DesignWork Process

How to Calculate Design ROI

Sandhya Iyer
It’s widely known that design-forward companies perform better than their counterparts, generating nearly 32% more revenue than companies where design takes a backseat. But why? The direct correlation between UX and revenue generation still isn’t clear to most executives. Here are some tips that will help you effectively communicate the importance of your design work...
Design

Why Design Mentorship Matters

Rachel Anderson
Recently I’ve been reading a book about the life of Leonardo Da Vinci. And while I am impressed with his fascinating character and personality, what has resonated with me the most are the incredible opportunities and mentorship he received. This got me thinking about how powerful mentorship truly is. But, why? Because mentorship feeds the...
Design

A Summary of the Design Leadership Summit

Rachel Anderson
Last month I had an incredible opportunity to attend the Design Leadership Summit in Toronto. After a quick flight out of Newark, I landed in Canada and spent the next few days exploring the beautiful city and enjoying an excellent conference. The Design Leadership Summit was hosted by the Toronto chapter of the DesignX Community....
DesignUX

Gamification in Design

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...
DesignUXWork Process

A UX Lesson From Coffee

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...
DesignWork Process

Working Well With Others

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...
CodeDesignWork Process

From Handoff to Handshake

Rachel Anderson
The handoff process between designers and developers will always be an important topic of discussion in the UX world. Given the difference between methodologies and ideologies, there is often miscommunication and misunderstanding. However, with careful thought and effort, this process can be done well to the satisfaction of all involved. Let’s explore how.   Documentation ...
DesignResponsiveUX

Understanding Emotional Design

Khaiersta English
Emotions play a crucial role in how we understand and experience the world. For generations scientists, psychologists and designers have worked to capture the essence of human emotion and various ways to appeal to it. Don Norman, author of Emotional Design made some valuable observations, which every designer should be familiar with. Where cognitive science...