UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
February//3//2023
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
Protecting IP. I’ve recently finished building software applications precisely to address issues with IP, from the perspective of understanding what’s on the market and also monetizing what Organizations have in their portfolio. This article from Thomas Macaulay specifically addresses and calls out aspects that Startups need to keep in mind when it comes to their IP. It impacts everything from their valuation, to their market positioning and long term standing. Very insightful article worth reading through. Highlight of the article includes:
“Experienced investors are savvy about the value of IP. Venture capitalists will use patents as evidence that a company is well-managed, at a certain development stage, and with a market niche. Their due diligence will likely differentiate between filing an application and receiving a granted patent. Startups, however, often prioritize investing in R&D over protecting their IP. Lind recalls this issue emerging at a green tech company. The team had a very slim IP portfolio, which raised questions about its value to investors. “It’s the protection that really crystallizes the value in the R&D that you’re doing,” says Lind.”
2.
Mistakes to Avoid in 2023. Hailing from author Ana Hercigonja and Qode Magazine, this article is worth reading through since it highlights some well known paradigms that sadly get overlooked, which in turn delivers less than optimal results. The author emphasizes issues to avoid in crafting Digital Interaction Products which includes, Chaotic Navigation, Lack of Hierarchy, Lack of Optimization for Mobile, Poor Accessibility, to name but a few. None of these are revolutionary and these are issues which have been called out for years, but it’s always worth revisiting and keeping them in mind. Highlight of the article includes:
“A sense of hierarchy is something inherent to all humans, psychologically speaking. We tend to organize things according to their relevance, size, importance, impact and relevance. We don’t approach everything at once. Instead, we follow a hierarchy and organize the information in our mind accordingly. Good web design should always mind this fact. To create a smooth user experience, you need to organize the content of your website into coherent units that function just as well individually as they do as a part of the whole. Use headlines and subheadings to create the hierarchy and don’t forget the white space between the units. This way, the information will be presented in a coherent and hierarchical way that will allow your visitors to consume the information gradually and compartmentalize it according to relevance.”
3.
Tips to Land a Job. It seems not that long ago, the job market was in a frenzy in terms of not only getting qualified candidates, but also keeping the ones an Organization already has. The situation has shifted of course, since under the guise of a potential downturn in the economy, Organizations have started a seismic shift which has translated in laying off people (and in an interesting development, they seem to be doing so since their competitors are doing it, much like a trend). This article from Aoibhinn McBride provides suggestions on how a candidate can bolster their visibility in the job market, including aspects such as Power Words, Dynamic Resume Design, Expanding Network, and Cover Letters to name but a few. Well worth browsing through. Highlight of the article includes:
“Durable skills (the ability to use soft skills like collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and leadership as the foundation of your approach to all work tasks) are essential for career success — recent data shows that seven out of 10 of the most requested skills in job descriptions were durable skills. They should also be applied to your job application in the form of power words to demonstrate how your durable skills have helped you succeed professionally. Examples of power words include “initiated,” “developed,” “coordinated,” “orchestrated,” “adapted,” and “strengthened.””
