Things I found on the web this week (3rd November)
This week: a new prototyping tool from Google; how to write great app copy; introducing animation to your user interface; how Airbnb turned their failing business around with design thinking.
Here are the things I found interesting on the web this week.
Happy reading!
// DESIGN THINKING THINGS
How Design Thinking Transformed Airbnb from a Failing Startup to a Billion Dollar Business
Lots of great advice and examples from Airbnb about why ‘code alone can’t solve every problem that customers have’ and that sometimes you have to just ship a new idea and see if it works.
// PROTOTYPING THINGS
10 Tools for Prototyping on a Budget
A nice roundup of some free and cheap tools you can use for different types of prototyping and sketching. Get those ideas out of your brain!
Google is making it easier for anyone to design beautiful apps
I’ve been really impressed with Google’s Material Design principles and now they have made it easy for you to prototype apps using a simple framework.
// VISUAL DESIGN THINGS
Design Principles: Introduction To Hierarchy
As explained in the article, visual hierarchy rules are ‘a critical foundation for any good graphic design’. Put simply, you need to understand what they are in order to design user interfaces that work and don’t confuse people.
Pull to Refresh UI Pattern
‘Pull to refresh’ is a common design pattern and features in many of the apps we use. Here is a brilliant guide to building it into your designs, and when to avoid it. This is a must read!
UI Animation: Eye-Pleasing, Problem-Solving
“Most users expect motion as an integral part of interaction experience.” Here are some thoughts on what you can do to introduce effective animation into your apps.
// FINANCIAL THINGS
Startup Financial Modeling
This is a little off topic compared to the other things I found this week. Anyone who knows me will tell you how bad I am with numbers! But I saw this and thought it would be useful for some of you guys: Learn about the components necessary for building a startup financial model from scratch in this in-depth four part series from Techstars.
// WRITING THINGS
Effective Writing For Your UI: Things to Avoid
“Clear, accurate, and concise text makes interfaces more usable and builds trust.” Here is a list of 16 things you should avoid in your writing.
Compiled with ❤️ in Qatar
