UX Articles
Why We Critique: How to Make Peace with Your Fear of Design Critique
Designers, no matter their practice, have gone through some form of design critique in the past. Someone had to critically point out how the work needed to improve during the educational years. University programs are specifically structured with formal critiques in their curriculum; these help students get critical feedback to expand their thinking and learn […]
Types of Design Research: 8 Ways to Get to Know Your Users
Research is a critical step in the product development process. It ensures we’re solving the right problems for users and finding the right, viable product opportunity for a business. Understanding the humans who will use the product and the business’s investing needs is critical to a successful product outcome. And it will come as no surprise […]
Harnessing UX Competitive Analysis: A Product Playbook for Strategic Domination
In the digital colosseum, where businesses duke it out for supremacy, User Experience (UX) emerges. It navigates the treacherous road of SaaS, firmware, and B2C/B2B software ventures. Don’t think of design as a trusty sidekick but as a gladiator in its own right. Understanding the immense value of UX in our strategic arsenal is more […]
UX Writing Best Practices: 8 Principles to Improve Your Product Design
User experience (UX) writing is an often overlooked, but extremely important aspect of any digital product or service. It involves the deliberate use of words and language to guide users through a User Interface (UI), helping them achieve their goals while also providing them with a frictionless and even an enjoyable experience. No matter what […]
UX + AI: 4 Risks Designers can Help Solve Before you Build
AI’s rapid ascent up the hype curve is tempting businesses to heavily automate processes for efficiency and consistency. Opportunities abound: creative copilots and image generators, flexible data analysis, predictions for equipment failure. AI has the potential to change how we work and make software to help us. But AI comes with subtle risks that can […]
How to Talk About Design Like a Designer
Design is everywhere in our lives, whether you notice it or not. We experience it both in the digital world through software, and also in the physical world through things as simple as door handles. Most of the time, these designs and experiences go unnoticed. However, the most memorable experiences are often the bad ones. […]
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Good UX Writing in Product Design
As a Senior User Experience (UX) Designer, I’m often biased toward products that look good and function seamlessly. But the words that appear within those beautiful and functional designs are just as important in helping users navigate and interact with a product. This important component of my job is known as UX writing. Full disclosure: […]
How Interaction Design Changes Our World, One Interaction at a Time
I walk into the kitchen for coffee, and my Google Home says, “Good morning!” My schedule for the day pops up on the screen. The assistant tells me how long it will take to get to work now that I have started driving my son to school. In the car, the map and arrival estimates […]
How Designers and Developers can use Shared Element Transitions to Improve UX
What are Shared Element Transitions? Shared Element Transitions are animations that move elements from one screen to another within an app. They help users understand how the interface changes when navigating between screens. They are particularly effective when users are browsing diverse content and frequently switching back and forth between screens. These transitions can be […]
The Building Blocks of Design Hierarchy
Creating beautiful, well-laid-out screens may seem like design magic, but you don’t have to be a designer to know how to structure your content well. With just a few key fundamentals of hierarchy, you can drastically improve both the visual appeal and usability of your designs. What is hierarchy and why is it important? According […]
10 Figma Shortcuts to Improve Your UI Design Proficiencies
Though most shortcuts in work are ill-advised or perceived as lazy, some have proven otherwise. As Figma has exploded in use amongst many in the design field these last few years, almost all SEP’s designers have adopted this tool in their own unique way. Like artists, designers have their own approach to the pieces they […]
Professional Growth and Development Meets the Butterfly Effect
The butterfly effect is the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the world can cause a typhoon on the other. My story is not quite that dramatic, but you can never be sure what impact your small actions can have. This story starts as one of personal and professional growth […]