UI Design Series 1: Web Application Design Where’s The Vision? What’s The Value?

Welcome to my first in a series of design processes instructions and examples. These are setup in such a way as to walk you through development cycles in relation to creating, producing, usability testing, and execution from a UI Design stand point.

I’ve been wanting to get back to the core of this blog for some time. I think I finally have made some time to do this. For anyone that has missed out the original core of this blog is to examine the brainstorming, creation, and execution of an application. This can easily be a process that any company or individual can follow when creating a web application. Size of the application has no bearing on whether these principles can be applied.

Design Lessons: Should You Rush Your Design To Market or Stall it for Great Design?

What makes a good design? Is it the process of creating the design, the aesthetic, or the usability? Does increasing a complex process for design force it to be good, or hinder a web application’s creative possibilities?

The House that Jack Built…Is Crumbling Down

Let’s say you are a contractor building a new home for an unknown family. Looking at your deadline you realize you aren’t going to make it on time. It’s time to do something to solve the problems. What can be cut first?

Perhaps you get cheaper wiring, maybe the concrete on your house didn’t dry before the rest of the foundation had set. Because you are behind schedule you feel the only way for you to “catch up” is to cut corners. Cut one corner and you have opened up Pandora’s Box. It’s so easy to cut more and more. You begin a process of jamming things in just to meet the deadline. One year later the house catches fire and you are sued because you cut those corners.

Which Widget is the Right Widget for My Application Design?

Let’s talk about proper widget usage. It’s imperative to know when to use the right tool for the right job. I wouldn’t use a sledge hammer to hang a painting (unless it was a very large painting.) I wouldn’t use a socket wrench as a pliers. I could use a butter knife to screw something in, but is that the best solution? It’s all about using the right application piece at the right time.

When is it the Right Time to Use Icons?

When is it appropriate to use icons in your application? This is a decision I always have to make when creating a complex application. There are several key factors that you can use to support your reasoning for utilizing icons. It’s important to know why to use icons over some other method. What things should you avoid when creating icons and what should you do to create potentially successful icons.