: I have always had this post at the back of my mind and often check myself against the qualities I have listed here. Of course I fail in some of them, but if you can aim to succeed with just a few of these qualities, your design work will get there too. : http://userpathways.com/2011/05/what-makes-a-good-ux-designer/

: One of the disappointments I’ve had with the User Experience Design field, is that in most situations the product itself has been decided before the real design work begins. For example, clients are looking for a mobile app that allows users to better track their health goals, a web app to monitor finances or [...]

: What is usability? This post features a couple of great definitions, talks about why usability is some important, and has some fantastic examples too. : http://www.intuitionhq.com/blog/2011/05/what-is-usability/

: This article will discuss the issue with creating calendar events directly in the Mail app on the iPad and how we can improve the user experience of this feature. There has always been issues concerning multi-tasking on iOS; with some saying that ‘the iPhone and iPad are unitasking devices’ where the user focuses on [...]

: Design can exist without “the research.” But if we don’t study the world, we don’t always know how or what to create. : http://designmind.frogdesign.com/blog/the-art-of-design-research-and-why-it-matters.html

: We used Smurfs as a way to categorize different personas. The key to good UX design is to appeal to different Smurfs like Brainy, Lazy, Smurfette and Grouchy at the same time. Our research is based on the DISC model. : http://blog.usabilla.com/these-smurfalicious-personas-will-engage-your-user/

: When a user goes to a website, what they want depends on their context, which is often indicated by their device. : http://www.designer-daily.com/responsive-web-design-and-adapting-for-mobile-designs-15885

: Children are becoming an increasingly important target group on the web. How can we apply the theories of a widely recognized scientist from the beginning of the twentieth century to usability testing with children? : http://usabil.la/iLOKh5

: Learning to test the right things when usability testing means you get great results that can have a huge impact on your site or application. Read on for some great advice on knowing what to test. : http://www.intuitionhq.com/blog/2011/05/website-usability-testing-what-to-test/

: In many apps, icons are used to illustrate a specific function — it can be used for everything from information to actions. But if the user doesn’t understand the icon, what’s the point? : http://stiern.com/articles/usability/usability-in-icons/