Tag: user experience

Using the Design Patterns Methodology for Creatives

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Who is this for?

UX/UI Designers, Front-end Developers, Web Developers, Web Designers, Graphic Designers, Back-end Developers

What is the Design Pattern Methodology?

The Design Patterns methodology is simply the reuse of general solutions to solve common problems. This same methodology can also be seen in use in Atomic Design. This methodology has provided a systematic approach to design in which the components, or patterns, we use to solve common problems in design can be reused to solve common interface problems.

Frameworks like Bootstrap and Foundation provide reusable sets of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that are put together to create patterns. These patterns can be further extended using technologies like LESS or SASS and React to create fully functional UI patterns like the ones that are used in the browser that can then be individually included and combined within a full solution and adjusted as needed between projects.

How can I use this as a Creative?

Creatives seem to be placed in a box using templates, widgets, and components. That box has been used to standardize design and, in some cases, replace it entirely. However, by changing the way designers and developers work together within the design pattern methodology, we can use those created patterns and functionalities not only to continue thinking outside the box but also push our design and development possibilities further by improving the accepted functionality.

Designers and developers reuse patterns built into the browser (links, drop-downs, inputs, etc.) that allow us to interact with the websites we visit daily. Some solutions have already been created and are now an accepted standard for using the Internet (accordions, tabs, navigation drop-downs, etc.). These patterns were designed to meet the needs of users, and by thinking of these patterns within this methodology, we can look for ways to expand them and create new, better solutions for users.

Why solve the problems that are already solved?

Think about what you’re designing and developing, and try to create solutions for the problems that have not been solved yet. Push yourself past solving the same issues over and over again. Instead, take the problems you can solve and expand them past what is expected. When you push the norm, you can bring new ideas into the world of creative standards. Never be satisfied with what is — be an innovator.

User Experience vs. User Interface

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With the rise of User Interface design, there has been some confusion about the difference between it and User Experience design. Both are important when designing an application or website, but each brings a different aspect to the finished product.

User Interface: how the user and a computer system interact, particularly the use of input devices, visual controls, gestures, and software.1

User Experience: the overall experience of a person using a product such as a website or computer application, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.2

Many times, User Experience design is confused with User Interface design because of how closely they work together, so to explain both and the differences between the two, I’m going to tell a story.

The Journey to the Door

Once upon a time, there was a small town in the shadow of a mountain. The land was used up and desolate, so the people of the town had to travel to their neighboring towns to get food each week. This was a special town because in the mountain that shadowed the town was a door. This door was the entryway to a magical world that was rumored to have a magical power to grow things that were planted in the ground with a snap of a finger. Everyone wanted to explore the world but the door was high on the edge of a cliff and there was no path to get to the door. One day three people decided they would try everything they could to get to the door, so they gathered all their plans and ideas, and each began his or her journey to the door.

The first person decided to climb the mountain from the bottom up to the door, but on the first day had to turn back because he got a hole in his shoe.

The second person decided to take the long path on the far side of the mountain and repel down the cliff to the door. When he made it halfway down the cliff, he realized he didn’t pack enough rope so he had to turn back.

The third person decided to build a beautiful staircase up to the door so he could come and go as he needed, so he hired a team to come help him build his staircase to the door. When he made it through he found a place in the magical land to plant his garden. As soon as the seeds were planted – SNAP – all the seeds instantly grew into full plants covered with fruit and vegetables. The town rejoiced and never had to leave town for food again.

Journey to the Door: Explained

This is a story about the different experiences of three other people.

The first person never checked his gear, so he wasn’t prepared for the journey and had a bad experience.

The second person checked his gear but didn’t know how much rope he would need, so the gear was right, but his lack of planning negatively affected his experience.

The third person took his time and built a way to get to the top without interacting with the mountain. This provided a better experience not only for himself but also for anyone who wanted to get up to the door.

All three deserve credit for designing a trip; each had a user experience and developed a user interface to help them accomplish the journey. Two of them failed because the user interface (shoes, rope, etc.) didn’t fit the task at hand, which made them have a poor user experience and caused them to give up. The third not only considered the user interface (mountain, stairs, etc.) but considered the future users’ experience and came up with a good user experience for the town’s people to easily make the trip to the door without having to take long journeys each week.

Simply put, User Interfaces are the tools a person uses to accomplish a task or set of tasks, and User Experience is how a person feels when using those tools.

Wrap Up

Simply put, User Interfaces are the tools a person uses to accomplish a task or set of functions, and User Experience is how a person feels when using those tools. Based on this definition and the story, we can see that anyone can design a trip (an interface and an experience). However, only the design that accomplishes the goals and considers all aspects will let the user experience something magical.

Are you in need of the proverbial staircase to the magical door?  

 

1“Google Definitions: User Interface.” Google Search. 3 March, 2015.

2“Google Definitions: User Experience.” Google Search. 3 March, 2015.

Trust Your Designer

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The thought of trusting your project’s entire visual identity with a professional graphic, web, or UX designer can be scary for someone who has never worked with one. This post was written to ease your anxiety and help you understand what’s going on behind those trendy, thick-rimmed glasses. Here’s why you can breathe a sigh of relief:

There is a great quote that I like to refer to now and again: “Designers are meant to be loved, not to be understood.” As a designer myself, I have come to terms with how true this statement is. Most of my friends wouldn’t laugh at the joke, “I shot the serif,” or go on a rampage about how awful the font “Papyrus” is (ick, just typing it makes me cringe). My husband, who is a Medical Physics Ph.D student, is just about as far away from having the “eye” as you can get. So trust me when I say that I know how foreign designers can seem to a non-creative person.

We are an interesting breed and we know it. We get that you don’t understand how we think, why we care so much about tiny details you didn’t even notice, or how important “white space” is to our sense of well-being in this cluttered world. But behind those inquisitive gazes and trendy outfits, we are actually really smart—just in a visual way. And guess what? We want to help you and your business. You can trust us, and here’s why:

A lot of people assume that designers are complete artsy-fartsy types—super emotional, irrational, and impractical. The kind of people who would sit around painting and writing poetry if they could (not that that’s a bad thing). And some are. However, we by and large do not consider ourselves to be fine artists. This is for a few reasons:

  1. We want to actually make a living (haha… but really)
  2. We like using our creativity in the real world, not only on a canvas
  3. Our preferred medium may be in print or pixels, not with pencils and paint
  4. We consider “art” to mostly be “for arts’ sake” whereas “design” is a means of problem-solving—with objectives, goals, and a clear purpose (It’s a long discussion.)

For these reasons, designers tend to land closer to the middle of the right and left-brain spectrum than on the far right. This is great news for you, our client. Why? Because we will give you:

  • Creativity with rationale behind it
  • Order, organization, and clarity
  • Something people WANT to look at (and keep looking at)
  • A clear message delivered in a strategic way
  • Visually engaging material that your customers will keep interacting with

Those things sound great, right? So don’t fret. We understand that it’s hard sometimes to let go of the familiar. For instance, we recently had a client that was having a hard time letting go of their preconceived design expectations for their website. They were set on a particular color and typeface that didn’t necessarily appeal to their ideal audience. They were hesitant to allow “white space” (empty space for design purposes) on their website and were adamant about filling up every open spot with their company tagline. But, with a little trust and a leap of faith, the client was able to let go of their preconceived notions about design and let us flex our expertise. With a few design comps and a couple of revisions, we were able to show the client that we had their goals in mind the entire time, and brought the project further than they could have ever imagined. The end result? A successful website and a happy client.

So whether you are working with a print designer, web designer, or user interface designer, know that you are in good hands. Our goals are your goals. You can sleep soundly knowing that we are professionals with knowledge and experience under our belts. When we do what we do best, our clients are always happy with the outcome. It’s ok to trust your designer, you will be glad you did!

Need to build a new or update an old website? Beginning a new company and need help with brand identity? Need a rebrand?

TRUST OUR DESIGNERS