In todays class we learned what is content, and the different ways that information can be displayed. Some of these include images, text, videos, graphics, charts, etc. As a designer it is my job to create content. In todays world we are all able to be content creators, as apps such as YouTube and Instagram allow us all to create content in one sense or another. Apps like TikTok and Instagram can be very addictive as users can be stuck watching videos for hours, which can take away productivity and social interactions.
In first year we learnt about Jeffrey Zeldman, who was a web designer in the 90s and 2000s, and is famous for pushing web standards. This was because web page development was able to be done by anyone, so therefore there was no set rules or standards, so Jeffrey wanted to establish rules and standards, leading to the web standards movement in 1998. This would make the internet more accessible to everyone. It is important to stick to these standards so that our content is familiar and users don’t have to learn a whole new system just to use it.
As a UX designer, we are always going to be designing content on an interface, that a user will use to do tasks. This is why it is important to have good idea about lots of different types of content and how to display it correctly. This can be things like where to place the navigation bar, how big the icons, the font size. These all fall under content design and are all important when designing for UI and UX. This can be displayed on different types of devices such as phones or tablets, but even watches and cars.
As designers, we should be designing what users need, not what they want. When doing research, we must do competitor analysis, user surveys, interviews, to find out what people need, instead of what they want. This is because people won’t use something that they don’t need. Your product must be of value to someone and this happens when we provide them with something that they need. An example given was how Steve Jobs wanted to sell the iPhone before the iPad as people would need the phone more than iPad. The phone has more everyday functional uses such as phone calls so therefore it would have been of more value to people than an iPad.
Looking at some articles that were recommended to us by our lecturer, I read up on some things that need to be considered when designing for smart watches. This was my first time designing for a smart watch, so it was great to learn a bit about what to keep in mind. A common theme throughout these articles was the importance of only including information that is essential. Since the screen is so small, we need to ensure that we are not over-crowding the screen with elements that aren’t necessary. Designing like this is called being ‘glanceable, meaning that the user can understand what the UI is saying to them with just a glance. This is because users don’t have time to read a lot of information when they are exercising or in a rush and want to quickly check their watch. Another thing I learnt from these articles was the importance of designing for function. Users generally don’t care too much about the aesthetics of their smart watch app, whilst in comparison they want to be able to complete the task that the app promises. If our smart watch UIs cant provide the user with a simple user experience then we have failed. Predictability is also important when designing for smart watches. We should adhere to current guidelines and standards that are being used when it comes to smart watch UI design, so that the user can know how to use our app without an instruction manual. Having a navigation model is important, and Apple recommend using either page-based or hierarchical for their products.
Designing for Apple Watch - UI Design Handbook - Design+Code
UX Design for Smartwatches – What To Keep In Mind | Adobe XD Ideas
Designing for watchOS | Apple Developer Documentation
Another website that was recommended to us was by Nielson Norman group, who are a trustworthy source when it comes to UX. The article was about useful smart watch interactions, and talked about how there are 6 different types of smart watch interactions. Over a case study they collected 200 examples of individual interactions, in which they could put into 6 different categories: