2024-04-04 21:09
As a UX researcher with a background in anthropology, I’m guilty of taking for granted the value of doing research to inform good design. When your worldview – your entire way of… Read More
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UX Reflections, the Akendi blog on all things UX. Read blog postings on UX Design, Usability Testing, User Research, Product Strategy best practices. Toronto,
2024-04-04 21:09
As a UX researcher with a background in anthropology, I’m guilty of taking for granted the value of doing research to inform good design. When your worldview – your entire way of… Read More
2024-01-09 20:02
A sketch on the back of a napkin, a few lines on the whiteboard, a fully interactive digital mockup – prototypes are anything that makes your ideas more tangible. Ranging from conceptu… Read More
2024-01-03 20:53
Prologue As a User Experience (UX) Designer, I have always found it challenging to explain my profession to others. More recently, I faced an even greater challenge of explaining what a UX d… Read More
2023-11-29 18:18
With the growing popularity of machine learning and AI, it seems the number of mathematical techniques available to understand people’s experience with systems is almost limitless. In… Read More
2023-11-29 18:18
With the growing popularity of machine learning and AI, it seems the number of mathematical techniques available to understand people’s behaviour with systems is almost limitless. In p… Read More
2023-11-23 21:10
Understandably, anyone from a technical architect to the CEO might want to look at a product or “play with it” to evaluate it. However, it doesn’t make sense when you stop… Read More
2023-11-13 21:28
When the character Guy finally tries Green Eggs and Ham (and likes it) from the book Sam-I-Am, he has transitioned from being a customer to being a user. Customers are more about value perce… Read More
2023-11-07 22:14
The same “technical” words can mean different things across disciplines, or even within disciplines, or just between different people. This insight is undoubtedly true in UX. Don… Read More
2023-10-30 21:19
And the wrong question to ask. Visual design is a necessity in UX. There is no universal answer to how important it is. For any product or service, it will have some impact on the User Exper… Read More
2023-10-23 17:07
You tested your design, communicated it to the engineering team, and got sign-off. Yet, the released product UX differed from the intended and specified design in several key areas. It has d… Read More
2023-10-18 18:46
Any new product or service has some risk, no matter how well-researched and designed. The product owner and business has to live with that risk, and often in a very personal way. When doing… Read More
2023-09-21 19:43
Organizations often research to fill in key data around what they feel is sure to be a winning idea. Usually, that’s what happens. However, sometimes, what feels like a winning idea is… Read More
2023-09-14 17:16
There’s a reason Romeo compared his love for Juliet to the light from the Sun instead of using a quantitative measurement. Math isn’t the best tool for understanding or describin… Read More
2023-09-08 18:24
Good journeys and personas are research data-based. And that data changes because people and systems change. Context changes. New roles emerge in businesses, or a significant societal change… Read More
2023-09-04 16:43
This year, we opened Akendi’s latest office in New York City. Here is an interview with Dan Iaboni, Akendi’s Chief Experience Officer, who shares thoughts on heading up the offic… Read More
2023-09-04 16:43
This year, we started Akendi’s latest office, in New York City. Here an interview with Dan Iaboni, Akendi’s Chief Experience Officer on heading up the office and what he sees ahe… Read More
2023-08-29 15:00
We’ve heard many clients feel understandably frustrated that if the users could simply WAIT (often after entering a lot of data), they’d see the value of a product or service. Th… Read More
2023-08-25 15:45
The Fail Fast approach in UX design can work, but only if you learn. Failing by itself is no guarantee of that. By definition, it’s just the guarantee of not succeeding. Essentially fa… Read More
2023-08-17 14:48
User research plays a crucial role in the experience design process, providing valuable insights into users’ needs, preferences, and behaviors. Often used research techniques include i… Read More
2023-08-15 14:53
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can walk a strange line between people and technology. On the one hand, it is “just computing.” On the other, its responses engender people to ascrib… Read More
2023-08-02 13:54
UX templates can be super useful. They are time savers and can give people insights into what they are templating (a persona, journey, wireframes, etc.). But they have a hidden assumption yo… Read More
2023-07-28 20:08
On the one end, it’s often critical to get the label on a specific button “right” when designing a software application because it can potentially impact the user experienc… Read More
2023-07-24 14:58
Categories matter in data analysis and information design. It is tempting to take whatever categories the system already provides (emails opened, website visits, red and blue fish, etc.) and… Read More
2023-07-10 20:15
You don’t teach someone multivariate calculus before they learn to how to add. There’s no point in using sophisticated UX tools and techniques in your organization until it has m… Read More
2023-07-07 16:12
During a recent meetup focused on the application of ChatGPT, a startup presented their new AI-assisted music generation tool. The purpose of this tool is to aid musicians in overcoming writ… Read More
2023-07-03 20:52
In general, end users are terrible at UX design. For the same reason most of the world is bad at reading hieroglyphics. They are not trained in it. So don’t t… Read More
2023-06-28 15:03
Any model in math is better if it is stronger on one or more of these factors: reliability, extensibility, stability. UX research can get at what factors matter in a person or systems behavi… Read More
2023-06-23 17:15
Surveys can be an excellent UX research tool to understand your customers and users. Like any research technique, they can be a huge help, or they can be misused or misunderstood. A few thin… Read More
2023-06-05 15:05
Digital products have support, work with other products or services, and generally fit into some larger ecosystem of usage. When you figure out the digital experience ask yourself what needs… Read More
2023-05-29 14:18
When ChatGPT was introduced to the public it took just 5 days to amass over a million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application of all time. As requests for jokes, storytelli… Read More
2023-05-10 19:24
You’re running late for work. You step outside, and there is a blanket of snow falling from the sky, you haven’t shovelled your driveway, and the car is covered in snow. “W… Read More
2023-02-20 21:36
Understandably, we talk about being user experience designers. However, in the end, we don’t design an experience. That’s something the user has. We design a product or service… Read More
2023-02-15 18:15
Organizations relying on UX Checklists run into trouble. On the surface they are doing a lot of things right; getting feedback from users, hiring people with UX qualifications, iterating and… Read More
2023-02-13 17:02
One of the hardest things about service design is creating continuity in the user experience. That continuity, in part, comes from organizations creating internal continuity and alignment. A… Read More
2023-01-26 22:55
UX design and its techniques (think Journey Mapping, for example) is only one way to look at a system involving people. It is just as important an activity when technical people, data scient… Read More
2023-01-20 14:54
Lean UX, Agile UX, Design Thinking, Service Design, JTBD, whatever your favourite design process, remember it’s just a process. It’s not a universal guarantee of insight, innovat… Read More
2023-01-11 22:06
Personas are models. They are not real people. They are aggregations of data interpreted to help you make design decisions that will improve experiences for real people. For this reason, you… Read More
2022-12-13 15:44
Quant UX is a real thing. Math simply does things that qualitative UX does not. And it is, and never should be, about choosing one over the other. They both provide value. To add Quant UX to… Read More
2022-12-05 17:51
You’ll never achieve a perfect design. There’s no such thing. You can, however, get-achieve-reach a design that meets many user needs and supports key business goals. When you ge… Read More
2022-11-28 21:30
Interactions – and hence experiences – occur between people and other people, institutions, physical items, and more. All these interactions can be designed to some degree. Focus… Read More
2022-11-21 20:02
A User Experience strategy is like any strategy. It is about going from your current state to a better future state. The difference is, a UX strategy involves the current state of your custo… Read More
2022-11-18 16:47
When you come across a well-designed website or application, can you identify the reasons why it spoke to you? Did the design successfully persuade you to keep reading and exploring? Ultimat… Read More
2022-11-14 19:47
UX research and testing are different things. Research is about understanding people and their experiences in context. Testing is about having a hypothesis about a d… Read More
2022-11-03 17:52
Q: What does your office design say about your company culture in 2022? A: The foundation of Experience Thinking is understanding human needs and behaviours to design intentional experiences… Read More
2022-10-29 15:33
Where did the mindset that UX research is a profession suitable more for tech heads, or computer whizzes, come from? Was it merely the image that this career path meant using a computer for… Read More
2022-09-25 17:43
This post is somewhat different than my other posts. It’s a conversation I’ve had with design teams quite a few times over the years, this last week once again, and I thought I n… Read More
2022-08-24 08:19
Congratulations! You’ve completed a research study, which found a bunch of recommendations for your product or service, has been presented to your stakeholders and everyone is happy. E… Read More
2022-05-28 02:16
It is a shocking statistic and a pure waste of precious (and stretched) resources: more than 15 million general practice appointments are missed each year. The knock-on effects are poorer pa… Read More
2022-05-13 14:35
As an agency, we see a lot of requests for proposals (ITTs, RFQ, …). The quality of these RFPs differs greatly and seems to be directly linked to the level of UX expertise of the pers… Read More
2021-12-03 20:06
Have you ever been in a situation where you have a 100 slide deck to present in 60 minutes? Listen, we have all been there at some point, but I think you can agree this does not seem like an… Read More
2021-12-03 20:06
Have you ever been in a situation where you have a 100 slide deck to present in 60 minutes? Listen, we have all been there at some point, but I think you can agree this does not seem like an… Read More
2021-11-02 19:55
In a recent tweet (see below), Jeff Verkoeyen, a software designer at Google, announced that his team will no longer support the iOS’s Material UI library. While this isn’t a mar… Read More
2021-06-01 18:54
Last month we at Akendi got the opportunity to speak to UX colleagues working in life science settings. At the 2021 UXLS conference, organised by the Pistoia Alliance, we found that running… Read More
2021-03-17 13:19
Have you ever sat in a team meeting of a large website restructuring project and wondered “What are we all doing here?” If so, consider the following: Everyone you know, and ever… Read More
2021-02-25 19:09
In order to redesign a product or service you need to understand the system context in which it is being used and the opportunities for changing the nature of people’s interactions wit… Read More
2021-02-10 20:43
To kick off our training in 2021, we’re sharing an interview with Tedde van Gelderen, President and Founder of Akendi and Experience Thinkers, revealing the motivations behind our exci… Read More
2020-11-03 16:17
Hiring is always exciting but comes with a sense of trepidation. Being able to grow your team and bring in new perspectives and new skills can be exhilarating; however, the thought of a long… Read More
2020-07-02 13:34
It’s fantastic that our communities are looking out for the more vulnerable during this pandemic. It means that more attention is being paid to those who need it most, and that’s… Read More
2020-06-18 14:29
Being a UX designer I conduct a lot of qualitative research, from developing personas and journey maps to validating websites and products. There is a common theme that comes across, especia… Read More
2020-06-02 14:29
As a user researcher, part of the work is communicating the results of our research. And to get to that moment, we engage with users and customers, we analyse the data, found themes and tren… Read More
2020-05-14 14:25
On 30th of April, 2020, Akendi & CW successfully facilitated an online discussion on “Adjusting business service delivery to a changed world”. Participants enjoyed 2 sweet an… Read More
2020-05-08 15:38
A common ask from clients and students is for me to help them explain the reasons for conducting user research within their organization. While it’d be great to provide robust cost to… Read More
2019-07-11 15:01
It’s easy to call out bad design – there’s a lot of it. But finding and appreciating examples of good design can feel challenging. We encounter good designs every day, yet… Read More
2019-07-11 15:01
It’s easy to call out bad design – there’s a lot of it. But finding and appreciating examples of good design can feel challenging. We encounter good designs every day, yet… Read More
2019-07-09 14:51
Some insurance companies are trying to rewrite the insurance experience, but how well do they deliver on their promises? In part one we reviewed Lemonade insurance, an American company that… Read More
2019-06-27 19:14
The art of mixology and UX design have a lot in common. Both balance art and science to create a pleasing experience. A mixologist combines flavours to create new and exciting experiences. B… Read More
2019-03-28 15:00
Akendi’s President Tedde van Gelderen talked with Danielle Heifa from Strive, UXR Conference, to share how his team is training product people using real world projects. In 2007, Tedde… Read More
2019-03-28 15:00
Akendi’s President Tedde van Gelderen talked with Danielle Heifa from Strive, UXR Conference, to share how his team is training product people using real world projects. In 2007, … Read More
2019-03-14 15:00
The insurance experience. It’s not something that gets people excited. Not much has changed in the last several years and many customers view the entire thing as in the same category a… Read More
2019-03-14 15:00
The insurance experience. It’s not something that gets people excited. Not much has changed in the last several years and many customers view the entire thing as in the same category a… Read More
2019-02-19 16:00
With more and more small businesses and independent e-commerce vendors popping up there is a greater need for design, but not everyone can afford to hire a designer or design team. Logojoy a… Read More
2019-02-19 16:00
With more and more small businesses and independent e-commerce vendors popping up there is a greater need for design, but not everyone can afford to hire a designer or design team. Logojoy a… Read More
2019-01-29 16:00
Looking back in retrospect, I decided to contemplate what I accomplished last year that led me to where I am today. I’ve recently had the opportunity of participating at a guest panel… Read More
2019-01-15 16:00
Claiming to be the front page of the internet, Reddit is one of the most visited websites in the world. In the past three months, there has been a strong push to get users to move to the mob… Read More
2019-01-03 16:00
In 2018 we saw a lot happening in the world of UX. From a missile crisis caused by poor design to failing ride-sharing mobile apps, the Akendi team found a lot to write about. Here are… Read More
2018-12-18 16:00
On October 17th, 2018, cannabis was legalized in Canada, but how it is distributed varies across the country. In Ontario the only legal way to purchase cannabis is online through the Ontario… Read More
2018-11-08 13:13
Let’s talk about failure. I feel that word has reached a glorified state recently that it never deserved. Google the word “failure” and you’ll end up with a bunch of… Read More
2018-11-01 13:55
Art can have the same transformative power as any great technological advancement. Experience design isn’t only for products and technology; artists can also benefit from adopting this… Read More
2018-08-30 15:32
Many of us have experienced ambiguity in words when we hear something like “let me put you on hold for a few minutes”, “He will be back in a few minutes”, or when we… Read More
2018-08-14 11:00
The research is finished but now what? How do you effectively communicate the data? You could give a presentation, write a lengthy report, make a detailed spreadsheet, or summarize the… Read More
2018-08-04 18:07
In 2017 I finished writing a book on what in my view leads to truly connected experiences. The customer, user, citizen, client, guest and all the other types of audiences we ta… Read More
2018-08-04 18:07
In 2017 I finished writing a book on what organizations need to know to create truly connected experiences. The customer, user, citizen, client, guest and the many other audiences that busin… Read More
2018-08-04 18:07
In 2017 I finished writing a book on what in my view leads to truly connected experiences. The customer, user, citizen, client, guest and all the other types of audiences we target, what do… Read More
2018-08-02 11:00
Let’s be honest, it takes a lot time and effort to keep up to date with industry news. Content creators like Fast Company, Dezeen, Core 77, Co.Design, It’s Nice That, Design Milk… Read More
2018-07-11 19:03
With the current FIFA World Cup taking place, it seems obligatory to discuss sports — and how we, like our heroes, use their training and strategic approaches in our daily work lives… Read More
2018-06-27 20:50
Humans are notoriously unpredictable. Unlike gravity, electricity, or friction, they just don’t seem to work the same way each time. And this is what makes Fitts’s law so interes… Read More
2018-06-19 11:00
Outside the walls of academia there are no ethics committees, and so a designer can, either knowingly or unknowingly, create deceptive designs. As a graduate student I designed and participa… Read More
2018-06-14 15:14
My colleague recently wrote a blog about a new restaurant in Vancouver that is positioning itself after Pablo Escobar, the notorious Columbian drug lord that was responsible for over 5,000 m… Read More
2018-06-05 21:02
Have a particular goal and want to know what UX courses will help the most? While we would recommend taking every course we offer, we understand that there are time and budget constraints at… Read More
2018-05-29 15:08
Today, we’re celebrating our talented team of researchers and designers by providing a glimpse into how they got started, and what fuels and inspires them. After four years o… Read More
2018-05-04 20:10
Would you be Escobar’s customer? I’m not talking about Pablo Escobar, the drug lord who trafficked drugs within and outside of Colombia between the 80s and 90s and who murdered h… Read More
2018-04-19 17:19
The best cities, buildings, vehicles, and products are often the ones that have been thoughtfully and purposefully designed. Often, designers work with the community and end use… Read More
2018-04-17 11:00
Accessibility has become a hot topic in the design world but how do we design for it? and how do we plan for it? In a diverse world like ours, we need to support a wide range of users… Read More
2018-04-03 13:33
There’s no such thing as easy to use for everyone. I’ve bought many transportation tickets in my life before. I’ve even muddled my way through machines where I couldn&rsquo&hell…Read More
2018-03-27 21:04
The first post in this series talked about the fundamentals of asking questions in UX research. This article describes how we ask questions during the most common Usability Testing st… Read More
2018-02-01 12:00
Want to have a little fun with a demo of augmented reality? Then you might want to search around for a US dollar bill and try out the 1600 app. In the final months of the Obama admini… Read More
2018-01-30 12:00
If you’ve survived the gift-giving frenzy of the recent holiday season, then perhaps you gave or received a connected device. Whether it was a smartwatch, an activity tracker, a home a… Read More
2018-01-25 12:00
I am currently renovating my kitchen. It’s a pre-fab kitchen from a well-known company that sells furniture and home furnishings. They sell entire kitchens and all the component… Read More
2018-01-22 12:00
In the past year, I’ve been to a fair share of talks, panels, and conferences. Without a doubt, the question the audience always asks is, “How do you show the value of res… Read More
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