UI Archives - Visual Identity

CMS Web Design: A Guide to Dynamic Content Applications aside

This post was written by Ian Spangler, Digital Designer for Toptal UI/UX techniques for the dynamic content-driven world of online media. A large majority of web applications and mobile apps, especially in the online media space, are powered by content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal, and others. These systems have come into existence to meet the needs of an internet age where content is king and dynamic—changing continuously and frequently. In the past, most websites were static—not built to evolve and grow seamlessly. Now they are considered to be living systems, and there is an optimal way to design for them. The following is a guide for digital designers looking to expand their repertoire beyond static websites and landing pages, ...

Exploring the Gestalt Principles of Design aside

Negative space has long been a staple of good design. Leaving white space around elements of a design is the first thing that usually comes to mind. But then there are designs that use that white space to infer an element that isn’t actually there (the arrow hidden between the E and X in the FedEx logo immediately comes to mind as an example). The “E” and “x” in the FedEx logo create an arrow within the negative space between them. The human brain is exceptionally good at filling in the blanks in an image and creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s why we see faces in things like tree leaves or sidewalk ...

How to Design an Effective Landing Page aside

Landing pages can be described as one-page websites that push the visitor toward a single action. This focus on a single purpose is the primary feature that makes landing pages different from other websites. Their primary goal is to generate leads which are often linked with email and social media campaigns and to convert those leads into buyers and subscribers. The process of converting visitors into leads and buyers is usually accomplished by call-to-action buttons and lead generation forms. “A landing page is any webpage on which an Internet visitor first arrives on their way to an important action that you want them to take on your site” – Tim Ash, Landing Page Optimization Landing pages originated in response to the ...

How to Build an Effective Design Framework aside

If you’ve been in the design world for a while, you’ve probably heard these terms: design framework, UI framework, UI kit, or pattern library. They all refer to the same thing—a system of design standards, templates, UI patterns, and components that are used throughout a product and serve its design language. If you haven’t created a design framework before, starting one can feel overwhelming and seem time-consuming, but it will speed up your design work and make it more efficient overall. Let’s outline the main issues a design framework solves, why you need one, and the components you will need to create when building one. You will find a free downloadable Sketch UI framework later in the article that allows you to create ...

New Realities: VR, AR, MR, and the Future of Design aside

Advances in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality mean fresh design opportunities for designers. The digital and technological landscape is constantly changing, and in many ways accelerating. Designers tasked to come up with innovative ideas have to keep track of what is trending and where the creative opportunities are. Recognizing the changes that are occurring in the industry will help designers design smarter and make more informed creative decisions. Bell curve graphic of the technology adoption life cycle In the technology adoption life cycle, “Innovators” are the smallest group, yet the most successful. They are followed by “Early Adopters,” then “Early Majority,” and later, “The Majority,” or everyone else. As innovators, great designers usually fall into the “Early Adopters” category—big risk ...

What is UX Design? Common Misconceptions and UX Myths aside

Even after all these years, it seems like “UX” is still a buzzword at many companies—“We don’t just need a designer,” the VP of Product declares, “We need a UX Designer!” An audible gasp is heard in the room; everyone in the meeting nods in agreement while surreptitiously Googling “What is UX design?” and “What does a UX designer do?” By now, most people know that UX stands for user experience. But knowing what it stands for is not the same as really understanding the details that make it up and make it work. In fact, most people would have a hard time explaining what designing for a user experience means, or what a UX designer actually does. UX—in short—is all aspects of a system (website, app, product, ...

Button Design Over the Years – The Dribbble Timeline aside

Buttons. With them, we finalize shopping on the internet, we log in to our bank app, and we submit forms filled with our most personal information. Web design is growing at an incredible pace, and styles seem to change from month to month. In just a few years, we have gone from text links to skeuomorphism to flat design. Navigation is one of the most important elements of web design, and the call to action button is its strongest tool. In this article, I will trace eight years of web button design history based on Dribbble. The Dribbble Buttons Timeline In 2009, Dribbble was created: a platform for designers from around the world who shared little pieces of their current projects. ...

Amazing Travel UIs aside

The following is a curated collection of beautiful and futuristic travel UIs created by different designers from around the world. Some of the designs are captured from live products, some are still in development, and some are purely concepts designed to push the bounds of what is even considered possible. Note to designers: Some of the following contains fully developed open-source elements that you can use in your own designs. Facebook Messenger, Bots, Payments Credit: Isil Uzum Why it’s amazing: This concept brilliantly leverages the current chatbot hype and applies it to a compelling use case: booking flights with friends. It takes a number of complex interactions and allows the group to search and book within the Facebook Messenger app. Swipe to Travel Credit: FΛNTΛSY Why it’s ...

How to Hire a UI Designer aside

Working with a UI designer in most cases is an exciting period of a product’s journey. All the nuts and bolts start coming together and the intangible finds itself materializing into reality. But finding a great UI designer can also get tricky and in some cases difficult, especially when it comes down to defining a UI designer’s job description. Roles can get confused and the optimum outcome of a project’s deliverables and experience may invariably end up in a hard place to reach. In order to get the best out of the hiring process as well as the UI designer you will be working with, it is best to get a little closer to what they do and the quote ...

Tags ArchivesUI