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Gamification in Design

by Rachel Anderson
Today, the gaming industry in the United States and across the world is a multi-billion dollar industry. There are conferences, competitions, and communities everywhere you look. From Mario Kart to Fortnite, the global interest in games is obvious and intriguing. Given the stunning success of this hobby, how can other industries model the same? How...
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What’s Inspiring Me Right Now

by Rachel Anderson
I love learning. Whether it’s online classes, podcasts, or documentaries – I simply cannot resist an opportunity to increase my knowledge and open my mind. This year I have dedicated significant time and energy to learning from an eclectic array of sources; it has undoubtedly benefited me. I can attest to the inspiration, information, and...
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Introduction to Web Animation: Part One – CSS

by Eric Baldoni
CSS animation is a good way to quickly animate your web pages and add some nice visual interest. Here in part one of our animation series we will show you a very simple animation using only CSS that will give you a few of the basic concepts to hopefully get you inspired to learn more....
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Don’t Reinvent the Can Opener

by Rachel Anderson
The other day I had a funny experience – I was at a friend’s house and couldn’t figure out how to use their can opener. Yup, you read that right – can opener. It was a beautiful, minimalist design with sleek, modern curves and smooth edges. However, I couldn’t figure out how the Helvetica it...
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Visual Regression Testing: Automate UI QA

by Khaiersta English
If you are a designer for the web, you may, or may not work directly with engineers who implement your designs. If you do, you know that things can change. CSS classes can be disrupted and shift alignment. Font sizes, colors, and positioning can change as new elements are added. In the past, the only...
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A UX Lesson From Coffee

by Rachel Anderson
“Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like.” Steve Jobs once quipped, “People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how...
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Browser and Device Testing Made Easy

by Eric Baldoni
As the number of devices and browsers your visitors use to access your content it becomes more difficult to quickly test for visual issues in your UI framework. For a long time it was just Windows and Mac and a few browsers. Testing could be accomplished using two computers or an OS emulator. Then along...One of the more stellar recent features has been localized testing which allows you to run tests through your local development environment in their browser. The only thing I still find a bit hinky is trying to use the console to troubleshoot css issues on Windows. There is some lag and it can be difficult...To learn more about their services visit the website – Browserstack
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What Does Simple Really Mean?

by Rachel Anderson
Simple is a popular word in the design world. But, what does it actually mean? What do clients mean when they request simple interfaces? What do users mean when they say they like how simple an app is? With a word used as commonly as this one, it’s important to have some standard definition and...
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The Complement of Repeat Business

by Khaiersta English
If you’re working as a designer, chances are you’re working for clients. Your clients may be in-house departments or different companies. Either way, the dynamics are largely the same. If you do a good job listening, creating, and delivering solutions for clients, they will pay you back with repeat business, testimonials, and referrals. If your...
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Working Well With Others

by Rachel Anderson
As designers, we are in a unique position to collaborate with cross-functional teams throughout our companies. While it is a great honor and joy to serve others in different disciplines, it can also be difficult. Other teams have their own unique goals, objectives, workflows, timelines, and constraints. Despite the certainty of these challenges, it is...