UX Tidbits – July

This month I have been getting back into graphic and web design a bit more, and wanted to explore some of the basics. Here are some nice reference articles on the basics of visual and interaction design.

Design Links

11 Principles of Interaction Design – I love the simplicity of this article, as well as the overall simplicity of the website design itself. I particularly enjoyed #1 on Experience and Expectation and #6 on Functional Layering. These are valuable principles that are often touched on in the basics as mental models, and 80/20, but I felt that this article did a better job then most at succinctly touching on the depth behind what these principles  embody.

Applying Divine Proportion – This is a great introductory article into the golden ratio and rule of thirds in layout design while also adding some additional design tips.

an optimal number for comfortable reading lies between 60 and 80 symbols per line.

A Craft of Consequences – I enjoyed the evolution of this little article that explores the idea behind experiencing the sensory emotions that come with physically well designed books, versus those read on popular e-readers. More than sentimental attachment to physical books, the author brings up interesting points about the value lost in media presented on a flat screen versus the richness of a physically well designed tactile experience.

A 20 minute Intro to Typography Basics – This is a great short article that sends me back to my design school days with great simple explanations of some popular terminology in type from Kerning to Ligatures. Fonts and typography are something I have been very intersted in lately with their relation to and ability to stand alone in design.

What Font Should I Use? – Speaking on fonts, here is a nice reference article on the basic font families and some rules for using and mixing them.

Design Exploration

I also did some design explorations on a logo for a friends small BBQ company. He needs a logo that he can sticker for packaging design, here are some of the ideas I played with: