The design team behind the Interaction Design Foundation got a chance to review UXPin – a collaborative UX Design tool – and here is our review (spoiler: it’s awesome!)To fully appreciate a tool like UXPin, it’s important to understand the context in which it exists. With the digital revolution rapi
In the Ideation stage, design thinkers spark off ideas — in the form of questions and solutions — through creative and curious activities such as Brainstorms and Worst Possible Idea. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some of the best Ideation methods and guidelines that help facilitate success
Mobile platforms are both limited in terms of their user input and also, in other ways, vastly superior to traditional laptops and desktops. Designing apps or web sites for mobile means taking into account the differences in the way that users can interact with a device and shaping the experience of
Whether you're contemplating a transition into UX Design, or considering the next stage of your UX career, the biggest question you'll face is that of what your next step should be. It can be daunting to find an answer to this question, especially when technology moves faster than you can keep track
Ever wondered how you can get greater support for UX design within your organization? Ever considered a mid-career transition into design? Ever worried that your design skills might come up short when you work with unfamiliar new technology? These are common concerns in the UX design industry, but i
One of the most exciting things about designing virtual and augmented reality experiences is all the things you’re able to do as a designer. You can take advantage of all of the user’s senses in design, you can create first-person stories, and you can overlay reality with any virtual object you can
Whenever you design something new – be it an interface, service or a product– you should start with a plan for what you want the user’s experience to be like. Having a clear goal for what you want the user to feel and achieve during the interaction will help guide you through the myriad of different
This is a question we hear a lot. Unfortunately there’s no simple answer to this question. Firstly, that’s because there’s no globally agreed definition of the two terms. That means that our explanation often needs to change depending on the user’s perspective. Secondly, it’s also because there’s a
When you start out in UX design, it can be a very daunting experience and it’s only natural to have a lot of questions. Many of us who are new to the field often wonder what senior UX designers did when they started out. To help answer some of those questions, we sat down with Zoltan Kollin, design
There are two things that are always in short supply on any project; time and money. The Pareto Principle can, in the long-term, help you save both. It can also help you make intelligent decisions based on your user research. Our story begins with a Management Consultant Joseph M Juran back in the
Information visualization is not as easy as it might first appear, particularly when you are examining complex data sets. How do you deliver a “good” representation of the information that you bring out of the data that you are working with?While this may be a subjective area of information visualiz
The design process relies on data in the ideation and prototyping stages, collected through methods like user interviews, usability tests, ethnographic studies and surveys. However, it often happens that research and evaluation take a back seat in the post-launch phase. As a designer, it’s import
When you get up in the morning do you brush your teeth? You almost certainly do. If you use a mouthwash, such as Listerine, as part of your teeth cleaning ritual then we’ve got a nasty surprise for you. Did you know that Listerine wasn’t invented as a breath freshener? It was first marketed 133 year
‘Appropriation is an unusual word for designers in that it has two very distinct meanings. Both are relevant to designers and both need careful consideration but for very different reasons.Appropriation is either:The use of pre-existing objects/images within a design or art with marginal amounts of
No two freelancers or entrepreneurs are the same, but the best and most successful do share some similar characteristics. The ability to work hard, professionalism, communication skills, persistence, passion, self-discipline and initiative are some of the most important characteristics. Here, we def
You can pick from literally hundreds of reasons to become a freelancer or entrepreneur, but some crop up more than others. This section provides an overview of 15 of the most popular reasons that people choose to go out on their own and start a business rather than staying in the safe, secure and so
From a business perspective, differentiation is one of the primary reasons for investing in UX. If your products and services stand out from those of your competitors, they’re much more likely to be a market success – and having the most compelling and relevant user experiences is a great way to sta
It’s a common mistake for businesses to seek brand new market places. After all, a lack of competition can only be a good thing, right? Unfortunately, there are two problems with this approach – a lack of an established market can be a strong indicator of a lack of demand for a product and secondly,
Fitts's Law provides a model of human movement, established in 1954 by Paul Fitts, which can accurately predict the amount of time taken to move to and select a target. Although originally developed according to movement in the physical world, in human-computer interaction Fitts's Law is typically a
Usability testing is an essential part of product development. A common question from those new to the field is “when should we test?” The answer is simple; you test before a redesign, you test during the redesign and then you test afterwards too. Here’s why:Usability Testing Before a RedesignThis m
