Design Patterns Articles, Videos, Reports, and Training Courses

The Immutable Rules of UX (Jakob Nielsen Keynote)

February 1, 2019Feb 1, 2019 | 39 minutemin video

Jakob Nielsen's keynote at the Las Vegas UX Conference discussed the foundational principles of user experience that are stable decade after decade.

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.

Design Patterns for Complex Apps and Workflows

July 20, 2018Jul 20, 2018 | 3 minutemin video

Two design principles for supporting complex and repetitive workflows.

The 3 B's Test For When to Follow Design Trends

February 16, 2018Feb 16, 2018 | 3 minutemin video

Know when to follow or banish a design trend. The 3 B's: Budget, Brand, and Behavior will help you make the right decisions.

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.

Making Flat Design Usable

September 29, 2017Sep 29, 2017 | 2 minutemin video

The hazards of flat design and 5 key UX guidelines for making flat design usable.

Is UX Getting Better or Worse? (Jakob Nielsen Keynote)

September 22, 2017Sep 22, 2017 | 38 minutemin video

Each UI generation often takes two steps forward, then one step back. Even as new technologies emerge (e.g., Artificial Intelligence (AI) and speech recognition), knowing established UX guidelines will help you avoid missteps. This was Jakob Nielsen's keynote at the UX Conference in Copenhagen.

Tips for Icon Usability

September 1, 2017Sep 1, 2017 | 3 minutemin video

6 UX guidelines to ensure that your users recognize your icons and know what they mean.

Jakob's Law of Internet User Experience

August 18, 2017Aug 18, 2017 | 1 minutemin video

Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know. Design for patterns for which users are accustomed.

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.

The Top Enduring Intranet-Design Mistakes: 7 Deadly Sins

November 27, 2016Nov 27, 2016 | Article: 5 minutemins to read

Intranet tools and programs come and go, but bad UIs linger for years, impact employee productivity and morale, and ultimately increase organizational costs.

Cards: UI-Component Definition

November 6, 2016Nov 6, 2016 | Article: 8 minutemins to read

A “card” is a UI design pattern that groups related information in a flexible-size container visually resembling a playing card.

Hamburger Menus and Hidden Navigation Hurt UX Metrics

June 26, 2016Jun 26, 2016 | Article: 12 minutemins to read

Discoverability is cut almost in half by hiding a website’s main navigation. Also, task time is longer and perceived task difficulty increases.

Live Online

Self-Paced

Design Patterns Articles & Videos