Advice For UX Designers: On Writing, Part 3 – Where To Write

This is part three (here’s part 1 and part 2) on a series about why having a portfolio is not enough and the importance of designers also being writers.

In this series, I’ve been talking about why it’s not enough for user experience designers (or likely any designer) to just show their work work visually. People really want to understand how you think. They want to hear the reasoning behind your design decisions and your unique perspective on the world around you. A great way represent this is through writing.Continue reading

Doing What Matters

What would happen if we all consciously chose to do things that matter — that are authentic, and though not always easy, represent what we stand for?

I can’t remember what site this is from (I found it years ago and have kept it in a text file in my archives), but this is an excerpt of an interview with Dave Eggers, a writer and philanthropist. Every now and then I read it, and am always inspired in a new way. I really hope it inspires you too.

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Everyday UX: How familiar design patterns and naming could improve Eventbrite

I’m so excited to announce a new series on my blog. Introducing …. Everday UX!!!!

Recently I’ve found myself tweeting screenshots when I encounter parts of websites that provide examples of where the user experience could be improved (such as Twitter and Facebook). Rather than just tweeting my thoughts, I thought encounters such as these could provide great education and case studies for people who are interested in learning more about user experience. Continue reading

Advice For UX Designers: Part 1 – A UX Portfolio Is Not Enough, Why You Must Write

Advice To Designers: A Portfolio Is Not Enough - You Must Write

There’s a lot of discussion around whether or not UX designers need portfolios. That’s a topic for another day. But I do have opinions about what’s wrong with a lot of UX portfolios.

One observation I have is that thanks to sites like Dribbble, we’re seeing designers post designs perhaps as a way to showcase their skills to other designers … fetching likes and comments on their “artwork”. But, this type of thinking is dangerous because it puts too much emphasis on the interface, on what it looks like, on the end result.

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Let’s Build Products, Not Just Pixels: Why You Must Choose Function Over Form

Recently I was browsing some blogs and design sites and came across someone who said they had just spent 20 hours designing a login modal.

At first, I was really frustrated with this, and then I was a bit sad. Today there is huge misunderstanding of what “design” means when it comes to creating a website or product. Why can’t we put function over form and avoid the temptation to do the opposite?Continue reading

I Want To Put An End To Texting And Driving

texting and driving

Living in New York City, I haven’t owned a car in nearly six years and I only drive once or twice a year. When I visit friends in other places, I’m actually a bit anxious as a passenger in their vehicles. But now, that anxiety has heightened significantly as I realize the massive problem of talking on the phone and texting while driving. As someone who doesn’t have a car engrained in their daily routine, Continue reading

The Role Of Accountability In Forming New Habits

The proverbial “21 days to a forming new habits” all sounds good in theory. But let’s face it, few people actually make it through the first week of forming new habits they’re trying to adopt. Of course there are obvious factors such as time and motivation that impact our ability to succeed a new habit formation. However, recently I’ve been thinking about the role that accountability has in habit formation and personal goal setting.

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