Issue 19

WELCOME

This issue of Being Designerly features the impact of AI on design, UX education and transitioning to a career in design.

Other curated links include bias and perspective, inclusive design, books on creativity and data visualization, and a handy UI checklist.

FEATURE

13 Upcoming UI And UX Trends Every Tech Company Should Prepare For

Feels like Christmas in July when I see trend listicles... but read about AI, ML, AI, VR, AI, Inclusive, AI, typography, AI...

Brickit’s AI Camera Scans Your LEGO to Suggest Things You Can Build

There are LEGO apps, and then there's Brickit. an iOS app by a team of fans. The Brickit app uses a powerful AI camera to rapidly scan your LEGO bricks and then suggest fun little projects you can build with what you have.

Not a LEGO Master? Running short on creativity? There's an app for that...

UX

It’s the perfect time to switch to a career in design. Here’s how

Diane Domeyer, executive director at staffing agency Robert Half, argues that it’s the perfect time to jump into the field of design.

The State of UX Design Education, Part 3: The Future of Design Education

This article discusses a few hard and soft skills that are important for design. It also talks about how designers will evolve beyond screens, to design for systems powered by Artificial Intelligence and machine-learning algorithms.

Solving problems through design

Modern design has to unify the worlds of business, technology, science and art to collaboratively develop innovative, yet practical, solutions for real-world problems. This article explains why design education must stimulate a holistic understanding of the subject and inculcate a multi-disciplinary perspective in students — to build a new world by solving humanity’s problems through design.

UX Research at Microsoft

This is a nice collection of articles by people in Microsoft's UX team.

Read articles about how UX Research can get a seat at the table, a series on running workshops remotely, and facilitation.

INCLUSIVE

Applause: 69% say digital accessibility is high priority

Awareness of the need for digital accessibility is growing across the globe, according to the survey by digital quality and crowd-testing company Applause, with 69% of respondents saying their company is prioritizing digital accessibility now more than ever because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article has a few findings and the link to the full report.

The design industry too often leaves people behind

Who doesn’t want to be the next Jony Ive? Innovation is a great thing, but when all the glamour and fame is attached to innovating for the sake of hypergrowth, those who perhaps need the innovation the most, whose needs are more specific and also more acute, are at risk of falling further behind.

Book Sponsor

Habits of Success

Look for my chapter about the Habits of Success from the world of Design in this USA Today Bestseller!

TOOLS

UXmeter - Like Tinder, but for finding the hottest web design in town | Product Hunt

Rate websites, see top rated websites in different categories and compare websites in the design-off. #2 on Product Hunt earlier this month... (it is UK-centric)

Curious about why Amazon Prime was the worst of the streaming lot? Take a peek!

Shift Nudge – UI Checklist

Sign up for the newsletter and get access to this checklist of 101 things to consider when designing interfaces. Use this to self-critique your designs.

INSPIRATION

New book goes behind the scenes of the creative process

This book features a collection of 44 interviews with creatives spanning art, design, advertising, and photography. Each reveal personal insights on a selection of topics, from how their childhood has influenced their work, to where they get ideas and inspiration, to failure and fears.

21 Must-Read Data Visualization Books, According to Experts

Four data visualization experts and authors (Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Alli Torban, Randy Krum, and Tamara Munzner) share their favorite data visualization books.

If these 21 books don't keep you busy all summer, I'll add a few more by Tufte!

UNTIL NEXT TIME

I hope you enjoyed this issue, and the articles about the impact of AI on design, UX education, transitioning to a career in design, bias and perspective, inclusive design, books on creativity and data visualization, and a handy UI checklist.

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!