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.
DesignOps can be a dedicated role or a shared responsibility. Regardless of approach, make sure to benchmark and track related initiatives over time to continue securing buy-in for DesignOps efforts.
User interface elements that share one or more traits (such as shape, color, size, etc.) will be seen by users as being similar and belonging together.
The gestalt principles for visual perception make users see some graphical user interface design elements as parts of a whole, and others as being separate, and thus different.
In application design, prevent users from being overwhelmed by putting things in predictable places, using a clear visual hierarchy, and taking advantage of progressive disclosure.
Our recent survey of UXers shows that researchers report in a matrix style. Matrix offers benefits from both a central research team and product teams.
Most short explanations of "what is UX?" are quite internally-focused and rely on understanding the process for building digital products. Here are 3 steps to explain what you do that normal people can understand and will relate to.
User experience is not really about computers or technology. It's about the users (people) and about the design teams and proper processes for their members (people) to produce good UX.
Well-designed empty states in applications can help increase user confidence, improve system learnability, and help users get started with key tasks quickly.
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.
