All posts from
May 2013

What soccer teams and UX teams have in common

Added on 8 May 2013 Peter Bogaards
Interdisciplinary team work at its best.

“Soccer teams, just like teams in any other sport, share a lot of difficulties and joys with UX teams. Think about how each player needs to have his or her role in the tactic scheme. Isn’t that the same as each creative having his or her own place on the UX team based on specific skills and abilities? Egos, collaboration, controversy, fast decisions, and especially the unpredictable moves are the beauty of being part of the game or the design project. Success in both cases is also closely related to teamwork, individual talents, and leadership.”

(David Sachs a.k.a. @sachs ~ UX Magazine)

UX design, role-playing and micromoments

Added on 8 May 2013 Peter Bogaards
The theatre metaphor provides so much inspiration, insight and knowledge.

“Good interaction design is about attending to every moment that passes between a person and the device (or system, or service) with which he or she is interacting. These moments can be explicit, as with gestures, taps, a button-click, or the completion of a form field. Or, these moments may be more elusive, such as a pause while you try and understand what is being asked of you or how to answer. It’s these internal conversations that users have at any given moment that often get overlooked.”

(Stephen P. Anderson ~ UIE)

Position of navigation buttons affects the usability of apps for kids

Added on 7 May 2013 Peter Bogaards
Design for the experiences of kids, the KX.

“As technology becomes more advanced, interactive devices find their path into our everyday lives. Education is one of the most recent fields where new and interactive devices such as the iPad are being introduced. When interactive systems are used to teach children, it is essential to make sure that these systems are easy to learn and easy to use. They must not create a barrier between the child and the information to be accessed. On touch screen interfaces, interaction happens through direct contact between the hand and the interface. Especially for kids this offers great perspectives, as children naturally tend to touch things they want to interact with. However, due to the young age of interactive learning systems, little research has been done on how children interact with mobile devices.”

(Sabina Idler a.k.a. @SabinaIdler ~ UXkids)

Libraries: A canvas for creating meaningful user experience

Added on 7 May 2013 Peter Bogaards
Love the title of ‘User Experience Librarian’. Information architecture meet UX for real.

“UX in libraries needs to be a completely immersive experience. We make sure our shelves are full of items patrons want and need. The surroundings are designed to be home-like with fireplaces, couches, power outlets, lamps, and meeting rooms. Across the country, libraries are thus transforming themselves from book warehouses to places where people want to come and hang out.”

(Amanda L. Goodman a.k.a. @alagoodman ~ UX Magazine)

Feeling, thinking, doing Service Design

Added on 3 May 2013 Peter Bogaards
Service design as the vehicle for adding corporate value: E2 (‘Experience Engineering’).

“I believe that the strategic process of experience engineering is why it is imperative that the benefits of Service Design are communicated to and supported by people working at the highest organisational business level.”

(Richard Arnott a.k.a. @servicejunkie ~ Curiosity Junkie)

WYSIWTF

Added on 2 May 2013 Peter Bogaards
Including the notion that form (a.k.a. presentation) has meaning too.

“Arguing for ‘separation of content from presentation’ implies a neat division between the two. The reality, of course, is that content and form, structure and style, can never be fully separated. Anyone who’s ever written a document and played around to see the impact of different fonts, heading weights, and whitespace on the way the writing flows knows this is true. Anyone who’s ever squinted at HTML code, trying to parse text from tags, knows it too.”

(Karen McGrane a.k.a. @karenmcgrane ~ A List Apart)

Design for public good

Added on 2 May 2013 Peter Bogaards
Governments is some countries are stepping up regarding design and their added value for citizens.

“Design is a key source of innovation and therefore part of the solution to the growth challenge Europe is facing. Every day we see start-up businesses inspired by design and creative thinking, and leading global enterprises using it as a means to boost business development and gain competitive advantage. Worldwide there is also an increasing focus on how design and other creative skills can contribute to a green transition. A major part of a product’s environmental footprint is defined through the early design phase, so many environmental issues can be solved by focusing on reducing environmental impact early in the development process. Rapid urbanisation is another example. The rise of mega-cities with millions of inhabitants is increasing the need for design solutions both technical and social that can meet the challenge of creating sustainable urban environments on a huge scale.”

(Design Council)

Strategy and online: How online is changing the game and the playing field for strategy development

Added on 1 May 2013 Peter Bogaards
A great piece on being successful online, every designer, manager and marketeer should read.

“Strategy is about trying to take control and trying to win. Strategy is about trying to predict the future or at least enough of that future that will give you a competitive advantage. Strategy is about being specific. It is about helping you get from A to C by doing B. It’s about putting your cards on the table, placing your bets.”

(Gerry McGovern ~ CustomerCareWords)