UX Design

UX Design / 28 Jan 2019

What Are Dark Patterns? (And Why You Shouldn’t Use Them)

Dark patterns are website interfaces that cause users to interact with a website in a way that isn’t what they intended. They cause users to click through to a page, or even add an extra item to a shopping cart, without intending to.

From sneaky clicks to straight-up poor website practices, dark patterns are in more places than you might expect. Today, we’ll look at what dark patterns are, how to identify them and why you shouldn’t use this technique in your website or app projects.

If you think a dark pattern is a cute background image, you need to keep reading.

UX Design / 8 Nov 2018

UI vs. UX: A Culinary Comparison

If the title of this article drew you in, there’s a good chance you’ve seen some kind of Venn diagram with a dozen circles showing the overlap between user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). This article doesn’t dispute any of that. But it does explain UI vs. UX in an alternate way.

One of the most powerful techniques a UX designer can wield is storytelling. Stories allow an audience to relate to a subject in a more meaningful way and hopefully help them understand it better.

Layouts / 26 Sep 2018

Infinite Scrolling: Pros and Cons

One-page websites are a major design trend. Especially when it comes to one-page designs packed with content, thanks to infinite scrolling techniques that allow designers to continue a webpage indefinitely.

This technique is great for some sites and content types, while for others it can be cumbersome and frustrating. Like any other design technique, you shouldn’t do it just because you want to try something new; it should be a strategic part of your design framework. So how can you decide? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of infinite scrolling websites.

UX Design / 10 Sep 2018

7 Tips for Better Contact Form Design (With Examples)

Better contact form design starts with usability. The goal of a form is obvious: you need information from the user. The form has to be intuitive enough so users know exactly what to do and don’t get sidetracked in the process of completing that action.

The best contact forms are easy to look at and include highly usable elements that users can engage with without thinking about them. (It sounds a little easier than it is sometimes.) But thankfully, we have a selection of tips to help you design better contact forms.

Graphics / 25 Jul 2018

10 Ways to Simplify Your Design

It’s no secret that simple is often better when it comes to website design. An interface that’s simple to understand—and just as simple to use—is more likely to turn visitors into active users who will return to your site later.

But how do you simplify your website? Even if you aren’t building something new from scratch, the trick is to set goals and then look at the path to reaching them for users. Anything that gets in the way of that path should be eliminated. Anything that makes understanding what a user is supposed to do should be removed from the design.

That’s what we’re going to look at today – a few tricks that you can use to simplify your website design. And these ideas work for existing sites and new builds. (This article features examples of stellar simple designs, visit each site for even more inspiration.)

UX Design / 4 Jul 2018

How to Become a UX Designer

So you think you want to be a UX designer? But maybe you don’t know exactly where to start. Whether you are a student thinking about the future, or in the midst of your design career looking to make a change, the process is pretty similar.

If you put in the work and time, you can develop your skills and start doing more UX work. Today we’re exploring what a UX designer does, along with tips, ideas, and suggestions for how to start out on your journey to becoming a UX designer.

UX Design / 25 Jun 2018

How to Write a UX Proposal

Did you know that a great UX proposal can solidify client relationships and facilitate project management? Here’s how you write a UX proposal that will help you manage projects, and strengthen client relationships.

A UX proposal is a document that outlines a UX, app or web design project. It should note what the problem is – what the client wants – and how a solution will be developed digitally. The proposal sets an expectation of work, what will get done, and the timeline for milestones and launch. It is the guiding document for the project that developer/designer and client agree on before work starts so that everyone is on the same page.

If you are working without a UX proposal, you might want to make a change to that process right away.

UX Design / 30 May 2018

10 Tips for Writing Great Microcopy

The tiniest bits of text on your website can have the biggest impact. Microcopy includes all of the instructions, labels, navigation, tooltips, error messages and call-to-action language that helps users actually use a design.

Microcopy can aid navigation, and be the final element a user reads before clicking a button. (It’s easy to understand why these words are so important.)

Microcopy is often neglected though, in the website design process. Often “click here” is just slapped on a button and it’s done. But well-thought-out microcopy can make your website better. Great microcopy can even help boost retention and conversion rates among users—and that’s something every website owner can appreciate.

So how do you do it? Here are ten tips for getting started down the road to writing great microcopy.

Layouts / 30 Mar 2018

7 Tips for Creating a Time-Saving Design for Users

Users have short—very short—attention spans. That’s probably evident just looking through your website analytics. This makes it more important than ever to deploy design techniques that help users scan and get the most information from your website in the shortest time possible.

It is your job to understand what users need to glean from the design at a glance and help them get that information, so maybe they’ll stick around and explore your website. Here are a few ways to do it!

Layouts / 21 Mar 2018

10 Web Design Commandments for Every Project

Do you have a rulebook when it comes to website design? There are some rules that apply to pretty much every web design project—let’s call them the “web design commandments”.

No matter how large or small the website, these rules are the foundation for good design. If you follow along with these basic guidelines, and make them part of your thinking for every project you start, you’ll avoid many of the pitfalls that designers can stumble into!

UX Design / 24 Jan 2018

7 Ways to Jump Into UX Design From Graphic Design

There’s good news for graphic designers looking to make a career shift into UX design: You already have a strong foothold on the skills needed to get started. As someone who has a keen eye for pleasing aesthetics and a knack for solving problems, the change isn’t out of reach.

And there’s another bonus. The Interaction Design Foundation reports that UX designers have a higher average salary ($74,000 annually) than graphic designers ($41,000).

Are you ready to make the jump into user experience design? Here are seven ways to get there even faster.

Mobile / 15 Jan 2018

7 Tips for Designing for Oversized Touchscreens

Touchscreens are everywhere. But they aren’t just on your phones and tablets. Designing for the oversized versions of touchscreens – think desktop computer size and larger – can present a unique set of challenges.

How do you design for something so big, when you are so accustomed to thinking about thumb regions for screen design? Here’s a guide to thinking about oversized touchscreens and how to create something that users with interact with on an even larger touch scale.