CategoryUI (User Interfaces)

June 24, 2013 — One way to gauge mobile experience is to look at the tools at our disposal. Prototyping tools enable us to build wireframes and click-dummies. We seem to be in a better position than ever to design great experiences in virtually no time. However, these tools come with a hidden cost: they tempt us to skip the key step necessary to creating a well-designed product — which is to take the time to understand the problem we are given. Read more…

March 28, 2013 — What happens if you have an existing site or app that was built for desktop without a responsive or mobile strategy in mind? What if you don’t have the resources, time, or budget to start over from scratch in the near term? Despite being a design shop, we at Fresh Tilled Soil found ourselves in this very position. This is how we addressed it. Read more…

December 19, 2012 — In this article, which focuses on smartphones, not tablets, we’ll look at design patterns and approaches used for mobile e-commerce functionality, including home pages, photo galleries, and more. All the examples are drawn from mobile websites that run in smartphone browsers. Read more…

December 10, 2012 — This article covers the fundamental concepts for utilizing smart device technologies and sensor data in order to understand context and introduce “adaptive thinking” into the UX professional’s toolset. The author demonstrates the importance of context when designing adaptive experiences and gives ideas on how to design adaptive systems. Read more…

November 20, 2012 — Designers can do plenty of things to counteract the technical appearance of the Web. In this article, Sabina Idler discusses different aspects of freehand drawing and writing in Web design and how they can enhance the user experience of your website. Read more…

November 8, 2012 — In which kinds of sites/projects is it better to use an adaptive layout (fixed break points)? Find some popular questions asked by our readers (and answered by Christian Holst) around good practices in designing smart and usable experiences. Read more…

September 14, 2012 — There are many subtleties to designing with audio in order to create useful, non-intrusive experiences. Here, we’ll explore some guidelines and principles to consider when designing with audio. Read more…

August 21, 2012 — Tone of voice isn’t what we say but how we say it. Robert Mills shares some cases and tips about how to find the right tone for your project or brand. Stand out from competitors and create a consistent user experience. Read more…

April 18, 2012 — Our world is getting louder. Consider all the beeps and bops from your smartphone that alert you that something is happening, and all the feedback from your appliances when your toast is ready or your oven is heated, and when Siri responds to a question you’ve posed. Today our technology is expressing itself with sound, and, as interaction designers, we need to consider how to deliberately design with audio to create harmony rather than cacophony. Read more…

December 20, 2011 — Microsoft’s new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7 (WP7), introduces a fresh approach to content organization and a different UX, based on the Metro design language and principles that will be incorporated into Windows 8. Read more…