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…
Category: UX Articles
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…
My Quora answers, UX 101, UX Articles
What are the qualities that distinguish great designers from the rest?
Great question – I just did an "exit interview" with a senior UX designer who was consulting for my company and this very topic came up. Some insights from that conversation (and some of my own opinions) are as follows:…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
How can I land my next UX design job with a patchwork quilt resume/portfolio?
This might sound counterintuitive, but simplify your resume, remove any and all achievements that doesn’t align with one thing: problem solving. Problem solving is a key aspect of the UX profession. Make your resume reflect the story of how you…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What is software elegance?
Elegance is in the eye of the user. I state that because the perception of elegance is a personal one, and the best you as a designer can do is define what you think elegance is and then provide a…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What are the difference in web-browsing habits between people who browse on cellphones and those who browse on a computer?
I've done some ethnographic research of mobile web-browsing and the key thing that I have found is that mobile browsing tends to be around quick checking (of a fact, like train or movie times) and laptop and tablet browsing tends…
Apple, UX Articles
The death of the save button. Are files next?
One of the really interesting trends I’ve observed over the past few years is something I call “the death of the save button.” It started in the mobile space, where the operating systems persist data in the background as it…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What is a good user interface for a phone verification process on a non-mobile webpage?
I’ve designed a couple – what type of verification are you looking for? Are you looking for a verification of the type of phone the user has or a UI where the user enters a verification code they receive via…
UX Articles
Rethinking mobile choices
Originally published by the Credit Union Times, August 24 2011 Expectations matter. When it comes to providing services to members, their expectations about what they can or cannot do with the services you’ve given them is critical. Regardless of the…
UX 101, UX Articles
Lessons in UX: Content matters.
I’ve transitioned to a different team on the project I am on right now, away from my current passion around mobile into a more traditional design challenge: product presentment and user engagement. In less pretentious words… selling stuff. The group…