Nielsen Norman Group’s Post

#DesignSystems have been a big topic recently (especially if you tuned into Figma's #ConFig2024). They can be a lot to handle, develop, and to learn how to utilize, especially with all the parts that go into making an efficient and useful system. If your team uses a design system, we want to know what you think is the biggest benefit you've found. Check out some of our articles in the meantime: Design Systems vs Style Guides, Kelley Gordon https://lnkd.in/eneHMtbE Design Systems 101, Therese B. Fessenden https://lnkd.in/es8YxB-4 Content Standards in Design Systems, Anna Kaley https://lnkd.in/eiAwqams #ContentStandards #UXDesign #DesignSystem #UIDesign #UXPoll #Poll

Size does matter… We’re talking about touch targets for touchscreens, of course! Although our designs may be digital, we use our hands to manipulate these elements on touchscreens. Did you know that according to a study from the MIT Touch Lab, the average person’s fingertips are 1.6–2cm (0.6­­–0.8 in) wide? The typical thumb is even larger — an average of 2.5cm (1 inch) wide! So, designing too small targets can lead to slips, take longer to reach, or cause accidental taps if the spacing is too close. We also need to think of our users’ context(s). Simply walking down the street can make precise taps more difficult. Touch targets need to be large enough to: - Discern what the target is - at minimum 1 cm x 1cm! - Accurately acquire them - Remember that elements clickable with a mouse might not always be accessible by fingers 👆 Want to see some examples? Check out Aurora Harley's article: https://bit.ly/4ewuG6y Or register for our course on Mobile User Experience: https://bit.ly/4bgahQm #TouchTargets #TouchScreens #iPad #iPhone #android #UIDesign #UI #UX

Is fake research better than no research? This has been a big question in the UX community as the importance of AI to improve our workflows is growing, especially with products like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Synthetic Users being alluring products to conduct cheap and fast “research.” If you know NN/g, you know that we never recommend that teams skip user research (with real people!). Using synthetic users or AI-generated users with artificial research findings can be harmful to your organization and product. 🤖🤖 UX professionals and product teams should be wary of insights produced by synthetic users and treat them as hypotheses that need testing! However, if you do plan to use synthetic users Maria Rosala and Kate Moran outline how to do it safely and responsibly in their recent article: https://lnkd.in/eqskw9r8 Just remember that UX without real-user research isn’t UX! Want to learn more? Take our course on Practical AI for UX Professionals: https://lnkd.in/eG4HXS8X #UseAIResponsibly #ChatGPT #SyntheticUsers #UXResearch #UXResearcher #UXDesign #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #NNg #OpenAI #UserTesting #UsabilityTesting #UserInterviews

Are you looking to learn a new skill? Expand your knowledge of UX topics? Well, we’re almost a week away from our July UX courses! This month take one (or more) of our 35 course offerings from Practical AI for UX Professionals to Emerging Patterns in User Interface Design. Taught by our team of NN/g experts and world-class invited speakers, enjoy all of our courses from the comfort of your home. Engaging in hands-on activities with other industry peers and maybe even aiming for your UX Certification. July 13 – July 19 11am - 6pm New York City Time Try some of these courses: July 15 Successful Stakeholder Relationships with Sara Paul: https://bit.ly/4cae6I5 July 16 DesignOps with Rachel Krause: https://bit.ly/3zdwfGe July 19 Usability Testing with Samhita Tankala: https://bit.ly/3zdwfGe Or view the full schedule here: https://bit.ly/4c8AtNT Need help to convince your boss? https://bit.ly/3XFPLVU #NNGUX #UXTraining #UXCourses #UXLearning #Education #UXDesign #UXResearch #PracticalAI #UIDesign #Learning #Courses #OnlineLearning #VirtualLearning #Zoom #Miro #Networking

Bridging psychology and technology is at the heart of UX design because UX is all about people. One of the many facets that affect how people perceive the world around them is the Gestalt Principles. Dating back to the early 1900s, a group of German and Austrian psychologists began to explore how the human mind processes visual information. They found that we’re hardwired to see whole shapes and objects rather than disconnected lines, spaces, or edges. Having a basic understanding of Gestalt principles can help us to create more intuitive user interfaces. Learn more about each of the principles below: Common Region Article: https://bit.ly/3KTMJWD, Aurora Harley Video: https://bit.ly/4ezIP2Y, Rachel Krause Closure Article: https://bit.ly/3REcz4O Alita Joyce Video: https://bit.ly/3KT6qxL, Sara Paul Similarity Article: https://bit.ly/3RBxbKS, Aurora Harley Video: https://bit.ly/3L055VP, Kate Moran Proximity Article: https://bit.ly/4c1CL1n, Aurora Harley Video: https://bit.ly/4cuAV9c, Lillian Yang Figure/Ground Video: https://bit.ly/3RzvbCU, Samhita Tankala Continuation Video: https://bit.ly/3KTL5UZ, Megan Brown Common Fate Video: https://bit.ly/3KVvmoA, Sarah Gibbons Connectedness Video: https://bit.ly/3xs1UDk, Sana Behnam Want to learn more about Psychology and UX? Take our course The Human Mind & Usability: https://bit.ly/3S0VCSr Or visit our free study guide for more UX psychology: https://bit.ly/4exPFWw #UXPsychology #Psychology #HumanMind #GestaltPsychology #GestaltPrinciples #Gestalt #UXDesign #UIDesign #UserExperience #UXisPeople #UserInterface

No one likes making errors. Even if they are mistakes, they can make you feel flustered, ashamed, or just be plain annoying. 🫠 Prioritizing error prevention and recovery is a commendable and worthwhile strategy when designing interfaces… but some well-meaning designs sometimes go too far. I mean, I bet we’ve all been yelled at by an email form field for having an invalid email just as we’ve typed the first letter. Subjecting people to overly aggressive error patterns is just frustrating and distracting rather than helpful. For better error messages: - Wait until a user moves on from a field to display an error message - Provide any constraints upfront - Use an asterisk to mark required fields or annotate required fields with the word required - Reserve error-like visual treatments (e.g., red text) for critical system-status messages that are meant to disrupt the workflow Interested in reading more? Read Kate Kaplan's article on hostile error patterns: https://lnkd.in/ej958aUD #ErrorMessages #HostilePatterns #UX #UI #UsabilityHeuristics #Errors #DesignBetterForms #UXDesign #UXUI #DesignPatterns #UIDesign

Artificial Intelligence can be an overwhelming topic. From the naysayers to the AI enthusiasts, it can be easy to get caught in all the noise and not know where to start. But don’t worry, you aren’t alone! And it’s not too late to get started. In his recent video, Caleb Sponheim Ph.D. walks through 2 ways to help you demystify the AI world to help you get started. One way is through small experiments—Take time to use AI, like #Gemini or #ChatGPT, for small writing experiments, such as emails, copywriting, and summarizing or drafting research plans or screeners. Watch his full video here: https://bit.ly/3XxrWj4 Interested in more? Take Caleb’s course on Practical AI for UX Professionals: https://bit.ly/4cco1g9 #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #AIStress #AIOptimism #AIEnthusiasts #Claude #PracticalAI #UXProfessionals #UXDesigner #UXResearcher #UX

You've probably seen these two common design patterns before��tabs and accordions—but when should you use one over the other? In this video, https://bit.ly/3Viy8sM UX Specialist Huei-Hsin Wang walks through the different characteristics of both patterns and when to use which. Tabs, for instance, suit a few long content sections, while accordions fit many short ones. Interested in reading more about accordions? Also check out her article on when and how to use accordions on desktop: https://bit.ly/4chw5vW #Accordions #Tabs #UX #UXDesign #UIUX #ProductDesign

Have you created an interactive UX map yet? Well, if you haven't, you're in the right place! UX Specialist Megan Brown outlines the pros and cons to help you decide whether creating a hi-fi interactive UX map (e.g., journey maps, service blueprints) is worth it in her latest video: https://lnkd.in/gZJ8rh8k If adding interactions is right for you, check out her step-by-step overview of how to build one here: https://lnkd.in/gSiFJ2-p If the project and timeline allow, interactions can showcase user research and further engage stakeholders beyond a static and standard UX map. #UXMapping #UXResearch #UXDesign #Figma #UserJourneys