process
buttons
With iOS Buttons, Know Your Right from Your Left
Back! Done! Cancel! Save! Mobile apps sport a bevy of buttons to dismiss a view, but their proper placement isn’t always obvious. Here are the general rules to follow.
history
Grids, Design Guidelines, Broken Rules, and the Streets of New York City
The history of New York City’s aggressive grid of city streets offers plenty of lessons for digital designers.
content strategy
Mobile Isn't the Lite Version
Jakob Nielsen’s dubious mobile website guidelines make the mistake of assuming that there’s such a thing as “this is mobile content, and this is not.”
mobile
Designing for “Context” Is Tricky Business
Designers often conflate device context with user context—or worse, with user intent. “This is mobile, so they’ll never want to do that.” ”This is mobile, so it’s aimed only at users on the go.” Friends, this is hooey.
gestures
“Buttons Were an Inspired UI Hack, but Now We’ve Got Better Options”
The good folks at O’Reilly interviewed me this week about how new technologies change how we should think about interface design as both consumers and designers.
apple
3.1 Million Pixels Are Heavy
If you want to take advantage of the new iPad’s gorgeous screen (and of course you do), every image you push down the wire is about to put on a ton of weight. That has implications in lots of places and for lots of people.
gestures
Gestures in #NewNewTwitter
Big changes are afoot in the new Twitter app for iPhone, with both good and bad things happening with the app’s gesture interactions. Here’s a hard look.
ffly
“Don't Confuse Context with Intent”
In an interview with Webdesigner Depot, I shared some future-friendly thinking about adapting to the needs of a whole universe of connected devices.
apple
An Unwitting Tribute
I thought my first CNN appearance marked the next generation of a new device. Instead, it was an unwitting tribute to Steve Jobs. Rest in peace, Steve, we miss you.
conference
For Your Consideration: "Teaching Touch" at SXSW
I’m pitching a SXSW talk about crafting discoverable gestures and joyous touchscreen interfaces. I could use your vote.
icons
Iconathon!
Designers, on your marks! Pixel slingers, grab your javelins! Icon acrobats, get limber! [The Iconathon is here, and it’s an AWESOME concept.
conference
Buttons Are a Hack
Designing for touch means creating direct interactions that shed three decades of abstract desktop metaphors. As designers, that means we have some deprogramming to do.
conference
FOWD Throws in the Towel
I couldn’t stop giggling when I saw my ugly mug on this tea towel created by the good folks at Future of Web Design.
android
Fugly Android
A gallery of mobile horrors calls itself “an argument for closed systems,” but more subtly, it’s really an argument that bad taste abounds.
books
A Tale of Type and Transportation
Just ordered “Helvetica and the New York City Subway System” based on an engaging review by Michael Bierut.
iphone
Video of My Mobile Design Course Available
I just finished teaching an eight-week class on tapworthy iPhone design and user experience. If you missed it, all 12 hours of video are available for sale.
conference
SXSW 2011: Bloated but Lovable
SXSW spilled over the levees of Austin’s infrastructure, creating logistical headaches that sank the conference. But man, it sure was fun. Also: I gave a talk on iPad app design.
ipad
Suzanne Ginsburg on the "Evolution of Discoverability"
Touchscreens introduce new interface metaphors, as well as new techniques to subtly help our audiences understand how to use our apps. Suzanne offers some useful examples.