[unable to retrieve full-text content] How the tech industry ended postmodernism and increased individualism Wham!, Coca-Cola commercials, and obligatory family dinners; Western Christmas weeks are very predictable. We even have a new December tradition: the annual Spotify Wrapped. At first glance, the concept seems like a brilliant marketing strategy, but there’s a deeper meaning behind it.… Continue reading The social significance of Spotify Wrapped
Tag: used
Creating Design Specs for Development
Summary: Design specifications should provide all the relevant information needed to align the design and development teams. You work tirelessly on a new design project. It’s your masterpiece… until the dev team says it isn’t possible. Most designers have experienced this situation at some point in their careers. As frustrating as it may be, there… Continue reading Creating Design Specs for Development
AI as a Creative Teammate
Summary: AI acts as a creative teammate in group settings as it does for solo work. Thoughtful facilitation ensures teams leverage AI effectively in workshops and critiques. I don’t need to tell you that generative AI can be useful for ideation, writing, or communication — you probably already know and believe that. In speaking with… Continue reading AI as a Creative Teammate
Introducing MusicGen: Create Music with Simple Text Prompts
Creating music used to require years of practice, expensive gear, or a team of collaborators. Today, you can generate full tracks with just a few clicks. Enter MusicGen , a powerful new tool that uses artificial intelligence to compose original music. You don’t need to be a musician to use it. You don’t even need… Continue reading Introducing MusicGen: Create Music with Simple Text Prompts
AI Chatbots Discourage Error Checking
Summary: AI hallucinations threaten the usefulness of LLM-generated text in professional environments, but today’s LLMs encourage users to take outputs at face value. Large language models (LLMs) are being widely introduced into professional workflows through both new standalone software and integrations with existing tools. One of the most important ways that these tools increase users’… Continue reading AI Chatbots Discourage Error Checking
AI Design Tools Are Marginally Better: Status Update
Summary: Despite improvements in narrow-scope AI design tools, most design-specific AI cannot replicate human designers’ output quality. This is a follow-up to the 2024 article AI UX-Design Tools Are Not Ready for Primetime: Status Update. In April 2024, AI-powered design tools were not useful to designers. As of May 2025, their usefulness has improved, but we’re… Continue reading AI Design Tools Are Marginally Better: Status Update
Button States: Communicate Interaction
Summary: Minor visual changes help users distinguish between 5 different button states: enabled, disabled, hovered, focused, pressed. Buttons are core user-interface elements that, when clicked or tapped, execute an action. When designed correctly, buttons set accurate user expectations and help them understand how to interact with the interface. In addition to clear button labels, effective… Continue reading Button States: Communicate Interaction
30+ CSS Editors: A Guide for Every Skill Level
Choosing the right CSS editor can significantly streamline your workflow and boost productivity when working on web projects. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, having access to powerful editing tools specifically designed for CSS can make all the difference. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explore a wide range of CSS editors available… Continue reading 30+ CSS Editors: A Guide for Every Skill Level
Digital Typography: Fonts and Techniques for Modern UI/UX
In today’s modern era of artificial intelligence, digital typography plays a pivotal role in shaping user experiences across websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms. Digital typography refers to the art and science of arranging typefaces in a way that enhances readability, usability, and aesthetic appeal within digital interfaces. As screen resolutions improve and devices… Continue reading Digital Typography: Fonts and Techniques for Modern UI/UX
6 Dimensions for Assessing Usability Data in Analysis
Summary: Analyze usability findings for authenticity, consistency, repetition, spontaneity, appropriateness, and confounding factors to separate surface impressions from real insights. Qualitative usability tests yield two types of data: behavioral data (or performance data) and attitudinal data (or subjective data). During analysis, we must consolidate both types of data while considering additional factors, such as information… Continue reading 6 Dimensions for Assessing Usability Data in Analysis
50+ Eid Mubarak Lettering for Posters, Flyers and Cards
Eid-ul-Fitr, also known as Meethi Eid or Choti Eid, is a time of joy, gratitude, and togetherness. It is a special occasion that marks the end of Ramadan, bringing families, friends, and communities together to celebrate with love and blessings. To make this Eid even more festive, creatively designed Eid Mubarak lettering is a wonderful… Continue reading 50+ Eid Mubarak Lettering for Posters, Flyers and Cards
UX Leads Adoption of AI Chat
Summary: UX ranks among top fields adopting AI, mostly in writing, design, and coding tasks — though complex or human-centric UX activities remain largely AI-free An analysis of one million conversations with Claude.ai indicates that, while UX professionals represent less than 0.01% of the US workforce, they generate a remarkable number of AI conversations (7.5%… Continue reading UX Leads Adoption of AI Chat
Product Redesign Proposal: Structure & Tips
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Image by Tamanna Rumee Product redesign is an inevitable thing. No matter how good your original product is, you will likely decide to redesign it at some point in time. Maybe your audience’s preferences shift so you will need to adapt to the new market demand, or maybe you decide to… Continue reading Product Redesign Proposal: Structure & Tips
30 Best Startup WordPress Themes 2025
Startup WordPress themes are pre-designed templates tailored to meet the needs of new businesses. These themes are built with startups in mind, offering features like responsive design, easy customization, and integration with essential tools like email marketing services, analytics, and e-commerce platforms. Whether you’re launching a tech company, a creative agency, or an online store,… Continue reading 30 Best Startup WordPress Themes 2025
30 Best Word Resume Templates – Easy to Edit & Customize
A well-structured resume is essential in today’s competitive job market. With Word resume templates, job seekers can create polished, professional resumes without advanced design skills. These templates offer preformatted layouts that ensure readability, clarity, and a modern aesthetic. Whether applying for a corporate position or a creative role, choosing the right template can make a… Continue reading 30 Best Word Resume Templates – Easy to Edit & Customize
Choose Customer Loyalty over Short-Term Profit
Summary: Prioritizing user loyalty over short-term profit maximization leads to sustainable growth by fostering trust, customer retention, and long-term profitability. The most important business goal of most digital products is to maximize user loyalty and the lifetime value of the user’s future visits and purchases. Maximizing the value of a single, specific visit is less… Continue reading Choose Customer Loyalty over Short-Term Profit
70+ Best Japanese-Style Fonts for Modern Design and Branding
Japanese-style fonts bring a unique blend of tradition and modernity to design projects, making them a popular choice for businesses and creatives alike. Whether you’re working on branding, packaging, or web design, the right Japanese-style font can evoke cultural authenticity, elegance, or contemporary simplicity. This guide explores 70+ Japanese-style fonts, categorized by their design styles,… Continue reading 70+ Best Japanese-Style Fonts for Modern Design and Branding
Digital accessibility needs for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
Electric vehicles (EVs) are an increasingly common part of our lives, and based on current predictions, the number of EVs on the road is going to continue going up. This means demand for charging stations will keep rising as well. As with any new, human-centric technology, accessibility is an essential concern. Charging stations present a… Continue reading Digital accessibility needs for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
Test smart: which automation strategy to choose for peace of mind?
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Among diverse approaches, the teams can find a unique way on their test automation journey and select the strategy that matches their needs. So let’s dive deeper into pyramids, diamonds, hourglasses and other interesting objects. In the massive hype around automation in the QA field, it is easy to get… Continue reading Test smart: which automation strategy to choose for peace of mind?
How To Create A Budget-Friendly Sensory Room For Kids
Creating a sensory room for children, especially those who are neurodivergent, can greatly enhance their learning, relaxation, and overall sensory experience. A sensory room is a space carefully designed to stimulate the senses and support sensory processing. Whether your child experiences sensory seeking or avoiding tendencies, a sensory room can help them regulate their environment… Continue reading How To Create A Budget-Friendly Sensory Room For Kids
Designarchy Vol. 15
[unable to retrieve full-text content] I save many things each month that I find inspiring for some reason, and I like organized lists, so I figured I’d share those lists and maybe help someone out of a creative block. Why Designarchy? Because Inspiration and creativity do not have true governance, we creatives have time and feedback… Continue reading Designarchy Vol. 15
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
Accelerators Maximize Efficiency in User Interfaces
Summary: Alternate methods for accomplishing frequent actions in user interfaces support expert users by speeding up their interactions, without hindering novice users. Designing for expert users requires balancing learnability with efficiency. While new users need an intuitive interface to start quickly, expert users demand features that improve speed and productivity over time. Any system that… Continue reading Accelerators Maximize Efficiency in User Interfaces
15 Best New Fonts, September 2024
Compilations By Simon Sterne September 30, 2024 Welcome to our roundup of the best new fonts we’ve found on the web in the previous four weeks. In this month’s edition there’s plenty of hand-lettering charm, and some excellent historical revivals. Enjoy! Kornel Kornel is a serif type family designed for long texts, featuring classic proportions… Continue reading 15 Best New Fonts, September 2024