“Gamification” means more than in-game/in-product reward systems. There are other things we can learn from the gaming industry that I believe to be much more valuable. mmersive experiences are hard to build, they are both separate from the context they’re delivered in and agnostic of their audiences. So, how do you create something that powerful and abstract? The answer, I … [Read more...] about Creating Immersive Experiences with Emotion
Design
5 Things Every Freelance Designer Should Do
In this post I want to concentrate on five things that will not only increase your productivity, but also your number of clients. 1. Keep Your Office Space Clean Designers rarely place any importance on office cleanliness, however, it can help immensely with your efficiency. When you know where things are, you waste less time. A dusty and messy desk doesn’t exactly … [Read more...] about 5 Things Every Freelance Designer Should Do
5 Steps Towards Great Web Design
The process of developing a website can be long and tedious, but the end result should be rewarding. As a web designer it’s very easy to spot sites that were well-thought out and others that were not. Throwing something together too quickly without much of a plan leads to a lot of redesigns and mistakes. I’ve narrowed down my design process into five basic categories. This … [Read more...] about 5 Steps Towards Great Web Design
4 Amazing Tips for Better Developer/Designer Workflows
We all know that collaboration is essential to all project management, especially the application development process. Designers, developers, and engineers need to work in conjunction with each other throughout the prototyping and production phases in order to deliver a product that is both true to the designer’s visual intent and ensures an optimal user experience. But for … [Read more...] about 4 Amazing Tips for Better Developer/Designer Workflows
Should I Use Flat Design vs. Round Design?
Flat vs. round: the 500 year old world debate rages on, but this time, in UI design. Flat design has been making its steady climb to the top, splashed across countless UIs and spurring the question: is it just a trend? Trends, just like puka shells and birkenstocks, come and go over the years. Birkenstocks came and went…and wait — they’re back. Why? Functionality. Many would … [Read more...] about Should I Use Flat Design vs. Round Design?
6 Must-Follow Rules for Creating a Beautiful UI
You don’t have to be a designer to know that products sell better in prettier packages. Even if your product is the most technically efficient on the market, it’s far less likely to be successful if it is ugly or difficult to navigate, Take Reddit, for example. If you’re a Redditer, you likely spend a lot of your day rolling your eyes at Buzzfeed articles crawling across … [Read more...] about 6 Must-Follow Rules for Creating a Beautiful UI
Design Tips All Developers Should Keep in Mind
I am one of those aesthetically challenged programmers so in an effort to reeducate myself I am pretending that I know enough to give you, the faithful reader, some tips to help you design websites (or applications) that don’t leave the users wanting to scratch their eyes out. DESIGN IS IMPORTANT This is pretty important, that is why it’s in all caps. If you … [Read more...] about Design Tips All Developers Should Keep in Mind
How We Design Without Designers
Design matters on the web today, and users are savvy enough to know it when they see it. While they can’t necessarily articulate why, they enjoy using a well designed site more than a poorly designed one. Unfortunately when starting out, it isn’t always possible to have access to someone whose focus is the design of your site. Therefore, it’s necessary to roll up your … [Read more...] about How We Design Without Designers
Simple Ways to Style Your Text to Look Instantly Professional
Typography is not merely the process of arranging font on a page. It is a living creature; it feels joy in an exclamation point, takes deep sighs at periods, grabs consciousness with each bold strike and begs for understanding in the space between every italic. It has intricate rhythm and harmony, staccato paragraphs and legato headers that blend into a melody of … [Read more...] about Simple Ways to Style Your Text to Look Instantly Professional
The Easiest Way to Learn Design
The easiest way to learn design is: a) Go to school for that b) Consume all the information available on the Internet and try to figure out the basics of the mess of data you have in your brain c) Pay ludicrous amounts of money on boot camps, courses, etc. The easiest way to learn anything is to watch an expert doing what you want to learn. Basically, you steal … [Read more...] about The Easiest Way to Learn Design