UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
March//5//2021
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Building Credibility and Persuasion. Article from Inc Magazine, on the topic of building Credibility and Persuasion for Entrepreneurs, more specifically, on how these professionals can enhance the reach of their messages and create outcomes more in tune with their goals. This is also particularly applicable to Designers and professionals in the Design Thinking process, since it addresses topics such as sharing information, keeping the ego at bay, building context and illustrating momentum, tackling feedback, to name but a few. Highlight of the article includes:
“Show evidence that your vision is already underway, and appeal to the natural fear of every investor — the fear of missing out (FOMO). An example is the shift to working from home, caused by the pandemic. We already see momentum on new video tools, and there are many more opportunities. Elon Musk used this approach with Tesla, capitalizing on the growing momentum of electric engines and a strategic mistake by GM that antagonized owners. His new technology and strategy were convincing, and now is a new benchmark for transportation.”
2.
User Research and Budgeting. Very pertinent article, which will ring particularly loudly with teams within Startups, who at times have to assess how to conduct Usability Testing and User Research with little to no budget. This thorough article looks at different scenarios in which research can still be developed, detailing tactics on how to engage with potential testers utilizing different venues, including social media. It also suggests software tools which can empower these engagements, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Miro, among many others. Highlight of the article includes:
“You can repeat both the discovery interviews and usability tests as often as you need to, with multiple rounds of each for a complicated project. But if time crunch as well as a tight budget, you should be able to get by with a round of user interviews and a round of usability testing, each with about 5 participants. If you have time for more research, you should start by adding some rounds of usability testing. This means you conduct a few rounds of usability testing while the product is still in development. This increases the chance that you catch any bugs, issues, or problems early on (which saves time and resources). If, after that, you have time for even more research, fantastic! Consider adding a continuous interviewing practice to your research stack, going deeper at the beginning of the process with field studies, and establishing a cadence to conduct research on past projects or parts of your product that haven’t been updated in a while.”
3.
UI Design History. Hailing from Invision’s Design Blog, this article functions as a chronology/timeline of iconic moments in time, ones where UI enhancements were produced who went on to shape and morph experiences some of which can be witnessed to this day. This has included iconic events such as Google’s Search Engine Results Page, Facebook’s Newsfeed and Apple’s Home Page. So much of what Jakob’s Law epitomizes, and how much of the standards we adhere today are deeply tied with some of these events. It’s worth noting and reflecting upon them, particularly as the world around us changes so rapidly. Highlight of the article includes:
“Did you know that when Gmail was first introduced in 2004, you had to be invited? It was a much coveted invite and people even sold them on eBay for large sums of money. The clamoring for Gmail wasn’t about its look — it still leaned heavily on Google’s efficiency-over-beauty designs, and it wasn’t much unlike other email web interfaces. What made Gmail different was its feel. The experience was faster and smoother than competitors, leveraging then-novel features like search for messages. Not to mention that at the time, 1GB of free storage felt like stumbling upon an undiscovered room in a small apartment. Gmail reminded us that in order to create a good product, it needed to be designed around a lasting customer experience.”
