WELCOME
Being Designerly turns 3 with this issue - thank you for your support! This issue highlights the most popular articles over the past year featuring topics of innovation, creativity, observation, empathy, experimentation, UX, accessibility, visualization, and a reminder to participate in World Usability Day next month.
FEATURE
The big idea: what’s the secret of innovation?
From Issue 59: The secret: human beings do not like too much novelty. The innovations that take off combine a lot of familiarity with a little bit of new.
CREATIVITY
Tactics to Spark Innovative Thinking from a Disney Executive
From issue 57: Duncan Wardle, Disney’s former head of innovation and creativity has some easy steps to help people break away from conventional thinking and prompt fresh ideas in the workplace.
OBSERVATION
Semblance: A Frontend Design Quiz
From issue 56: How observant are you? Try this fun, online quiz to test your ability to notice pixel perfect changes in web design. Earn a point for each correct answer on the first try. 12 questions... how did you do?
EMPATHY
How self-checkout kiosks may be making Americans lonelier
From issue 74: It's not often to see a NYPost link in Being Designerly, but this one was interesting, especially since most digital design allows for self-service. Something to think about...
A PlayUSA poll in April found that the majority of Americans prefer technology to interactions with human cashiers, but agree that the practice has decreased meaningful connections, social skills and empathy
VISUAL
Visualization: The Top 50 Most Visited Websites in the World
Issue 60 top link in the visual category: This visualization maps the 50 websites that currently sit at the top of the ranking. Topping the list of most-visited websites in the world is, of course, Google. It also owns YouTube, the second-most popular website in the world. Together, Google and YouTube have more traffic than the next 48 websites combined.
EXPERIMENT
The 5-hour rule: How to turn a wasted day into a successful one
From Issue 62: We each have the same 24 hours available to us. What we do with those hours varies, but we each have at least a few hours to spend in leisure. The 5-hour rule asks us to devote at least one hour a day to learning, experimenting, and reflecting. It's a trick used by the richest and most successful people in the world. Here are three easy steps to start your own 5-hour rule.
UX
A list of free eBooks for UX designers
From BeingDesignerly 59, this post was the most popular UX post. Vitaly Friedman shared a list of free eBooks for UX designers.
INCLUSIVE
The Book on Accessibility
From issue 57: This book is a series of guides for implementing an accessibility compliance program in a company - access the content online for free or pay for a license to download and use.
TOPICAL
World Usability Day 2023 - November 9
World Usability Day will be celebrated on November 9th. Sign up now for one of the many events and mark your calendars!
World Usability Day is single day of events occurring around the world that brings together communities of professional, industrial, educational, citizen, and government groups for our common objective: to ensure that the services and products important to life are easier to access and simpler to use.