UX/UI Links of August 2019
August is often a slow month for articles, but this year was an exception. Lots of quality reads last month made it hard to pick just five.
4 Rules for Intuitive UX
One non-obvious lesson of UX design is that dropdowns are pretty much the worst control.
- Erik D. Kennedy, UX/UI Designer
A wealth of information, 4 Rules for Intuitive UX is like four great articles in one. Follow these rules and I guarantee your users’ experience will improve.
Using the Power of Familiarity in Design
By leveraging existing mental models, we can create superior user experiences in which the user can focus on their task rather than learning new models.
- Ganesh Payyanur, UI/UX Designer
One of the most common design mistakes is trying to be different for the sake of being different. Using the Power of Familiarity in Design is a reminder that obvious always wins.
The Layer-Cake Pattern of Scanning Content on the Web
Just like the IA reflects the information structure of a website, the mini-IA, which is made up of all the page headings and subheadings, reflects the information structure of a page.
- Kara Pernice, Senior Vice President
Most people don’t read articles from top to bottom anymore; there’s just too much out there. The Layer-Cake Pattern of Scanning Content on the Web will help you optimize for the way people actually approach your content.
User Experience vs. Business Goals: Finding the Balance
A good product designer needs to start every task by first understanding why it’s important for the business.
- Ariel Verber, Product Designer
You can’t succeed as a designer if you think that design and business goals are at odds. User Experience vs. Business Goals: Finding the Balance shows how they can work together.
What to Do When You Know Everything
Too often, we treat our understanding like a block of carved marble. But we should always be free to iterate, adapt, and refine our understanding.
- Jen Goertzen, Senior Product Designer
Maybe you don’t think that you know everything, but you still probably aren’t as open to input as you think. That’s the clever thesis of What to Do When You Know Everything. A good, quick read.
I’m excited to see what September brings. I’ll be back with more favorites in about a month.
Want to read our favorite links from the past? Check out the archives.
Leon for the Balsamiq Team
