User research is often initiated during a sprint, after a design is implemented, or is part of the MVP. But, mindfully planning research earlier reaps far better results.
You cannot do everything, and in fact the product would be worse if it included everything. Thus, UX relies heavily on prioritization to determine what features add the most value relative to the resources needed to deliver them.
Websites with many categories can benefit from showing navigation menu options in a vertical list: vertical menus allow for easy expansion, are easy to scan, plus users are familiar with this design pattern.
K-pop’s private messaging apps’ psychological and emotional UX tactics are building an unprecedented digital communication experience between fans and artists.
A well-documented, collaborative internal onboarding process enables new UX professionals to immediately recognize their impact within the organization and improves employee retention.
Key arguments why companies should have systematic user-experience processes. Plus a discussion of the main arguments against UX. (Jakob Nielsen's UX Conference keynote.)
Visual hierarchy can help users decide where to look in a user interface: what's most important can be shown by color and size, and what things belong together can be shown by proximity and common regions.
Mobile apps using augmented reality benefit from interactive walkthroughs that guide users through a simple AR experience. These walkthroughs should include information about what to expect, how to handle the device, and how to prepare the environment.
Jakob Nielsen's 10 general principles for interaction design. They are called "heuristics" because they are broad rules of thumb for UX and not specific usability guidelines.
Empathy maps help UX teams visualize user attitudes and behaviors, building a shared understanding of end users while highlighting gaps in existing user data.
Modern day UX research methods answer a wide range of questions. To know when to use which method, each of 20 methods is mapped across 3 dimensions and over time within a typical product-development process.
User interviews have become a popular technique for getting user feedback, mainly because they are fast and easy. Use them to learn about users’ perceptions of your design, not about its usability.
User journeys and user flows both describe processes users go through in order to accomplish their goals, but they differ in scope, purpose, and format.
iOS 26’s visual language obscures content instead of letting it take the spotlight. New (but not always better) design patterns replace established conventions.
Elaborate usability tests are a waste of resources. The best results come from testing no more than 5 users and running as many small tests as you can afford.
In a card-sorting study, users organize topics into groups. Use this research method to create an information architecture that suits your users' expectations.
