The importance of designing compelling and intuitive User Interface systems in the smartphone and tablet markets can’t be overstated. A more thorough knowledge of UI strategies, hardware requirements behind User Interaction design, and finding potential UI “game changers” in the mobile device industry will dictate the User Experience for smartphone users over the next 5…

As UI designers, it’s important to know how the eye processes colors, shapes and patterns to create UI solutions that result in a user-friendly experience. While there are many facets to creating a positive user experience, three mistakes that you want to avoid are: – Using fonts that are too decorative, or too small and…

Which current electronic gadgets do you feel will most likely be phased out by the year 2020? Among those electronic must-haves that could fall by the wayside are standalone GPS units, low-end digital cameras and E-Readers. The main culprit behind these gadget possibly ending up as the next VCR is the fact that the functions…

Information visualization has become a highly marketable skill within the UI industry. The ability to take the often vast and complex amounts of data that we encounter on a daily basis and present it in a concise and understandable manner is essential to a rewarding user experience. Unfortunately too many UI designers place a higher…

Experienced ethnographers can be extremely valuable to companies seeking to tailor products and solutions to customers desires, needs, behaviors and habits. Through keen observation and study and analysis of their findings within user research, ethnographers can better help project teams see problems and solutions from the user’s perspective and determine the impact that a solution…

When creating a user interface, the priority is to constantly improve the design to better meet the desires and wishes of the consumer. Utilizing an outside-in approach when beginning UI and UX design projects puts the focus on the users’ needs instead of the design and developing team’s needs. Recognize the end-users’ problems first, then…

In the past, many companies relied heavily on their brand name and reputation to sell their products to their customer base. Any issues with usability or user experience were generally voiced directly to the company, doing little damage to the brand overall. However, in recent years, consumers more frequently take to the internet to discuss…

Have you ever made a recommendation to a client based on user research or usability testing that was met with resistance? Sometimes client stakeholders can be so fixated on the end goal that they fail to give recommendations for redesign proper consideration, which can be another hurdle for User Interface and User Experience designers. One…

How easy is it for your target consumer to use the competitors’ product? How long does it take them to complete a task? How often do they need help to complete a task? These are important questions to ask, and the answers come from conducting usability tests on the competition’s products. Evaluating the competition is…

Gamification is defined as “The use of game play mechanics for non-game applications.” The integration of Gamification into your UI can be achieved on several different levels, from adding game-like graphical elements all the way to making the entire User Interface a “game”. When properly merged with a detailed task analysis, gamification can transform the…

In theory, having lots of choices sounds ideal. However, when users are given too many options in a user interface it often increases the complexity of the decision, creates conflict and can often paralyze users when it’s time to decide. As UI and UX designers, we should always emphasize the importance of knowing our audience…

User Interface design flow keeps the user interested and the user experience fulfilling even after the novelty of an interface’s surface attributes wears off.  The understanding is that the effects of an interface’s “wow” factor will only last so long, and more permanent qualities are needed in delivering a compelling and successful user experience. The…