2016 will be a great year. I’m saying this as if it’s January but I’m not exactly sure I felt that way then. Now that I’m moving forward in a direction that I’m pleased with, I can confidently say that this year will be full of knocking down many of those longtime goals. Here is my weekly batch of articles that I read this week. Keeping a strict weekly segment is difficult but since I’m always reading, I might as well share content that I found worthwhile. It’s important to stay on top of industry trends and if I have that spare time on my commute or during my lunch break, I’m going to utilize it for reading. Today’s roundup is short and sweet.
1. Mobile UX Design: The Right Ways to Ask Users for Permissions
By Nick Babich on Babich
This is a great article on an interesting topic. I’m glad someone is addressing it because I have personally felt violated by apps when they ask for permission to use my camera or access my contacts without building rapport with me. If I were to summarize in this in a sentence, it would be: “Don’t ask a user for access until you really need it.” I agree with this. This article had clear explanations and excellent visuals to convey the point. Go read it and see what you learn.
2. 14 useful tools for creating color palettes
By Ekaterina Novoseltseva from Apiumtech Blog
It’s incredible to see just how many tools there are for this task. Color is definitely an important and contributive factor of who the brand is and what the user experience is like. The author lists a wide range of software programs that perform various tasks but kept it within the umbrella of designing with color palettes in mind. I’m eyeing a couple of them that I would like to start playing around with.
3. The ultimate guide to becoming a UX designer
By Jerry Cao from The Next Web
I absolutely loved this piece. The author wrote in a voice that sounded approachable and warm. Reading this felt like I was having a casual, yet informative conversation with a friend. This article is so rich with valuable information and priceless advice and I encourage any aspiring UX professional to go through this carefully. I found myself checking off the things I already know and incorporating new resources. I know that I’ll be frequently coming back to this article, at least until I can comfortably call myself an experienced UX designer.
4. What Does UX Have to Do With Employees? Everything.
By Mark Miller from Inc.
“Why doesn’t user experience factor more strongly into the workplace?” I wonder about that as well. If I was a business owner, I would absolutely do everything in my power to make sure that the employee experience is top notch. If my employees aren’t happy, I can’t expect them to provide excellent service to my clients. I like this author’s approach to incorporate aspects of user experience and design thinking to enhance to employee experience. Every employer can learn something from this.
Yesterday, I completed my first summer race and I am pumped! It has been six years since I last raced. That was in Fall 2010, which was the beginning of my senior year and my last Cross Country season with SUA. Obviously my mile pace now is much slower than what it was before but it was still a great experience to race again with such a dedicated and strong group of New Yorkers. Running is a brutal sport so it’s not always joyful but I am looking forward to more races. I also had one of the best nights of sleep I’ve had in a while so I’m delighted about that.
Cheers,
Riri
