Opinions, ideas and new thinking
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Making a case for the seductive promise of zero UI
Glacial is the only word for it. I pressed one of the blue buttons and waited. Somewhere in the mechanical heart of this relic I imagined cogs whirring and a rusted belt chain creaking into action. At length, something happened on the dot matri…
Algorithms and a more plastic experience design
In a demonstration of how algorithms are playing an increasing role in determining user experience, hundreds of millions of Google customers are about to see a change to their voice search and dictation experience. This results not from a fresh s…
Acquisitions & long-term growth strategies for design agencies
(Update September 2018: I’m gradually appending M&A transactions since this article was published, listed as comments at the bottom of the page. There have been at least 19 in the 36 months since first publication – feel free to add your own in th…
Principles for establishing digital tone of voice in automotive UX
If you imagine every button and touchscreen gesture contributes to an ongoing digital conversation between user and product, what is your brand’s tone of voice? Moreover, who is responsible for crafting this nuanced sound in your organisation and …
Simplifying the flow of creativity in iOS
“For those, like me at times, who want more tools or are used to tools available in desktop software, iOS now enables easy access to the editing functionality of third party apps…What is particularly striking here is that the app functionali…
Mozilla’s Webmaker seeks to turn consumers into creators
With our ongoing series about improving the user experience of pivoting between consuming and creating digital content, I was intrigued by Mozilla’s launch of Webmaker, an Android app designed to simplify the process of creating and sharing web pa…
Inspiring new forms of creative expression through mobile devices
As part of our ongoing series about improving user experience in that crucial moment when transitioning between a mode of consumption and a mode of creativity, we made separate investigations into both ‘Consume’ and ‘Create’ as distinct themes. T…
Design principles for restoring focus to digital consumption
Our collaborative exploration of user experience at the intersection of consumption and creativity (described in this essay by Alex Guest and Marek Pawlowski) has deep roots. User behaviours associated with modes of both consumption and creativit…