Summary: Calculators and quizzes are useful and trustworthy when they are easy to use. Users like calculator and quiz tools because such tools offer an opportunity to get expert advice without having to speak to anyone or make long-term commitments. However, these tools quickly become frustrating and get abandoned when they aren’t easy to use. The following guidelines help you increase the usability, trustworthiness, and usefulness of calculators, quizzes, estimators, converters, or of other similar types of tools. This article refers to all these tools as “calculators.” 1. Optimize Calc ..read more

Summary: Most calculator and quiz tools provide at least one or more of the following services: converting inputs, predicting the future, or providing recommendations. Calculators and quizzes are decision-making tools that accept information from users and generate personalized outputs based on their circumstances. Depending on the output they provide, there are 3 types of calculators and quizzes. For the sake of simplicity, we refer to both calculators and quizzes as “calculators” throughout this article. Conversion Calculators Conversion calculators translate user inputs from one forma ..read more

Summary: Our research and evaluation shows that there are currently few design-specific AI tools that meaningfully enhance UX design workflows. AI tools won’t be replacing UX designers any time soon. Currently available LLM-based tools are not shortcutting steps in the design process just yet. Our Study There’s so much marketing hype around AI that it’s hard to know what tools and strategies can help UX right now. To find specific, useful ways in which practitioners integrate AI into their work, we conducted in-depth interviews in early 2024 with UX practitioners (researchers, designers ..read more

Summary: With the proper context, prompts, and scrutiny, AI chatbots can be used to create a successful user-research plan. AI chatbots (like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot) can support UX researchers of all experience levels in planning their research. What Is a Research Plan? Good research always starts with a plan. A research plan is a document that outlines the research objectives and how the research will be executed. Read Full Article ..read more

Summary: Breakpoints determine when a webpage may adjust to different layouts. They help designers (and developers) maintain layout consistency across multiple screen sizes, orientations, and devices. Grids, Layouts, and Responsive Design Both grids and layouts are essential components of responsive web design . In responsive design, the design adapts and reacts to device characteristics and screen sizes. Grids provide an organized way to efficiently create layouts in web and mobile designs. A grid is made up of columns, gutters, and margins that provide a structure for the layout of ele ..read more

Summary: First-time users of Chinese gen-AI chatbots struggled to understand the tools’ functionality. Better onboarding is necessary to avoid confusion. Generative AI tools have sparked widespread interest in the United States. However, this technology remains unfamiliar to many people. Appropriate contextual help provided during the onboarding process will be critical as gen-AI usage expands beyond developers and early adopters. The Study In a qualitative usability study with 6 Chinese participants, I studied 3 Chinese AI chatbots: 3 out of 6 participants had no prior experience with A ..read more

Summary: Participants log daily activities as they occur to give contextual insights about real-time user behaviors and needs. Defining Diary Studies A diary study is a qualitative user research method used to collect insights about user behaviors, activities, and experiences over time and in context. During a diary study, participants report their interactions and experiences as they occur over a period ranging from a few days, weeks, to a month or longer. For example, in a diary study investigating how nurses interact with patient health records in a hospital setting, we may ask nurses ..read more

Summary: Calculators and quizzes provide personalized information. Users approach these tools with an exploratory mindset and appreciate them while making decisions. Calculators and quizzes accept unique information from users and generate personalized outputs based on their circumstances. Calculators and Quizzes Defined Calculators are generally self-contained tools that allow users to manipulate inputs to explore resulting outputs. These tools are often embedded on one webpage and accept a limited number of inputs (2–7). Quizzes generally accept more than just a few user inputs (5+) in ..read more

Summary: Effective homepages are simple and easy to access, communicate the organization’s and site’s purpose, show engaging content, and prompt users to take action. The homepage is one of the most important pages of any given website. It is often the first — and possibly the only — chance to captivate and engage a user. A well-designed homepage should guide users towards their goals with clarity and precision, while effectively reflecting the brand identity and site offerings. This article outlines 5 fundamental principles for homepage design, each accompanied by practical guidelines ..read more

Summary: Skeuomorphism involves designing digital interfaces that imitate physical elements, reducing the learning curve for unfamiliar interactions. Design trends are constantly changing and influencing the way we interact with technology. One such trend from the past is skeuomorphism. While it has since been criticized for its excesses, it brought a sense of familiarity from the physical world into the digital one. When contemplating innovative future technologies , people tend to overlook the past. However, examining past trends and understanding their purposes can provide valuable in ..read more