: Many companies struggle with the question of whether to develop UX strategy, research, and design capabilities internally, or to engage external UX firms as-needed when projects arise. Companies must forecast their need for these services on a long-term basis, and weigh the comparative costs and benefits of each approach. But is it purely a [...]

: We all know that user experience designers come from a range of different backgrounds. But what do these experiences bring to UX? In our first of a series of articles, Boon Chew reflects on his start in computer science. : http://johnnyholland.org/2011/08/26/what-i-bring-to-ux-from-%E2%80%A6-computer-science/

: I have been a designer for about thirteen years, and most of my business during the past two years has come from new clients. Many have been new up-start businesses, not-for-profit groups and educational networks. When you are embarking on a new project, you need to assess several important things including the client’s branding [...]

: This week, I talked with Dan Russell, a search anthropologist at Google, about the time he spends with random people studying how they search for stuff. One statistic blew my mind. : http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/crazy-90-percent-of-people-dont-know-how-to-use-ctrl-f/243840/

: A mailing list for those wanting to follow Bvckup progress has been up and active for almost two years now. Subscribing to the list triggers a typical confirmation email with a link that needs to be clicked on. The odd thing was that a good half of those subscribed never bothered to do that. [...]

: We’re big fans of using concept testing to make measurable improvements to our own apps and pages. We’re always curious, studying the world’s most popular websites to discover what they are getting right and where they are falling down. We recently used Verify to run studies on world’s top 20 consumer electronics websites, as [...]

: Designers as architects of choices have the power to influencing human behavior by shaping the user’s available options. But as always, with great power comes great responsibility. The designer can easily step over the mark and slide to the dark side by applying Dark Patterns. : http://blog.usabilla.com/dark-patterns-may-the-force-be-with-ux/

: Accessibility can often seem daunting and complex but in fact there are only four types of disability you need to be aware of. Through groupings, simulations and quick fixes, UX and accessibility consultant Ian Hamilton shows that the basics are actually surprisingly simple. : http://www.netmagazine.com/features/simple-introduction-web-accessibility

: Think before acting. Sounds right, doesn’t it? Think before starting to design. Yup. Do some research, learn more about the requirements, the people, the activities. Then design. It all makes sense. Which is precisely why I wish to challenge it. Sometimes it makes sense to act first, think afterwards. : http://www.core77.com/blog/columns/act_first_do_the_research_later_20051.asp

: Web content should be written with signposts that clearly communicate what issue is being covered. Signposts must be visually noticeable, make sense out of context and communicate their message as clearly and directly as possible. : http://www.spotlessinteractive.com/articles/usability-research/writing-for-the-web-signpost-guidelines.php