is a process of problem solving and planning for a software solution
36
votes
8answers
2k views
How to work with visual designers who treat wireframes as literal graphic suggestions?
Recently I started to face quite many cases on my client projects when a visual designer on the team produces design that looks like wireframes produced by me, only colored. Perhaps, the obvious ...
27
votes
11answers
2k views
Do user experience practitioners ever have to worry about code?
To me this is a simple question – of course not. But on several questions and answers lately I need to fight for this opinion. I might be wrong, so I need to know. Do user experience practitioners ...
19
votes
26answers
5k views
Which prototyping tools? [closed]
This links heavily into the following question:
What are some great web-based prototyping tools?
However I didn't want to limit the suggestions to "Web Based" tools, I have found and used the ...
15
votes
7answers
558 views
At what stage in a project would hiring a UX contractor provide the most value?
In this case it would be for a small company that can't afford lots of specialized positions, developing a new (browser based, this time) version of an enterprise application. The new version is a ...
15
votes
3answers
499 views
What is lean UX, and where can I learn more about it?
There is a new trend called Lean UX, apparently stemming from the Lean Start-up approach. What are its main principles?
What are good or recommended reference, sources or education for learning about ...
15
votes
9answers
701 views
How does user interface design fit in a development process?
In a software development process where does the user interface design fit?
If we take an agile approach for a small team (2 juniors, 2 seniors, a Team Leader and a web designer) what normally should ...
14
votes
8answers
988 views
At what point in the development process should UX come into play in an Agile work environment?
What are some successful examples of UX and the Agile Development process playing nicely together? Traditional agile doesn't usually account for it.
14
votes
10answers
2k views
Should wireframes or functional requirements be created first?
When should you create a functional requirements document for a website redesign project? Are there instances where an FRD would inform the wireframes? I'm used to functional requirements being ...
13
votes
2answers
552 views
Making the user login again after registration
Simple question: is it a bad idea to automatically login a user after their registration was flawlessly completed? A majority of all the websites I visit does not use this behavior, which is the ...
13
votes
5answers
813 views
What systematic methods there are for designing user interfaces?
I'm writing my Masters thesis about one method for designing user interfaces (GUIDe+GDD from Sari Laakso) and I would like to know what other systematic methods there are for UI design/interaction ...
12
votes
8answers
3k views
UX design case studies [closed]
I am looking for well-written and in-depth case study articles of real life UX designs. I'd like to read how other designers tackle design challenges, and how their designs solve those challenges. ...
12
votes
2answers
301 views
Should UX design consider how things behave when they are broken?
As things are used they will accumulate damage due to wear. This accumulated damage will in many cases affect their behavior and the user experience.
Should UX design attempt to anticipate changes ...
10
votes
6answers
196 views
How to generate product ideas as a group?
I work for a smaller startup, and for the past several months we've been conducting weeklong "Design Sprints" which are a great group product exercise based on an idea from Google Ventures.
While ...
9
votes
6answers
321 views
Which is more important, less mouse distance to travel or visual consistency?
I have an interface that I am currently working on that asks the user to make a choice of a single item. These items are divided into 3 separate categories and the client has insisted that each ...
9
votes
4answers
344 views
What does “mobile-first” mean?
So I've been trying to find a legitimate answer to this question for a couple days. I read an interview in Awwwards recent publication Trends Web and Mobile 2013 with the following answer in regards ...
9
votes
4answers
180 views
Can UCD become an agile process?
All the discussions about Agile UX relate to how we adjust UX Activities to an agile development process but I want to know how we can turn UCD in to an agile process that supports the development ...
9
votes
6answers
811 views
Based on your experience, what are the capabilities and limitations of Axure? [closed]
Just started playing around with Axure, an integrated development environment for wireframes, prototypes, and specifications. Already I'm wondering why there's not integration for: business ...
8
votes
3answers
362 views
“Selling” the management on need for UX focus
After the novelty of finding this SO section wore off (and being rightfully shamed of asking a duplicate question), I'd like to rephrase this question so it would target what I feel is a gap in ...
7
votes
7answers
430 views
Should developer's ideas also be considered in UX discussions?
Can Developers also be included in UX discussions?
Sometimes technical issues also hinder the UI layout and personas. How can one get this resolved when it happens?
7
votes
8answers
1k views
Best prototyping tool for form layout/order that caters for non-ux people? [closed]
I am creating a job vacancy form that has quite a lot of required fields. I need to collaborate with my boss (a non ux type) who is working remotely.
At the moment, the only standalone tools that we ...
7
votes
5answers
301 views
What would be the best way to fill “space” in an User Interface for irregular image sizes gallery?
What would be the best way to fill "space" in user interface for irregular image sizes gallery?
Conditions:
The row are subjected to hold maximum 3 images only.
Float left
If the total width of the ...
7
votes
6answers
455 views
Resource/advice for deciding a design process?
I've been having a debate with my peers as to which is the best process to use when we're designing web apps. Our development phases are working well but I think there's room for change in the ...
7
votes
5answers
204 views
How do you communicate severity of design bugs? Do you have any standardized ways of doing it?
When addressing and triaging usability-related bugs, I frequently find that I must resort to making a show or elaborately and dramatically describing the user's pain around an issue. While I'm sure ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
Best resources to make great reusable UI elements (icons/buttons/etc)? [closed]
I'm new to "crafting UIs", but I've been doing User Experience / Interaction design for a while. Being unable to design my own graphics has been a serious handicap for my work as I'm dependent on ...
7
votes
3answers
294 views
How to sell people on the benefits of user research?
I work for a small team right now that is going through a requirements tornado. I know that the reason why is that they have no idea what their users want. They haven't done contextual interviews, ...
6
votes
5answers
422 views
How do you know when an interface is complete?
Meaning that a usability test measures if an interface meets the goals it sets, but only test what is present. How do I know when an interface is complete? Meaning a test, or measure of completeness, ...
6
votes
3answers
568 views
Do I need to design four different apps for Android, iOS, smartphones, or have one common design?
I have to start designing for an app which will be used by Android & IOS users both on Smartphones and Tablets.
Do I need to design four different apps or have one common design and then ...
6
votes
1answer
814 views
Resources for building a UI/UX team and process
I'm looking for practical guidance (books, articles, blogs) on approaching team building and the development process. I'm currently running development teams using basic Agile and Scrum principals ...
6
votes
3answers
252 views
What is the best way to map content to your information architecture deliverables?
I usually create a site map and wireframes as delivery but what is the best way to add info about what content (text, forms, images, videos etc) that should be included on the individual pages?
Do ...
5
votes
5answers
187 views
Send wireframes before a demonstration?
I'm an in-house UX Designer for a medium sized company, and big part of my job is building wireframes for inclusion in spec documents. Usually, the workflow goes something like this - the product ...
5
votes
5answers
426 views
Presenting a UX design
Say you're responsible for the prototype cycle of of a development project. Your end result might be something like an analysis of existing related solutions, a user model, a collection of scenarios ...
5
votes
5answers
308 views
What's your best tip for creating a more useful persona? [closed]
I'm starting a new project working with a client who already has a decent website. It will be really important to learn about the users and understand what they want/need that isn't already provided.
...
5
votes
3answers
177 views
Is it better to prioritize Innovation or Perfect UX, when budget is a issue?
We are currently working on a website with many innovative design ideas. The client is very happy with the site; the design and implementation was conducted under very tight budget restraints.
The ...
5
votes
3answers
302 views
What other UX processes exist other than user centered design?
What other well known processes or approaches for creating an user experience (such as an app or website) exist except the user centered design approach and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
5
votes
5answers
198 views
Proportion of resources devoted to UX Design & Research vs. Software Development on a web app?
First, some criteria:
The product is an application and is heavy on user interaction. Think web 2.0 or mobile application, not a marketing or commerce site, or some back-end tool with only ...
5
votes
2answers
193 views
How to create a public UX process?
I want to make an experiment. I have a new project that I don't mind opening to the public.
What I want to try is to use the public (e.g. Facebook) to go through a UX design process - from collecting ...
4
votes
4answers
179 views
Methodology to determine ideal feature mix?
Aiming for a New Target: The Perfectly Featured Product presents an argument against featuritis (and provides some explanations as to how those situations arise).
The author (John Devanney) ...
4
votes
2answers
437 views
high fidelity prototypes - how to NOT be killed?
Let's say we have a web application that will have, more or less... hmm... 500 different pages. Some of them quite similar.
For the sake of user centred design, should I ask the design team to ...
4
votes
1answer
108 views
What is the term for making one UI component better but is not in sync with whole of UI?
Individual UI component owners (developer/GD) tries to make their component more useable/shining in the process losing the focus in the overall picture. I have somewhere read this to be something like ...
4
votes
2answers
231 views
What tools/methods do you use to get from a project kickoff to wireframes?
I'm a one man IA/IxD/UX team for a small applications development company and I also end up writing the requirements for projects.
I was wondering what tools, methods and questions are used to get ...
4
votes
2answers
450 views
How do you specify UI interaction to data mapping (server side to client side)?
For a given data model and business logic (which processes /extracts that data), how do you specify a UI to display / interact with that data in a way that a developer can create it from.
A trivial ...
4
votes
1answer
124 views
Recommendations for storing design documents?
I'm an Interaction Designer working in an Agile environment, and my team members are located across the globe. My challenge is getting the team to move away from making design decisions over email and ...
3
votes
3answers
333 views
“Modernizing” legacy applications and legacy users
I'm tasked with modernizing many older UNIX based applications to new, web-based applications. The UNIX applications are completely keyboard-based (ie. "04" to select the fourth application, "Enter" ...
3
votes
6answers
112 views
Should I offer the ability to log into my service with a phone number?
I have a web app that you can currently log into with either your email address or your username.
I'm developing a mobile application and I'm just wondering if I should offer the ability to log in ...
3
votes
2answers
52 views
In usability testing, what consensus from users is enough to throw out an idea in future iterations?
I am in the midst of adding about 100 images to one of my current projects after completing a round of usability testing on a low/medium fidelity prototype yesterday. I included ideas for 4 pages in ...
3
votes
2answers
127 views
What's an intuitive workflow for a registering user to simultaneously sign-up his colleagues?
I'm working on a redesign of a website that has a bit of a complicated registration requirement and I just can't get my head around how best to design the necessary forms/pages.
For context, the ...
3
votes
2answers
118 views
What deliverables can one provide in a pitch for a client to show to his/her boss and get approval for a project?
I am in the position where a client is asking for some visual materials to show to his boss in order to get the go-ahead to sponsor a new project.
This client has an existing site that we designed ...
3
votes
2answers
74 views
Managing copy during interaction & visual design
I'm about to begin a web architecture and design project that will have many pages with lots of content / copy across several different languages. One of the challenges is that for each geographical ...
3
votes
1answer
228 views
Creating an user experience roadmap?
I was asked today if we could create an user experience roadmap for the application we are designing. I am a little confused about that since I have never really heard of the term user experience ...
2
votes
2answers
161 views
Best way to convince a decision maker on UX approach.
What is the best possible strategy to convince a stakeholder to adopt a new approach when they seem to hold on to a particular idea which is more generic. What I would like to hear are the best ways ...
