UI/UX Articles And Interesting Tidbits Of The Week
February//21//2020
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Long Lasting Companies Across the World. Very interesting article from The Fast Company shedding light on the longest standing organizations in the world. In the past I’ve alluded to the quality of long lasting brands, such as self awareness, principles, deliberate intent, focus and adaptive capabilities, but this article trails the origins of the organizations that have lasted across centuries, all over the world. A great lesson in longevity of solutions, of history, perseverance and adaptability. Highlight of the article includes:
“For the most part, the oldest companies in colonized lands are banks, railways, and post offices that were first established by colonial administrations to create an infrastructure that would better serve the colonizers’ economic needs. It was much easier for colonizers to export precious resources such as sugar, oil, or cotton back to Europe when they had functioning postal networks, transportation systems, and financial institutions. Later, when colonized countries gained independence, these companies were taken over by the newly independent governments in each country.”
2.
Designing E-mails. From Icons8, comes an interesting article, that is right on the heels of many that I’ve highlighted in the past. The process of achieving effective e-mail communication, attention, credibility and retention, has been a process that many authors and designers have attempted to refine. This article sheds light on topics such as Copy, Iconography, Typography, Infographics and CTAs, to name but a few. Worth reading and reflecting. Highlight of the article includes:
“If anything, there are always social icons in your footer. But don’t stop there. Not only are icons a way to visually enhance your emails, but they can also actually increase readability as well. Icons will help improve the readability of your content as well as improve the accessibility of your most important information. The use of iconography not only allows users the chance to prioritize and process information but also works to reinforce the ideas it presents. Put simply, if your message is about Black Friday sales, then use icons and emphasize your message.”
3.
MVP and Product Design/Development. Another relevant and pertinent article from author Suzanne Scacca and Smashing Magazine. The topic focuses on Minimum Viable Products (MVP), essentially, stripped down versions of what a product solution can potentially be, one that allows for the creation of client engagement, while potentiating further learning, refinement, and continuous growth for product design and development as usage ensues. The author as always provides insightful case studies to further substantiate her points of view. Highlight of the article includes:
“But that’s the beauty of the MVP. Essentially, it forces developers to build products with only the minimum — but absolutely essential — set of features. Dropbox didn’t need to foresee the power of cloud storage services or to create something that wasn’t right for the market at the time. All it needed to do was launch a simple solution that users needed then and there. Users could then validate the product and provide the company with the direction it needed to take its product.”
