Inspired by Seth Godin – Craft and Commerce I was so happy to hear Seth Godin say that our current scheme creates average products for average people; the result is commoditization because people then look for the closest and cheapest. This supports my idea that people should create product offerings that reflect their unique perspective […]
Sometimes I have so many fun ideas that it feels impossible to choose just one to work on. It’s like I’ve got a buffet of ideas but I just got gastric bypass surgery and I can only have 3 tablespoons of… of what, idea jello? I really can’t think of a way to tie off […]
I made this little video on my experiments making earrings with polymer clay — what worked and what didn’t — in the hope that it might help someone who is getting started. There are several excellent teachers who publish tutorials on YouTube so I didn’t duplicate what they do. I’m so grateful for their generosity […]
In a previous post, I talked about how getting started on creative projects can be a major hurdle for me. When I got curious about why, I realized my space doesn’t inspire me. My space left me wondering why I was so eager to have the time to get going. My home office is a […]
Photo credit: https://www.coloradopolitics.com/hot-sheet/watch-jared-polis-election-night-victory-speech/article_18c1c06f-1637-5512-b40a-ae8292eaf694.html
Because my heart goes out to anyone who is learning to draw, I’m sharing this embarrassing moment from my sketchbook. On the left, my Picasso-esque woman is a freehand sketch, straight out of my head. (A Psychologist could have a field day with it!) On the right, what you see is the result of quickly […]
As I was struggling not to choke on the drool pooling in the back of my throat, while the chipper Dental Hygienist poked pointy instruments into my mouth, my brain went where it always does…how can I use this as a Designer? I thought, “How can we get our clients and co-workers into a similar […]
http://designingkay.tumblr.com/post/170543882548/ash-wednesday-is-on-st-valentines-day-and-easter
Prototyping: A Practitioner’s Guide by Todd Zaki Warfel
What a Prototype Is (and Is Not) There has to be some sort of interactivity, otherwise your users won’t get a taste of how the product/app actually works. this is where prototypes come in…A prototype is not the final product. Do not expect it to look like the final product.
How & Why Prototypes Are Mandatory for Good Design While skipping prototyping might save some time during design, that surplus can be lost many times over in development. If people try on jeans before buying them and test-drive cars before signing the check, then it only makes sense to test your designs interactively before they […]
Mock-ups, Interaction Design Foundation
The Difference Between Information Architecture (IA) and Navigation When designing a new site, can designers ignore the IA and focus only on the navigation? The answer is no: it’s inefficient and even dangerous to do so. Navigation that does not adequately accommodate the full scope of content and functionality of a site can be very […]
Information Architecture mistakes and remedies While the suggestions made in this article may seem pretty obvious, all too often we see too many assumptions being made during the process of IA development. – See more at: http://www.u1group.com/blog/article/information-architecture-mistakes-and-remedies#sthash.kpEt95Ix.dpuf IAS WHICH REFLECT AN ORGANISATION’S STRUCTURE: IAS FILLED WITH BRANDS, JARGON AND INTERNAL LANGUAGE: LACK OF CONSISTENCY:
Information Architecture 101: Techniques and Best Practices
Sitemaps – The Beginner’s Guide
From Visually. – See more at: https://visual.ly/community/infographic/business/15-golden-principles-visual-hierarchy#sthash.sUd2iSqr.dpuf Shared by DesignMantic
From Visually. – See more at: https://visual.ly/community/infographic/technology/spine-information-architecture#sthash.xSp9XiHI.dpuf
Personas 101: What Are They and Why Should I Care? by Linda Bustos Persona development should ideally start prior to any strategy. They are most effective when used to inform a strategy, that is, to hone in on specific opportunities to improve, innovate on, or fill other gaps, and are critical to have before making […]
Improving Persona Usability For Goal-Oriented UX by Jenna Erickson Once the surveys and interviews have been concluded, the UX Researcher must sort through the data and find what is usable, and what is not. This can often be the hardest step, as it can take a long time to determine what is useful.
Creating Personas by UX Booth by Eeva Ilama Don’t wait for permission to create personas. Make proto—personas on your own and show how they help your team make better product decisions. Invite key decision—makers to participate in a proto—persona workshop that fosters interest in personas and introduces thinking from a user—centric perspective.
7 Core Ideas about Personas and The User Experience by Jeff Sauro Personas are not what people tell you about themselves; they are observations and descriptions of why (motivation) a person does what he/she does. 1. Personas predate UX Research 2. A persona is not a hypothetical customer invented by the marketing department 3. A […]
I can almost hear the salty tone of voice behind this quote. It’s the kind of simple, but not easy, wisdom that is easy to forget. It’s natural that, as we work to bring our solution to life and then proceed to incrementally improve that solution, we forget that our customers asked for holes, not […]
We’ve all heard the Mies Van Der Rohe quote “Less is more” but I love how this quote reminds me that it is harder work to reduce and distil each design element than it is to add layers of decoration. Although they were architects and industrial designers, I draw inspiration for UX Design from Mies Van Der Rohe […]
As designers, we are asked to create simple solutions, but the situations are often very complex. That’s part of the fun for us, well sometimes not so fun. Real life complexity like an audience who only uses texting on their phones and doesn’t have access to printers is a fun problem to work on. I think our […]
Our clients, bosses, and the business press praise simplicity as a concept but, as designers, we have to expect that we won’t always be praised for removing complexity. Why is that? It’s just not as easy to for people recognize and appreciate simplicity, especially if they aren’t familiar with the problem. Luckily for us, accomplishing an […]
This quote delights me because my best design work has frequently followed a sense of being in way over my head. I often compare projects to the Bolder Boulder 10k, specifically the 5-mile marker. At this point, I’ve got 1.2 miles left and most of it uphill. The exhilaration of the start and the chatter of the crowd is a […]
I just discovered a SubReddit (I’m not a millennial but I birthed one so I know that term) for App Ideas that really illustrated the problem I’m trying to solve. Most posts have the same basic text: I have an idea A user puts in something The screen displays something What do you guys think? […]
When I give a gift, I want the recipient to be able to choose what they want but Gift Cards are too impersonal. Plus I know that they don’t always get used. But buying something for someone — or even worse making something — cuts out their input, especially if I want it to have […]
When you buy a more expensive wine, the waiter smiles approvingly. You savor the smell and get to call it a bouquet. When you buy a higher quality fabric for your bespoke suit, the tailor nods appreciatively because the fabric is a joy to work with and he knows you’ll revel in it. In contrast, […]
Recently I’ve been thinking about the complexity of our world and how impossible it is to take every factor into account. For example, I thought if I had a goal to do 3 things in a day, I thought I had to wrestle with every factor influencing that goal. People have frequently mistaken me for […]
Inspired by Kyle Cease – Your Authenticity is Worth Millions Transcript: I was listening to Kyle Cease and he said something I’ve heard a couple of other people say before. Which is, “This is my dharma”. Meaning something like purpose. I was like, “Ooh, I want to be able to say that”. I looked it […]
The first question we hear as website designers and developers is, “How much is it going to cost?” To which we reply, “That depends on what you want.” And it really does! But sometimes we play along. “So just give me a ballpark. How much do you charge per hour?” What I hope to help […]
Photo credit: https://www.coloradopolitics.com/hot-sheet/watch-jared-polis-election-night-victory-speech/article_18c1c06f-1637-5512-b40a-ae8292eaf694.html
Rainbows themselves don’t suck; I’m a big fan of actual rainbows after rainstorms as well as the Muppets’ song. But when you try to work rainbows into a logo or a repeating graphic, they are problematic because you’ve left no ground for contrast. What’s the big deal about contrast? Let’s look at the most contrast, […]
My response to the idea of a Guaranteed Minimum Income has been a flat “No!.” But yesterday, one of my favorite people gave me a new perspective on it. He explained that it’s Bill Gates and other luminaries who understand that automation is going to kill jobs such as hotel receptionist, bartender, room service, and even blackjack […]
Storyboarding in the Software Design Process Storyboarding can strengthen the user experience elements of your designs, and software for building prototypes from those sketches can be an invaluable tool.
Because my heart goes out to anyone who is learning to draw, I’m sharing this embarrassing moment from my sketchbook. On the left, my Picasso-esque woman is a freehand sketch, straight out of my head. (A Psychologist could have a field day with it!) On the right, what you see is the result of quickly […]
One of the biggest enemies of clear, effective design is the statement: “what if someone asks us…fill-in-the-blank.” All of us have been in meetings and heard this statement in one form or another. It can go something like: But what if someone thinks we are open on holidays? But what if someone demands that we […]
Kay Newman is available to speak at your event on the topic “Design it before you build it.” Benefits include: Save money on development Build it right the first time Avoid frustration of both customers and staff Contact kaymnewman@gmail.com to get more details and schedule a talk.
I’m lucky to have a son whose interest in music history overlaps with my interest in art history. We often compare how the protests against the status quo show up for artists and musicians of the same era. Think about the Psychedelic art and music of the 60’s. In one such discussion, I ended up […]
This post definitely falls into the category of “Advice I Give Myself.” It’s good advice. But I don’t listen. My problem is that it doesn’t feel like being a perfectionist. To me, a perfectionist looks like Marta Steward, putting final touches on an already amazing cake. My last-minute attempts feel more like putting on a […]
Part of my morning ritual is to watch an inspiring video on YouTube. I’m amazed at the generosity of the creative people who share on YouTube, from the famous like Oprah, Brene Brown and Liz Gilbert, to the up-and-coming like Stasia Savasuk whose TED Talk just went viral, to the more obscure who help me […]
Storyboarding & UX – part 1: an introduction Storyboarding is also catching on fast as a practice in experience design, because of the way it can combine so many disparate elements — such as personas and their behaviours, requirements and solutions — to achieve those ‘a-HA’ moments we want from team members and clients.
The 8 Steps To Creating A Great Storyboard The exercises outlined below force you to get ideas out of your head and onto paper, without getting stuck feeling like they have to be finished or perfect.
A Collection of Inspiring Sitemaps and User Flow Maps
Wireframes Magazine » Large Canvas Flows + With References If one can move away from the outdated convention that interaction designers create screens, towards what Bill Buxton calls the stuff “in between the screens”, then it doesn’t take long to realize that larger workspaces are the way to go.
User Flows: What Clients Need to Know | EffectiveUI It’s often somehow overlooked, but user flows MUST be user-focused. When we introduce design elements that focus on business needs over user needs, we distract the user, or much worse, lose them completely.
Choosing the Right Tool for Remote User Testing Traditional user testing limits the pool of users you can choose from, takes a lot of money to set up, and eats up your precious time. But remote user testing can save you from this complicated mess.
16 Usability Testing Tools for Optimizing User Experience Use this list to find some of the most popular and useful user testing tools to get you on the way to usability testing. You will be able to see how a user will interact with the website, allowing you to make necessary improvements based on the […]
The Importance of User Testing – Usabilla Blog When it comes to rolling out updated designs or new features, the best feedback you can get is from the people who will be using them.
The Importance of User Testing – Usabilla Blog The most devilish usability issues are those that haven’t even occurred to you as potential problems; you won’t find all the usability issues just by looking at your design.
ROI Of Usability by Megan Wilson | Usability Geek The benefits of investing in usability don’t end with the user. A strong usability design will save you money on support and development. It will also increase your revenue by increasing sales. The time and money you invest in usability will provide a number of long-term […]
Prototyping: A Practitioner’s Guide by Todd Zaki Warfel
What a Prototype Is (and Is Not) There has to be some sort of interactivity, otherwise your users won’t get a taste of how the product/app actually works. this is where prototypes come in…A prototype is not the final product. Do not expect it to look like the final product.
How & Why Prototypes Are Mandatory for Good Design While skipping prototyping might save some time during design, that surplus can be lost many times over in development. If people try on jeans before buying them and test-drive cars before signing the check, then it only makes sense to test your designs interactively before they […]
Smart UX: High-Fidelity Wireframes by Jenna Erickson high-fidelity wireframes will never fully replace low-fidelity wireframes. …they may stifle a client’s creativity during the review process.
Why It’s Important to Sketch Before You Wireframe – UX Movement
Writing Smart Annotations by Dan Saffer “There are typically five audiences for wireframes: clients (internal or external), developers, visual designers, copywriters, and, most importantly, your future self.”
Mock-ups, Interaction Design Foundation
20 Inspiring Examples of Web and Mobile Wireframe Sketches
The Difference Between Information Architecture (IA) and Navigation When designing a new site, can designers ignore the IA and focus only on the navigation? The answer is no: it’s inefficient and even dangerous to do so. Navigation that does not adequately accommodate the full scope of content and functionality of a site can be very […]
Information Architecture mistakes and remedies While the suggestions made in this article may seem pretty obvious, all too often we see too many assumptions being made during the process of IA development. – See more at: http://www.u1group.com/blog/article/information-architecture-mistakes-and-remedies#sthash.kpEt95Ix.dpuf IAS WHICH REFLECT AN ORGANISATION’S STRUCTURE: IAS FILLED WITH BRANDS, JARGON AND INTERNAL LANGUAGE: LACK OF CONSISTENCY:
Information Architecture 101: Techniques and Best Practices
Sitemaps – The Beginner’s Guide
From Visually. – See more at: https://visual.ly/community/infographic/business/15-golden-principles-visual-hierarchy#sthash.sUd2iSqr.dpuf Shared by DesignMantic
From Visually. – See more at: https://visual.ly/community/infographic/technology/spine-information-architecture#sthash.xSp9XiHI.dpuf
Evaluating Ideas I’ve found that what works best for me in these whittling sessions is to have a framework to fall back on. An established framework means that no one is trying to justify their idea to me; all ideas are evaluated in a relatively emotion-free setting so we can decide which solutions are […]
Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design Second Edition, Revised and Updated Edition by William Lidwell (Author), Kritina Holden (Author), Jill Butler (Author)
Seeing the Elephant: Defragmenting User Research So, go make friends, have conversations, and get outside of your comfort zone. Take a step back and look at what you and your counterparts are doing—and when. Then sketch maps and other pictures of which kinds of user research are happening in your organization—and which are not.
Site Flows vs. User Flows: When to Use Which – UX Movement User flows also help developers understand how the system interacts with user behavior. The system needs to respond to the user when they make errors and do actions. Developers can view all the details and specifics of an interaction on a user flow.
Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users by JAKOB NIELSEN Summary: Elaborate usability tests are a waste of resources. The best results come from testing no more than 5 users and running as many small tests as you can afford.
Personas 101: What Are They and Why Should I Care? by Linda Bustos Persona development should ideally start prior to any strategy. They are most effective when used to inform a strategy, that is, to hone in on specific opportunities to improve, innovate on, or fill other gaps, and are critical to have before making […]
Improving Persona Usability For Goal-Oriented UX by Jenna Erickson Once the surveys and interviews have been concluded, the UX Researcher must sort through the data and find what is usable, and what is not. This can often be the hardest step, as it can take a long time to determine what is useful.
Creating Personas by UX Booth by Eeva Ilama Don’t wait for permission to create personas. Make proto—personas on your own and show how they help your team make better product decisions. Invite key decision—makers to participate in a proto—persona workshop that fosters interest in personas and introduces thinking from a user—centric perspective.
7 Core Ideas about Personas and The User Experience by Jeff Sauro Personas are not what people tell you about themselves; they are observations and descriptions of why (motivation) a person does what he/she does. 1. Personas predate UX Research 2. A persona is not a hypothetical customer invented by the marketing department 3. A […]
Preparing for User Research Interviews: Seven Things to Remember by Michael Hawley Excerpt: Seven Interview Best Practices Set proper expectations. Shut up and listen. Minimize biased questions. Be friendly. Turn off your assumptions. Avoid generalizations. Don’t forget the non-verbal cues.
User and Task Analysis for Interface Design: JoAnn T. Hackos, Janice C. Redish:
People are experts at what they do – but are unable to articulate their own work practice Contextual Design: The Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction, 2nd Ed.
All the talk about “anthropology” obscures the fact that all development teams should do field studies, and that teams can run studies on their own, without hiring a bunch of PhDs. Summary: Field studies should emphasize the observation of real user behavior. Simple field studies are fast and easy to conduct, and do not require […]
