Blog Feed: Designing for the End-User: a "How to" Guide
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Visualization of the UX Design Process
Published on 2012-05-25 06:06:00
User Experience Design isn't magic, although it does require the Designer to know the "formula". Once she understands this process, it is easy for her to create intuitive user experiences, for any digital platform, over and over again. For the novice UX Designer, and for those who already know this process, I've provided a quick "one sheet" visualization of the UX Design process. It should be noted that this graphic focuses on the Design process, but is not inclusive of the Design validation pr [..] > read more
Multiple Devices. Cloned Experiences?
Published on 2012-05-13 10:40:00
Usability Engineers and Technologists who think they understand the basic principles of User Experience Design often brag that their latest UI is one that can be rendered consistently from device to device. They'll go on to state that a consistent User Experience across devices is "best practice" for UX Design.If their interpretation of that "best practice" is the replication of a user interface across multiple types of devices and form factors, I say they are missing the point of User Centered [..] > read more
What has your UX Manager done for you, lately?
Published on 2012-05-08 10:57:00
You may have entered the UX field indirectly, through mentorship, or by studying peers who you admire. Additionally, as you evolve as a UX practitioner, or look for new employment in the field, it is important that you seek an employer who meets your personal and professional needs. When you take an interview, remember that it isn’t a one-way interrogation, but the start of a professional relationship. For it to work, you must feel that you are getting as much out of the re [..] > read more
Digital Tactics for eCommerce Personas
Published on 2012-04-12 22:05:00
Success or failure, for an eCommerce business, is linked to an understanding of the different behaviors of online shoppers. Developing successful tactics to support unique behaviors, tasks, and motivations, means getting familiar with the following eCommerce personas.Get the full infographic here Browse more data visualizations. Jonathan Lupo SVP/Experience Design, Co-Founder Empathy Lab http://twitter.com/userexperience > read more
Know Your Digital Media Consumer [INFOGRAPHIC]
Published on 2012-03-22 16:29:00
With businesses rushing to extend their digital distribution of media to connected consumer devices, and Cable television threatened by the onslaught of "OTT" (Over the Top) services, it is more important than ever to truly understand the "Digital Media Consumer". Who are they? What are their likely behaviors? What tasks will they need to accomplish, when accessing broadband user experiences across devices?Empathy Lab has collaborated with media companies to answer these questions, in an effort [..] > read more
Applications Are For Humans
Published on 2012-03-16 01:44:00
Empathy Lab believes that intuitive and engaging interfaces are designed with an in-depth understanding of your end-users’ needs, behaviors, and motivations. Here is an overview of our behavioral research practice. Apps are for Humans View more PowerPoint from Jonathan Lupo Jonathan Lupo SVP/Experience Design, Co-Founder Empathy Lab http://twitter.com/userexperience > read more
Trends in Mobile Commerce [INFOGRAPHIC]
Published on 2012-03-11 08:20:00
Businesses that wish to adopt mobile commerce tactics as part of their overall, digital strategy, must first understand how consumers shop, and what tasks they perform with their mobile devices and tablets, while shopping.When we think of "mcommerce", there is a tendency to think about it as driving sales through an application or mobile-optimized website. When mobile use cases are carefully considered, however, it becomes clear, that mobile commerce is as much about driving sales "in brick and [..] > read more
You Conducted UX Research. So What?
Published on 2012-01-23 05:10:00
In business, research means nothing until it leads to conclusions that are actionable. Unless your firm gets paid to publish studies, the research that you conduct is probably intended to "green light" a project, plan an information architecture, or validate a design direction. That means that the planning, execution, and analysis of the study needs to be focused on specific objectives. Good research is costly, and any appearance of financial waste, not only jeapordizes the potential for further [..] > read more
The Collaboration Trap
Published on 2012-01-14 11:45:00
Interactive agencies all promote the fact that they work "collaboratively" among disciplines. Sometimes, however, this claim tranaslates to informal methods, such as seating employees in an open floor plan, or merely putting interdisciplinary project teams together, in a "war room." Don't get me wrong, I think these are all great ways to start a dialogue between employees with different sets of skills, however, a formal "collaboration plan" is a more efficient and predictable way to get value fr [..] > read more
The War for Your Living Room
Published on 2011-10-25 00:16:00
The home video entertainment war between monolithic cable companies and new, cloud-based, "over-the-top" services, has just begun. Until just recently, cable companies owned your living room, and their "pipes and boxes" were the only conduits delivering TV and Movie entertainment to your television set. Those who didn't want to pay cable service premium fees opted to rent physical DVDs from physical DVD retail stores. Cable fought back with On Demand rentals through the television set-top-box. A [..] > read more
The Importance of Storytelling to UX Design
Published on 2011-10-09 19:35:00
As web sites and web applications become increasingly modular in their construction, Designers run the risk of creating applications that consist of an endless, near random, stack of modules. This situation is common to many ecommerce experiences. Because it is widely accepted that users "will scroll," there seems to be a willingness to stack modules on top of modules, endlessly, with no sense of hierarchy, or logical narrative. Take a Step Back to PlanA key theme to many of my blog entries is t [..] > read more
Usability and Engagement: Success Metrics of Design
Published on 2011-10-02 19:40:00
In an age where every consumer interaction with a brand is measurable across multiple digital channels, it is important to understand which metrics and measures are valuable to you, based upon your role in a business. It is a common mistake to measure everything, at regular intervals, without an understanding of how to make these measurements actionable. Data holds different meaning to different individuals within an organization. It may be used to inform marketing tactics, advertising spending, [..] > read more
Site Map Do's and Don'ts
Published on 2011-09-25 20:56:00
It may come as a shock to hear this, but, unless your client is a developer or a content strategist, site maps are rarely valuable documents to show them. Why then, is the site map continually socialized to the wrong stakeholders, and incorrectly positioned as a dependency for other Design deliverables (Which we know will result in the site map becoming a road block for the rest of the Design process)?Site maps confuse and distract certain stakeholders, because:Site maps are abstract, system-lev [..] > read more
Mobile UX Strategy - Web Site or App?
Published on 2011-09-07 22:55:00
With the wide consumer adoption of smartphones and tablets, digital consulting firms are proposing mobile tactics as part of a larger digital strategy, to their clients, based on an understanding of their clients' business objectives, competitor landscape, and consumer needs. When proposing this strategy, consultants must decide whether it is more beneficial to their client's business, to develop a native, mobile application, or to build a mobile-optimized, web site.Recent research seems to sugg [..] > read more
"Just-in-Time" Mobile Apps
Published on 2011-08-29 07:50:00
With mobile application design and development, "timing is everything."That's because smartphone users are fickle when it comes to downloading applications. There is a low-barrier to acquiring content, because apps are cheap and quick to download. Unlike desktop software, mobile applications fill end-user desires, cravings, and short-term needs. Mobile apps do not always suit the longer-term needs of end-users. For example, on the days leading up to Hurricane Irene, I scoured Apple's App Store, [..] > read more
Goal-Oriented Design: a Primer
Published on 2011-08-26 14:48:00
Design is purposeful, and, by definition, aims to achieve goals. Good Design, therefore, begins with a careful examination of the specific goals it aims to achieve. Because Design is engineered to achieve goals, there is a process to follow, which includes the observation and analysis of potential end-user engagement, with the Design.There is unprecedented potential for user engagement and interactivity with contemporary, digital applications. Engagement is multi-channel, complex, and social. Th [..] > read more
Great Thinking is Never "Out-of-Scope"
Published on 2011-08-24 14:43:00
"Out-of-scope" is a phrase that Creative professionals are used to hearing from budget-conscious Project Managers and Account Managers who, to their credit, are trying to ensure a profitable account for a consulting business. While it may be true that the cost and effort to implement a great idea may be "out-of-scope," based on a given project budget or statement of work, great ideas are NEVER out of scope, and should be generated constantly for clients. When Creative professionals are regularly [..] > read more
Mobile Platforms Force Us to be Better UX Designers
Published on 2011-06-12 19:45:00
A few years ago, in a time before iPhones and iPads, designing for mobile platforms meant designing within serious constraints. Limited screen real estate, low bandwidth, and minimal browser capabilities, forced us to be minimalistic in our approach > read more
My Life as an [INFOGRAPHIC]
Published on 2011-05-25 08:23:00
I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon, "INFOGRAPHIC" craze, so I created a graphic of my professional history. I wish more resumes that are passed on to us at Empathy Lab were graphically depicted.Jonathan Lupo VP/Information Architecture, Co-Founder E > read more
10 Reasons Why Digital Media is Illegally Downloaded
Published on 2011-05-18 20:15:00
The transformation of multimedia content, from physical to digital format, has resulted in an increase in the theft of music, games, movies, and, now, books. But, why, exactly, is illegal downloading of multimedia content so prevalent? Is this behavi > read more
Create a User Experience Brief to Guide Design
Published on 2011-04-18 08:31:00
What is a User Experience Brief?The purpose of a User Experience brief is to establish a framework and guiding principles for the user experience design of any interactive experience. It may be a companion or chapter of a larger Creative Brief, which > read more
Web Design Evolves: Goodbye Columns. Long Live Rows!
Published on 2011-04-15 08:33:00
Emerging digital trends have fundamentally altered my approach to Design for the Web. In highly complex, content-heavy experiences, for example, my new focus is to conceptualize and design content modules that can be measured, optimized, re-ordered, > read more
5 Easy Ways to Improve the Composition of Your Digital Photos
Published on 2011-03-22 20:55:00
Let me begin by saying that I am certainly not a professional photographer, nor am I a really good photographer. In fact, photography is never the subject of my blog posts. What qualifies me, then, to provide photographic advice? Three things...I hav > read more
Design and the "Waterfall" Methodology
Published on 2011-02-13 09:43:00
The potential problem with any Design methodology is that practitioners may become religious about following it step-by-step, like a recipe, for every single project. Unfortunately, not every Design challenge is the same, nor is every client time > read more
Continuous User Experiences
Published on 2011-01-20 21:30:00
When designing a single user experience for a single platform, it is too easy to become myopic about the individual that will be using the experience, and not take into consideration, that same individual’s behavior on connected or related digital > read more
Content Relevance and Promotion
Published on 2011-01-11 19:59:00
There are numerous ways to elevate content within a digital experience. For example, a marketing department may opt to treat a web site as a companion, or destination, for a promotional campaign or offline advertisement. In this respect, a web site m > read more
Digital Design in 2011 [INFOGRAPHIC]
Published on 2010-12-29 17:42:00
Some say, "the web is dead." Whether this statement is true or false, "the web" certainly isn’t the only digital platform where your business will need to have a presence. 2011 brings significant changes to the way your business will need to think > read more
Lifestyle Modeling for Mobile Application Design
Published on 2010-12-19 09:23:00
User experience designers emphasize the importance of conducting primary behavioral research to inform digital application design (traditionally web applications). The need for behavioral research, to better understand end-user lifestyle, is even mor > read more
5 Ways to Get the Best Work from Creative Professionals
Published on 2010-12-14 16:34:00
Creative professionals do their best work when very specific conditions are met. As a Creative manager, it is important for you to be aware of the environment that you are creating, in order to get the best results from your Creative team. The f > read more
10 "next steps" for unemployed, creative professionals
Published on 2010-12-06 20:40:00
There shouldn't be any secrets about what creative agencies look for when they search for talent. In fact, all companies should publish blogs describing, in great detail, what type of individual they look for, and exactly what candidates need to do t > read more
Research Analysis - Avoid Data Paralysis in 5 Easy Steps
Published on 2010-11-26 11:16:00
I've stated it before. Analyzing research data is a daunting task. It's complicated because, often times, it is difficult to know where to begin. Qualitative, or behavioral data analysis, seems more manageable, because there is a structured methodolo > read more
User Interface Design - "Promotion" vs. "Access"
Published on 2010-11-21 14:20:00
Content-rich user experiences are generally designed to serve two masters: > The user - who is coming to the experience with specific needs and expectations, with respect to the content. > The editorial staff - who wants to direct th > read more
8 Essential Interaction Design Skills
Published on 2010-11-07 21:35:00
Interaction Designers are Creative team members who conceive user interfaces which accommodate information-seeking agendas and important user tasks, based on an understanding of client business objectives and end-user needs. In order to be successf > read more
Short Reaction to "The UX Design Education Scam"
Published on 2010-10-27 14:59:00
In a recent post on Design View (http://www.andyrutledge.com/the-ux-design-education-scam.php), Andy Rutledge lambasts most "UX-focused," Design education programs...calling them "scams." Having graduated from such a program (NYU Interactive Telecomm > read more