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
Tag: different
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
30 Free Xmas Graphics
Compilations By Louise North 4 days ago We’ve reached that time of year when all marketing is on a singular theme: snow, presents, and turkey (or nut roast, if that’s your preference). These last few weeks running up to the Christmas break can be an endless trudge through grey, cold weather if you’re in the… Continue reading 30 Free Xmas Graphics
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.
Making Waves in India 2023: Why Accessibility Deserves a Spot on Tech Giants’ Radar
India has a new rising economy that is catching everybody’s attention with its development, innovation, and growth. But we won’t be talking about what’s out there on the internet. We will be diving deep into a topic that’s making waves and deserves a prime spot on the radar of tech giants – Web Accessibility. Now,… Continue reading Making Waves in India 2023: Why Accessibility Deserves a Spot on Tech Giants’ Radar
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
15 Best New Fonts, November 2023
Fonts By Ben Moss 2 days ago 2023 is almost over, and the new fonts are still coming thick and fast. This month, we’ve found some awesome variable fonts, some revivals, and one or two novelty fonts to get you through the holiday promotion work. Enjoy! Dash Dash is the result of detailed scientific study… Continue reading 15 Best New Fonts, November 2023
3 Common Color Accessibility Issues One Can Easily Avoid
Color is often used to evoke emotions and emphasis. That’s one of the reasons why designers see color as an important element in their work. Colors communicate messages on both psychological and visual level. The importance of color is undeniable, but is basing the message solely on color the right thing to do? This post… Continue reading 3 Common Color Accessibility Issues One Can Easily Avoid
Housing, It’s a Human Right (Part 2)
A 3-Part Series on the digital accessibility of the housing process experienced by people with disabilities. In this 3-part series, we will look at the challenges and rewards of the entire experience surrounding the process of acquiring housing for people who live with a disability. We will look at: Buying an existing home Leasing an… Continue reading Housing, It’s a Human Right (Part 2)
Enhancing Accessibility with AI and ML
There has been a lot of buzz recently about Artificial Intelligence, with some people speculating that we are approaching the long-awaited AI revolution. This hype has been chiefly generated by recent advanced algorithms powering ChatGPT and other language-related models. While I believe that these models are still a far cry from general AI (AI which… Continue reading Enhancing Accessibility with AI and ML
Give Your Site Some Focus! Tips for Designing Useful and Usable Focus Indicators
What Are Focus Indicators? Have you ever noticed the blue outlines that sometimes show up around buttons or form fields? What about when you click on a menu item? Have you ever tried to make those outlines disappear? Here’s a hint: by default, browsers use the :focus css pseudo class to give outlines to form… Continue reading Give Your Site Some Focus! Tips for Designing Useful and Usable Focus Indicators
What should be the contrast level of inactive buttons?
Using the APCA Readability Criterion to improve the accessibility of disabled controls Disabled buttons. They need to look non-interactable. But they also can’t be completely unreadable. How do I find the sweet spot? I spent a few hours in a deep dive going through a bunch of blogs and accessibility guidelines documentation in search for best approaches… Continue reading What should be the contrast level of inactive buttons?
15 Best New Fonts, October 2023
Fonts By Ben Moss Yesterday We’re entering the final quarter of 2023, and even in the pre-holiday lull, there are still plenty of fonts to get excited about. In this month’s edition of our roundup of the best new fonts for designers, there are lots of revivals, some excellent options for logo designers, and some… Continue reading 15 Best New Fonts, October 2023
Risk tolerance: why some countries prefer more complex UIs
An analysis of Uncertainty Avoidance and Amazon’s website in various countries Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash What do Switzerland, the US, Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands have in common? They are all rich, protestant, relatively cold countries where a big part of the population consists of (former) immigrants. They also form the top 5 of… Continue reading Risk tolerance: why some countries prefer more complex UIs
We’re turning designers into factory workers
Considering the availability of modern tools and recent advancements in governance (design systems), one might think designers could relax and enjoy some leisure time. Surprisingly, that’s not the case. In fact, it feels like designers have even less time than before. As we’re frantically pushing towards an auto-governed future, we ought to stop and think… Continue reading We’re turning designers into factory workers
How to Add Hair in Photoshop
Whether you want to add some extra detail or fill in a patchy spot of hair, this tutorial will give you the skills to do it quickly. With a few simple paint strokes, you can totally transform your images. It’s even great for non-digital painters. So let’s dive right into it! What You’ll Learn How… Continue reading How to Add Hair in Photoshop
Design for meaningful outcomes
Aim for quality outcomes, not just outputs — that’s how we can drive customer and business value! Designing for outcomes enables us to focus on customer needs and meaningful business results. “Start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology,” Steve Jobs once said. To write a compelling story, start with the ending as a meaningful destination.… Continue reading Design for meaningful outcomes
The Dangers of Deceptive Design Patterns (And How to Avoid Them)
UX By Louise North Today As web designers, our role in crafting user-friendly digital landscapes is critical. We are tasked with creating user experiences that make visitors feel comfortable and respected. This, in turn, creates benefits for our clients by improving repeat visits and achieves the site’s ultimate aims, whether that is sales revenue or… Continue reading The Dangers of Deceptive Design Patterns (And How to Avoid Them)
3 Essential Design Trends, September 2023
Here’s what’s trending in design this month: 1. Monochrome Color Schemes One-color design patterns can be beautiful and somewhat enchanting. With tints and tones of the same base color, there is a certain elegance that comes with a monochrome color scheme. Designers who have worked with color in this way know that while the end result may look… Continue reading 3 Essential Design Trends, September 2023
Unveiling the experience wheel of true fortune
Our tendency to focus on negative experiences has prevented us from recognizing and seizing the opportunities of another loop. This is better known as the flywheel effect, and the key ingredient is how success can be replicated through a series of logical but effective steps until it links as a chain. (Image source: Neil Webb) Would… Continue reading Unveiling the experience wheel of true fortune
How to ‘un-stuck’ your design work
Three lifelines to call on when you’re feeling stuck creatively I’ve been a professional designer for over twenty years, working across a wide range of media: UX/UI, motion, branding, web design, mobile apps, and creative coding. Most lately, I’ve been developing my font design practice. Design is a long journey of exploration and growth. You… Continue reading How to ‘un-stuck’ your design work
Our dangerous tendency to hold on to losing bets
Tools to mitigate commitment bias and overconfidence Midjourney Last week, we wrote about how ‘conviction’ is a very human attribute responsible for our powerful, yet irrational ability to almost will positive outcomes into existence; presumably against all odds. Today we’ll cover the dark side of conviction and overconfidence — and unfortunately, the more common tendency to overcommit and… Continue reading Our dangerous tendency to hold on to losing bets
Accessibility of the Button: Should We Fix It or the Root Cause Problem?
Let me tell you a story along the lines of…Button, Button, Who’s Got The Button? Typical “how to” articles are dry laundry lists of tactical “do this/don’t do that” mechanics that do nothing to help you think about WHY you should do things differently. Today, I’m going to share a more strategic accessible design approach… Continue reading Accessibility of the Button: Should We Fix It or the Root Cause Problem?