Andy Budd is a firm believer in cross-functional pairing and thinks that some of the best usability solutions emanate from the tech team. However, at some point the experience needs to be owned, and it shouldn’t be owned by the last person to open the HTML file and “touch the truck”. If designers are happy for developers to “own the code”, why not show a similar amount of respect and let designers “own the experience”? After all, collaboration goes both ways. So if you don’t want designers to start “optimizing” your code on the live server, outside your version control processes, please stop doing the same to their design.
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We publish articles because we love sharing what we learn and what others learn, too; we love discovering unique points of view and surprising design strategies, as well as just understanding how our colleagues out there solve difficult UX and front-end problems. Every single Smashing article goes through a thorough editorial review, including multiple passes for editing and refinement, before being published. In this series dedicated to our upcoming 10th anniversary we will explain our workflow and introduce the people behind the scenes!
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Does writing microcopy need to be considered an essential part of the design process? Most definitely, yes. The tendency among most clients and design teams is first and foremost to establish on-screen interactions, pattern libraries, wireframes and workflows and to release the latest and greatest features — to the point that, at times, they’ll defer the copy (specifically, the microcopy) till the latter stages. While the general consensus is that content matters and should be central to any design undertaking, the opposite tends to be true. Words, for the most part, still form the backbone of communication on the web, even with the emergence of new technologies such as Voice User Interfaces (VUI).
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In today’s burgeoning digital market, every company stands to lose by avoiding alignment with digital policies. By the same token, you have even more to gain by incorporating those policies into an overall long-range strategic plan for your digital enterprise. By complying, you’ve ensured that your home on the web remains secure.When creativity is balanced with guidance — the real goal of these policies — then digital workers are freer to innovate and work more efficiently than in other organizations. Digital workers, especially web designers and developers, need to recognize that policy influences their products online much as it does offline.
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In the unforgiving world of SaaS, delaying a critical feature will mean losing clients. A solid agile workflow can make all the difference. The development process needs to run smoothly and up to a standard, with delays reduced to a bare minimum. Before any change makes its way to the end user, it goes through five crucial phases: feedback, design, development, quality assurance and deployment. In this article, Vanja Mimic will share what he’s learned about each of the stages from over eight years in the business.
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Made for fast and fluid UX design, Adobe XD gives you everything in one neat bundle: it lets you sketch out ideas, create interactive prototypes, test and share them. To give you a head start when working with XD, Cosima Mielke has compiled 15 pro tips, including features that might not be obvious at first glance but that will make your prototyping workflow a lot smoother. Please note that a Windows version is in the works and due later in 2016, but for now Adobe XD is available for Mac OS X only.
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DAU (noun) Daily active users. Hip-hop (noun) If you got to ask, you ain’t got it. In this article, Benjamin Hersh will talk about the unique challenges of designing a hip-hop app as he led design for one of the few successful apps in that space. Benjamin will share insights from his research and design process, and the lessons he and his team learned about the DAU of hip hop. This is not strictly an article about technical innovations. Benjamin’s focus is how an awareness of complex cultural issues can be critical for good app design.
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Sublime Text is full of such powerful shortcuts and commands. Practice is the key. The number of satisfied users attests to that. If you explore it, you will eventually see how beautifully its powerful features are hidden behind a simple and elegant interface. If you have been using Sublime Text for some time, now is the time to upgrade your arsenal with new ammunition. In this article, Jai Pandya will be taking you through some of his favorite tips and tricks. Knowing them might just unleash your hidden powers as a programmer to the world.
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The worst thing that can happen to your product is that loyal users suddenly aren’t able to use it in the same convenient way. Frustration and anxiety enter social media quickly and suddenly, and the pressure on customer support to respond meaningfully and in time increases with every minute. You can prevent this by being more strategic when rolling out new versions of our products. In this article, Vitaly Friedman will look into a strategy for product designers and front-end engineers to thoroughly test and deploy a feature before releasing it to the entire user base, and how to avoid UX issues from creeping up down the road.
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Benefits such as personal growth, creative exploration and generation of professional opportunities are some of the reasons to engage in personal side projects. In this article, Jon Yablonski will explore these benefits, as well as learn how to decide on a project and how to effectively manage your time. Finally, for inspiration, Jon will look at some great examples of personal projects. We hope you will be inspired to start your own side project!
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