Everyday our minds are feed by the visual designs and blog posts that tell us to follow the rules without questions. Have you ever thought deeper why you use this advices and inspiration? Do they really work fine? Let’s challenge this status quo with UXMisfit.com.
The UX Misfit?
You probably noticed that blog changed it’s brand to UXMisfit.com (formerly Successful-apps.com). This change was necessary. There are hundreds of sites that includes success stories with tips how to do something with your design. The next blog telling you blindly list of tips will not give you any value.
The UXMisfit.com has a mission to wake your designer’s mind. I want you to realize that the UX design is not limited only to following the patterns. Every digital product was created by people that were no smarter than you. Even those created by large companies like Apple, Google, Facebook or Microsoft. These tech giants do the great job, but their solutions are not free from mistakes. I believe that you are able to train yourself to do better designs than this companies do. You are able to challenge this status quo. To design better. Finally, you may influence UX design industry.
What happened to UX and UI Design
Nowadays dribbblisation of design ruined our approach to digital product creation. Graphics seems to look impressive but will they work in the real product? Many of them would have really poor experience. I believe that your can do the work that is more than dirbbblized UIs.
How to design better
Before you start any project, repeat this sentence: “Design is not how it looks like. Design is how it works”. This simple thought was spoken by Steve Jobs and in just few words shows us the essence of what you as the Designer should do.
But what does it mean in practical approach? Let’s try to analyze what it means is a bit more. The 4 layers of the good Design:
- Intention – all of the work starts here. You have to think what the users’ problem your solution will solve. What the user should feel?
- Usefulness – this layer of design has a mission to discover functionalities of the future product and define requirements
- Information architecture – describes what information to display and it’s hierarchy
- Interaction – defines how user may manipulate the product, what is the products behavior
- Visual design – the final layer cover the solutions graphical design and motion design
As you clearly see the visual (or graphic) design is only one layer of many other. It is the consequence of a logical and deep thinking process. Nowadays, you are the witness of mainstream design thinking. Designers are blindly aligning to the UX and UI patterns. Do not be one of them. Think different.
Think different
Everyone in the industry remembers the Apple’s famous marketing campaign “Crazy Ones”. The short movie and the series of posters told us about the important values. About the brave people who where not scared to think in a different way, to test a different approach and in the end – to change the world.
Although, every designer knows this short movie, only a few understood it’s true message. Do not just create a different stuff. It is an easy path, but it does not lead to the successful solutions. You should think different to design the better products. Do not take everything what is written in the web (even this blog) as a granted. Analyze, rethink and validate every aspect of your project.
What to do now
Be brave and embrace the skepticism. The UXMisfit.com will include articles to help you open your mind and question popular UX dogmas. Off course, popular post series with quick tips, resources and inspiration will remain here as a part of the content. However, do not follow them blindly, advices I include work for my designs and may not be so successful in yours. Always validate if they apply to your solution.
Without further ado – let’s begin. If you think you would like to become one of the UX Misfits, join to the community here.