UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
March//18//2022
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Using the Right Data to Make Savvy Decisions. Hailing from Inc. magazine, this article from author John Hall, provides some topics for reflection, particularly as we continue to be in the midst of a turbulent job market, and also within an inflation driven economic context. The article looks into the topic of data empowering decisions that contemplate cost saving strategies. The author specifically focuses on targeting marketing efforts, optimizing supply chains, and reducing employee turnover. The author provides pertinent suggestions and recommendations, such as gathering data from employees which can demonstrate and are representative of their levels of satisfaction, as means to prevent a massive exodus. Worth reading. Highlight of the article includes:
“Information from exit interviews reveals mismatched expectations, culture problems, and training opportunities. However, exit interviews aren’t exactly opportune times to prevent people from walking out the door. Rather, companies that gather the right data can spot signs of dissatisfaction long before employees turn in their resignation letters. Use staff surveys, engagement platforms, one-on-one meetings, and onboarding and coaching sessions to glean the necessary information about employee sentiments. These insights make it easier to correct training gaps and leadership or communication failures promptly, before they incite costly resignations en masse.”
2.
History of Shopping. Very interesting article hailing from The Fast Company and author Rachel Bowlby on the topic of the evolution of shopping. As products and technology have evolved, so have consumer’s habits, which manifests itself in a variety of ways, including what we purchase, how we purchase, and more generally speaking, our expectations from the process itself. Well worth a read. Highlight of the article includes:
“Mail-order shopping also has a rich history that seems to anticipate later developments. Catalogue companies, like Freeman’s or Kay’s, were massively popular in the middle of the 20th century. But despite its popularity, “the book” (the affectionate name for the big, “full color” catalogue) never posed a threat to the shops. Nevertheless, mail order was a form of virtual shopping at a distance, and now looks like a striking precursor to online shopping. Perhaps the most surprising example of an early retail development whose beginnings have now disappeared from view, is the chain store. We tend to think of chain stores as having pushed independent shops out of the way in the late 20th century, with the result that every shopping mall and every High Street (if it survives at all) looks like all the rest. But, in fact, chain stores were everywhere a century earlier, including some of the names that are still well-known today.”
3.
Leadership in Crisis. At times such as these, when it seems like the world goes from self induced crisis to crisis, articles like these showcase some aspects worth reflecting upon, particularly when we look to our leaders to guide us through uncertainty. The author, Winnie Hart, writes about aspects (7 of them) such as telling the truth and acting on facts, being positive and focusing on the bigger picture, and also listening with an open mind, just to highlight a few that can have a powerful effect and put a particularly challenging path in perspective. Worth a read. Highlight of the article includes:
“In any world crisis, there may be miscommunications and confusion. Your role as a leader is to be a source of clear, honest, and factual information that others can rely on as true and actionable because your words will travel, be repeated and acted on. Explain the circumstances as you know it, in a straightforward manner, focusing on positive steps you and others can take to deal with and weather the situation. Choose your words thoughtfully and purposefully and communicate clearly and often.”
