UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
July//22//2022
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Thriving in an Evolving Workforce. Interesting article hailing from the Invision Design Blog and author Stephanie Darling, who documented a conversation between Jeff Chow (Invision’s CPO) and Forrester’s James McQuivey (Research Director). This article is both a reflection on the necessity to continuously evolve as a professional, as well as an assessment at all the changes which have occurred in Organizations throughout the world since the pandemic started. It’s also a reflection on Organizations having the necessary tools to collaborate efficiently as well as Agility as an interiorized characteristic and professional stance. Well worth reading through. Highlight of the article includes:
“Early in the pandemic, many teams did what they could to stay connected. This was a smart instinct to act on, but it also happened under a somewhat false premise, the idea that our connections were naturally going to weaken given that we weren’t face to face anymore. But the evidence suggesting that remote connections inevitably decay is very thin and usually comes down to C-level executives simply asserting that remote teams can’t collaborate effectively and everybody else going along with it. In fact, there’s good evidence that the dynamics of remote collaboration can actually encourage faster idea generation and more inclusive representation of voices that might feel intimidated to raise their points in an in-person environment.”
2.
Paper Prototyping. Another great article from Nick Babich, this time around on the topic of paper prototypes, low fidelity prototyping and testing. I’ve written in the past on the usefulness of this type of mechanism which allows Teams involved in the Design Process to quickly gather feedback on a concept that is being ideated upon. This article provides recommendations on how to properly create these prototypes, how to run sessions to get the most value out of them, and overall, how to best leverage what these prototypes set in motion. Well worth reading. Highlight of the article includes:
“Low cost. Paper prototyping is very inexpensive. Basic toolset includes pen and paper. Digital prototyping tools vary in price. But most digital prototyping tools require either a one-time purchase or a subscription. Low commitment. No one wants to throw out a digital prototype that took hours to create. It’s much easier to throw out a sketch that takes only 5-minute to create. Eliciting honest feedback. An important advantage of paper prototypes is their sketchy look. The prototypes don’t look like you’ve spent a lot of time on them. As a result, people feel more comfortable criticizing sketches rather than polished designs.”
3.
How to Handle Layoffs in Interviews. Very interesting article hailing from The Next Web, at a time when many organizations are re-shuffling their priorities, people are actively interviewing and canvasing the job market for new opportunities. This article written by Pippa Hardy focuses on how to contextualize and explain a situation when it comes time to describe a layoff scenario which personally impacted you. The goal is always to provide a balance of professionalism and authenticity, giving the interviewer an opportunity to witness how you handle unexpected and at times, dramatic, challenges. Highlight of the article includes:
“The best way you can describe a termination is to steer the conversation away from why it happened and instead focus on what it taught you and how you dealt with the disappointment. For example, “After I was let go, I realized that I needed to develop my skills in x area, in order to move up the career ladder. I enrolled in an online course and spent a lot of time on personal development.” Focus on what you’ve learned, and accept responsibility for any mistakes you made.”
