Design Patterns Articles, Videos, Reports, and Training Courses

Making Cutting-Edge Technology Approachable: A Case Study of Facial-Recognition Payment in China

May 10, 2020May 10, 2020 | Article: 15 minutemins to read

First-time users were concerned after using facial-recognition payment. Better onboarding experiences can relieve concerns and form factual mental models.

Mobile Tutorials: Wasted Effort or Efficiency Boost?

March 8, 2020Mar 8, 2020 | Article: 6 minutemins to read

Our research shows that tutorials don’t make users faster or more successful at completing tasks; on the contrary, they make them perceive the tasks as more difficult.

5 Principles of Visual Design in UX

March 1, 2020Mar 1, 2020 | Article: 7 minutemins to read

The principles of scale, visual hierarchy, balance, contrast, and Gestalt increase usability when applied correctly.

Executing UX Animations: Duration and Motion Characteristics

February 9, 2020Feb 9, 2020 | Article: 9 minutemins to read

Define a trigger, transformations, duration, and easing of the animation, and be mindful of accessibility issues and annoying the user.

The Risks of Imitating Designs (Even from Successful Companies)

January 19, 2020Jan 19, 2020 | Article: 4 minutemins to read

Even great companies make mistakes. Don’t risk your UX by assuming it’s safe to follow a design pattern just because it’s used by a successful company.

The Role of Animation and Motion in UX

January 12, 2020Jan 12, 2020 | Article: 8 minutemins to read

Animation in UX must be unobtrusive, brief, and subtle. Use it for feedback, state-change and navigation metaphors, and to enhance signifiers.

Cancel vs Close: Design to Distinguish the Difference

September 1, 2019Sep 1, 2019 | Article: 6 minutemins to read

Distinguishing between these two actions is critical to avoiding losing users’ work. Save changes before closing a view, use text labels rather than an X icon, and provide a confirmation dialog before destructive actions.

Popups: 10 Problematic Trends and Alternatives

June 30, 2019Jun 30, 2019 | Article: 12 minutemins to read

Whether modal or not, most overlays appear at the wrong time, interrupt users during critical tasks, use poor language, and contribute to user disorientation.

Footers 101: Design Patterns and When to Use Each

February 24, 2019Feb 24, 2019 | Article: 10 minutemins to read

Footers can be found at the bottom of almost every web page, and often take many forms, depending on the type of content on a website. Regardless of the form they take, their presence is critical (and highly underrated).

10 Design Guidelines for Reporting Errors in Forms

February 3, 2019Feb 3, 2019 | Article: 5 minutemins to read

Help users recover from errors by clearly identifying the problems and allowing users to access and correct fields easily.

Variable Fonts and Wide-Screen Layouts: Adopting Data-Driven Progressive Enhancements

November 25, 2018Nov 25, 2018 | Article: 4 minutemins to read

The NN/g website homepage now incorporates variable fonts and a wide-screen layout — 2 technical adjustments which improve the user experience for a subset of users on supported devices.

UX Guidelines for Recommended Content

November 4, 2018Nov 4, 2018 | Article: 9 minutemins to read

Encourage engagement with recommendations by presenting them prominently, segmenting suggestions into clear categories, and providing methods for users to give feedback.

Exhaustive Review or “I Can’t Believe It’s Not There” Phenomenon: Evidence from Eyetracking

October 29, 2017Oct 29, 2017 | Article: 10 minutemins to read

Repeatedly scanning the same content can indicate confusion or engagement. Often, it happens because users’ expectations are not met.

Small Pictures on Big Screens: Scaling Up from Mobile to Desktop

July 23, 2017Jul 23, 2017 | Article: 5 minutemins to read

To transition images from mobile to desktop, consider relative screen space and information density. Pay attention to cropping, scaling, and proportions.

Five User Requirements for Online Ads

July 16, 2017Jul 16, 2017 | Article: 8 minutemins to read

Adhering to user expectations and usability heuristics will ensure advertising content is delivered seamlessly and that brand image holds integrity.

Wizards: Definition and Design Recommendations

June 25, 2017Jun 25, 2017 | Article: 9 minutemins to read

A common application-design pattern for inputting information, wizards work well for processes that are performed only occasionally.

The Most Hated Online Advertising Techniques

June 4, 2017Jun 4, 2017 | Article: 9 minutemins to read

Modal ads, ads that reorganize content, and autoplaying video ads were among the most disliked. Ads that are annoying on desktop become intolerable on mobile.

Modal & Nonmodal Dialogs: When (& When Not) to Use Them

April 23, 2017Apr 23, 2017 | Article: 10 minutemins to read

Modal dialogs interrupt users and demand an action. They are appropriate when user’s attention needs to be directed toward important information.

Date-Input Form Fields: UX Design Guidelines

January 22, 2017Jan 22, 2017 | Article: 5 minutemins to read

Date-entry fields must be unambiguous and support task completion by using the right design pattern. Small design changes can prevent big user errors.

Why Zen Mode Isn’t the Answer to Everything

December 18, 2016Dec 18, 2016 | Article: 5 minutemins to read

Interfaces that temporarily hide the UI elements to emphasize content often increase the interaction cost, cognitive load, and the number of attention switches.

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