Make them push, not pull. Right now you have to go "get" the updates, by clicking on the App Store icon, then going to updates. That's "pull." Change to "push" by using the new Notification Center that was just added…
Category: UX Articles
My Quora answers, UX Articles
How can you encourage conversations about UX leadership in your organisation?
You can pontificate about your organization focusing on user experience, or you can lead by example. I have found that the best way to encourage a geniune conversation is the successful implementation of a user-centered design in a project or…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What is the reason for multi-column layout in magazines and newspapers?
Before I became a semi-well-known user experience guy, I did magazine layouts and typography. I also studied/majored in journalism, so I read of the early days of newspapers and how they began. So, I think I’m semi-qualified to provide an…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
Is NPS is a good measure of a users experience? Also, are there any other calculations that could measure how a product is perceived by its users?
Yes, I think NPS is a fairly good indicator, but it’s a “one-dimensional” indicator. No matter how many customers you survey it is still just a survey, without much context. Some other ways you can get a sense of how…
Apple, My Quora answers, Technology, UX Articles
Why are our "smart devices" so dumb?
There are some practical reasons, and some pragmatic ones. A "thinking" device is a device that is consuming power to think (to run the processor), and hardware and software designers have to keep a core user need in mind: battery…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
When should you disable a feature rather than hide it?
Disabling a feature is best applied when it shows the user that they can do something, just not right now. Two examples are menu options that aren't available, or a data entry field that they can't edit. This could confuse…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
Should designers have their own style, or be flexible?
The answer to me lies in changing the question. Replace the word "designer" with "artist" or "writer" and the ask the question again. Would you ask a writer or an artist to confirm their style? Should they? I say no,…
UX 101, UX Articles
Lessons in UX: Peer designing
There’s a practice in software development called peer programming, where two developers partner with each other to code a particular project. It allows for each developer to play to his or her strengths and to “cross-train” with a colleague. In…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
How do you sell the value of qualitative user research to business stakeholders?
First, tie the research to business goals. If the business goal is to increase adoption of the company’s product in a certain demographic, then emphasize the need to understand these users in order to properly message the value proposition of…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What courses of study and/or degrees are recommended for a career in UI design?
First off, UX and UI is not the same thing, so what degree you pursue is directly related to which one you want to focus on. User interfaces are the predominant canvases that user experience designers use, but if you…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What are best ways to combine personas with user stories?
The best way to integrate personas with user stories are to understand that personas are characters in a story, and they have emotions, drivers and motivations just like any characters in any good stories do. I’ve often seen the parallels…
Apple, UX Articles
One of a kind.
There’s going to be no shortage of words written about Steve Jobs. I never met him, never knew him. And yet… I have to write something, more words to add to the rest. Because I’m compelled to. Steve Jobs died…
Featured Articles, TV, UX Articles
Lessons in design, from Don Draper: You are not the work.
John was sweating. He sat in a stiff plastic chair, waiting to be called in. John shifted in his seat, and tightened his tie. He needed to look his best. Don Draper always looked his best. Just two hours before,…
My Quora answers, UX 101, UX Articles
What best practices exist for recruiting usability test participants?
Use personas. If you recruit using personas that have been developed based on customer research then there can be no issue that you have brought in the right test participants, because you can use the attributes as screening criteria. Allow…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What’s the best way to display terms and conditions to an online customer?
Terms and Conditions suck. If you follow the lawyers direction, the user will have to read every bloody line of the document, agree to it AND be forced to print it out and sign it as well. I wish I…
My Quora answers, Technology, UX Articles
What are the rationale behind some of the recent Facebook UI changes?
The same rationale that drives all tech companies to change their products: featureitis. If you are maintaining the status quo then you are not evolving and that lack of new features could cost you customers/eyeballs. The problem with featureitis is…