With so much of our work now carried out on computers, there are endless possible distractions. Some of these we can't help, but there are also a lot we can control or at the very least nullify. For most people, if we were to ask what their number one distraction was, they would probably reply, "the
User experience and customer experience are inextricably linked and while UX is a vital component of CX; it’s not the only factor that leads to long-term satisfaction with a brand and its products. There are many ways to deliver better customer experiences but these four keys will help shape a memor
The GROW model is used by coaches to enable individuals to reach their objectives. As you will see while reading about this model, there’s a large overlap with the skills already used by UX designers. As a designer, it can be helpful for you to see the parallels between the two professions – as it a
Enterprise systems seem to be the last holdout against UX design. The feeling on the ground seems to be that if a user has to use a system then their experience when using that system is irrelevant. Frank Spillers, at Experience Dynamics, says that over 70% of enterprise projects fail because of a l
So much effort is dedicated to constructing visual displays; from the layout, structure, navigation methods, tools, functions, actions, to the images and logos. All of these elements are important to user experience, but the contents of a display can influence users negatively. Visual clutter can sl
If you’re struggling to create a brand identity for your design business then we’ve got a little help for you. When it comes to building a strong brand it can be useful to keep some simple ideas in mind:Define What Your Brand is AboutVision and mission statements may seem like dry corporate ideas bu
We all want our projects to go well. We want our clients and stakeholders to be impressed with the value they got from using UX professionals and we want our users to be delighted with the end results. However, we’ve found that in many cases our own failings can get in the way of this process and it
A superior product must have a superior user, right? This misleading idea may be responsible for more arguments in UX teams than any other. It’s very easy to make assumptions on behalf of your users and over time it becomes easier and easier. You get to know your users over that period; you start to
The internet has the power to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Sadly, many websites and applications don’t consider the disabled during the design process and this cuts off people from information and assistance that they might really benefit from. Designing for people with disabilitie
Whenever someone requests, “Please explain in plain language,” we know a message has failed to latch. Created in the early 1990s by U.S. government employees who’d had enough of work jargon, the plain language movement would soon reach all industries. Choosing plain-language words in UX design takes
Most designers who go freelance, at least in the early stage of their careers, are going to end up doing business with a friend at some point or another. It’s a natural consequence of reaching out to your personal network for work. However, friends can be demanding taskmasters and it can be hard to
It is perfectly natural for designers to seek inspiration in other people’s work. It would be impossible for this not to be the case. However, there is a fine line to walk between being inspired by someone’s work and simply infringing their copyright.The Critical QuestionIf you are taken to court fo
Have you ever wondered why there are so many terrible but sometimes nice-to-look-at websites out there? We think it’s because so many design clients don’t buy websites but rather they buy graphic designs instead. The sign off process for many projects is simply a question of handing the client a lov
Yes, we know UX research is awesome but your boss won’t give you any budget to prove just how awesome. In fact, management has been pondering over a UX budget for so long now that you’re pretty certain that they will clone a mammoth before you get some cash from the top. You’re so desperate to show
Looking for some new techniques to introduce into your UX research? We’ve been thinking about methods that are slowly developing into more popular tools and have compiled a list of three techniques that might give your UX research a bit of added bite. The three techniques are the diary study, unass
Want to design your copy so that it improves the user experience? You’re not alone. So we’ve come up with a short list of tips that should help create more valuable copy on your website or in your application:Use LabelsAuthor/Copyright holder: oddharmonic. Copyright terms and licence: CC BY-SA 2.0If
User research is adaptive. Like all fields, we plan the best way we can for our work, however it’s all subject to change when we hit the ground and execute that plan. User research, when conducted thoroughly generates a lot of data, and it’s important to think about that before you conduct your rese
I want to tell you about a common term in English and how you can escape it. No, I don’t mean escaping the term; I mean escaping what the term means. When you realize how familiar a situation that term describes, you will surely want to rescue yourself from it.According to Wikipedia, a rat race is a
If there’s an area of product development where products down right suck; it’s enterprise software projects. I’ve worked on many of them as a training lead and found myself sitting down to develop work instructions and processes that are ridiculously convoluted. That’s because the underlying softwar
It is easy to be tempted to look at the objective of your user research and pump out a solution that fits your best idea of how to achieve those objectives. That’s because experienced professionals can be quite good at that but then again they can also be very bad at it. It is better to take your ob
