This week a new app, Next Issue, debuted for the iPad. Called “Netflix for magazines,” the app allows users to read as many electronic magazines as they would like for only $10 a month. It was an instant success, with…
Personalization is when the system you are using tailors itself to you and your behavior. A good example of this is Amazon "noticing" what you are buying and changing their front page to feature similar items. Customization is when the…
I recently went to a conference where several sessions focused on analytics, and what analytics could provide to businesses of any size. Having some background in analytics myself, I definitely agreed with several sentiments these speakers expressed.. but I also…
These are high-level, but I think still specific enough to be actionable. These are principles to apply to a design project, and good UX design is reflected in these principles. Know your users. Have a firm and clear "target" in mind…
I’ve been in several meetings where the words “high level design” was bandied about by designers and stakeholders. The importance of a high level design… well, it was unquestioned. A high level design was absolutely vital, to ensure the success…
I have had several discussions lately with colleagues around design processes. I personally think that the best process is a flexible one, with standard phases that can have various “tactics” and effort that can be applied, depending upon the complexity…
Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services by Kim Goodwin is a favorite of mine, in the fact that it is just so comprehensive. It's THE book to me. A Project Guide to UX Design:…
I have used multiple techniques to do this, depending upon the amount of time available on the design project. At the very least, you need to have focus as to what you are designing, and know the target audience for…
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…
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…
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:…
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…
User experience is something we understand, support and design. User interfaces are small windows into the total experience. Here's a story/metaphor I think is useful to explain the difference: You are walking past a storefront, and you see an item…
Solving problems that people never knew they had. I go back to what Henry Ford said, when asked about his "horseless carriage": "If I had asked what people wanted, I'd have made a faster horse." I have done numerous user…
As I've created a couple of these in my time, I think I have a pretty good take on what should be in a UX Architecture. Here's the highlights: Foundational Research: How did you come to the design direction that…