The visual cortex is the part of the brain that processes visual information. Each of the senses has an area of the brain where the signals for that sensory perception are usually sent and processed. Given the way our brains work, there are things you can do that will grab your user’s visual attention. In this article, Susan Weinschenk explains how the visual cortex of our brains plays a vital role in controlling our behavior.
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An old cliché says that “may you get everything you wish for” makes for a particularly insidious curse. As all the other browsers got easier and easier to deal with, Mat Marquis attempted to convince himself that there was at least still a challenge to quirky old IE. That even became something of a point of pride: he had gotten so good at fixing obscure IE issues that he’d learned to dodge them during the course of my everyday development, leaving nothing to dread come the big “open it up in IE and see what broke” phase. With Edge soon making the switch to Chrome’s rendering engine — well, for better or worse, a bitter wish is coming true.
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It’s not just micro-moment design problems that can cause trouble. Designers often spend a lot of time on macro design issues, and sometimes less so on critical micro-moment design issues. That might be a mistake. Macro design issues can result in massive UX problems, too. In this article, Susan Weinschenk will take a closer look at how to avoid such failures and why they are critical to the UX success of any product.
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A 404 page should do more than apologize for poor navigation on behalf of your website. There are some 404 pages that go above and beyond. Rather than the stark white of a standard 404 error page, these pages take an opportunity to speak to users in a more personal tone. Excellent 404 pages are exactly like getting an unexpected treat from a friendly face. In this article, Shelby Rogers will show you why making an effort with a 404 page could better your website’s chances of people coming back despite the inconvenience, and how to track those errors to reduce how often people see it.
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The mobile web is a booming place right now, which means web designers are spending lots of time trying to figure out how to win over this particular class of users. One way not to do that? Dark patterns. While your company may get some superficial and short-term gains in the process, nothing good will come from it in the long-run.
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Many of us are taught to make sure our sites can be used via keyboard. Why is that, and what is it like in practice? Chris Ashton did an experiment to find out. He hopes to raise the profile of difficulties faced by real people, which are avoidable if we design and develop in a way that is sympathetic to their needs. Chris used the web for a day without JavaScript. Today, he forces himself to navigate the web using just his keyboard.
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In times when everything is generic, how do we stand out without spending too much time and resources on elaborate art direction? Let’s explore a strategic guide for bringing back personality to the web, in regular real-life projects.
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From campfires to books to advertisements to film, stories have a power over us that no other human invention can wield. They calm us, thrill us, enthrall us and send us running back to the box office for another hit. If we consider story structure as we look at user interactions, there are lots of ways we can put ourselves in the user’s shoes and optimize their experience, providing support exactly when they need it. In this article, John Rhea brings you some techniques.
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Search engines have evolved in leaps and bounds these past few years. This year, there are a number of things that need to be kept in mind with regard to SEO. There are some key SEO concepts that experts in the field struggle to communicate clearly to designers. This can create friction and the impression that most well-designed websites are very poorly optimized for SEO. In this article, Myriam Jessier aims to provide all the information you need to know.
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Have you ever wondered whether it’s possible to do anything on the web without JavaScript? How many sites use progressive enhancement in practice? In this article Chris Ashton will try to use the web under various constraints, representing a given demographic of user. A good core experience is indicative of a well-structured web page, which, in turn, is usually a good sign for SEO and for accessibility. It’s usually a well designed web page, as the designer and developer have spent time and effort thinking about what’s truly core to the experience.
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