UX Heuristics, Cognitive Crutches & A Process for Simplifying Application UI

The world around us can be overwhelming most of the time, especially during global pandemics and with social turbulence occurring on a daily basis.

When we think about how our minds comprehend the vast amounts of information around us, one of the cognitive tools our minds use is pattern recognition.  We hear a lot about pattern recognition in Artificial intelligence, this is because programmers are attempting to mimic human mental cognition.

This so-called pattern recognition, from a User Experience and Psychological perspective is called Heuristics.  A Heuristic can be seen at play in almost all walks of human life.

by Damon Sanchez Nov 5, 2020

User Experience Process & Strategy | Super Mario Brothers & Chaos Theory

We have experiences woven into technology ranging from 0-Dimensions involving the realm of sound, all the way to 3-Dimensional space in which overlaid objectivity heightens what we perceive.

Understanding these experiences as humans intertwined into the realm of technology, involves a host of various sciences and areas of thought.

This is not to say that other areas of a User Centered Strategy are not important, but the gravity of doing a User Persona and a User Journey can be positively felt through out a project as it impacts who the intended use encapsulates.  Likewise the positive impact of group consensus over UI Layout, and the effectiveness of approved visual language kindles what is typically referred to as fuzzy-design-logic into clarity.

by Damon Sanchez Oct 5, 2018

The Impact of Iconography on a User’s Experience - Part 2of2 Creating Custom Icons & Web Fonts

In Part 2 of this blog series we turn the page and get into the nitty-gritty-rolled-up-sleeves details of icon: concepting, creation, construction and implementation.

We can rely on affordances to get us almost to the finish-line but there will always be the visual science of how a symbol transmits information.

by Damon Sanchez Jun 20, 2017

The Impact of Iconography on a User’s Experience - Part 1of2

In Part 1 of this blog post we are going to be discussing how the use of icons can positively affect a user’s experience through the concepts of metaphorical affordance and conditioned response.

by Damon Sanchez Feb 15, 2017

2-4-6-8 Who Do We Appreciate… Toasters & The Psychology of Consumer & User Experience CX/UX

To understand how to utilize a Consumer Centric process and in what order to effectively execute the many puzzle pieces its first required that we know who are users/consumers are…

by Damon Sanchez Oct 13, 2016

Using UI Wireframes & UX Mock-ups to Attain Group Consensus - The Art of the Dog-and-Pony-Show.

Creative Platforms are planned, scrutinized and scrapped and then reimagined from the ground up many times over.  If done correctly a creative platform can imbue a consumer with a magical sense that they themselves personify a brand.

This Holy Grail in advertising psychology… is the insubstantial brand equity that agencies strive to produce.

User Interface Design and the ability to shape a User’s Experience operates a lot like the pursuit of a perfect Customer Experience and how it builds Brand Equity. 

by Damon Sanchez May 23, 2016

SharePoint 13/2016 UI & UX, Apps & Web Services - The Continuity of User Experience in Design Language

Notice the Visual Impact of the simple change to a custom App Icon.  Where we would typically experience the UX of SharePoint out-of-the box, there is an occurrence of Micro Brand Establishment and now we have Aesthetic Value.

by Damon Sanchez May 11, 2016

Sketches, Doodles, UI Patterns or Poodles? Conditioned Responses & User Interfaces: Part 1

User Interfaces rely on the common knowledge of the person using the interface.  What establishes the perception of good UI, is really based on conditioning.

by Damon Sanchez Mar 2, 2016

SPTechCon Austin 2016

Having just returned from SPTechCon Austin 2016, I wanted to share some of the insights and common topics I noticed during several of the great sessions they had this week, showcasing several new Microsoft solutions like PowerApps, Office Fabric UI and Microsoft Graph.

by Steve Borgwardt Feb 26, 2016

Three Macro User Personas Walk into a Bar & the Art of What Makes Us the Same

There is a reason why a lot of classical jokes start out with 3 individuals walking into a bar. It isn’t because the punchline to these jokes are any better than “Why did the Chicken Cross The Road?” or “Knock-Knock… Who’s There…”

It is because by starting the joke out with 3 variations of people it drastically raises the chances that 1 of the cohorts in the joke resembles or has characteristics of someone in the audience.

by Damon Sanchez Sep 30, 2015