UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
March//10//2023
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Almost Everything Artificial Has Been Designed. Hailing from the web presence of Professor Don Norman, and specifically from his book “Design for a Better World: meaningful, sustainable, humanity centered”, this an interesting and pertinent reflection on where we are as a species, our relationship with our environment, and the role Design as a discipline can play in finding a balance and sustainability for what lies ahead. Worth reading for the questions it poses, but also for the possible directions in which we collectively can go as a species and for Designers specifically, how our roles can impact societies in general. Highlight of the article includes:
“The things we design — the artificial — change the way we behave and act so that just as we have changed things through our designs, those things then change us, affecting how we behave and live: we design the world, and it, in turn, designs us. Each of us is but one of the many parts of a complex, interacting, dynamic system that encompasses all of humanity, all of the earth, and, for that matter, all of the solar system, for our lives, even our genetics, and the existence of the things around us have developed to fit within the cycles of weather, ocean tides, daylight, and climate — all strongly impacted by the location of Earth within the solar system. We can neither survive nor even act alone, but only within the constellation in which we exist.”
2.
Research Operations and Being Resourceful. Very interesting article from Janelle Ward published on the dScout Blog, on the topic of Research Operations, and the experiences the author went through when coming from an Academic Research Background and moving into a B2B organization. It’s a refreshing article and perspective, in the sense that what the author states not only represents a shift in her focus, but also in partnerships and navigating the UX/Design/Research maturity that a particular organization finds itself in. Well worth reading through. Highlight of the article includes:
“The impetus for us to get buy-in to hire our first research operations specialist was getting a couple heavy-hitters to join a UX research maturity workshop, where we mapped out our strengths and weaknesses via an online white board. That exercise was what finally got us over the line, and had me happily writing up a draft job description to hand over for my team for comments and improvements. But it could be that getting a research operations specialist doesn’t happen. Or it’s not going to happen yet. And you have to make do with what you have — whether it’s just you, or you and a couple other IC researchers who thought they were just going to be focusing on project work. The truth is, joining a company that’s just getting set up for research means you have to do a lot of things that probably weren’t what you expected. Do your best to divvy up the tasks, and do what you can to ensure that your stakeholders know that your pain points are theirs, too.”
3.
Mind Maps. Interesting article hailing from the Overflow Blog, this article is an interesting reminder of how certain Design artifacts can be catalysts for Brainstorming and Idea Discussion. While there’s the obvious product plug, Mind Maps, much like the Interaction Design Principles of Mappings and Mental Models, serve the purpose to illustrate the ramifications which can be prompted by a problem statement and how these same ramifications can be instrumental in devising a solution strategy. It’s a brief but interesting article worth visiting. Highlight of the article includes:
“Mind maps related to UX, UI, or product design are usually not limited to visualizing connections between ideas. They can also include research findings, project requirements, persona characteristics, and all these other elements that should effectively be taken into consideration. By visually mapping out the various components of a design problem, designers can more easily identify patterns, connections, and opportunities for innovation. Except for serving as a guide for better, more innovative design work, a mind map can also be an excellent presentation tool. As a visual and uncomplicated type of diagram, it can easily be used in the early ideation process instead of a user flow diagram or a flowchart to get stakeholders aligned. And since the three diagrams serve different purposes, mind maps are preferable when the conversation still revolves more around concepts and problems, than actual UI connections or steps of a defined process.”
