UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week

April//26//2019

Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!

1.https://www.fastcompany.com/90338390/the-most-important-tech-boom-designers-are-ignoring
Voice UI. Very interesting article hailing from the Fast Company, focused on the building of Voice UI. The article goes into details on how to effectively create a successful experience based on voice, showcasing such important elements as scripts, specific jargon and even useful prototyping tools for designers embarking on projects of this nature. Highlight of the article includes:

“Whether a user is talking to a brand directly or the voice service is acting as a middleman has massive implications for creating effective user experiences. Designers should be aware of and design for those differences. Case in point: Because Google Assistant requires third-party apps to use a different voice, there is an explicit transition at the start of the app, and the user is more aware they are actively using an app. This may help users of a banking app understand when their sensitive financial information may be overheard by someone else in the room. On Amazon Alexa, the third-party experience is more seamless, which may leave users unclear as to whether they’re speaking with Alexa or their bank, or worse, if someone else in the room may be speaking to their bank. A designer may want to include a distinct audio signature, such as a welcome jingle, to better communicate to users they are now speaking to their banking app.”

2.https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2019/04/privacy-better-notifications-ux-permission-requests/
Better Notifications. Another impeccable article from Smashing Magazine on the topic of notifications. The article thoroughly details the differences and experiences associated with different types of notifications, namely the informational ones and the ones that encourage action. It also sheds light on topics such as timeliness of notifications, grouping notifications in order to avoid frequency of them, the opportunity to snooze them, among other important elements to contemplate. Highlight of the article includes:

“The bottom line is: start sending notifications slowly but steadily; set up notification modes, and provide granular options such as a choice of triggers and the format of notifications. Better send too little than too much: you might not get another chance should the customer wish to opt out from numerous notifications that are getting on their nerves at just the wrong time.”

3.https://www.fastcompany.com/90335278/why-transparency-is-much-more-than-just-disclosing-information?
Transparency. The topic of transparency is something that I’ve mentioned in a few of my articles, and something that Fast Company highlights in this article. It’s an opportunity to essentially distill what the meaning of transparency means in these days, where everything is scrutinized and viewable by everyone. It’s particularly interesting as how it relates to the design industry, and how products should be designed with honesty, clarity and transparency in mind. Highlight of the article includes:

“There will often be legitimate reasons to be less than totally transparent. As a business owner, you have to protect yourself from your competitors, and you don’t want to violate some confidentiality commitment to your partners or customers. At times, it’s better to wait for the full picture to become clear before presenting a partial or misleading one, or to ensure the affected people know and consent before you make it public. Striving to be as transparent as is appropriate is what it’s all about. Transparency is not a binary state, but a state of mind.”