A weekly roundup of UX nuggets to stay up to date in the design industry. Want updates? Sign up for the UX newsletter here.
[ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS]
Should UX Designers Have to Return to the Office?
The answer: somewhere between a no and a more complicated no.
As many jobs continue their process of returning to the office, this article seemed like a timely point of discussion. In comparison to developer counterparts, Lena points out that designers have been requested to work in the office (even before the pandemic) because it would increase engagement and allow for more effective design collaboration.
But after the forced remote work of the pandemic, culture is shifting. Teams have adapted to messages over Slack, meetings over Zoom, ideation using Miro, and other methods of remote collaboration.
Many remote workers have invested in better home office setups that enable more comfortable remote working conditions. Heck, tons of people have moved to larger homes or outside of dense cities to maximize their remote work comfort — as well as redesign their lifestyles.
We’ve reorganized our days to be flexible with the things that might come up in the day and found times that we are more productive during even if it might not be during the typical 9–5. Additionally, the reduction in commute time allows for time to be otherwise spent working a little extra to meet a deadline or unwinding from a long day. It’s even suggested that working from home will lift productivity in the U.S. economy by 5% because of the saved commute time.
While there are a few things that might be better done in-person such as onboarding or having meetings, the article highlights that the positives of remote work generally outweigh the negatives. The trend is going towards remote work, but we’ll see what the near future pans out in how companies deal with this transition amidst a competitive hiring landscape. We’re optimistic that designers will benefit.
[UPCOMING EVENT]
#id24 — September 23, 2021
Inclusive Design 24 or #id24 is a 24-hour long online event that requires no sign-up and no registration! It’s an event that celebrates inclusive design with ideas from around the world to the comfort of your home. Check them out on their YouTube channel!
[DESIGN PODCAST]
#96: Content Strategy Advice for Devs and Designers w/ special guest Sarah Maxell Crosby
Sarah is a content and digital strategist at OHO Interactive. This podcast episode starts off with Sarah’s journey into UX and content strategy. Content strategy is about revising language to make it concise, using plain language, and convey information effectively. If you’ve been doing lots of writing and working towards better communication, maybe exploring the world of content strategy is on your horizons after this episode!
[ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS]
10 fundamental UI design principles you need to know
- Keep the UI design simple
- Predict and preempt
- Put the user in the driving seat
- Be methodical and consistent
- Avoid unnecessary complexity
- Provide clear signposts
- Be tolerant of mistakes
- Give relevant feedback
- Prioritize functions
- Design the UI for accessibility
I’m not sure if this list is sorted by importance but for me, I probably would have #10 — design the UI for accessibility as a priority because it reaches more audiences and improves the experience for more people.
[SOMETHING VISUAL]
Better Allies
A set of infographics and articles that promote inclusivity in all workspaces.
[UX QUOTE]
“Design is about three dimensions and the five senses.”
- Danielle Sacks, editor, and writer
[WATCH THIS]
UX Portfolio Review (What YOU Need To Show UX Agencies!)
Amr Khalifeh a senior UX designer from AJ&Smart, reviews 4 portfolios with the lens of a UX hiring manager or a design agency that reviews portfolios as part of the application process.
Overall, a tip that he gives is that while it’s nice to walk viewers through the whole process, portfolio projects can be slimmed down to be more concise and really highlight the changes that were made to give the viewer a better sense of ‘why’ this was the best solution for the product.
[BOOK RECO]
Measuring the User Experience: Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Usability Metrics
“Usability plays a much wider role in our lives than most people realize. It’s not just about using a website, a piece of software, or the latest technology. Usability is about setting up a tent, relighting a furnace to heat a home, trying to figure out a tax form, or driving an unfamiliar rental car. Usability impacts everyone, every day. It cuts across cultures, age, gender, and economic class.” — Thomas Tullis
If you have an academic or science background, you’ll go into reading this book and realize that researching tech isn’t the same. Sometimes, a smaller sample size would suffice for testing and improvement because the right metric was chosen and the data was effectively analyzed to grab important information.
Note: you don’t have to be a statistician or a numbers-geek to enjoy this book! If you’re looking to understand the metrics in usability testing, you’ll still enjoy this reading.
[DESIGN TOOL]
Illustrator How
Looking to advance your Adobe Illustrator skills or try out something new? Illustrator How is a library of step-by-step instructions (with screenshots!) for you to follow along with. This site is created by June, a graphic designer who’s sharing her tips so that you can jumpstart your love for art too.
📚 UX Learning Recommendations ✨
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✊🏾 Interaction Design Foundation
IDF has in-depth courses on various UX skills. Get 3 months off your first year of design membership or $200 off a UX bootcamp!
>> Other reviews from UXB:
