Join us for this week’s FYI as we journey from how best to utilize bright colors in UX to a dark and chilling interactive web-story, with a few enticing goodies along the way. Presenting some cool new Google search features, advice on how to tell your users they messed up, and an alternative process to traditional wireframes.
Happy reading, friends!
1: Educate Yo’ Self
First, Google rolled out a feature to help users search for a new job, now they’ve taken that same idea to help students compare and contrast universities from around the world. Now, when you search for a university on Google all of the hard to find and scattered data from various web pages around the internet is concentrated in a simple and elegant widget which gives you a perfect snapshot of the school.
This way to higher learning >>>
Google Wants to Make the College Search Easier
2: A well-timed “oops”
Conversion. It’s important, to say the least, but when getting users to just click a small CTA button is a multibillion-dollar industry, and the prospect of getting a user to complete a digital form is seemingly impossible. This article is here to help with nice explanations and gifs.
A must read before you even think about designing your next form >>>
The Best Place for Error Messages on Forms
3: Bright and Breezy or Obnoxiously Obtrusive?
Outlining the benefits and pitfalls of using bright colors in digital design, this article is a splash of interesting insights and vibrant examples. Though fairly basic, it’s a good refresher of some very important design guidelines.
Brighten up your day >>>
Bright Colors in UI Design: Benefits and Drawbacks
Creative UX
4: An Alt-Wireframe?
Beginning with some (well thought out) criticisms of wireframes, the author then dives into a detailed study of how and why to use “priority guides,” with good, while not attractive, visual examples, and a step-by-step guide. This is an interesting view of an alternative route to take when planning and designing.
Enhance your palette and skills >>>
Priority Guides: A Content-First Alternative to Wireframes
5: Falter
In this chilling interactive story readers journey into the darker side of modern life and technology. Highlighting both incredible design and storytelling skills, this piece is a fun yet chilling exploration of pop-culture, design, and human imagination.
Buckle Up >>>