UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
February//19//2021
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Building Positive Feedback Culture while Remote. Another article from Fast Company and author Aytekin Tank, JotForm’s CEO (and founder). The article which is simultaneously a retrospective on all the events of 2020 and a reflection on the ongoing state of Labor organization going forward, touches on topics including Vision Establishment, Tools Assessment, Empathy Enhancement, to name but a few. All these are considerations the author and CEO tackled, when dealing with the challenges provoked by the pandemic and the profound impact it had on how everyone lives and works. It’s an article that examines how Organizations can navigate uncertainty, and still retain their teams moving in a certain direction. Well worth reading and reflecting upon. Highlight of the article includes:
“Clear goals and values are a springboard for change. For example, our company prizes creativity and continuous improvement over hyper-speed results. We care deeply about ensuring our employees are challenged and fulfilled — both at work and in their personal lives. That means team members will continue to set their own schedules, as long as they collaborate effectively with their small, multi-functional teams. And it might be some time before we can share chef-prepared salads in the office, but we could institute a meal stipend or provide ingredient deliveries for employees working from home.”
2.
Designing better Tooltips for Mobile Interfaces. Very interesting article from Smashing Magazine and author Eric Olive, focused on the topic of Tool Tips in Mobile Interfaces. This has always been a fertile topic of conversation, since essentially the behavior of tooltips when it comes to mobile experiences, has to be mindful of how it’s triggered, not to mention, how it’s represented visually on the UI. The author provides good insight on how to create relevant Tooltips, but also, considerations on Implementation, Timing, and when to use them. Highlight of the article includes:
“Well-placed tooltips enhance visual design by providing short, specific explanations when users need them. In the example above, users who are seeking information in other languages know immediately that they can choose between English or Spanish for this website. The language tooltip helps native Spanish speakers who might read English well but feel more comfortable using the Square app in their native language. Utility is essential but not sufficient. Effective tooltips should be discreet to the point that users barely register their presence. Users only miss tooltips when they aren’t there. This approach to tooltips is an example of the long-standing view that great design is invisible. From this perspective, users never notice the design. Instead, they feel engaged and easily complete the task at hand.”
3.
Preventing Employee Burnout. Right on the heels of many recent articles I’ve been highlighting, focused particularly on remote working practices, motivating teams, and remaining efficient and effective, comes this very pertinent article on how to prevent Employee burnout. The author of the article, Jared Lindzon, spoke with author Paula Davis, an expert on this topic, who authored the book Beating Burnout at Work. They discussed Psychological Safety, and how that can prevent burnout and promote more team integration ultimately. Well worth the read. Highlight of the article includes:
“For example, she recommends hosting regularly scheduled town hall meetings where any member of the organization can pose any question or idea to upper management. Delizonna emphasizes that just hosting the meeting isn’t enough, adding that leaders need to demonstrate how they’re taking ideas, complaints, and suggestions seriously in order to encourage others to speak freely. She also recommends instituting regular office hours, during which any member of the organization can book a few minutes of one-on-one time with senior leadership, and creating an anonymous suggestion box. “Conduct pulse surveys asking questions on a frequent basis about aspects of psychological safety, like Do you feel like you can bring your ideas forward? Do you feel like you’re being heard? Do you feel safe bringing feedback to your boss or manager?” she says. “Getting frequent feedback can really increase the self-awareness of the leader and illuminate when and how psychological safety is being built, and when it’s being broken.””
