Code: Front-End Development

Unfortunately, in the field of user experience, people often confuse terms like information architecture, interaction design, visual design, usability engineering, and UX design. In some cases, people use these terms almost interchangeably. This article provides a lexicon of these terms and more clearly defines the role of the user experience designer.

Information Architecture

Information architecture (IA) focuses on the organization of data—that is, how data is structured from a user’s perspective, as opposed to the system, or technical, perspective.

At the level of an entire Web site, or application, information architecture determines what data is on each page and how pages relate to each other. For example, defining a site map is an IA activity. At the level of an individual page layout, information architecture ensures that data is logically grouped and interrelated. Read More

Within the world of digital-product development, the collaboration that exists between UX designers and developers is a dance. When this dance flows smoothly and harmoniously, the result is a masterpiece—an exceptional product that delights users and drives business success. However, when this vital collaboration falters, this dance becomes disjointed, leading to missed steps, frustrations, and ultimately, a product that fails to meet expectations.

The Business Imperative for Designer-Developer Collaboration

Smooth collaboration between UX designers and developers is a must-have for business success. Designers focus on the user experience, workflows, aesthetics, usability, and accessibility, crafting products that not only look great but also work flawlessly. Engineers, on the other hand, focus on what is possible and where they can push the limits of technology, ensuring design solutions that are both feasible and efficient. Read More

Within many companies, the use of wireframes in user experience design can be a contentious issue. People typically think of wireframes simply as artifacts designers create when generating design concepts, then later discard. Why not create a design artifact that is not disposable, but instead, one your team can convert to actual production code? Is this Holy Grail of the design process a good idea? Is it even possible? Or does the answer depend on the project, the team, and its agility? This first part in a two-part series takes an in-depth look at the process of converting wireframes to code. Read More