UI/UX Articles And Interesting Tidbits Of The Week
May//8//2020
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Shepherding Brands in People in Times of Crisis. An interesting article hailing from Fast Company, focused on how Leaders are handling managing their teams and their brands in uncertain times, such as the ones we are currently living through. Carolyn Hadlock the author of the article, registers a conversation with Tom Herbst, former CMO of North. It’s a candid insight into a reality, one that positions senior stakeholders and leaders, face to face with unknown situations such as these. The situations ultimately underly the fact that we’re all imminently human, and even the most experience leaders and thinkers, can be faced with situations that are unparalleled, for which there are no easy solutions. It’s also an interesting insight into the roles of brands and their relationships with their clients, in the face of adversity and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Well worth a read. Highlight of the article includes:
“Though it’s tempting to merchandise your actions, it might not be the right thing to do, “Don’t step up because it’s a marketing moment, but rather because it’s a humanity moment and it’s the right thing to do,” Herbst cautions. “Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons, not because you want credit. I believe in some karmic retribution,” he continues, “If you do the right thing, it will come back around, and people will come to your support when you need it.””
2.
Benchmarking. Another pertinent article hailing from the Nielsen Norman Group. In the past I’ve mentioned Benchmarking, in the context of Quantitative Usability Testing, but this article provides thorough and engrossing content on what comprises this activity, when to apply it, how to apply it, and even the timeliness of this activity. Well worth a read. Highlight of the article includes:
“You might be familiar with a type of UX research that helps us learn what works or doesn’t work about a design and figure out how to fix those problems. That type of research is called formative evaluation — it helps us decide how to form or shape the design. Qualitative interviews and usability testing are frequently used for this purpose. Benchmarking is not formative; it is a summative evaluation: in other words, it helps us assess the overall performance of a (sort of) complete design (a summary of its performance). Our designs are never really complete, we’re always improving them. But you can think of a benchmarking study as a kind of snapshot in time, capturing the experience of a specific version of the product or service. Benchmarking can happen at the end of one design cycle and before the next cycle begins.”
3.
Net Neutrality. Very interesting article hailing from Wired. While not necessarily focused on Design, it does touch on topics of Innovation, Technology advancement and the overall democratization and access of Internet for all. These days, with every single individual on this planet, forced to isolate to a certain extent, the Internet itself, becomes more than a mere communication tool: it has become a lifeline for us all. Well worth a read. Highlight of the article includes:
“Net Neutrality is the idea that internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon should treat all content flowing through their cables and cell towers equally. That means they shouldn’t be able to slide some data into “fast lanes” while blocking or otherwise discriminating against other material. In other words, these companies shouldn’t be able to block you from accessing a service like Skype, or slow down Netflix or Hulu, in order to encourage you to keep your cable package or buy a different video-streaming service. The Federal Communications Commission spent years, under both the Bush and Obama administrations, trying to enforce net neutrality protections. After a series of legal defeats at the hands of broadband providers, the FCC passed a sweeping net neutrality order in 2015. But in December 2017, the now Republican-controlled FCC voted to jettison that order, freeing broadband providers to block or throttle content as they see fit unless Congress or the courts block the agency’s decision.”
