Category Archives: General UX
Skip the line, skip some of life
I have mostly positive feelings about skip-the-line apps and websites like Ritual, BonApp, Hangry, Starbucks, and Skip The Dishes, among others. But I have started noticing changes in my daily routine that I am afraid might be reshaping, not necessarily or absolutely for the better. Let me explain. How these apps work Skip-the-line apps allow… Read more
The Three Steps to Time Management Success
I’m going to break a bit from my usual discussion of improving experiences to talk about a more universal topic: time management. This is essentially a basic human life skill. Despite that, a lot of people struggle with it. Fortunately, successful time management only involves three steps: Know how you work Know what the work… Read more
Are Luxury Features Always Better?
I started my morning just like any other; I woke up, did my morning routine, and had quality family bonding time discussing the topic of German luxury cars at the breakfast table. As my family was swooning over the styling and engineering of German automobiles, I couldn’t help but think of how incredibly annoying our… Read more
How to Make Your Museum Exhibit Stand Out
It is a fact that museums have always amused me. Since I was a little girl, I would spend hours viewing paintings, sculptures and historical artefacts with my family and friends. In some cases, the art pieces viewed would create an indelible mark in my memory, such as the painting Pink and Blue, from… Read more
When a Business Case is not Enough, add the Experience Case (XC)
Just this morning I was reminded of something I’d used in past talks and I wanted to revisit the concept. The conversation I had was around our Experience Thinking process that we apply at Akendi. We talked about things like why you do certain phases like Strategy and Innovation and when. We then turned to… Read more
The Misconception of Age & Tech Savviness
When we think of tech-savvy users, we probably imagine a younger person. This misconception is due to the incorrect belief that older users do not want or cannot use technology. But from my time conducting research at Akendi, and from academic papers, I find that this notion is incorrect. So where did the misconception… Read more
The Big Friendly Giant of UX
You have a BIG project with lots of problems to analyse and solve. Your nerves are buzzing and you need someplace or something reassuring and friendly. Your computer is too time-consuming and paper is too restrictive. You don’t hesitate to leave your desk and make your way to the giant whiteboard. You feel determined and… Read more
Creating a Space for Design Thinkers, Part 3
Nothing gets work done like a good, solid deadline. Menial tasks tend to get left aside, and sometimes, large projects get postponed due to their daunting and stressful nature. The Akendi Ottawa office move was no different. We allocated time to figuring out plans, ordering some new furniture, and coordinating construction with the landlord. We… Read more
Not Choosing Sides: Customer Experiences vs. User Experiences
Ok, we’re all humans. It is a label that encompasses us all. But in experience research and design we rarely, if ever, create for or try to understand the human. It’s usually the different types of humans we’re interested in. Because once we understand who they are, we can list and prioritise these groups of… Read more
Web Typography: Top 3 Tips
Have you ever come across a website with absolutely terrible typography? Chances are you didn’t stick around too long. Following some basic steps and guidelines will help designers make sound decisions when it comes to web typography. Over the past decade we’ve seen major advancements in typography for the web and the playing field is… Read more
The Art of Asking Questions
Surveys, interviews, usability tests and other UX research methods are meant to elicit information to help us clearly understand a user/customer, their needs and their experience when using a service/product; to find the best design/redesign recommendations for a service/product; and in general, to help companies figure out the best possible way to serve their users/customers.… Read more
Don’t let the old stop the new!
A little while ago Michelle wrote on this blog how bad usability nearly turned her to crime and I am sure she is not alone. However, good insight-driven UX can also prevent crime. Take music streaming. I don’t know whether you have noticed but the music industry has become quiet lately. What a change from… Read more
It is not child’s play
Last Fall, I happened to be in San Francisco the same time as my (design) friends. They took us to an exhibition in Menlo Park. The exhibit was designed by teamLab, a collaborative group of artists specializing in digital experimentation. We unanimously agreed that the kids’ section of the exhibit was by far the most… Read more
Lamenting Over Fermenting: How Brewing Kombucha Relates to UX
I’ve recently acquired a starter kit to brew my own kombucha, given to me by my colleague Amanda Billark. During lunch one day, Amanda gave me and other Akendians a taste of the fermented effervescent tea that is supposedly super good for you. It was delicious! And it tasted better than the store-bought variety. The… Read more
Is Pretty Food Good Food?
A few months ago, a colleague of mine told me Uber was going to start a delivery service: UberEats. We were excited. As soon as the app became available in Ottawa, we placed our first order for our Akendi Friday Lunch. We browsed the clean, simple webpage with fantastic pictures of various restaurants in the… Read more
Why UberEATS Is Ruining the Restaurant Experience
Growing up in the suburbs of Toronto, we would get dinner delivered every couple of weeks when my parents were too tired or busy to cook. In those days the dinner options were limited. You either ordered Chinese, or pizza. Now, thanks to food delivery services like UberEATS, Foodora, and Just Eat, I can have… Read more
Transit Usability Issues Force Me to Turn to Crime
I have a confession to make. I’m a little obsessed with transit systems. Though at this point I think it’s a time honoured tradition at Akendi: NYC, GO Transit, and TTC. I recently went to visit my sister in Sydney, Australia. I spent some time surfing and admiring kangaroos, however I spent even more time… Read more
Closing Communication & Workflow Gaps with Technology
The original title I was going to give this post was: “Better Communication or More Tools? Pick One.” I chose the other title because I think it’s less flippant and often when gaps in communication and workflow are addressed with technological solutions, like knowledge repositories, workflow and messaging systems, project management systems to name a… Read more
Designing for Devices (Adaptive Design for the Rest of Us)
Creating a design that works well on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices is often seen as a daunting and intimidating exercise. Clients worry that there will be an overwhelming number of decisions to make, and they often become confused or sidetracked by pre-conceived notions about what “responsive” and “adaptive” design means. At Akendi, we’ve figured… Read more
Innovation? Fast follow that Uber taxi instead!
It has finally happened. Uber made it to Cambridge. Some, like myself, were looking forward to this. Others like Cambridge’s taxi firms, cannot have been, but the arrival of Uber in Cambridge cannot have been a surprise to established taxi firms and that bugs me a little bit. Why? Because existing taxi firms seem to… Read more