My Top 5 Resources for Learning More About UX Design

I was asked today by a new connection I made at last week's WhichTestWon's Live Event what five pieces of content/sources I would recommend for learning more about usability and user experience design.  Here's the answer I gave:

#1. David Travis' online Udemy course: The Ultimate Guide to Usability

Admittedly, I'm not the best online course attendee: I'll participate actively the first few weeks and then fail to finish.  David / the Udemy structure kept me engaged.  BONUS: There's a special buddy discount that will get you 75% off!  Enter in "BUDDYPASS-UX" during May to get the course...

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The Problem with Large Homepage Sliders

Somewhere in the purge of homepage clutter and the love affair for full-page elements, designers thought they could take a page from successful photography and design studios and create visual appeal with a giant slider featured prominently on the home page of corporate and ecommerce sites.

People oohed and awed over the mocks featuring beautiful photography and carefully-selected typography.  Each slide had meaning and conveyed a powerful message.   The client was happy, the designer happy.

But then the site went live and the client started uploading or creating their own slides.  The...

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5 Reasons I Hate Pop-Up Newsletter Sign-Up Boxes

Too many times lately I come to what I am told is a great UX blog––or let's face it; I'm really on a clothing site––and BAM!  Before any interaction happens, one of these pop-up boxes asking for my email to sign up to a newsletter covers my browser screen.

Conversion optimization studies have revealed these pop-up boxes, also known as modals or lightboxes, can result in higher conversions.  I am going to take an unchacteristic stance and say this: Screw the numbers.  I bet any decent usability test that surveyed users and asked about the experience––the emotional effect––of seeing...

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A Pledge for 2013

I hereby swear to abandon all fear; to question everything; to trust in myself; to honor those before me as I excel, and to support those who follow as they ascend. I swear that I will never accept another’s standard for success, as I set mine one measure higher. When I am finished, no one will ever fucking look at me the same way again.

From GoodFuckignDesignAdvice.com

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