UX/UI Links of November 2018
This month's articles are instructional, insightful, fun, and even provocative. Enjoy!
Drop-Down Usability: When You Should (and Shouldnât) Use Them
Drop-downs quickly become difficult for users when they are presented with an overwhelming number of options to choose from.
- Christian Holst, Co-founder of Baymard Institute
Enjoy this updated, classic "do's and don'ts" article about drop-down input controls. Especially useful is the "what to use instead" section.
3 Pro Tips on Alignment
Little-known truth of UI design: if your designs look sloppy/cluttered at all, youâre probably not aligning the elements enough.
- Erik D. Kennedy, UX/UI Designer
I love the attention to detail in this smart article about alignment in design. It's an accurate reenactment of what goes on in a designer's head on a regular basis.
UXmas
Each day through December, enjoy a delightful little treat from some of the world's leading UX specialists.
- UX Mastery, UX Community Site
The "advent calendar for UX folk" resumes. It's one UX-related resource a day for 25 days, posted on uxmas.com. Informative, festive, and fun.
How to Add Innovation to UI Design Patterns
People like whatâs familiar, but they also covet whatâs uniquely useful.
- Zach Watson, Director of Content for DePalma Studios
How do you use established design pattern templates, yet find a way to stand out? This thoughtful article shows how you can improve upon basic templates to cater your design to your specific audience.
Why Doctors Hate Their Computers
Iâve come to feel that a system that promised to increase my mastery over my work has, instead, increased my workâs mastery over me.
- Atul Gawande, Surgeon and Writer
A fantastic longread by the author of "The Checklist Manifesto." It's a great story about the lives of people impacted by design decisions made far away.
If you need a reminder why UX matters and who it matters to, this is for you.
Hope you find them as interested as we did. For previous links, check out the archives.
Did we miss a good one this month? Let us know in the comments!
- Leon for The Balsamiq Team