FEATURE
Asynchronous Design Critique: Giving Feedback
Design critique is often the name used for a type of feedback that’s provided to make our work better, collaboratively. So it shares a lot of the principles with feedback in general, but it also has some differences.
In today's world, we share artifacts and documents and get feedback not in real time. How can we improve the feedback we give asynchronously?
alistapart.com
Derailed Design Critiques: Tactics for Getting Back on Track
Feedback during design critiques can be filled with hypothetical scenarios and unactionable suggestions. The right facilitation techniques help stakeholders and team members stay on track while still feeling heard.
nngroup.com
EMPATHY
How user empathy can make even bar charts more insightful
The bar chart is a versatile chart that we can use in nearly every visualization situation. But that doesn’t mean that all bar charts are great, By asking small questions when you’re creating one, you can create bar charts that your audience won’t soon forget.
uxdesign.cc
VISUAL
What if your favourite brands still used their original logo?
What would some of the worlds biggest brands look like today if they’d continued to innovate but stick with their original logo? @tjscreates shows us what that would look like.
Mmmmm... fries!
instagram.com
UX
Why so many products are so badly designed
The basics of good design are often ignored in part because technology and design are taught as separate subjects, according to the author, Scott Berkun. The interdisciplinary insights that are essential to designing good things for people are missing from required classes. Instead, students are taught to build things that function technically but not humanely.
fastcompany.com
Nielsen Norman Group's new UX Maturity Model
NNG's new UX-maturity model has 6 stages that cover processes, design, research, leadership support, and longevity of UX.
Grab the poster and try their quiz to get an idea of your organization’s UX maturity.
nngroup.com
INCLUSIVE
Why designers need to consider accessibility in type
This builds on the Dyslexie font covered in the previous issue of BeingDesignerly. This article talks about making type more accessible.
I love the quote at the end: "... most people aren’t demanding you make changes for them to make things accessible, they’re simply asking you to stop creating more barriers.”
designweek.co.uk
Do No Harm Guide: Applying Equity Awareness in Data Visualization
This guide focuses primarily on race and ethnicity, but similar issues of inclusivity around gender, sexuality, class, ability, and other characteristics should be at the forefront for data analysts and designers.
This report reminded me of the visualizations that reduced pandemic deaths to dots on a map (covered in BeingDesignerly #10 )
If you cannot read the entire report, jump to the recommendations and the checklist at the end.
urban.org
On being included and then excluded from Google's All In
A series of tweets with behind-the-scenes details of how @DisabledListOrg was included and then removed from Google's “inclusive marketing toolkit of learnings and industry-wide best practices”
twitter.com
Thinking about accessibility—a few tips to make a difference
Accessibility should not be an afterthought, which it shouldn't be. Web developer Amandeep is doing his bit to educate other developers, spread awareness, and share the guidelines through this list of things to consider during development.
dev.to
Book Sponsor
Habits of Success
Look for my chapter about the Habits of Success from the world of Design
amazon.com
INSPIRATION
Digital Design Talks - Learn from Design Leaders from around the world
The interviews are presented like a text message exchange between the interviewer and interviewee... short and quick. There are about 10 such exchanges that you can read through.
digitaldesigntalks.com
NEWS
Google Glass Was Ugly, but Facebook's AR Baseball Hat Might Be Worse
Mass adoption of AR and VR has been a problem in part because we need special equipment, or in this case, bulky, obtrusive devices that aren't a normal part of our lives.
Would you wear this?
gizmodo.com
UNTIL NEXT TIME
I hope you enjoyed this issue, and the articles about design critiques, inclusive design, bad design, UX maturity, a look back at a few original brand logos, short Q&As with leading designers and take a look at Facebook's AR baseball hat....
If you think someone would benefit from Being Designerly, please forward it to them.
I'm looking for feedback, of the brutally honest kind, so this can improve over time. You can reach me at lycerejo (at) gmail.com - thank you!