Signal vs. Noise: Removing Visual Clutter in the UI
When I was a kid, terrestrial radio was pretty much our only option for listening to music on the go. Small, portable transistor radios (like the one you see in the picture) were essentially the blueprint for iPods and today’s smartphones. And if you were a...
Simplify UI Data Visualizations – in 7 Simple Steps
To give you some context as to the importance of designing effective data visualizations, I’d like to give you a scenario to consider. Imagine that you’re standing in a room with 100 other people, all of whom are shouting at you at the very top of their lungs....
The Right Way to Use Icons in Your UI
Back in 2005, a young man by the name of Jensen Harris was an intern program manager at Microsoft. During that summer, he says, he learned a key UX lesson — on the use of icons — that carried over into the DNA of the now-ubiquitous “Ribbon” toolbar. In a post titled...
The Power of Progressive Disclosure
Interactive design of any kind means walking a very fine line between not enough information and information overload. At the core of that balancing act is one of the most important principles of UX and Design: progressive disclosure. Progressive disclosure means that...
We Need This ASAP: ending unrealistic deadlines
“We need this ASAP.” There is no doubt in my mind you’ve heard this at least once, twice, or six hundred times. Your client, boss or other stakeholder says this has got to be done now, immediately. And in most cases, the team members just shrug their shoulders...
What’s the fastest way to evaluate e-commerce UX? (Tuesdays with Joe, Episode 08)
Not a week goes by where someone doesn’t ask me if there’s a “faster way” to find UX issues than by doing a UX Audit. Designers and developers are almost always operating under ridiculous time constraints imposed by people who have no idea how long it actually takes...
What Can I Do To Stop Scope Creep? (Tuesdays with Joe, Episode 07)
“Hey, can we squeeze one more thing into this sprint?” If you recognize that statement, then today’s episode of Tuesdays with Joe is for you. Of all the topics I’m asked about on a weekly basis, scope creep is the one that never fails to show up — almost daily....
Aren’t Requirements and Specifications the SAME THING? (Tuesdays with Joe, Episode 06)
Here’s a question for you: Would you build a house without first knowing how many rooms it should have? Of course not. Here’s another: What would you do when, 3 months after construction starts, your spouse insists you need another bedroom? You’d be stuck, of course....
What do I ask users when my time with them is really short? (Tuesdays with Joe, Episode 05)
In a perfect world, you’d be able to spend a week or two with a large number of users, digging deep into their obstacles and challenges. In a perfect world, you’d have the time to examine every facet of use and the contexts they operate in, leaving no...
