Know your work environment to conquer it
Congratulations! You just got hired. Cue the company orientations and seemingly unlimited catering. It doesn’t take long to notice that good moods seem contagious during your first week at work. After all, the sky’s the limit. The best part? You have so many new things to learn and people to meet.
But, it’s also a double-edged sword — the amount of information you have to learn depends entirely on the size of the company, as well as the number of products you’ll be designing for. This is why it’s essential to understand how your new company is structured. …
Learn to use this well-known UX principle to your benefit
These days, it seems like design philosophies are a dime a dozen. Why design a product one way when a seemingly better method is somewhere else? As designers, we’re bombarded with articles and listicles vying for our attention. We’re practically drowning with information overload.
Personas offer a relief to this issue by simplifying how we understand our users. In the end, simply designing a product is different from designing a useful product. With this in mind, we can gain a lot from understanding how personas work.
On the contrary, general consensus clouds our optimism around personas. It’s likely you’ve heard…
Six words: wrong race, wrong place, wrong time
For most college freshmen, the first year at University is full of new beginnings. In America, it’s implied that every new beginning is (and should be) the same. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. It certainly wasn’t the case for me.
My life has certainly had its moments — I’ll admit that even my worst experiences played a role in shaping me into the person I am today.
However, the experience I’m about to describe below shaped me so greatly that I can’t wear two headphones in public out of fear that the situation could happen again. …
Why advances in technology mean a bright future for the continent
In 2021, we’ve experienced change unlike anything seen before.
America has seen drought, political disarray, and the skyrocketing costs of real estate. If there was one word that best describes 2021 so far, it would be unpredictable.
It’s not uncommon. As Heraclitus once said, there is nothing permanent except change. It’s something we’ve been to become acquainted with whether we like it or not.
Not all change is bad. Across the diaspora, a golden age of tech is making Africa the new frontier of the future. In Nigeria, young tech entrepreneurs are revolutionizing industries from shared payments to transportation. In…
Once you read this, you’ll see them everywhere
Design patterns create a sense of familiarity we’ve learned to embrace as part of our lives. They’re so familiar that we barely even notice them, and yet, they’re everywhere. This can be seen in the use of design systems — brand elements like color and tone act as the structure for familiarity.
As designers, we’re familiar with dark patterns and how large tech companies use these techniques to trick us. We know that social media software uses likes as a form of social currency that makes us crave more. …
Useful ways you can manage (and master) the user experience journey.
We like to think high-level planning is for leadership only. But when you suddenly become responsible for strategy (as may be the case in a startup or smaller company), you may get nothing short of goosebumps — and for good reason. When you’re dealing with higher-level work, you’re no longer building behind the screen.
Managing the user experience journey isn’t easy. Often, product managers put us up to the task with a few requirements for success and expect you to do the rest. Simply put, it’s far too common to have little to work with.
User experience strategy isn’t child’s…
Workplace Experience Design and its implications for the fourth industrial revolution
Despite my smartphone feeding me constant reminders of how screwed humanity might be (hello there, climate change) I’m excited for the future. After doing my work in the rather boring and slowly changing industry of higher education, I spend my spare time reading about the future of human-computer interaction. One thing’s for sure: the future lies in Virtual Reality.
From entertainment, to training to gaming, Virtual Reality is an industry currently valued at just under $18 billion. And it’s not surprising that this industry’s valuation is set to surpass $180 billion in less than half a decade.
The best thing…
Methods I use to design for intention and create better experiences.
While living with few possessions has its awkward moments, it does provide one benefit: this simple way of living applies to every other area of my life.
It’s why my personal philosophy is summed up in 3 words: live with intention. This way of intentional thinking relates to my design philosophy, too.
I have found that too often as designers, we find ourselves grappling with the hard questions:
What is and isn’t necessary to include in the final design?
And how do I communicate this to my stakeholders? Again, the solution is simple: design with intention.
Designing with intention makes…
Useful terms anyone can understand to get the basics down
When it comes to UX, everyone loves looking at beautiful software. And while we all enjoy the way our favorite software platforms work, there’s one crucial component to the equation that makes such functionality possible: data.
As designers, we all know this. But why do we love the visual part of design so much more than the rigorous research? Even the folks at Intercom are aware of the “Dribbblisation” that UX Design has trended toward as time goes on. Sadly, we tend to overlook the simple fact that the best designs are often the least visually pleasing ones. …
How poor outcomes can teach the most important lessons
A freelancing career can have its share of ups and downs. Sure, you’ll get those good clients — the easygoing ones that are grateful for the work you do, leaving you feeling like you created something that truly matters.
Then, there are the less desirable ones.
The client who expects excellent quality work in a fraction of the time. The client who can’t seem to make up their mind about the result they want. And everyone’s favorite: the client who never pays you and ghosts you without a reason as to why.
These clients all share one thing in common…
