Category: Design

Design is the method of putting form and content together. Design, just as art, has multiple definitions; there is no single definition. Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.

The power of beauty in communicating complex ideas

Can we defend pursuing beauty when communicating science or innovation? When creating visuals to explain complex ideas, cutting edge innovations or new scientific research we often focus on the images’ ability to carry information. But data visualization, infographics or even schematics have a hidden power we rarely discuss: beauty. Obviously not all images are beautiful. As… Continue reading The power of beauty in communicating complex ideas

Why UI designers should understand Flexbox and CSS Grid

CSS for UI Designer Or bye bye, 12-column grid layout Most designers are familiar with responsive design, a column-based layout approach with fixed breakpoints to cover all screen sizes. However, we can move beyond the rigid structure with modern CSS layouts, crafting flexible and dynamic designs that seamlessly adjust to different screen sizes. Designers and developers having different… Continue reading Why UI designers should understand Flexbox and CSS Grid

90% of designers are unhirable?

Or why your cookie-cutter portfolio doesn’t cut it and how to fix it Image by Matej Latin (Author) Here’s the harsh truth: I’ve reviewed more than 1,000 portfolios in my design career so far, and I turned 90% of them down because of one thing — the linear design process. By “linear design process” I mean cookie-cutter case studies that… Continue reading 90% of designers are unhirable?

UX leadership is failing, multi-brand design systems, proxies in UX

Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers. “What is the effect of constant exposure to information on our attention? Who benefits from a dramatic change in our attention, and when and why has this happened? One hypothesis is that companies have created an ecosystem to encourage continual consumption of information, and they profit from our addiction… Continue reading UX leadership is failing, multi-brand design systems, proxies in UX

Company culture is more than just office perks

How product culture and company culture are intrinsically related. Image by Creative Lab @ scop.io “Company culture is the backbone of any successful organization.”—Gary Vaynerchuk A goal is something to aim at Company culture is a powerful hiring magnet and a common discussion topic both in- and outside of companies. It starts with providing good environment and… Continue reading Company culture is more than just office perks

Designing genAI-enhanced features

Elevating user experience through intelligent content enhancement and personalization. Futuristic workspace (Created with Dall-E) Chatbots serve as an accessible gateway to the realm of Generative AI features, a fact underscored by the success of ChatGPT. Their simplicity, requiring only basic instructions to engage in natural dialogues, allows them to integrate across various digital platforms seamlessly. Yet,… Continue reading Designing genAI-enhanced features

Enhancing User Experience through Mobile Scanning at Scalable Capital

Investing and managing assets can be a daunting endeavor for many individuals. Recognizing this, Scalable Capital aimed to alleviate apprehensions and empower users with a deeper understanding of risks. Their vision centered on simplifying investment management like never before, leveraging technology at every juncture of the process. This commitment to technological innovation distinguishes Scalable Capital’s… Continue reading Enhancing User Experience through Mobile Scanning at Scalable Capital

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A proposal for modern UX Researchers

A glimpse of the current standing of UXR and strategy on how to stay relevant with the workforce demand. Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash “The UX researcher fallacy: ‘My job is to learn about users.’Truth: ‘My job is to help my team learn about users.’”– Caroline Jarrett As 2024 starts, layoffs are still everywhere, specifically in… Continue reading A proposal for modern UX Researchers

Mapping Homeownership: An Ethnographic Expedition through 2023’s Real Estate Landscape

Here, I would like to discuss the two key insights that emerged from our comprehensive research. Storyboard of first time home buyers journey steps (Icons credit: Noun Project) Above storyboard is just a simple overview of house buying journey, each of these steps have multiple micro steps and concerns that buyers have to cater to.… Continue reading Mapping Homeownership: An Ethnographic Expedition through 2023’s Real Estate Landscape

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Hey AI, what is the rush?

Understanding the trends accelerating our new AI obsession. Continue reading on UX Collective »

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UI elements are not so elementary

To function, components require a specific structure. To appear visually — they don’t. This has been breaking handoff processes for years. Dmitri Mendeleev’s periodic table looks simple, it doesn’t strike as if the elements are, in fact, significantly different from one another. But when you dig in and understand that just a ‘seemingly insignificant’ property of the number… Continue reading UI elements are not so elementary

Design is not a thing, the R1 flaw, interview advice, social computing

Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers. I remember the first time I heard these words. Me and my dad had just sat down to eat lunch at a restaurant at a local hotel in my hometown. I was home visiting for the summer. My dad and I started talking about creativity. The ups and downs… Continue reading Design is not a thing, the R1 flaw, interview advice, social computing

Crafting an effective design system strategy

How to build a strategy, not a roadmap A design system is a product. A product that solves concrete tasks: ensuring consistency reducing development time and much more Most often, the main reason to create a new product is that you want it to be different from the existing ones on the market. After all, why waste time… Continue reading Crafting an effective design system strategy

Test smart: How to validate product on a business-facing level?

It took a long time since my story How to Select Testing Techniques for an Agile Team was published (if you ask me what happened in between, the short answer will be: a war in Ukraine and a career pivot). The mentioned story focused on Agile Testing Quadrants, a method presented by Lisa Crispin and… Continue reading Test smart: How to validate product on a business-facing level?

The deeper meaning behind Japan’s unique UX design culture

The Japanese writing system is a combination of several scripts. Kanji, the main script, was borrowed from the Chinese. Kanji literally means “characters of Han (China).” The Chinese alphabet didn’t cover all of the Japanese cases. Japan had their own terms and names. Therefore, Hiragana and Katakana were added later. Hiragana is a phonetic lettering… Continue reading The deeper meaning behind Japan’s unique UX design culture

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Google Maps: a refreshing turn in the right direction

Finally! Google Maps gets a much-needed makeover… and we’re here for it. Sometimes, a reroute is all it takes to rediscover the joy of the journey — Google Maps’ latest update is a testament to that. What’s New Since My Last Rant A few months back, I ripped into some serious user experience flaws in Google Maps. Google Maps: about that… Continue reading Google Maps: a refreshing turn in the right direction

Good design is subjective, contextual, and intentional

Urban planners have been designing for human experiences for nearly 200 years, and UI/UX designers can learn from this. Examples of The Chicago School of Architecture | Photo Credit: Tom Seiple When I finished my graduate degree, I was lucky to find my first job in Chicago. From a very early age, I had always hoped to… Continue reading Good design is subjective, contextual, and intentional

Norman Doors: how do we still get this wrong?

The confusing design of Cybertruck’s doors. Tesla Cybertruck The concept of the “Norman door” is a well-known and widely recognized principle among designers. Named after design guru Don Norman, it describes any door that proves confusing or difficult to use, highlighting a common design flaw. In this article, we will discuss the application of the… Continue reading Norman Doors: how do we still get this wrong?

Why weirdness is at the center of belonging, diversity, and innovation.

Why weirdness is at the center of belonging, diversity, and innovation In my senior year of college, I took a class about how to prepare for the workplace. The class taught us how to write a resume, what to wear to job interviews, and what companies look for in candidates. It was an easy A.… Continue reading Why weirdness is at the center of belonging, diversity, and innovation.

My apologies to you, the user

Chris Kiess · Follow Published in UX Collective · 9 min read · 2 days ago — 4 Share Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash This has been a long time coming. It’s taken me more than a decade to get here. But after 12 years as a healthcare experience designer, I’ve come to the… Continue reading My apologies to you, the user

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Using Figma variables for breakpoints

The hunt to find more use cases for local variables. At this point in 2023, almost all UX UI designers who use Figma should know about one of Figma’s biggest features of this year, local variables. Something I have continued to struggle with since its initial launch this past summer is how to actually apply… Continue reading Using Figma variables for breakpoints