UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
February//24//2023
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Responsive and Adaptive Web Solutions. Another great article from author Nick Babich focused on the clarification of Responsive Web Products and Adaptive Web Products. This thoroughly documented article educates on the aspects that differentiate both types of products, while also including the advantages and disadvantages of using each one of them. Additionally, it’s worth noting this article offers considerations on topics such as accessibility. Highlight of the article includes:
“Responsive web design is a design approach to creating websites that fluidly adjust to fit any browser or screen they’re viewed in. Responsive websites scale to achieve an optimal fit for the available viewport size. When browsing a responsive website (like this one), you can see how it rearranges its design and content based on how you drag the border of the browser window and resize it. So on desktop, you might see a three-column layout that fully utilizes the horizontal orientation of the screen, and likewise, a proportionate two-column layout on tablet, and one-column layout on mobile. But no matter what device you will use, you’ll see the same content.”
2.
Mistakes to Avoid during Qualitative Interviews. Very interesting article from author and researcher Nikki Anderson for the dScout blog, focused on Qualitative Interviews, and a few things to keep in mind and avoid when tackling this type of initiative. The author refers aspects such as Interruptions, Positive Acknowledgements, Leading Questions, Awkward Transitions, to name but a few. Ultimately the goal should always be to ensure a level of comfort for the panelist, while being authentic and always making sure to listen as much as possible. Avoiding distractions, and bias are items equally important in the process. Well worth reading through. Highlight of the article includes:
“When a person is talking, one of our first instincts is to try to relate to them and find common threads, to make us feel more connected. I have experienced this a lot myself, especially when participants are talking about something difficult. In the past, I’ve used phrases like, “I can imagine…” or “I can’t imagine…” or briefly brought up a similar experience I’ve had. It’s okay to do this sometimes but best to keep it to a minimum. I stay away from those phrases because they can end up belittling the participant’s experience. Even if the intent is to empathize and connect, the participant may not take it in that way. For example, I remember interviewing participants about travel, and the most recent experience a participant had was traveling to a close relative’s funeral. I scrambled, not ready for such a response, and tried to relate to the participant, shutting the person down completely. Instead, I give a neutral acknowledgement or express empathy through an “I’m sorry you went through that.””
3.
Industries Ripe for Tech Disruption. Another pertinent article from The Next Web and author Emily DSilva. This time around the analysis and reflection focuses on industries where Technology can impact processes and outcomes, resulting in better outputs for everyone in their ecosystems. The industries highlighted include Education, Hospitality, Agriculture, Industrial Manufacturing, Real Estate and Construction and Commercial Airline. Having worked in 4 of the industries listed, I can attest that those are indeed fields where digital transformation is needed and where its impact would be tremendously significative. The article provides context on where technology can potentiate better solutions in those industries, considering their persistent challenges. Highlight of the article includes:
“Cloud-based platforms capable of engaging remote students globally are in greater demand. Equally, there is greater understanding that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work when it comes to education, but there’s still so much more educators, parents, and policy makers need to understand to better tailor methods to different types of learners. Digital tools and advanced analytics are needed to assess and track learning progress for educators to have an ongoing insight into what methods are resonating well, and where there’s room for improvement.”
