Text-heavy websites, such as those of all the major newspapers that have embraced the web as an essential medium for the future, know the importance of using titled sections to reel the readers in. There’s a perfect art to the craft, and it stems from an exact science concerning how human beings pro
Even if you’re not the to-do list maniac like some of us, lists are a great way to deliver content to your users. A list allows them to navigate quickly to the section of content that is most relevant to them, while maintaining an overview of the entire body of information that is accessible. It als
...emotions, encompassing both positive and negative emotional states, have the potential to benefit us. And not only can emotions have an enduring and positive effect on our psychophysiology, but they provide us with the impetus to choose and pursue different goal paths. This is of particular impor
The dropdown menu goes all the way back to the Start menu of the most classic Microsoft Windows versions. Now, you can find it nearly everywhere: from newspaper websites to online shops, and from graphic design applications to text-editing software. It has helped users time and time again to access
The pagination design pattern is widely used in websites that open up a lot of content to users. From search engines such as Google and Firefox, to e-commerce sites such as Amazon and Asos—the use of pagination is very, very broad. And although it seems straightforward, implementing pagination in th
Learn how to improve user experience by incorporating the self-generation effect in your user interface design. The self-generation effect is prompted in many of the customization tools built into some of the most widely-used products out there. This phenomenon provides users with a sense of control
An essential part of the Design Thinking process is the Define phase as this is the phase where you will explicitly express the problem that you and your team aim to address. In Design Thinking, the first phase is the research or Empathise phase, and then you move on to the Define phase, where you w
We’ve found that a lot of first time UX researchers have similar questions and concerns when they start working in UX design. So, we thought we’d round up and tackle some of the most common questions to form a set of useful principles for UX researchers. Of course, this isn’t a complete guide to UX
An important task for you as a designer is to help the user carry out tasks as efficiently as possible. Software companies such as Adobe and Microsoft are experts at this. They frequently use a design pattern called ‘center stage’ to help the user focus on what’s important. Center stage is one of th
In the developed world, we have the benefit of choice; if a product fails to provide us with a positive emotional experience, we can simply look for an alternative. Consumerism is now more cutthroat than ever; no sooner has one product been released, another, similar product appears in its place on
If you’re toying with the idea of going freelance; you’ll already know some of the benefits. Getting rid of the commute and ditching your boss may play heavily in the decision making process but there are other benefits to leaving the rat race behind. We’ve come up with 10 great reasons to go freel
It’s not really fair that before we can show an interviewer how great we are for their position – we have to land that interview in the first place. A good CV can make or break your career prospects; you cannot get a great job without getting an interview. Sadly, in nearly all professions including
It’s not enough to do the work; you also have to get paid. One of the biggest challenges facing freelancers and business-to-business entrepreneurs alike is how to handle that moment when a client fails to pay. The good news is that, by and large, it’s a painless process which shouldn’t lead to a big
The ability to harness GPS data and map data on smartphone platforms offers designers a chance to enhance the user experience of their products. However, in order for maps to deliver better experiences for users – it’s important to integrate these features with UX in mind. There are some sensible ru
If you’re going to design for mobile, then it’s a good idea to have a grasp of what makes up the modern smartphone in terms of hardware and software. You can then start to think about the possibilities these offer when creating user experiences. The better you know the device, the more you can explo
When you’re designing a new website, application, or other product, you always start with the global idea and structure before addressing more detailed issues. Designing the navigation on a website is no different. Getting the global navigation right is the first step in designing a great user exper
Parallax design, contrary to some information online, has been around for a while. In fact, it was first found in computer games back in the early 1980s. The title Jump Bug, 1981, had elements of parallax design and both Moon Patrol and Jump Bug, 1982, had complete parallax design implementations.To
This article, the one that you are reading, is part of a learning experience. Learning experiences aren’t a matter of classroom delivery – they are any interaction with a user/customer/individual in which the person is going to learn something (which we hope you will in this article).Products contai
Mobile apps aren’t a new thing but the latest research estimates that people spend 30 hours a month playing with apps now. That makes for a substantial opportunity for UX designers but once the product’s finished; how do you market it? Getting the marketing right is the key to market acceptance of y
Defining your design challenge is probably one of the most important steps in the Design Thinking process, as it sets the tone and guides all of the activities that follow. In the Define mode, you should end up creating an actionable problem statement which is commonly known as the Point of View (PO
