One thing I am really obsessed with right now is the use of animation in an enterprise SaaS product. I think, done well, it can dramatically enhance the experience. Some places it can be used: Loading images Page transitions Empty states (like when search yields 0 results) New objects that haven’t been set up yet Marketing…
I imagine myself holding a basketball while in a space suit orbiting the earth. I’m floating in some particular direction. Off to the right is the hoop, traveling in a completely different direction. Our paths are orbital and curved. The good news is that our paths will get near each other soon. So I start…
In general, people don’t like new ideas. What I mean by this is that the first reaction “most” people have to a new idea is FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.) It’s natural based on how our brains work. We love patterns. Things in motion stay in motion, things at rest stat at rest. A new…
Take two brands: Apple and Microsoft. The word “Apple” is an abstraction. It doesn’t mean anything related to computers or phones. Microsoft, on the other hand, is named for the fact that the company started by making micro-computer software. Although Microsoft has been incredibly successful, their branding has always been less than they deserve. Contrarily, Apple’s…
Designing a logo is never easy. After a while every single logo looks the same. You start playing that game where you are trying to tell the difference between 18 different kinds of the letter g. Serif, sans, friendly, edges, the options are endless. Finding a logo is like searching for a black cat in…
Open a new GotoMeeting meeting. Now, dial in with your phone. After you put in the meeting number you should hear the following sentence. You will no longer hear beeps until someone else joins the conference. What does that mean? Did people used to hear beeps until someone joined the conference and now they don’t?…
The news today about Apple is very interesting. They were ordered by a federal judge to give prosecutors backdoor access to the San Bernadino shooter’s iPhone. Many privacy advocates are aghast. Apple has refused to comply. This is likely to go to the Supreme Court in the future. It raises a larger issue when weighing…
I saw a rockumentary about the band Kansas. They told the story of how Carry on My Wayward Son was written by Kerry Livgren. From Wikipedia: On the last day of rehearsal for the new album, Livgren brought the band one more song, which they performed once before heading to the studio. The song, “Carry On Wayward Son“,…
People at work often have very (VERY) busy schedules with back-to-back-to-back meetings. Of course, they are usually in different places so you end up being late to every single meeting when you just count travel. Additionally, travel isn’t the only thing you need to do. You need to prepare for the meeting. This means reviewing…
UX Candidate Design Challenge – v1 UX Candidate Design Challenge – v2 This was the last design exercise I made for people interviewing for jobs. People didn’t do great on it, like the previous ones, but I keep trying. Design Challenge A rich, famous comedian (Louie) employs 4 aspiring comedians. Their job is to write…
I reviewed Google calendar previously (2007). It was quite good. I had very nice things to say. Fast forward 9 years. It’s the same damn thing. No noteworthy enhancements. What the hell is going on over there? The styling is old and crusty. Do I really need to see 12am-6am? Can’t it zoom? Free busy…
The doctor said not to use my right hand at all for two weeks. This gave me an idea. This is a long shot but I figured I would ask. Is there a junior designer without a job who wants to sit at my desk and be my hands for two weeks? I’m right in…
I just realized that I really don’t have a blog post about this design principle. It is not specific to the design, but rather to the process of designing within a company. In the real world, you don’t get to define 100% of the product, nor should you. You need to collaborate with other people to…
I just spent some time talking to a user about a design I made. I walked her through it and we started talking about the possibilities. The worst version of this exercise is when the user says, “I don’t know.” in response to questions. The best version of the exercise is when they get excited and…