UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
August//18//2023
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Building Websites with AI Prompts. Very interesting article hailing from The Verge and written by author Wes Davis, on an upcoming feature from Wix, where an AI generated feature will allow users to easily create websites by simply answering a few questions. The author does point out of a few issues this initiative may have, including the fact that AI does scrape information widely available to propose its solutions and that may be the case with this feature as well. And while what it creates may not be the most creative or uniquely distinctive solution available, it does provide the user with an ability to customize the output. The automation perspective from a feature such as this, doesn’t invalidate the fact that if indeed a solidly and professional tool is to be created, specialists in the field should be consulted, at the risk of essentially getting something that is both generic, and ultimately lacks credibility. Worth reading through. Highlight of the article includes:
“Also, while the copy Wix’s AI creates looks good on this hypothetical website, we already know chatbots have trouble with the truth, so it’s hard to know how tedious it’ll be to make sure the details are right on your own site. And if you’re worried that an easy website making tool will lead to lots of quickly made websites full of inappropriate content, Asaf says “[ChatGPT] has an inherent model to prevent inappropriate content generation; we plan to use OpenAI’s moderation.” With AI companies increasingly targeted in copyright infringement lawsuits, there’s also the question of who’s responsible if someone sues you over a Wix AI-created part of your site? At the very least, content made by Wix’s “Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI)” will be the company’s burden to bear, with one page stating that “Wix ADI-generated content, as content provided by Wix is subject to copyright and other intellectual property rights, under local and international law.””
2.
Guidelines for Crafting Inclusive Digital Products. A recent article from The Smashing Magazine and author Dr. Michal Zvi, focused on building accessible products, is a rather quick snapshot and summary on what it means to build product solutions that are inclusive, with a special focus on aging population segments. And while this article itself doesn’t prime for substantiating its statements with additional data from research findings, it reinforces a few of the standards that the W3C has documented. Some other statements appear largely baseless, but this article is worth consuming if for the fact that it does call out for the need to build products that cater to aging populations. Highlight of the article includes:
“Older people today are adopting technology more than ever before. From the use of the Internet, smartphones, tablets, and wearables to smart TVs and speakers, a growing number of older people are users. Ownership of smartphones, for example, increased from 70% to 77% among the 50+ population in the United States between 2017 and 2021. Moreover, during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a significant rise in older adults’ motivation to use digital technology.”
3.
Foundations for a Strong Digital Transformation Strategy. Another interesting article hailing from the Pendo blog and author Pippa Armes, this time focused on the topic of Digital Transformation. As is the case with articles published on any Product Website’s blog, there’s an obvious tilt in discussing this topic while leaning on the features that the specific product delivers, in this case, what Pendo obviously provides. That being said, with so many organizations touting the “Digital Transformation” slogan, this article points out that the journey itself should be based on Data, In-App Guidance and Feedback (all features Pendo delivers upon of course). And these highlights are indeed of considerable importance, but they’re part of a larger narrative which includes a focus on Users, on actual Problem Solving, and leveraging various sources of information and data to be able to craft a Digital Transformation journey that is a holistic one and not a myopically driven one. Worth reading through, but also keeping in mind what its agenda is. Highlight of the article includes:
“Data is the backbone of any solid business or digital transformation strategy. But product data, specifically, gets you the granular insights you need to truly understand how your customers and employees are engaging with and moving through your digital experiences today — so you can optimize them tomorrow. The best way to get that data is by using a product analytics tool that shows you which features your customers and employees leverage (and which ones they don’t), the paths they take to get to those features, and the impact that utilization has on the business’ bottom line. Rather than basing decisions on word of mouth or gut instinct — which can lead to costly missteps and wasted time and resources — product data allows you to make more objective, unbiased decisions that can accelerate your digital transformation initiatives.”
