This post is co-authored by Michael Fairchild and Jeremy Katherman. That little minus sign before a number is very important. It can mean the difference between having money in your bank account or paying overdraft fees. It can be the difference between a deposit or a withdrawal. Negative numbers can be indicated in several ways,… Continue reading Ensuring negative numbers are available for everyone
Tag: used
We need to have “The Talk”
Generative AI raises legal and ethical issues for all of us A couple of months ago I posted my concerns about the ethics of Generative Art and AI/ChatGPT. In that piece, I suggested that there need to be some Ethics and Standards guidelines in place to guide UX and Graphics professionals in the use of these… Continue reading We need to have “The Talk”
How to create a color ramp used in design systems
Whether you’re a brand designer putting the finishing touches on a color palette or a product designer laying the foundational work for a design system, I will walk you through how to create color ramps utilized in design systems. If you’re new to creating color palettes for digital spaces, check out my previous article, Color for… Continue reading How to create a color ramp used in design systems
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
15 Best New Fonts, September 2023
Fonts By Ben Moss 4 days ago Nothing upgrades your designs like selecting the right font. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of using the same typeface over and over, so every month, we publish this roundup to freshen up your font menu. In this month’s edition, you’ll find plenty of sans-serifs… Continue reading 15 Best New Fonts, September 2023
Our desire for certainty can make us terrible planners
Memory, Image Theory, and the empty pursuit of certainty Midjourney Sometimes it feels like all we do is plan — and then plan for more planning. But what are the cognitive mechanisms we use to ‘plan’? and are they optimized for getting things ‘right’? If we were optimized to be right, we probably wouldn’t be so quick to… Continue reading Our desire for certainty can make us terrible planners
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
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?
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!
What’s the difference between design values and principles?
Collectively, design values and principles are the guiding beliefs and priorities that shape the design process for any design team, product or designer. But what should they be, and what’s the difference between them? Photo by Tyler Lastovich on Unsplash We’re all different, and whether we’re aware of it or not we’re all likely to have our… Continue reading What’s the difference between design values and principles?
Designing for AI: beyond the chatbot
Guidelines and strategies for meaningfully leveraging AI in your applications With the recent advancements in AI, we as designers, builders, and creators, face big questions about the future of applications and how people will interact with digital experiences. Generative AI has unleashed huge possibilities with what we can do with AI. People are now using… Continue reading Designing for AI: beyond the chatbot
Setting up performance reviews for Product Designers
Take a few shortcuts with my comprehensive guide on evaluating designers Why is evaluating designers so difficult? Evaluating the performance of a product designer within a startup or agency environment is challenging. It involves a mixture of objective and subjective data that is synthesized in an attempt to gauge if someone is to be rewarded,… Continue reading Setting up performance reviews for Product Designers
Apple Vision Pro: how to turn people into 24/7 surveillance agents for capitalism
From Apple.com In the world of tech, innovation is a double-edged sword. On one side, we have the allure of cutting-edge technology, promising to revolutionize our lives. But what happens when this revolution infringes on our privacy? The latest product from Apple, the Vision Pro AR headset, is a perfect example of this dichotomy. The… Continue reading Apple Vision Pro: how to turn people into 24/7 surveillance agents for capitalism
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
Software accessibility for users with Dyslexia
It is estimated that 15% of the population has Dyslexia. In absolute numbers this means that 30 million adults in the USA alone are dyslexic and a lot of them don’t even know — because it is often not diagnosed. Dyslexia is a cognitive disability where the brain has difficulties to manipulate the sounds and letters of… Continue reading Software accessibility for users with Dyslexia
Conversational AI search: beware of smoke and mirrors
Search bots based on LLMs contain hidden dangers Photo by Julius Drost on Unsplash At the moment, conversational AI search is in a perilous place. In the midst of an AI hype boom, it’s easy to overlook the challenges and dangers inherent in the way major search companies are applying large language models to our information ecosystems.… Continue reading Conversational AI search: beware of smoke and mirrors
How people read online
Tips for accessible text. What makes a text nice to read? To know more about this, it is important to take a closer look at how people are reading. Additionally, it may be the case that someone is impaired, physically or mentally, to read a text. How does it work? Saccades, fixations, and breaks The reading process… Continue reading How people read online
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
The role of grid systems in graphic design
Grid System: Vertical and horizontal lines grid. What is a grid system? The vertical and horizontal axes are divided in proportion to the coordinate system. In graphic design, the grid is used to control the font and image position layout design matrix, which has an important role in Mesh design, in different periods and geographical, people have… Continue reading The role of grid systems in graphic design
How to Use Block Template Parts in a Classic WordPress Theme
Sometimes, it’s the unexpected features that make WordPress so powerful. Those little things that you didn’t know you need can end up having a big impact. WordPress 6.1 has brought about one of these hidden gems: the ability to use block template parts within a classic theme. It takes the capabilities of block themes and… Continue reading How to Use Block Template Parts in a Classic WordPress Theme
5 Web Design Trends You Need to Be Aware of in 2023
Posted · Category: Best Collections, Design The beginning of a new year is typically a time when we plan to find ways to make life a little better. The same applies to web designers who look for new and better ways to make their designs more engaging and productive. In this post we will look… Continue reading 5 Web Design Trends You Need to Be Aware of in 2023
40+ Best Stylized Fonts (Decorative Font Styles)
When you’re looking for the best stylized fonts for a special project, head to Envato Elements. For one low monthly fee, this subscription-based marketplace offers tons of premium fonts, logos, graphic templates, add-ons, and more. What is a decorative font? A decorative font is best described as a font used for display purposes that offers… Continue reading 40+ Best Stylized Fonts (Decorative Font Styles)
Will nationalism end the golden age of global AI collaboration?
As nationalism divides nations and limits international collaboration, is the future of AI in danger? Artificial intelligence has made tremendous progress in recent years, and much of this progress can be attributed to the open-source software movement. By fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge and resources among developers worldwide, the open-source movement has helped bring together AI… Continue reading Will nationalism end the golden age of global AI collaboration?
A radical opinion on ChatGPT
Churn out every idea and then burn it down. We need to talk about ChatGPT. Actually, not just ChatGPT but all AI-powered content development tools. Whether it’s text-to-image AIs, or those capable of generating conversational text, computer code, poetry, and more in response to prompts. Artificial Intelligence has been chipping at creatives for a while, and this… Continue reading A radical opinion on ChatGPT