Monday, December 22, 2014

trendwatching.com | 10 TRENDS FOR 2015 | Consumer Trend Briefing | December 2014

Innovation opportunities to run with – and profit from – in 2015!



Read the 10 TRENDS FOR 2015 Consumer Trend Briefing from trendwatching.com »





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How to plan and run the perfect UX workshop

Workshops are a really key part of the UX process but all too often they are poorly thought out and poorly run. Here are my tips for planning and running the perfect UX workshop.


The post How to plan and run the perfect UX workshop appeared first on UX for the masses.






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Revisiting the Pile-Sort Method of User Research

By Hang Guo, Khasfariyati Razikin, and Muhammad Hatib Published: December 8, 2014 “The UX community has a long acquaintance with the pile-sort method of user research.” The UX community has a long acquaintance with the pile-sort method of user research. In this article, we’ll revisit the origin of the pile-sort method in anthropology and provide an account of how we used this method to understand user task flows. We’ll also introduce an extension to the pile-sort method that helped us to collect user data more effectively while working in an agile software-development environment. Finally, we’ll discuss the analytical method that we used to process our study results: factor analysis.



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Making User Experience Part of Business Strategy | Understanding a Product’s Target Culture

By Janet M. Six Published: December 8, 2014 “In exploring potential means of integrating user experience into an organization’s product strategy and overall business strategy, our expert panel discusses such approaches as presumptive design and the Jobs to Be Done model.” In this edition of Ask UXmatters, our panel of UX experts discusses two topics: how to integrate user experience into an organization’s product and business strategy how to best understand the culture of an organization for which you are providing design solutions In exploring potential means of integrating user experience into an organization’s product strategy and overall business strategy, our expert panel discusses such approaches as presumptive design and the Jobs to Be Done model. On the related topic of best design practices for a particular culture, the Expert Panel considers observation and anthropology.



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UX Leadership, Part 1: The Nature of Great Leaders

By Jim Nieters and Pabini Gabriel-Petit Published: December 8, 2014 “Producing great, highly differentiated user experiences should be the goal of every UX leader. But in many companies, UX leaders face challenges that force them to approach leading User Experience in a less than optimal way.” This column is the second in our series that highlights our insights on what it would take for companies to go from producing dreary, overly complex user experiences to producing truly great user experiences that differentiate their products from those of competitors in their marketplace. In our first column, we stated that producing great, highly differentiated user experiences should be the goal of every UX leader. But in many companies, UX leaders face challenges that force them to approach leading User Experience in a less than optimal way. If, as a UX leader, you find yourself stuck in a situation where you and your team cannot do great work—that is, you are unable to produce user experiences that solve people’s problems, inspire, and delight—you’re working for the wrong organization and should find a better job. In that column, we also discussed how to position User Experience for optimal impact.



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Fostering Innovation and Creativity | Project Scoping

By Janet M. Six Published: December 22, 2014 “While innovation is something that many companies would like to achieve, most long-established companies fail to innovate.” In this edition of Ask UXmatters, our panel of UX experts discusses two topics: how to encourage innovation and creativity within organizations when and how to define the scope of a consulting project While innovation is something that many companies would like to achieve, most long-established companies fail to innovate. How can organizations foster innovation and creativity? In this column, our expert panel first describes various ways to encourage innovation and creativity within an organization. They also consider these philosophical questions: why should organizations foster innovation and creativity and what do they gain by doing so? Our expert panel then discusses the importance of consultants’ defining the scope of their projects to ensure that they get paid for all their work. They describe the approaches that they take to project scoping.



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UIEtips: A Definition of Content Strategy

In this week’s UIEtips article, Facebook’s Jonathon Colman offers his definition for content strategy. With the help of other content strategy experts—Brain Traffic’s Kristina Halvorson and Rachel Lovinger from Razorfish—he makes the case that content strategy is part of a triumvirate of disciplines that, when they work together, build better experiences for everyone. Here’s an […]



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UIEtips: Critique: The Secret to Growing Your UX Team Skills

In this week’s UIEtips, we offer an original article. In it, I introduce critique as a growth tool for UX teams. Here’s an excerpt from the article: Regular critique, whether formal or ad-hoc, ramps up team members’ skills quickly. By changing up what the focus of learning is for each session, the team ensures that […]



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Luke Wroblewski – Mobile Behavior and Design Trends Live!

What’s going to make your whole company focus on mobile? How do people interact with their mobiles device? How can you design for this new reality and even create experiences that translate from mobile to laptop to TV?



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Cyd Harrell – Techniques for Mobile Research

The so called Digital Divide is increasingly being filled with mobile devices. Because of that, you need an understanding of how your designs are appearing and behaving on smaller screens. Cyd Harrell is an expert on user research, and the one we to turn for mobile research. She says that it’s not just how your designs display on these devices but also the behavior of your users as they interact on these more personal gadgets. Users consider their mobile phones to be a much more private device than a desktop computer.



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How to Find Stories in Unexpected Places

As strange as it might sound, I have a harder time not finding stories. It's like that line in 'The Sixth Sense' when Haley Joel Osment says, "I see dead people." Instead of dead people, I see stories. Everywhere.



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The Best Branded Content of 2014

That's right—it's time for my picks of the best branded content of 2014. It's kind of like Cannes, except instead of a gold lion, you get a picture of our soccer team with Drake.



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Contently Quarterly: The 2015 Issue

Back to the Future II took place in 1985 and imagined the world of 2015. It predicted a lot of . . .



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Infographic: The Content Marketing Hierarchy of Needs

Inspired by Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we decided to make the content marketing hierarchy of needs for the latest edition of our print magazine, Contently Quarterly. If you're in the same game we are, we hope you can relate.



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Don’t Get Lost In Translation: How To Conduct Website Localization

Design Principles: Visual Weight And Direction

A Frank Lloyd Wright Approach To Digital Design

2015 Content Strategy Conferences

With a new year, it’s time to get new ideas for content strategy! Go forth and gather them from the following popular 2015 content strategy conferences and others — like Read More


The post 2015 Content Strategy Conferences appeared first on Pybop: Exceptional Content Strategy & Brand Storytelling.






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Do you have a Content Strategy for Wearable Technology?





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Confessions of a Content Strategist: Emmelyn Wang





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Why your Web Traffic Doesn’t Convert





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Wearable Technology: Content Fit for Storytelling

Amid smart glasses, watches and other intelligent accessories, a wearable device that aids in the storytelling process may seem to be the most natural fit of all. Discover how wearable tech can inspire your content marketing future. Continue reading


The post Wearable Technology: Content Fit for Storytelling appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.






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Visual-Merchandising Secrets for Better Content Engagement

Good visual merchandisers have a big impact on sales when they think traffic flow, color, signage, packaging and more. Use their tips and our favorites to transform your content’s presentation and you could see double-digit effects. Continue reading


The post Visual-Merchandising Secrets for Better Content Engagement appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.






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How To Curate Content Like A Pro: 8 Lessons (Examples Included)

Content curation is not an aggregation of existing content, references, or links. It adds value through unique commentary. Learn more about how to boost your content curation with these eight lessons and numerous actionable tips. Continue reading


The post How To Curate Content Like A Pro: 8 Lessons (Examples Included) appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.






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Ann Handley Talks Writing Ridiculously Well

Marketing Profs’ Ann Handley joins “Content Marketing NEXT” to talk about why good content creators must be good writers, how the industry’s evolved since her first book four years ago, and why she can’t choose one buzzword to blast. Continue reading


The post Ann Handley Talks Writing Ridiculously Well appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.






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The Role of PR and Content Marketing in 2015

Should you produce content for your publishing outlets or create it for news media? You may think you have to choose earned or owned, but you don’t. PR and content marketing can work together to strengthen your efforts. Continue reading


The post The Role of PR and Content Marketing in 2015 appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.






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9 Ways to Use Content Marketing as a Recruiting Tool

Does your content marketing strategy ignore the very people who could help grow your company? Help your HR department and incorporate prospective employees into your content marketing with these nine recruiting tool tips. Continue reading


The post 9 Ways to Use Content Marketing as a Recruiting Tool appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.






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5 Ways to Get More ROI From Your Next Conference

You can get more ROI from your conference participation when you create content before, during, and after the event. These five tips will help your brand’s content marketing, and get the bosses to say yes to that next conference trip. Continue reading


The post 5 Ways to Get More ROI From Your Next Conference appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.






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10 Most Common SEO Pitfalls

When your audience searches, you want your brand to be a top site on their results page. Yet, too many businesses experience SEO pitfalls – fortunately, you can learn to correct these mistakes and boost your ranking and page traffic. Continue reading


The post 10 Most Common SEO Pitfalls appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.






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Tuesday, December 2, 2014

About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design

By Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann, David Cronin, and Christopher Noessel Published: November 17, 2014 This is a sample chapter from the 4th Edition of About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design, by Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann, David Cronin, and Christopher Noessel. Chapter 6: Creative Teamwork “In design and business, teams are common, but rarely are they successful or productive.” In the Introduction to this book, we described the Goal-Directed method as consisting of three p’s: principles, patterns, and processes. However, there’s a fourth p worth mentioning—practices. This book mostly concerns itself with the first three, but in this chapter we’d like to share a few thoughts about the practice of Goal-Directed design and how design teams integrate into the larger product team.



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Fundamental Principles of Great UX Design | How to Deliver Great UX Design

By Janet M. Six Published: November 17, 2014 Send your questions to Ask UXmatters and get answers from some of the top professionals in UX. In this edition of Ask UXmatters, our expert panel looks at the importance of considering the fundamental principles of great design—not just UX design principles, but design principles in general. Our panel also discusses how great UX design takes place within organizations, looking at this topic on many different levels. How can you create great designs when working with a variety of designers with different backgrounds and while working within the constraints of project-defined goals? How can the presence of User Experience at the C-level and, in general, garnering support from the C-level affect our ability to implement great designs. How can we produce great designs in a repeatable manner? Keep reading for the answers to all of these important questions.



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Big Picture or Detail Oriented? UX Requires Both!

By Baruch Sachs Published: November 17, 2014 “If you’re not able to analyze and focus on the right patterns, you’ll end up buried. If you focus on catching every little crisis before it touches the ground and festers, you’ll constantly be putting out fires. Neither of these outcomes is a good place to be….” Autumn is a great time to be a New Englander. While autumnal beauty happens all over the world, New England is the place to be in the United States. Sitting on my back deck and looking at the forest behind my house is one of my favorite ways to get inspired. One day, as I was watching the leaves swirl and fall, I started thinking about user experience and consulting. Weird, I know, but as each leaf fell, I realized that, while each leaf seems small, enough of them will eventually cover the entire ground. If you rake too early, you will have to repeat the process multiple times. If you wait until every single leaf is off a tree, your job becomes that much harder. With leaves, this is a game every New Englander plays. When should you pay attention to them?



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How HSBC Cracked the ROI Code and Tied Their Content Back to Revenue

Like most content marketers, HSBC's Debra Russeth started out creating content with virtually no sales KPIs—until she reverse-engineered their marketing process and had a breakthrough.



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35 Content Marketing Stats You Need to Know

Content marketers are junkies for concise and compelling stats, so let's take a look at 35 stats you need to know.



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17 Content Marketing Predictions for 2015

In 2015, ad agencies may find themselves having a lot in common with the New York Jets.



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Bizarro Planet: How I Overcame Corporate Constraints and Found a Way to Tell Great Brand Stories

Like most journalists, I climbed the ladder working for established media companies. When I switched teams and tried to build a newsroom for a corporate client, it was a rude awakening.



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The Best Branded Content of November

It's the holiday season, so of course our roundup of the month's best branded content has to involve a very adorable penguin.



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How Amex Turned Small Business Saturday Into a Storytelling Machine

With immersive, multimedia narratives about local businesses, American Express is taking Small Business Saturday to the next level.



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Follow the Leader: Why Agencies Need to Embrace the Content Marketing Challenge

Agencies—which already own the brand relationship when it comes to media planning, buying, strategy, research, data analytics, mobile, and social—must be the ones to push brands into this next era of marketing.



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Why You Should Include Your Developer In The Design Process

How To Create Your Own Front-End Website Testing Plan

The More You Fail, The Greater Your Success: A User-Centered Design Case Study

When Internal Content Competes

It’s possible — very likely in fact — that the content you are responsible for relies on the content that other people are responsible for (and visa versa). Especially if Read More


The post When Internal Content Competes appeared first on Pybop: Exceptional Content Strategy & Brand Storytelling.






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Confessions of a Content Strategist: Jenny Magic





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Do You Care More About SEO or UX?





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Data Visualization Inspiration: Analysis To Insights To Action, Faster!

Like a vast majority on planet Earth, I love data visualizations. Ok, so perhaps as the author of two bestselling books on analytics I love it a little bit more! There is something magical about taking an incredible amount of complexity and presenting it as simply as we possibly can with the goal of letting […]


Data Visualization Inspiration: Analysis To Insights To Action, Faster! is a post from: Occam's Razor by Avinash Kaushik






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