UX Design
Creating delightful experiences is a key challenge in product design. We can make products useful and usable, but delight requires understanding what truly evokes positive emotions in our users. Loretta Graziano Breuning’s framework on “happy chemicals”—dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins—offers a valuable tool for this. By understanding when and why these chemicals are released, we...
Creating a UX strategy is about establishing a clear path and setting measurable goals to enhance user experience, align design with business objectives, and ultimately drive impactful results. But does having a UX strategy guarantee success? Not necessarily. It’s more of a guiding framework than a promise of increased profits and accolades. However, a well-constructed...
Why Stakeholder Interviews are Essential for a Strong UX Process Throughout my career as a UX consultant, I’ve worked with a variety of companies, each with its own unique processes and challenges. But across all these experiences, one common issue stands out—the rush to conduct user interviews as soon as a new feature request comes...
Gamification is more than just a buzzword in business; it’s a growing trend where companies use game-like mechanics to drive engagement, encourage productivity, and improve employee satisfaction. With the rise of mobile devices, gamification has the potential to seamlessly integrate into our daily workflows. But can it truly revolutionize employee productivity, especially in free-to-play (F2P)...
Creating a mood board is essential for setting the tone and direction of any design project. For UX and product design, it becomes a collaborative guide that aligns both the designer and stakeholders on a shared vision while staying focused on user needs and problem-solving. Here’s a step-by-step guide to building an effective mood board...
Why First Impressions Matter for Free-to-Play (F2P) Games First impressions are critical for F2P games as they significantly influence a player’s decision to stay engaged. In the competitive world of free-to-play games, users can enter and exit games with minimal investment, meaning developers must capture their attention quickly to minimize player churn. Here’s an analysis...
Integrating Business Strategy into the UX Design Process To design successful digital interfaces, a balance between user needs and business goals is crucial. User experience (UX) is often perceived as user-centric, but to make an impact, UX must be business-driven. This article explores how a Business-Driven UX Process can create a seamless connection between business...
In game development, the question often arises: are games a storytelling medium? Some industry voices argue that games shouldn’t be viewed as vessels for narrative. But as a game designer deeply involved in crafting user experience, I firmly believe that games are indeed narrative vehicles. The role of the designer is to create not only...
Many designers are familiar with responsive design, often framed around a column-based grid with fixed breakpoints for different screen sizes. But modern CSS layout techniques, particularly Flexbox and CSS Grid, allow for more flexibility, moving beyond traditional grid systems to create adaptable designs. Understanding these tools doesn’t mean designers need to code; it’s about improving...
Design changes are often accompanied by heated debates and subjective arguments. Statements like, “I don’t think this will work” or “I don’t like it” are common in design discussions, and while A/B testing might seem like the solution, it’s crucial to first know what metrics truly matter. The HEART framework, developed by Google, helps bridge...