A Secret to Creative Problem Solving Ever find yourself going over and over a problem in your business, only to hit a dead end or draw a blank? Find an innovative solution with one simple technique: re-describe the problem. "The whole idea behind creative problem solving is the assumption that you know something that will help solve this problem, but you're not thinking of it right now," explains Art Markman, cognitive psychologist and author of "Smart Thinking." Changing the description tells your mind that you're in a different situation, which unlocks a new set of memories. Ask yourself two questions: 1. Instead, think more abstractly. Take vacuum cleaner filters, for example. James Dyson realized that the problem was actually about separation, or separating the dirt from the air, which doesn't always require a filter. Related Video: Dermalogica's Jane Wurwand on the Creative Process 2. By re-describing the problem, you're much more likely to find inspiration for a truly creative innovation.
Develop Personas Project Management (4) A project plan takes into account the approach the team will take and helps the team and stakeholders document decisions made regarding the objective, scope, schedule, resources, and... Creating an interdisciplinary team with the right mix of skills is vital to the smooth and successful execution of any project. Team members may be able to cover multiple roles or there may... Use your kick-off meeting to discuss the business case related to the site, the vision and mission based on user and organizational goals, and the vision for the site moving forward. Website requirements are a list of necessary functions, capabilities, or characteristics related to your website and the plans for creating it. User Research (14) When reporting results from a usability test, you should focus primarily on your findings and recommendations that are differentiated by levels of severity. Usability Evaluation (14) Information Architecture (4) User Interface Design (4)
40 websites that will make you cleverer right now The indexed web contains an incredible 14 billion pages. But only a tiny fraction help you improve your brain power. Here are 40 of the best. whizzpast.com – Learn about our awe inspiring past all in one wonderful place. khanacademy.org – Watch thousands of micro-lectures on topics ranging from history and medicine to chemistry and computer science. freerice.com – Help end world hunger by correctly answering multiple-choice quizzes on a wide variety of subjects. artofmanliness.com – Blog/site dedicated to all things manly, great for learning life skills and good insights. unplugthetv.com – Randomly selects an educational video for you to watch. coursera.org – An educational site that works with universities to get their courses on the Internet, free for you to use. mentalfloss.com – Interesting articles guaranteed to make you smile and get you thinking. feelgoodwardrobe.com – Find out how the world of fashion really works and what you can do to combat it. lifehacker.com – Learn to hack life!
Storyboards Storyboard is a tool that helps communicating how a user would experience a product or service and how the proposed design will help them accomplish their goals (user journeys). This methodology has been borrowed by the movie industry and allows describing the interaction between the user and a product/service on one or more frame by showing the key experience touchpoints. Storyboards are great ways to share a concept with clients and customers and make them understand design ideas and decisions. Tool Storyboard can be created in different ways. I put together some Storyboard Tamplates that can help tell the 'story' of an experience. ::storyboard template 1 – one channel (small images, long story) ::storyboard template 2 – one channel (big images, short story) ::storyboard template 3 – multiple channels References Laurel Brenda, Design Research: Methods and Perspectives (London:The MIT Press, 2003).
24 daily habits that will make you smarter The Anatomy of an Experience Map Experience maps have become more prominent over the past few years, largely because companies are realizing the interconnectedness of the cross-channel experience. It’s becoming increasingly useful to gain insight in order to orchestrate service touchpoints over time and space. But I still see a dearth of quality references. When someone asks me for examples, the only good one I can reference is nForm’s published nearly two years ago. I’m often asked what defines a good experience map. But it’s not just about the illustration of the journey (that would simply be a journey map). Rail Europe experience map. The experience map highlighted above was part of an overall initiative for Rail Europe, Inc., a US distributor that offers North American travelers a single place to book rail tickets and passes throughout Europe, instead of going to numerous websites. I almost always apply five critical components that make an experience map useful. First Steps The Lens The Journey Model Takeaways
An introduction to user research techniques — Government Service Design Manual Accessible Media Player by Nomensa The timeline slider below uses WAI ARIA. Please use the documentation for your screen reader to find out more. This guidance provides a broad overview of the methods and techniques available to conduct user research. More detailed guidance on each of these techniques can be found in the links below. User research can be categorised into 2 broad themes – product research and strategic research. Product research Product research can incorporate both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Qualitative techniques are intensive and often small scale. Quantitative techniques involve higher-volume research, and include online surveys, face-to-face interviews, and involve a structured approach to data collection and analysis. Product-based research can be conducted in-house or via a specialist agency. Strategic research Secondary data, also known as desk research, can be used, and involves the analysis of existing research or information sources. Research methods
User Experience Jobs with High Salaries A well designed website or application that effectively caters to its audience is a high priority for leading businesses these days. As a result, skilled professionals in the growing field of user experience design can earn a very respectable salary. Here are top paying jobs for Information Architecture, Usability, and UX practitioners plus reasons to explore each for your user experience design career - and bank your account! (Salary figures based on Indeed.com and GlassDoor.com data) User Experience Strategist How do companies transform an initial business goal into a valuable user experience that champions a brand and satisfies customers? These expert planners are paid handsomely (between $67,000 and $135,000 in salary) to put strategies in place that incorporate UX design, branding, development and more. Usability Analyst When user-centric design decisions need to be made, usability analysts are the go-to guys and gals. User Interface Designer Interaction Designer Information Architect
How to Build a Successful Marketplace Application Building application for E-commercial purposes becomes a noticeably more popular choice among all other types of the app development. The statistics we observe these days say that by the year of 2020 mobile shopping apps will take over 45% of the total e-commerce market (according to BI intelligence). There is plenty of opportunities to create an interesting and compatible product. All you need is a good business idea and bring the professional implementation into life. Fortunately, shopping app development allows lots of variations in its building and designing process, not to mention that the general audience nowadays represents so many different tastes that everyone can find a niche. At this stage you are probably wondering what knowledge about app development and what information about the market you need to make a marketplace app for iOS. After all, what is the cost to build a marketplace app and what is the criteria that has the biggest influence on the budget? 1. 2. 3. 4. Log in.
Design Crime: NYC's New Taxi Makes New Yorkers Look Like Soccer Moms Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the winner of NYC's hotly anticipated taxi-design competition yesterday. The 10-year, $1 billion contract to furnish New York with thousands of taxis -- taxis that'll define the visual landscape of the city -- was awarded to Nissan for the NV200, a minivan. And suffice it to say, it sure ain't anybody's idea of a dream car. The van -- which will go into use in late 2013 -- is bulky as hell, with a disproportionately long nose and a cartoonish grille that spreads guardedly toward the trunk, like a forced smile. Not that the competition was much better. [There's absolutely no way to make this awful thing look good, so we made the images small. For all its aesthetic atrocities -- and when we think what Germans speed around in, we shudder with rage -- the NV200 boasts a handful of features, suggesting that the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission isn't totally stuck in the Dark Ages. [Images via Nissan]
How to Incorporate Multifunctional Furniture in Your Home Choosing the right furnishings for your home takes time, as there are a lot of things to take into consideration especially for modular homes. You ponder on questions like “am I going to invest in brand new furniture or opt for slightly used items half the price? Do I need a 12-seater dining table for family dinners or will a 4-seater work?” The tricky part is addressing all these needs without crowding your house with furniture. Seat by day, bed by night The classic sofa bed or Futons have always been the most common double duty furniture pieces for modular homes. Mirror on one side, cabinet on the other Before making a dash to the door, you always want to look your best. Drop leaf console table Certain occasions call for longer tables, especially with friends and family. Wall mounted tables Tables can take up a lot of space. Versatile ottomans Some ottomans today have a built-in storage space, while others are collapsible into five minimalist style stools. Extendable coffee tables