design. Synopsis: Your alarm goes off in a shriek of canned, looping banality. Your calendar overflows with other miserable souls who too have … Continued
#ux iota: The tragically inevitable consequences of our societal addiction to smartphone usage.
Title: 謝承霖 《低头人生》 Life Smartphone Synopsis: It’s all fun and games until distracted bloody mayhem eradicates the human race. Best Bit: Selfie girl. I’ve met her kind before. via youtube.com