Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Battle of the Websites

We studied 11 of the most popular sections and compared their usability, user experience, appearance, and functionality. If the section was better, a goal was scored for the winning team. In case of a draw, a goal was added to both clubs. Let the battle begin! Home page Both websites start with an almost full-screen… Continue reading Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Battle of the Websites

AI UX-Design Tools Are Not Ready for Primetime: Status Update

Summary:  Our research and evaluation shows that there are currently few design-specific AI tools that meaningfully enhance UX design workflows. AI tools won’t be replacing UX designers any time soon. Currently available LLM-based tools are not shortcutting steps in the design process just yet. Our Study There’s so much marketing hype around AI that it’s… Continue reading AI UX-Design Tools Are Not Ready for Primetime: Status Update

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)

From Image Adjustments to AI: Photoshop Through the Years

Tech By Max Walton 2 days ago Remember when Merriam-Webster added Photoshop to the dictionary back in 2008? Want to learn how AI is changing design forever? Join us as we delve into the history of Photoshop, from its early beginnings right through to the dawn of artificial intelligence. Photoshop is nothing short of a… Continue reading From Image Adjustments to AI: Photoshop Through the Years

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

How to navigate the insanity of behavioral science

I recently published a scientific paper on the Interactive Behavior Change Model (IBCM). The IBCM is a behavioral science system I developed during my doctorate studies. It is comprehensive, with an intuitive, theory-based structure that is easy to learn and grounded in the science of building digital products. But best of all, it’s an excellent choice… Continue reading How to navigate the insanity of behavioral science

How to AI

Three approaches to deploying generative AI for brands and corporations. 11 out 12 are generated by AI. One is real. Which one? | Source: Imagenavi & Jimmy Fermin History rhymes This isn’t a trick question: 11 out of 12 in the image above are generated by AI. Which one is the real person? I posed this quiz… Continue reading How to AI

Accessibility Legislation & Regulation Roundup – A LOT Happened in Just July

A lot is happening in the US legislative and international regulatory space right now around accessibility. Not surprisingly, many of these actions were timed to the US’ ADA anniversary. It can be overwhelming. Here are some of the things my colleagues and I are monitoring for you right now and our take on what they… Continue reading Accessibility Legislation & Regulation Roundup – A LOT Happened in Just July

Almost Ready! WCAG 2.2 is one small step away from being officially done!

A new version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is almost ready. WCAG 2.2 should be finalized in August 2023. This is a minor version update. If you are already familiar with WCAG 2.0 and/or 2.1, you probably have a number of questions. And we’ve got up-to-date answers! Why isn’t WCAG 2.2 ready yet?… Continue reading Almost Ready! WCAG 2.2 is one small step away from being officially done!

Innovative Home Decor: How Custom Neon Signs Elevate Interior Design Strategies

‍“There’s No Place Like Home” LED sign by VoodooNeon.com Introduction to innovative home decor In recent years, the world of interior design has seen a significant shift towards innovative and unconventional home decor ideas. As homeowners, we are always on the lookout for unique ways to express our individuality and creativity in our living spaces.… Continue reading Innovative Home Decor: How Custom Neon Signs Elevate Interior Design Strategies

Good UX is not enough without a proper communication plan

To make a design thrive, you should support it with strategies to make it even more robust and accepted. There should be a coexistence between a practical design that should be free of explanation (invisibility) and effective communication (notoriety) Like many designers, I’ve been practicing this mantra all my career: “Good design is invisible,” but… Continue reading Good UX is not enough without a proper communication plan

Are we there yet? WCAG 2.2 is at the Candidate Recommendation v3

If you’re a regular reader of the Deque blog, you may be asking yourself, haven’t I read this already? Well my friend, you may have. In September 2022, WCAG 2.2 reached the Candidate Recommendation (CR) stage for the first time. Then on January 25, 2023, WCAG 2.2 entered a second round of CR. And, you… Continue reading Are we there yet? WCAG 2.2 is at the Candidate Recommendation v3

Card sorting with visually impaired participants: how to overcome accessibility barriers

A guide to conducting card sorting with participants who are visually impaired. Photo by Author; generated using Stable Diffusion. Card Sorting is a UX research method used to understand how users categorize and organize information, which reflects how they expect information and content to be organized on a user interface. In this method, participants are… Continue reading Card sorting with visually impaired participants: how to overcome accessibility barriers

The art of unlearning

How letting go of the familiar can help product designers become more creative. The pursuit of knowledge — challenging the old & embracing the new (‘School of Athens’ by Raphael) Kids are more imaginative than adults. Not only is this pretty commonly observed, but it’s scientifically proven too. In 1968, George Land conducted a longitudinal study where he… Continue reading The art of unlearning

Software accessibility for users with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)

When discussing accessibility, the first person that pops into the minds of people is probably a person in a wheelchair. Thinking about software accessibility, the next two types of disabilities might come into mind are blindness and deafness. These are three types of disabilities most people commonly think of when talking about accessibility: blindness, deaf… Continue reading Software accessibility for users with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)

36 Best Wide Fonts (Extra Wide & Extended Fonts)

Wide fonts take up a great deal of horizontal space and are a great choice when working with short text. When you’re in the market for the best wide font, head to Envato Elements. For one low monthly fee, this subscription-based marketplace offers tons of fonts, logos, graphic templates, add-ons, and more. 36 Best Wide Fonts… Continue reading 36 Best Wide Fonts (Extra Wide & Extended Fonts)

Is AI going to steal your job and burn down your house?

Public and professional perceptions of artificial intelligence. Dall-E generated image “Illustration of how artificial intelligence is going to steal your job and burn down your house” TL; DR. AI is rapidly evolving, helping us make better decisions and perform various tasks and increasingly doing so autonomously. Will humans eventually be enslaved by machines that become self-aware,… Continue reading Is AI going to steal your job and burn down your house?

Re-opening my weekly design mentorship sessions in 2023

After a brief pause, I decided to re-open my free mentorship slots for 2023. Every Friday I’ll be dedicating time to meet with folks and chat about any of the topics below: Portfolio review and feedback Interview tips, advice, mock interviews Design, hard- and soft-skill building, career growth Working abroad, cultural adjustments, language learning Writing and publishing design-related content… Continue reading Re-opening my weekly design mentorship sessions in 2023

Twitter layoffs, meeting fatigue, Taylor Swift’s AI, Apple accessibility

Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers. “Any of us could face what our colleagues at Twitter faced yesterday. Some of us already have, and some of us will in the future, especially if you stick around the profession long enough. It’s a good reminder that, whether we realize it or not, we’re in this together. We… Continue reading Twitter layoffs, meeting fatigue, Taylor Swift’s AI, Apple accessibility

How playing improvised music can train the ability to synthesize in design

Improv form #1. Drawing by Alexander Pryshyvalka (Instagram) My experience with Minsk Improvisers Orchestra I was always certain that only those who are trained in understanding musical notation and playing music instrument, are allowed to create music — only these special kinds of people are eligible to be called musicians. I’m not one of this special kind… Continue reading How playing improvised music can train the ability to synthesize in design

How to Create an Artistic Painting Effect in Affinity Photo

Today, we’ll be taking a look at how to create artistic painting effects in Affinity Photo. Affinity Photo may not have any dedicated artist effect filters, but it has more than enough amazing built-in tools that let you turn a photo into a painting or drawing. All without a drawing tablet! We are putting three… Continue reading How to Create an Artistic Painting Effect in Affinity Photo

15+ Best Figma Templates for UI and Web Designers

When creating a website or app, it’s essential to have a bunch of resources on hand to play with. That is, you don’t want to recycle the same old designs over and over again. Nor do you want to create the same designs everyone else is making – because they’re all working with the same… Continue reading 15+ Best Figma Templates for UI and Web Designers

A Beginner’s Guide to the Character Panel in Illustrator

In the following tutorial, you’ll learn everything you need to know about Adobe Illustrator’s Character panel. You can read this detailed written guide, and additionally, you can follow this new video from the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel: What You’ll Learn in This Character Panel Illustrator Tutorial How to open the Character panel in Illustrator … Continue reading A Beginner’s Guide to the Character Panel in Illustrator