Technology Myths and Urban Legends

Summary:  When users don’t clearly understand how systems function, they develop unique (and often incorrect) theories to explain their experiences. In user research, we often hear people describe how they think technology works. Sometimes, those theories are accurate, but most often, they are not. Through the many user interviews, field studies, and user testing sessions… Continue reading Technology Myths and Urban Legends

Duolingo: analyzing all engagement and retention techniques

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Over 500 million people around the world use Duolingo to learn languages. In this article, we will dive into Duolingo’s engagement strategies and how this company keeps users motivated and coming back to the app again and again. Collage created by author Duolingo uses the Self-Determination Theory in the product. This concept… Continue reading Duolingo: analyzing all engagement and retention techniques

Free Simple Branding Stationery Mockup

Presenting your branding concepts professionally can make all the difference in winning over clients and securing contracts. A well-designed Stationery Mockup allows you to showcase your branding assets in a realistic and visually appealing way. Whether you’re designing for a corporate client or creating personal branding projects, having the right branding mockups is essential for… Continue reading Free Simple Branding Stationery Mockup

Best Figma User and Usability Testing Plugin

Key Takeaways 👉 UXtweak seamlessly connects with Figma, making it easy to start testing your prototypes without complicated setup. 👉 The plugin provides in-depth analytics, including statistics, heat maps, and funnels, to help you understand user behavior. 👉 UXtweak offers access to a reliable pool of testers, ensuring dependable feedback from your respondents. 👉 The… Continue reading Best Figma User and Usability Testing Plugin

Participatory Design: The Complete Guide

In this article, we have collated everything you need to know about participatory design as part of the development process including a solid definition, its major benefits, hands-on approaches to it as well as real-life examples to help you digest the concept and use it to develop innovative and user-friendly products. Participatory design… Continue reading Participatory Design: The Complete Guide

Prompt Controls in GenAI Chatbots: 4 Main Uses and Best Practices

Summary:  When following good practices, prompt controls can increase the discoverability of genAI chatbots’ features, offer inspiration, and minimize manual user input. Adding UI Controls to Prompting Generative AI (genAI) chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, rely heavily on text prompts from their users. As these interfaces continue to evolve, AI chatbot designers have started… Continue reading Prompt Controls in GenAI Chatbots: 4 Main Uses and Best Practices

Kerem Beyit: Unveiling a Master of Fantasy Illustration

Kerem Beyit is a freelance illustrator who has carved a niche for himself in the world of fantasy art. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for bringing fantastical creatures and landscapes to life, Beyit’s illustrations have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide. Education and Early Influences While details about Kerem Beyit’s formal… Continue reading Kerem Beyit: Unveiling a Master of Fantasy Illustration

8 Tips & Strategies On How To Turn Your Hobby Into A Business In 2024

In the modern world, when opportunities for earning money are expanding every day, turning a hobby into a business is becoming more and more realistic. The opportunity to combine doing what you love with professional growth sounds attractive, doesn’t it? With the right monetization strategies, you can not only cover the costs of your hobby,… Continue reading 8 Tips & Strategies On How To Turn Your Hobby Into A Business In 2024

How to create UX research highlights video

What are user research highlights? What are they good for? This article answers these basic questions about highlights in UX research and, in addition, provides the exact procedure for creating highlights on the UXtweak platform. TABLE OF CONTENTS What is a User research highlight?  A user research highlight (sometimes referred to as a… Continue reading How to create UX research highlights video

Aura: Reimagining Therapy through a Multisensory Perspective

[unable to retrieve full-text content] A service that aims to provide experiential multisensory therapy by building upon the virtues of the self-devised ‘Experience-Therapy Dyad’ and mixed reality. Team Pranoy Kanungo , Nikhil Srivastava, and Sahil R Timeframe 3 Months (July 2021 to October 2021) Designing for Mental Wellness With the passage of time, the value of mental health has solidified… Continue reading Aura: Reimagining Therapy through a Multisensory Perspective

Lyssna (UsabilityHub) Reviews: Pros, Cons & More

Considering Lyssna for your team’s research but want to weigh the pros and cons? Curious about others’ opinions on this tool? You’re in the right place! This article will explore Lyssna, highlighting its features, identifying any drawbacks, and comparing it to a top alternative. ❕ Important note: This review site presents information relevant… Continue reading Lyssna (UsabilityHub) Reviews: Pros, Cons & More

Moderated research with dscout

Moderated research helps gather qualitative feedback directly from users. dscout, a research platform, simplifies this process with tools for participant recruitment, live video interviews, and automated data transcription and analysis. This article explores how dscout’s features support moderated user research and compares its effectiveness to other research tool. TABLE OF CONTENTS Does dscout… Continue reading Moderated research with dscout

Visual Design: Glossary

Summary:  Use this glossary to quickly clarify key terms and concepts related to visual design. Visual design requires knowledge and understanding of many jargon terms. Use this glossary as a reference as you delve into visual and user interface design. Jump to a definition in the table or review the complete glossary. Aesthetic-Usability Effect Users’… Continue reading Visual Design: Glossary

Product Testing

Product testing is an essential stage in bringing any new product to market. Before a product is released to consumers, companies will thoroughly test it to identify any flaws or areas for improvement. The goal is to catch issues while the product is still in development. Though testing adds steps in product development,… Continue reading Product Testing

Content Standards in Design Systems

Summary:  Content standards in design systems support a holistically consistent user experience and efficient collaboration between writers, content, and UI designers. Efficiency and consistency are always at the top of UX practitioners’ minds, especially for teams facing tight deadlines or resource constraints. While design systems commonly prioritize UI design components and patterns, incorporating content standards… Continue reading Content Standards in Design Systems

The rise of Generative AI-driven design patterns

[unable to retrieve full-text content] How Generative AI advances are helping shape the future of feature design, from enhancing content interaction to more informed decision-making Order among chaos (Credit: Dall-E) The ChatGPT revolution has been unfolding for over a year now. While the specific chatbot may not represent a seismic technical shift, the profound change in… Continue reading The rise of Generative AI-driven design patterns

Unlock the Magic of UX Research

As a UX researcher with a background in anthropology, I’m guilty of taking for granted the value of doing UX research to inform good design. When your worldview – your entire way of thinking and seeing the world – has been shaped by social science, it’s continually shocking to be reminded that not everyone automatically… Continue reading Unlock the Magic of UX Research

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

4 Ways You Can Test Your Design System in Figma

Consistency is key for a successful UX design system. Learn about different ways to test your design system in Figma. Keeping consistency and efficiency across design projects is essential. A good UX design system must include all the elements that make up your brand’s visual and functional identity. As you may already know, one of… Continue reading 4 Ways You Can Test Your Design System in Figma

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

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

Why Unique ID Attributes Matter

Ambiguous IDs can cause both your developers and your users a lot of frustration, and may ultimately damage customer relations. A Little Background It’s one of the most common WCAG 4.1.1 violations reported by automated accessibility testing tools such as aXe, and it can cause a fair share of problems for your users. It happens… Continue reading Why Unique ID Attributes Matter

Housing, It’s a Human Right (Part 1)

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 1)

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