Web 3’s utopia, non-linear careers, why I moved on from Figma

“A quick internet search will direct you to plenty of articles about current or future design trends. For UI designers, neumorphism is in, and skeuomorphism is out. Logo designers should expect to see a lot of simple geometry and variable type. Literally today, I just read that parallax effects and horizontal scrolling are going to… Continue reading Web 3’s utopia, non-linear careers, why I moved on from Figma

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Loading UX: make users not care about having to wait

An article about the psychology of waiting and how you can make this a positive user experience. Waiting. It’s something we all do every day. Waiting for a response to that message you sent, our food to be delivered, the traffic lights to turn green, and our computers to start at the beginning of the… Continue reading Loading UX: make users not care about having to wait

Data Storytelling Guide: Use a storyboard to present data like a Pixar filmmaker

Stop overwhelming people with numbers. Start with the takeaway. Photo by Klaas on Unsplash This article aims to help designers, product managers, and data scientists pitch data-driven ideas and present UX research. Write stories that don’t overwhelm people with numbers. Prevent data paralysis. Let’s assume that dozens of data points have been pulled as part… Continue reading Data Storytelling Guide: Use a storyboard to present data like a Pixar filmmaker

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Seven mental models for UX Writing

Mental models to help you mature your work and deliverables. This article is part of the UX Translations series. It was originally written in portuguese by Camila Gaidarji via UX Collective 🇧🇷 and was translated to english with the intention of helping more designers and reaching an even wider audience. You can check the original… Continue reading Seven mental models for UX Writing

Things I learned from exposing nested instances in Figma

And how pre-configured presets could make it even better Image from Figma’s Help site Recently, Figma released a set of new beta functionalities, which opens up a whole new level of component configuration for your design library. One of those features allows you to expose nested instances that are inside other (nested) components. If you… Continue reading Things I learned from exposing nested instances in Figma

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Meta Quest Pro falls short on biometric protections

Meta has released more details about the lengths they’ve gone to protect users of their new eye tracking HMDs. The Inspector is Shocked, Shocked that there is gambling in this establishment that he frequents I’ve worked with eye tracking technology since 2010 (Hololens) and written publicly since 2019. Here are some thoughts after reading all… Continue reading Meta Quest Pro falls short on biometric protections

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Getting WCAG color contrast right

Actionable tips on how to nail WCAG 2.1 color compliance. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define rules, that make your product accessible to people with disabilities.¹* The WCAG is an open standard developed by the w3c together with individuals and orgs around the world. (Like all other w3c standards). * Being general guidelines following the… Continue reading Getting WCAG color contrast right

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Should you do UX Research yourself, or hire an agency?

The Pros and Cons of these two options — plus a third you might have ignored The number at the end of the agency’s proposal was over one million Euros. I was floored. A client of mine had sent me a proposal from the latest research consulting firm in the runnings to help them explore a new market. Of the… Continue reading Should you do UX Research yourself, or hire an agency?

Open web3 usability questions

A list of web3 design patterns and user behaviours that puzzle me. DallE generated: “an astronaut pondering the mysteries of life” Through my articles on DeFi, I’ve identified various usability problems specific to crypto apps. I’ve also thought hard about how to build a general framework for web3 UX. I try to speak to users… Continue reading Open web3 usability questions

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Disruptive design patterns — an uncharted territory

Disruptive design patterns — an uncharted territory From Apple’s Dynamic Island to TikTok’s vertical video swipe: Are new design patterns going viral faster than ever? Interface design patterns are recurring proven solutions for solving digital experiences. They are a part of a product designer’s menu of possibilities. With the popularity of libraries and design systems, many visual conventions… Continue reading Disruptive design patterns — an uncharted territory

How to build a killer product proposition with user research

Speaking with potential users to help shape your product doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive. Here’s how we did it at Yonder. When I first joined Yonder (or Simpl, as we were not-so-well known at the time) as the founding designer back in April 2021, all we had were three passionate lunatics with ideas… Continue reading How to build a killer product proposition with user research

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4g CO2 per email—really?

Disentangling a well-known “fact” about emails. There’s a lot of “received wisdom” kicking about on the internet — ideas and “facts” which are essentially presented without question on the basis of “ he said it, so it must be true”. This afflicts many fields, and sustainability is no exception. One common example is that “sending an email generates… Continue reading 4g CO2 per email—really?

UX for evil: the truth about Trump’s truth app

Image credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Christoph Dernbach/picture alliance via Getty Images Back in February, the much-anticipated “Truth Social” app was launched. Intended to be a social network for “Truth”, it’s essentially a carbon copy of Twitter, except instead of Tweets, you write and share “Truths”. When it launched, a lot of people smirked at reports of… Continue reading UX for evil: the truth about Trump’s truth app

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New Brutalism and web accessibility: what you need to know

New Brutalism is a trend that has been growing in popularity over the past several years. A rejection of the sleek and modernist style of buildings that came out of the post-war era, Brutalism is more raw and unrefined. In its rejection of glamor, Brutalism creates an almost industrial aesthetic, often with exposed concrete and… Continue reading New Brutalism and web accessibility: what you need to know

Personas should be living and breathing

Too often, designers create a persona at the start of a project, then put it up on a wall like a graduation picture and simply leave it there to be looked at and referenced occasionally…pulling out interesting stories when the situation demands. But your persona should be alive. It should live, grow, evolve and adapt.… Continue reading Personas should be living and breathing

AI is going to change UX research forever

The rise of AI will impact everyone. But in what way can UX designers use AI to their benefit? And how do we design AI systems? AI will revolutionize every sector, but unexpectedly UX research might suffer a huge impact. Photo by me. The rise of AI is creating a lot of buzz in almost every modern… Continue reading AI is going to change UX research forever

AI’s race to convert your images to 3D and videos: Meta vs. Google

For the first time, text-to-image AI has evolved to video, all out of the box in a matter of seconds. From the Author Can a zebra walk on the surface of the moon alongside an astronaut? Can high rise buildings that are 80 stories in the middle of the Saharan desert sway dangerously? None of… Continue reading AI’s race to convert your images to 3D and videos: Meta vs. Google

Shhh: don’t tell anyone, Figma’s latest feature, Design in uncertain times

Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers. You say you won’t detach instances. You will detach instances. Shhh: don’t tell the new designers →By Michael McWatters The UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices, reaching over 500k+ designers every week. Editor picks Design in uncertain times →How design can shape our… Continue reading Shhh: don’t tell anyone, Figma’s latest feature, Design in uncertain times

Envisioning 3D design systems for the Metaverse

How to scale 3D content design for the next-generation internet Puzzle BLOCKHAUS Metaverse seems like a glamorous futurist proposition, that “one day” we will have virtual worlds that billions of people are willing to “live in”. Obviously, we haven’t seen a real “metaverse” product yet, and it’s unlikely to see such a product in 3–5… Continue reading Envisioning 3D design systems for the Metaverse

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