Visualize the user experience with user journey maps. Here are some helpful templates, real-world applications, and insights on the importance of mapping both successful and unsuccessful touchpoints. Part of Smart Interface Design Patterns by yours truly. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/07/customer-journey-maps-figma-miro-templates/
Let’s welcome the new month with some fresh desktop wallpapers! Created by artists and designers from across the globe, they come in versions with and without a calendar for July 2024. Enjoy! https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/desktop-wallpaper-calendars-july-2024/
Interface copy plays a crucial role in the overall user experience, helping guide users smoothly, allowing them to navigate easily through the app, discover and start using product features, and more. In this article, you’ll find simple, practical tips and a checklist to help you create a clear and concise microcopy, ensuring a seamless user experience. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/how-improve-microcopy-ux-writing-tips-non-ux-writers/
Gaining buy-in for accessibility can be challenging due to common myths and misunderstandings. For many, accessibility remains a big mystery. Here are some practical techniques for winning stakeholder support and making accessibility relatable by bringing accessibility testing to your company. Part of Smart Interface Design Patterns by yours truly. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/how-make-strong-case-accessibility/
The biggest mistake you can make in UX design is to launch a website or app and then walk away. Monitoring and improving after launch will benefit users and your metrics. Nothing will bring bigger gains. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/website-improvement-after-launch/
Balancing the age-old simplicity of words on paper with the myriad creative possibilities of the web is a tension as old as the web itself. Leaning into that overlap can bring new dimensions not just to the things we write but also to how we write them. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/mdx-or-how-i-learned-love-multimedia-writing/
Have you heard of the Screen Orientation API? What about the Device Orientation API, Vibration API, or the Contact Picker API? Juan Diego Rodriguez is interested in these under-the-radar web features and discusses how they can be used to create more usable and robust progressive web apps if and when they gain broader support. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/uniting-web-native-apps-unknown-javascript-apis/
Job openings typically cast a very restrictive frame for candidates, with long lists of expectations and requirements. But what if this narrow focus can overlook the value of “V”-shaped designers who excel by crossing boundaries, connecting dots, and innovating beyond rigid boxes? https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/t-shaped-vs-v-shaped-designers/
Whether you want to take your user research skills to the next level, get better at UX writing, or stay up-to-date on the latest design trends, a newsletter is the perfect opportunity to get the best of the best resources delivered straight to your inbox on a regular basis. In this post, we highlight some design newsletters that you might want to consider subscribing to. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/useful-email-newsletters-for-designers/
The 2-page login pattern is becoming pervasive. Here are the reasons behind this design choice and alternative solutions to create a more efficient and user-friendly authentication experience. https://smashingmagazine.com/2024/06/2-page-login-pattern-how-fix-it/