UX + CRYPTO = LOVE
When new technologies and platforms come online, that means new opportunities for tech workers…and UX designers are no exception. Read from Coinbase’s Design Director Why Design Is The Killer App of Crypto. I love how she relates the development a new technology – automobiles – to the same challenges that cryptocurrency now faces:
- Highlight: “The speed of automobiles was a technology that was literally moving faster than design. A design movement — the creation of something that didn’t exist before — was needed…we have the highways, and the cars are getting super fast, but our signs have not caught up.”
NEW ECOMMERCE DESIGN GUIDELINE
Baymard Institute creates in-depth ecommerce research, and they just came out with a new report on using the “Card style” to organize information in e-commerce dashboards.
- Highlight: “For ‘Cards’ dashboards to be scannable the content must be implemented consistently. This includes the font size and style used for different types of card content, as well as the use of background colors, images and icons, primary button size and styling, and links to account features.”
UX CASE STUDY
This case study on Razer.com is an excellent example of how to write an in-depth portfolio piece that also happens to be a (bootcamp) group project. The upfront context provided + nicely designed deliverables create a lot of authority.
- Highlight: “My key takeaways for this project is that applying structure early helps when laying out and sharing research findings in the team, and that the best way to conduct user interviews is not conducting them, but have a heartfelt conversation with them instead.”
DESIGN TOOL UPDATE
Axure 9.0 is going to come out soon, and one of the core updates will be an improved documentation workflow. Sketch typically use a third party app like Zeplin for documentation, but if you’re working in a highly collaborative enterprise environment, Axure’s a compelling option.
- Highlight: “Axure RP 9 allows you to create unassigned widget notes, which you can then assign to widgets or leave unassigned; add a widget’s text as a note; and give notes numbers that appear in both the editing environment and the prototype player. [This] will allow you to deliver a complete functional spec right alongside the prototype.“
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Companies often adopt an “innovation at all costs” mindset, which shows up in bloated products crammed with features. Jared Spool writes about why “Experience Rot” happens and how to tackle it.
- Highlight: “Saying ‘no’ is always in the designer’s toolkit, but… in the excitement of producing something new that gets press and attention, it often gets overlooked. It takes a lot of organizational willpower to keep a design simple.”
🏁UX CAREER COACHING CORNER
“What rate can I charge for UX freelance work?” I get this question all the time, and it’s much more of an art than science: you have to look at the company itself (how big is it? do they have a profitable product?) and the effort (how specific is the job? Do they require ecommerce experience or some niche skills?) With that said, if you’re working in a large American city, the average UX freelance rates I’ve seen are ~$50/hr. There is a wide range, and you should also consult this freelance calculator for more data points.
Keep learning,
Oz, founder @ UXBeginner, instructor @ UX School