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Design Mobile Strategy UX

Top 3 Must-Read Books of 2015 for Digital Creatives and UX Designers (and 2 more)

If you’re looking for a holiday gift for the designer in your life, here are a few highly recommended books that were published in 2015.

I can usually make it through 5-10 trade books a year. I’m not sure if that number is good or bad, but it’s an honest one for me. 2015 has been a great year for design books and I wanted to share my top 3 favorites. The list would be 5-strong but the last 2 I haven’t read yet as they were just released.

These are in no particular order.

RWD_danrose Responsive Web Design with Adobe Photoshop 1st Edition by Dan Rose (@dblizzy)

Here is the quick review I put on Amazon via my phone shortly after reading: “This book is a must read for any UI Designer that still appreciates being creative. Easy to read and invaluable for anyone who is struggling with the idea that you should design in the browser. This book does a great job of showing and proving that that isn’t the case. I’m going to make this a required read for my UI desig team.”

On the surface, you may think that this is a technical manual that simply walks you through how to design a responsive site with Photoshop. That’s not the main point of this book (though there are some great tips and tricks) and not what Dan’s motives for writing it were in my opinion. Instead, he jumps right into the “great design debate” of the past couple of years as to whether or not it’s right or wrong to design responsive experiences in the browser or in a tool like Photoshop.

If you are someone who is a mid to advanced user of Photoshop and are feeling the pressure from other designers and developers in the industry to move away from Photoshop and you don’t agree, then this book if for you. It will help you show through example why it’s not old school to use Photoshop for web design. After reading Dan’s book I solidified my stance that what is great about UI design is that it’s a creative field (that dabbles in being technical) and that it’s best to use the tools that make you comfortable so that you can be as creative as possible. You should never hold back your designs because of the tools you’re using.

I felt as if some of the pages of this book were penned by me and it echoed my theory and philosophy of RWD. If you still value being “creative” and Photoshop is your tool of choice, pick this book up and keep it by your side when you’re designing. You’ll learn new techniques that can help streamline your process and make sure you think of all the in’s and out’s of designing a responsive site.

ArticDesignArticulating Design Decisions 1st Edition by Tom Greever (@tomgreever)

As I progress though my career I am able to recognize my strengths and weaknesses faster. Because of this I’m also able to find solutions to the weaker parts of my skill set and nip that weakness in the bud.

One thing that I’ve been proud of over the years is my ability to articulate my designs, at least I thought that was the case until maybe the past 1.5 years or so. With the ever evolving world of web design comes challenges to be able to explain the “why’s” behind you and your teams designs. At some point you think that your experience should just speak for itself. The problem is that time really NEVER comes.

I decided to pick this one up after one particularly bad meeting where I wasn’t able to explain why I had directed my team to do something. I realized that the medium is moving way way faster than some of the C-Suite Execs are able to keep up.

This book is a great tool to help refine and sharpen the skill set of selling your ideas and is highly recommended for any designer out there.

touchDesigning for Touch by Josh Clark (@bigmediumjosh)

Josh Clark has done a great thing for the design community by writing this book. I’m about 95% through this one and I’ve already used it in my day to day work more than once.

If you’ve ever designed anything for a mobile device you know that it’s just not as easy as saying “make the text bigger and make that button tapable!” there is way more to it and Josh does a great job explaining the nuances of designing for these new devices and sizes without getting too far into the weeds.

There are real-life examples throughout this quick read and best of all this book is up-to-date. One of the reasons I wanted to read this was to see if and how the differences between phone screen sizes and the rise of the “phablet” have effected design techniques or touch design philosophy. The answer is in this book and it’s valuable information that every designer should have. I just hope they keep updating it as new and unexpected trends in this market emerge.

Just Bought; Haven’t Read

A Book Apart, the publisher of Designing for Touch, also just released 2 new titles that I’m waiting to get in the mail as I type this. I wanted to mention them as they are relevant to my work right now and knowing the quality of A Book Apart, I’m sure these will be amazing.

Responsive Design: Patterns and Principles by Ethan Marcotte (@beep)

Written by the guy that coined RWD, this is a must read. Here is the description: “As responsive design evolves, we have a critical need to think about design challenges beyond mobile, tablet, and desktop. When properly designed and planned, design patterns—small, reusable modules—help your responsive layout reach more devices (and people) than ever before. Ethan Marcotte shows you just how that’s done, focusing on responsive navigation systems, re-sizing and adapting images, managing advertising in a responsive context, and broader principles for designing more flexible, device-independent layouts.”

SO GOOD! I CAN’T WAIT

Going Responsive by Karen McGrane (@karenmcgrane)

The reason I want to read this one is simply because I am a realist and this book sounds like it’s trying to teach people the truth about the real world of design. From being on both the agency side and client side there are a lot of challenges that come along with “going responsive.”

I read Karen’s book “Content Strategy for Mobile” and I’m sure this one will not disappoint. Here is the description: “Responsive design is more than the technical; it’s a new way of communicating and working that affects every person on your team. Karen McGrane draws on data and stories from real-world teams to show you why going responsive is just good business sense—and how to set up your project (from concept to launch) for total success. Learn how to plan and scope work, collaborate in a responsive context, evaluate content, handle browser support and testing, and measure performance outcomes. No matter your role or project, go responsive with confidence.”

Categories
Design Development Mobile Strategy

Some think RWD isn’t the long-term solution for the mobile future???

Yesterday Brad Frost (@bradfrost) tweeted this:

The link lands you on an article from Mobile Marketer titled: Responsive Web design not a long-term solution to mobility: Forrester

Please take a minute to read this article so you can do this:

I can’t decide if this article is meant to stir the pot and get people like Brad, Luke, me, and any other RWD evangelist up in arms, or if they are serious. My fear is that the survey they took is legit and it is sadly eye opening OR as one person commented, “Guys, this is just a commercial for Moovweb who is trying to coin a term “Responsive Delivery”. Shameless.”

The article points out that RWD is too complex and that too much cost is associated with moving to RWD.

One of the main issues with responsive Web design is that it requires the code for a company’s existing Web assets to be completely rewritten, making the project more complex than some expected.

We didn’t really need proof that most sites have been put together like Lego’s over the years, plugging in things here, adding 3rd party software there, etc. The move to mobile is simply making these bad development decisions more visible. IT departments don’t want to admit they were wrong and I think it’s very short sighted of those involved to write RWD off:

“One of the biggest things that came out of this was that responsive Web design was viewed by the majority of the respondents as a tactical short-term solution,” said Mitch Bishop, chief marketing officer of Moovweb, San Francisco.

The comments on this post are great:

“This article is an example of what happens when non-developers write about development. Check your facts – RWD does not require companies to “rewrite their code base”. The whole point of RWD is to have one code base.

So many inaccuracies in this article, it boggles the mind.”

and this one is pretty much exactly what I thought the first time I read this garbage:

Have you lost your mind?

Responsive web design is all about the front-end. RWD itself DOES NOT require “back-end” changes unless the previous front-end and back-end code are poorly written and intertwined – and if so that is NOT the fault of RWD.

Who paid you to post this collage of gibberish, doubletalk, half-truths and outright lies?

Sigh.

Categories
Mobile Strategy

Googles Mobile SEO Algorithm Update Screams Responsive Web Design

A few days ago Google announced a change to their algorithm that really favors sites that are built using the best in class design patters of Responsive Web Design (RWD).

According to Search Engine Watch Google has really made the way you put together your mobile site even more important.

The main emphasis of their post is this: if in doubt, connect the user to the content they want on a non-mobile page, rather than direct them to an incorrect mobile-formatted page.

For instance, having a blanket redirect to your mobile homepage when the site detects a user is on a smartphone, despite the fact they have clicked on a deep link, has now been called out as an explicit no-no

I think we all probably believe that RWD in some form or another is the future of the mobile web, but this move by Google might just be the update that the rest of the world needed to push the strategy into the main stream. Clients are used to SEO conversations and so explaining this to them and getting them to realize they need a new Responsive site, should be a no-brainer.

Categories
Articles Brands Mobile

Brands’ Greatest Mobile Challenges

It’s always interesting to hear what brands perceptions are about a certain trend or new technology or method in web design. In this case: MOBILE.

An article today on Digiday show’s how some of the top brands in the country are thinking about mobile. I’ve personally uttered some of the same comments that these CMO’s and CEO’s are saying here so it’s nice to hear that some of the  conversation is making it’s way up the ranks.

Since I currently do not work at a “brand” but instead for an agency that handles many brands I would like to add my two cents. I think the greatest mobile challenge for brands is finding people, either in house or at an agency, that truly get mobile and have the brands best interest at heart. It’s been a struggle to get older traditional creatives and account people to think mobile first, which is the proper way to think about mobile if you’re going to venture into it.

Brands’ Greatest Mobile Challenges | Digiday.

Categories
Articles Development Mobile

Windows 8 takes 1 percent of Web usage as Internet Explorer gains

This is a great article about web browser usage after the launch of Windows 8.

Most shocking thing about this whole article is that IE6 is STILL on the list. SIGH.

Read the whole article here on Ars Techinca: Windows 8 takes 1 percent of Web usage as Internet Explorer gains | Ars Technica.

Categories
Mobile Tech/Gadgets

Microsoft Surface Review Roundup

On the day that Apple unveiled it’s iPad Mini, the tech sites released their mixed reviews of what I consider one of the more exciting tech stories of the year: The Microsoft Surface.

Here are the highlights and wrap-ups of the big 3 reviewers:

Engadget:

The Microsoft Surface with Windows RT’s $499 starting MSRP means those thinking about making the investment here will be carefully cross-shopping against same-priced offerings from Apple, ASUS and others. Where does this one rate? Very well — but very differently. While those devices are primarily targeted at content-hungry consumers, the Surface is a slate upon which you can get some serious work done, and do so comfortably. You can’t always say that of the competition.

It’s in the other half of the equation, that of the content consumption and entertainment, where the Surface is currently lacking. It needs a bigger pile of apps and games to make up for that and, while we’re sure they’re coming, we don’t know when. If those apps arrive soon, then early adopters will feel vindicated. If, however, the Windows RT market is slow to mature, not truly getting hot for another six months or so, holding off will prove to have been the smarter option.

So, if gaming and music and movies and reading are what you’re looking to enjoy, then we might advise sitting this one out for a few months just to make sure that all your bases will indeed be covered. If, however, you’re looking for an impeccably engineered tablet upon which you can do some serious work, a device that doesn’t look, feel or act like a toy, then you should get yourself a Surface with Windows RT.

The Verge:

7.0VERGE SCORE

GOOD STUFF

  • Ambitious new software
  • Solidly made, handsome hardware
  • Full Office suite with no compromise
  • Excellent battery life

BAD STUFF

  • Performance is hit or miss
  • Weak ecosystem
  • Buggy software
  • Doesn’t live up to hybrid promise

Gizmodo:

Should you buy it?

No. The Surface, with an obligatory Touch Cover, is $600. That’s a lot of money. Especially given that it’s no laptop replacement, no matter how it looks or what Microsoft says. It’s a tablet-plus, priced right alongside the iPad and in most ways inferior.

That could change. Maybe there will be a new Touch Cover that retains the original’s terrific physical qualities while actually allowing good typing. Maybe the quasi-vaporware Surface Pro, which eschews Windows RT in favor of the real-deal Win 8, will make all the difference, opening itself up to the open seas of PC software (for several hundred dollars more). Maybe the app store will look different in a month, or a year, and have anything to offer. Maybe. But remember that Windows Phone—which has swelled from mere hundreds, to tens of thousands, to over a hundred thousand app offerings over the past two years—is still a wasteland compared to iOS and Android. Poor precedent. Maybe Windows RT will be different. Maybe.

But those maybes aren’t worth putting money on. As much as it looked (and even felt) like it for a bit, the future isn’t here quite yet.

 My 2 cents so far:

Meh. To be honest this is pretty disappointing. I always tend to pull for the underdog (minus Blackberry) when it comes to technology. I loved the Palm Pre, and still think Androids are superior to iPhones, but I just don’t see this turning out well for Microsoft. Until I can actually get my hands on one of these, I’ll just have to go by what the other sites say, but not holding out hope.

 

Categories
Design Mobile

Sharp begins production of 1080p display for smartphones: 443 ppi crammed into a 5-inch LCD

The company has announced its LCD panel type 5 — a 5-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display packing a Retina-busting 443 ppi (just trumping LG’s similar 440 ppi LCD). An outcome of its layer-reducing CG-Silicon technology, the smartphone-targeted screen goes into full-scale production this month and will be shown off at CEATEC Japan this very week. 

My question is, what does this mean for how we design sites and apps? Will this force us even more to think about design as a CSS based design. Will it crush battery life? Will data loads be more insane than some already are?

My first take on this is just that. As designers we’ll need to consider the design to be as close to 100% CSS based as possible. Where it can’t be, then .svg would be the next answer. Make it so that the ONLY true “images” that get downloaded to a site are photographs. Yet another challenge in the ever changing world of web design.

Read more here:

Sharp begins production of 1080p display for smartphones: 443 ppi crammed into a 5-inch LCD — Engadget.

 

Categories
Agencies Mobile

Confessions of a Mobile Marketing Vendor | Digiday

Not sure if any of you out there read DigiDay.com but it’s a great site with some quality articles and informatoin about the digital/interactive business. I would recommend putting it on your daily read list.

Todays headline grabbed my attention.

“Confessions of a Mobile Marketing Vendor” It’s a good read and very eye opening.  I agree with most of what this guy/gal is saying, especially a bout how agencies are still trying to figure out mobile and how the “future” is really only about 12 months away. Check it:

How are agency approaches to mobile changing?

They’re investing in it now. They wouldn’t be growing their mobile teams unless they thought there was money there. For big agencies it’s still, to a certain extent, a bet on the future. But the future isn’t very far away — maybe 12 to 18 months. I am confident those agencies that aren’t very good at it will start to lose business now. It might not happen tomorrow, but it will happen sooner than people realize. If agencies think they can just move a couple of digital folks over to mobile, they’re wrong. That’s not how it’s going to work. You can’t just jump in to this area.

Read the rest of the interview here: Confessions of a Mobile Marketing Vendor | Digiday.

Categories
E-Commerce Mobile

Users prefer mobile web over native apps when it comes to e-commerce

Has it started already? Is this the first sign of the native app taking a back seat to the mobile website? That is the question really.

It’s been predicted by the smart folks out there that the mobile web will win out in the “web vs app” war. I think this new Neilsen report just proves their point more.

Shoppers would rather visit a retailer’s mobile website over using a branded app, according to a new study.

A report released by Nielsen Wire on Monday found that retail websites are more popular than retail apps. It also revealed that Amazon is the most visited retail site on the mobile web.

Read the rest of the story at Mashable.

Categories
Mobile Tech/Gadgets

Instagram for Android shown off at SXSW, ‘better than our iPhone app’ say founders | The Verge

Instagram for Android shown off at SXSW, ‘better than our iPhone app’ say founders | The Verge.