Are you also getting lost in all the files, deliverables, shared docs, PDFs, and reports related to your UX work? What about decisions scattered everywhere between email, Slack conversations, Dropbox folders, SharePoint, Notion, and Figma? It’s too easy to lose important assets and too difficult to find them just when you need them. While we […]
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The work of a designer largely consists of inventing new things, which requires creativity that is generally believed to depend on inspiration, making it unpredictable and difficult to control. Many designers, as well as those who would like to try their hand at design, are wondering: what to do if inspiration does not come at […]
Efficient navigation is vital for a functional website, but not everyone uses the internet the same way. While most visitors either scroll on mobile or click through with a mouse, many people only use their keyboards. Up to 10 million American adults have carpal tunnel syndrome, which may cause pain when holding a mouse, and […]
A year ago, I learned that my role as an accessibility engineer was at risk of redundancy. It was a tough moment, both professionally and personally. For quite some time, my mind raced with guilt, self-doubt, plain sadness… But as I sat with these emotions, I found one line of thought that felt productive: reflection. […]
Dark mode, a beloved feature in modern digital interfaces, offers a visually striking alternative to traditional light themes. Its allure lies in the striking visual contrast it provides, a departure from the light themes that have dominated our screens for decades. However, its design often misses the mark on an important element — accessibility. For […]
With AI upon us, companies have recently been turning their attention to “synthetic” user testing — AI-driven research that replaces UX research. There, questions are answered by AI-generated “customers,” human tasks “performed” by AI agents. However, it’s not just for desk research or discovery that AI is used for; it’s an actual usability testing with […]
When I start any UX project, typically, there is very little confidence in the successful outcome of my UX initiatives. In fact, there is quite a lot of reluctance and hesitation, especially from teams that have been burnt by empty promises and poor delivery in the past. Good UX has a huge impact on business. […]
Data storytelling is a powerful communication tool that combines data analysis with narrative techniques to create impactful stories. It goes beyond presenting raw numbers by transforming complex data into meaningful insights that can drive decisions, influence behavior, and spark action. When done right, data storytelling simplifies complex information, engages the audience, and compels them to […]
Content testing is a simple way to test the clarity and understanding of the content on a page — be it a paragraph of text, a user flow, a dashboard, or anything in between. Our goal is to understand how well users actually perceive the content that we present to them. It’s not only about […]
Illustration has been used for 10,000 years. One of the first ever recorded drawings was of a hand silhouette found in Spain, that is more than 66,000 years old. Fast forward to the introduction of the internet, around 1997, illustration has gradually increased in use. Popular examples of this are Google’s daily doodles and the […]
For a multistep form, planning involves structuring questions logically across steps, grouping similar questions, and minimizing the number of steps and the amount of required information for each step. Whatever makes each step focused and manageable is what should be aimed for. In this tutorial, we will create a multistep form for a job application. […]
Summary: “User experience” describes both users’ relationships with products and a growing professional industry of practitioners aiming to improve those relationships. The term “user experience” (UX) can be difficult to explain to colleagues and friends. This article is meant to provide an approachable definition of user experience, explain the ever growing professional field of UX, and […]
Good technical illustrations and data visualisations allow users and clients to, in a manner of speaking, take time out, ponder and look at the information in a really accessible and engaging way. It can obviously also help you communicate certain categories of information and data. The aim of the article is to inspire and show […]
Every generation is different in very unique ways, with different habits, views, standards, and expectations. So when designing for Gen Z, what do we need to keep in mind? Let’s take a closer look at Gen Z, how they use tech, and why it might be a good idea to ignore common design advice and […]
Summary: When users don’t clearly understand how systems function, they develop unique (and often incorrect) theories to explain their experiences. In user research, we often hear people describe how they think technology works. Sometimes, those theories are accurate, but most often, they are not. Through the many user interviews, field studies, and user testing sessions that […]
Finally! After so many years, we’re very happy to launch “How To Measure UX and Design Impact”, our new practical guide for designers and managers on how to set up and track design success in your company — with UX scorecards, UX metrics, the entire workflow and Design KPI trees. Neatly put together by yours […]
Accessibility is key in modern web design. A site that doesn’t consider how its user experience may differ for various audiences — especially those with disabilities — will fail to engage and serve everyone equally. One of the best ways to prevent this is to approach your site from a bottom-up perspective. Understanding Bottom-Up Design […]
Summary: AI can speed up certain research tasks but is currently most helpful in the planning and analysis stages. This article focuses on how publicly available AI tools can help UX researchers in their studies. You’ll want to use your AI tools more heavily for certain stages of research projects and avoid them for others. How […]
Summary: Work with AI tools in UX the way you’d work with an intern: Treat their work as a first pass, double-check their facts, and provide specific instructions. We’ve long recommended working with AI tools like you might work with an intern — providing lots of instructions, guidance, oversight, and correction. This analogy helps avoid technical […]
I place myself firmly in the category of being an introvert when it comes to my role as a UX researcher. I love the process of planning and executing research. I have never felt a need to be the loudest or most talkative person in a meeting. I contribute after I have developed something worth […]
This article is a sponsored by Luzmo In this article, I’ll introduce you to Luzmo Flex, a new feature from the Luzmo team who have been working hard making developer tooling to flatten the on-ramp for analytics reporting and data visualization. With Luzmo Flex, you can hook up a dataset and create beautifully crafted, fully […]
Job Title Design Assistant Application Deadline August 30, 2024 Location United States About NN/g Nielsen Norman Group is a UX research and consulting firm trusted by leading organizations world-wide to provide reliable guidance on user experience. NN/g provides evidence-based user experience research, training, and consulting. The founders, Don Norman and Jakob Nielsen, are recognized around […]
Summary: Use this glossary to quickly clarify key terms and concepts related to UX deliverables. In UX, a deliverable is a document that serves as a record of work that has occurred . UX practitioners produce a wide range of deliverables to communicate design ideas, research findings, and the context of projects to various audiences. Juggling […]
In the previous article in my two-part series, I have explained how important it is to start by mastering your design tools, to work on your portfolio (even if you have very little work experience — which is to be expected at this stage), and to carefully prepare for your first design interviews. If all […]
