UI/UX Articles And Interesting Tidbits Of The Week
January//31//2020
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Empowering Design Teams by Measuring Value. An interesting article hailing from Smashing Magazine, focused on measuring the impact of Design solutions and techniques. Metrics, Analytics (alongside Customer Support Information, User Ratings and Reviews, Usability Testing, Market Research), are a driving force, not only when researching a potential new feature/product, but also understanding the impact of decisions that have been made. This article provides a very interesting case study on how defining KPIs that can be effectively measured upon, can be instrumental in empowering Design teams. Well worth a read. Highlight of the article includes:
“DIET (Design Impact Evaluation Tactic) asks key questions, that are fundamental for designers to be impactful in their work. The designer’s answers give a DIET score at the key stages of the project. Numbers are powerful they give us an object to point at and discuss. They keep the conversation focused. The meaning behind a number is more important to designers, the why, not the what. Having the ingredients for good design baked into a number helps cross the divide of design and business metrics.”
2.
Privacy Issues and Startups. The topic of Privacy & Terms of Service, is one that is trending all over social media, and rightfully so. Users have the right to know how their personal information is handled, and more so, who gets insight and access to their habits, browsing experience, in essence, their online experience. Since the issues with Facebook and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) have taken place, Privacy and Terms of Service have become prevalent topics in conversations surrounding Product Design. This article sheds some interesting insights on how Startups have handled this topic, simultaneously providing some pertinent points of reflection and even guidance. Highlight of the article includes:
“Perhaps the headlines of last year are a wake-up call. Small teams should plan for risk, instill a strong culture of privacy, and seek out resources to create privacy-respecting products that mimic the cultures, laws, and user expectations in their markets. These innovative practices can serve as case studies for how to continue building the privacy-protecting products and services we hope to see everywhere. Beyond a wake-up call, there is an opportunity. Privacy strategies can take a more collaborative, integrated approach in order to avoid endless compliance checklists.”
3.
Steve Jobs and Apple’s Powerful Branding Experience. Not something I typically list on the newsletter, but an article well worth a read, from Fast Company and author Michael Hageloh. The author who worked for Apple for 22 years, sheds some revelatory insight into the power hailing from a leader with the vision and insight of Steve Jobs, produced in an organization that was flailing, and how he managed to inspire and reposition it as the market leader that it has become. It’s also an article that looks to the past, in order to understand how innovation, market tactics, understanding your users wants and needs, among many other factors, all weigh in to create a memorable brand experience. Well worth a read. Highlight of the article includes:
“Before Apple, computers were boring. IBM, HP, and all the other PC players assumed that performance mattered more to consumers than pleasure or inspiration. They were wrong. The candy-colored iMacs released in 1998 added a sensual dimension to what was also a powerful (for the time) machine: vibrant colors that provoked smiles, a curvaceous teardrop shape, and that round mouse (okay, we blew it with that one). The iMac was a delight to look at and to use, and people loved it. In the tech world, beauty became as important as speed and power. Little-known fact: The candy-colored iMac shells became highly contentious in the Higher Education division at Apple. Why? University of Florida (Gator) orange is a slighter different shade than University of Tennessee (Volunteer) orange. As the former president of the University of Florida told me, “It’s Tennessee orange, not Gator orange.””
