It is human to struggle in the comprehension of your fellow beings. Everyone’s simply wired differently. This mental grapple could be due to numerous factors such as cultural differences, contrasting personalities, different perspectives, upbringing and life experiences. One of the significant challenges that I have faced while leading a team was trying to understand the designers you are responsible for and being aware of the particular dynamic within the team. For instance, when you are in a position of authority, your assignees may not be completely honest with you or they may not challenge your feedback, even when they feel you are wrong. I had considered myself to be a very approachable person, but this feeling might not be shared between others in the team. Some of them may think it is my prerogative to call the shots. I hope to share my perspective in this article on how to tackle this matter. Building relations based on trust A good leader must create a safe space for everyone. Our assignees should feel safe to open up and share their thoughts, feelings and perspective openly. To build this level of trust, we have to try and become vulnerable with them. For example, share an embarrassing story about yourself and talk about topics unrelated to work. These kinds of actions help create an emotional bridge between our assignees and us, allowing the space where we acknowledge each other’s imperfections and build a more robust support system. Once we start practising this, we find a well-synchronized team. Ambient communication We cannot have a one size fits all attitude when dealing with a team with anything more than one member. Like I said, each person comes from a different background, with different perspectives and ideologies. So, it becomes essential to figure out the best possible way to communicate effectively with distinct individuals. Ambient communication is a term I have coined to convey this concept. This concept is about maintaining a living documentation using a learn-by-interacting approach to comprehend the best communication styles, things that annoy or trigger them, their strengths, growth areas, interests, and so on to devise an ambient communication model tailored for each individual in a team. Ductile leadership The idea behind ductile leadership is about keeping our egos in check. Being in a position of authority does not make us all-knowing by default. Just as a ductile metal that can be drawn into a wire (a medium that conducts electricity with the least resistance), become a conduit for ideas to burgeon. We have to be flexible enough to accept that we can always learn from a younger generation, not just the ones more experienced than us. ‘Experienced’ does not mean ‘Always right’. Our duty as good leaders is to build a space where our team feels it is more than alright to challenge you, debate with you, and fight for what they believe is right. Conclusion trust, dynamic interaction style and a safe space to challenge one another help to build a solid team, a better culture and, as a result — innovation. Be like the pebbles at the river bed, do not try to control the stream. Instead, be the force that allows it to flow, meander and flourish. Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash

NFTs are certainly the talk of the town where I don’t think I need to explain. After looking into it for a bit, I realized only rough 10% of NFTs are sold and it takes up 85% of all the transactions. And what makes me curious is that all the NFTs that made to the headline with big dollar signs are Avatars NFTs — also called PFP NFTs. From the well-known CryptoPunks, Bored Ape to Hong Kong locally created Bunny warriors, Lucky Kittens. They are all avatars. If we think NFTs are the digital presence of the traditional art market, this definitely does not align. Portraits are not particularly dominant in the traditional art market. I don’t think it happens out of luck. I believe there are product reasons behind that. That’s why here I try to discuss in product/user behavioural perspective why avatars NFTs are more popular than others. Before we begin, let’s talk about the rationale: the golden Rules for all startups, product makers, creators is to — Make something people want. Assuming this rule is inevitable, then what makes Avatars NFTs something people want beyond the hype and investment incentive? 1. Utility — Profile Picture/Avatar One of the biggest reasons Avatars NFTs go viral was people can change their social media profile picture to their newly owned NFT. It creates a massive networking effect in the best place — social media. Profile picture has always been a place for people to express themselves subtly since Facebook, Whatsapp times. Imagine getting a scenic drawing NTFs, you could hardly use it as a profile picture, as it lacks visual identity and representation of an individual. But now, with your unique ape or bunny, you basically can “hang” around wherever you go online. It might seem little, but Avatar NFTs leverages on it and made a massive impact in both product & growth perspectives. Apart from that, avatars NFTs can be an actual 3D avatar in the metaverse — when metaverse is popularised in the future. Is our instagram story gonna be all avatar NFTs 1 months later? 2. Emotion attachment & Rarity Remember your childhood teddy? or your latest Marvel figure on your desk? Human loves to build an emotional attachment with other beings, it goes from our affection with animals, favourite movie characters to fictional anime characters. We’re much easier to fall in love with an “individual being” than “an object”. Looking at common traits of avatars NFTs, with the colourful backgrounds, themed costumes and accessories, they all represent and reflect certain styles via visual forms. It does not only create a sense of uniqueness but also helps people to like their NFTs more. Add-on to make it more special — in some cases, when you mint it on sales, you will mint from the collection randomly. Everyone like the taste of lucky draw, and we love it even more after spending money on it. Because it feels like our “destiny” to get this particular one. 3. IKEA effect & Community People want cool and shiny things, and they want new things all the time. They want to belong to certain groups, communities and identify with them. Most NFTs buyers do not just buy a piece like people in the art auction. Instead, they joined the project’s Discord, Twitter, Instagram early on and participate in the making. They’re not buying a product but co-creating and side projects in the digital world — a typical IKEA effect, you’re easier to develop a sense of belonging when you build it yourself. And when the collection is done and grew. Owning those NFTs becomes a membership card to their private club — it represents their status, represents the value they stand for. Some may argue non-avatar NFTs can achieve the same. However, to build a sense of social presence, having an avatar has its irreplaceable importance — also a technique product designer uses to increase conversion. Avatars could easily build up a sense of community. You don’t want to talk to a car on discord, don’t you? Conclusion Blockchain-tech definitely takes the stage with Metaverse. And I don’t think overhype is the only reason they become that big. With all upcoming web3 and NFT projects, I’m excited to see how this unfold in the future, and most importantly, to see how would it affect non-tech people’s daily life. Photo by Tezos on Unsplash

While designer has always been a somewhat ambiguous job title, lately we have started seeing more and more consistency in how designers work and provide value for organizations. We see more and more standardization in methods, tools and softwares used by designers. However, designing for the Metaverse — “a set of interconnected digital spaces that lets you do things you can’t do in the physical world”– will be completely different. Being a Metaverse Designer will require a shift in mindset, skills, and methods. 1. Storytelling will be at the forefront This is nothing new to the design world. Storytelling has always been discussed as a way to bring the stories of our users into the design rationale and decision-making. However, when designing for the Metaverse, storytelling will have to be at the forefront of everything we do. Designing Metaverse experiences will require a high degree of understanding of how to build a compelling end-to-end story. There will be thousands of experiences in the Metaverse and as a designer, our job will be to connect them all — which actually brings me to my next point. 2. Consistency will be a guiding principle When designing for the metaverse, we can no longer design in isolation. Mark Zuckerberg talks about the concept of “interoperability” — meaning that every individual experience inside the metaverse should work flawlessly with others to create a consistent experience. What this means for us designers is that one can no longer accept siloes when designing. We will constantly have to think about the 360 experience in the metaverse. 3. 3D tools will beat them all When designing for the metaverse, 2D sketching tools like Sketch and Figma won’t even matter any more. To design metaverse experiences will mean designing virtual artifacts in 3D. To be a succesful Metaverse Designer, you will need to know how to use 3D modelling software (see the bottom of the post for where to start). 4. Bringing back field research When researching users in the metaverse, observations will be the most important method to use. No matter if you’re doing research in the virtual reality of the metaverse or in the physical world, being able to understand the physical surroundings and their effect on the user experience will be crucial. The usability of your product will be affected by the physical space in which the user will be using it. Is the user experience happening on a couch, on a balcony, or in the middle of the street? The situational usability cannot be neglected if you wish to design experiences for the metaverse. So, what can you do to prepare? In this post, I discussed the four main areas we’ll need to focus on when becoming Metaverse Designers. As you can understand, if we want to be successful designers for the Metaverse, it will require a shift in focus and methods. But how can you prepare for this? I have a few suggestions: Learn how to create effective storyboards. This will be a crucial method to convey your ideas for the story around your design. Read more about it here. Learn Systems Design. To create consistent experiences across worlds in the metaverse, you have to prioritize Systems Design over isolated user experience design. Read more about it here. Learn 3D tools. Tools like Tvori and Gravity Sketch will teach you the fundamentals of 3D designing, modelling and prototyping. Learn about ethnographic research methods. Perfect your qualitative research skills such as observation. Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

As we speak, hundreds of VCs are pouring billions into this new industry. Companies are rebranding to have some stake in this new “metaverse”. The popularity of bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies are also starting to become considered a trendier asset class to invest in. As well as a breadth of other factors, individuals are excited by this potential future of the internet. The initial hype of the blockchain has started to become a trend and has the likelihood to become the future of the internet. What is Web 3.0 We can answer this question by going deep into the roots of the web. It starts with Web 1.0, where the internet was nothing but a set of links and an exclusive group of people responsible for creating all the content. The majority of users are simply consumers of the content provided by this group of people. Now web 2.0 is as you can imagine, allows anyone to create content on the platform. Everyone can be both a consumer and a creator. This platform is facilitated by centralized organizations that control all the content. Examples of these are popular names, such as Facebook and Google, both responsible for your data, search results, friends list, you name it and they probably have control over it. Web 3.0 on the other hand features a fully decentralized internet. Users’ data are generally anonymized and the internet runs on the blockchain. If you plan on becoming a designer for this industry, an understanding of what runs under the hood of web 3.0 would be crucial for designing for this newer audience. How to enter this new industry Entering this new industry can seem daunting at first. With so many new terms and abbreviations floating around, it definitely can seem intimidating to many people. However, I found that it is a matter of simply exposing yourself to this industry. I suggest starting where you already have some experience. If you come from a development background, you can start taking a look at the code that the blockchain runs on. However, since this article is targeted towards designers, I will focus on the path that worked for me. To reiterate, I suggest starting with something that you are already familiar with. I began by taking a look at case studies that were related to web 3.0. Deepwork Studios has some brilliant studies specifically on other companies in this industry. VAExperience also created a blockchain challenge that I personally started with to simply dip my toes in this area. After you have a decent understanding of the blockchain from a design perspective, you can start to get a feel for the current ecosystem. Learn about the forerunners in different niches of this industry. Some places to start can include Metamask for money exchange, paymentX for crypto payrolls, and Circle for peer-to-peer money payments. At this point, you can also start to understand the deeper intricacies of the industry. I suggest Whiteboard Crypto, he explains the blockchain using metaphors and examples in an easy-to-follow manner. Designing for the user Now creating case studies in this field is a bit different than designing for a Web 2.0 project. Many people are unaware of the capabilities and possibilities of the blockchain so it is your duty as a designer to inform the public while presenting a viable use case. It is important to focus on education for the user regarding processes within the blockchain. A designer must be clear on the mechanism behind their app since users can be skeptical about moving their money online. Since this is a nascent industry, it is important to make the users feel safe about using this new platform. It can be a bit difficult to adapt to this education-centric method of design, but it is important to ensure that the user feels secure. An example that you can incorporate in your design can be using friction to slow down the process for the user, giving them time to process what is occurring behind the scenes. This can be as simple as using a progress bar for the exchange of money, showing exactly where your money is being transported, while also using tooltips or information bubbles to describe each step. Think of a package tracking service such as FedEx or UPS. They show where the package is at each step of the trip, keeping the user informed and giving them a feeling of security about the location of their item. An example of UPS’ package tracking progress bar Another method can be using existing metaphors and mental models that users are familiar with from Web 2.0. This gives users a sense of security, interacting with a recognizable workflow. Think about Apple when they started developing their touch-screen iPhone. They referenced the weight and friction of regular objects while developing the swipes and prolonged taps that are now possible with modern phones. They can attribute the success of their touchscreen interfaces by referencing an already existing mental model within humans, examining how they interact with everyday things. Finally, a high degree of transparency is also important when designing user-centric interfaces. Transparency is one of the building blocks of web 3.0. So being clear with the security and processes of the technology is important in helping users feel comfortable with the new apps. Examples of this can include a monetary reference point when talking about Ethereum or Bitcoin. This can be a small description under the value of Ethereum of its current value in USD for example. An example of the conversion between ETH and USD Transparency of some irreversible actions is also important since the concept of gas fees when buying Ethereum is a relatively new concept to users, explaining this process without being too overwhelming is important to keep in mind. Resources Now I want to end this article with a few additional resources that I have come across which were really beneficial and interesting to me while I was dipping my toes into this niche. Angela Ching wrote an incredible article recently on some principles to keep in mind when designing for the blockchain. Check it out for a deeper look into the intricacies of UX with designing in this field Veem is a well-known money transfer application that uses blockchain technology to compete with PayPal. This article by Veem explains their usage of the blockchain while also providing a high-level overview of the state of the industry. As the world transitions to a greener economy, knowing about the sustainable consequences of the blockchain is important to have a voice in cryptocurrency discussions. Early last year, Bitcoin mining was observed to consume more energy than the entire country of Argentina. Countries are starting to see the negative impact that the blockchain can have on the environment. This article goes in-depth with the future of sustainability in the blockchain and some considerations to have while exploring web 3.0. Photo by Tomasz Frankowski on Unsplash

Upon first glance — one would naturally question the connection between finance and design. However, I would argue that they are more interconnected than one would initially assume. Since COVID I’ve had a lot of time and decided to use some of that time to learn more about stocks, investing, and really auditing my own personal finance as a whole. Firstly, the stock market is all about trends and being able to predict the success (or decline) of a particular company. Whether you analyze a company on a technical basis or a fundamental basis, trends and predictive patterns are essential to any successful investment. The typical design philosophy emphasizes a user-centered process — with the user serving as the main indicator of success. However, design truly does not live in a vacuum and it’s been proven that successful designers must consider not only the user but also the business as a whole as well. Therefore, in order to learn about the market, you should also educate yourself with as much knowledge as possible in a variety of sectors including not only finance or economics, but politics, society, business, culture, history, mathematics, and even science. Once you know more and more about these, you can finally build your own standards and thoughts for what’s necessary to better read the market. Of course, you can get some help from others; many articles and market briefing from analysts are great resources for everyone. However, the most important thing is, in the end, you should take them as a reference, and draw conclusions based on “your own analysis.” In fact, this process is similar to how I have to solve problems as a designer. Since usually, problems from users are much more complicated than I initially thought, in order to solve the problems, it is necessary to “listen” to various perspectives, “incorporate and evaluate” them, and “draw a line what to prioritize” based on my own thoughts and insight. And this process of 1) listening to what people say, 2) analyzing large amounts of information, 3) exploring possibilities, and 4) developing the final solution is the same as what I go through as a designer. Therefore, the stock market is a good place to practice problem-solving skills with the world’s most difficult situation, like now. Companies such as Peloton have experienced tremendous increases in their stock price by proving their business model, building a loyal customer base, and more. Their success is a clear indication that they are doing something right which can serve as a reference point for competitors and new start-ups to explore. Following the market reveals insights into trends, business opportunities, and strategies that can truly improve business outcomes for your designs. As much as design is creative it's equally tied to business outcomes. To sum things up, no you don’t have to follow the market if you don’t want to. However, following the market can serve as an invaluable tool for you to leverage within your design career. The terminology and jargon you learn can serve as a unique toolset during conversations with internal stakeholders. Successful and well-designed products have all become publicly traded — i.e Spotify, Slack, and now Doordash and Airbnb! Finally, I believe opening up some conversation about what we extra do as a designer can be a good source of motivation to each other. These past few weeks have been precious times for me to think of who I am as a designer and what kind of designer I wish to be. I’ve been thinking about these questions for a long time, but particularly these days I am asking myself, what are my greatest strengths as a designer and how I can make the best of my ability to contribute to our society. Recently, I have been virtually meeting so many people from all over the world, talking about my experiences in UX design, HCI master’s program, internship/full-time UX interviews, providing and receiving valuable mentorship, or even just having a casual talk about each other’s life. Through these talks, I learned so much and feel very grateful and blessed to be able to connect with some passionate/inspiring people. Yes, this is such a very challenging time for everyone, so as always, if I can be of any help or if you would like to talk with me, feel free to hit me up. I hope every one of you and your loved ones all stay safe and healthy! Photo by Nick Chong on Unsplash

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are unique and distinct cryptocurrency assets. While one Bitcoin is identical to and interchangeable with another, each NFT is unique, with distinguishing metadata and identification codes. NFTs are certificates of authenticity, using a string of characters to prove ownership and legitimacy. While they have been around for a while, they’ve exploded in popularity recently as they’ve been embraced by art, music, and entertainment. NFTs can be anything digital, from the new Kings of Leon album to Jack Dorsey’s first tweet to NBA highlights to digital artist Beeple’s compilation of daily art creations over the course of 13.5 years. The modern finance system evolved to execute complex loans and trades for various assets. Cryptocurrencies and NFTs reimagine this infrastructure, fully digitizing currencies, transactions, and marketplaces. NFTs streamline the trading process, remove intermediaries, and connect larger audiences of buyers and sellers. Why are NFTs blowing up? Beeple, a relatively unknown digital artist, recently paired up with Christie’s, an established and renowned auction house, to sell a digital collage. No one knew how much it would fetch, but people were floored by the top bid of $69.3 million, the third-highest price ever paid for a living artist. This highly publicized event seems to have opened the floodgates for NFTs. Eager to cash in and fearful of missing out on the next big thing, many people are jumping on the NFT bandwagon. What trends and attributes are propelling NFTs’ success? Trend #1: Democratization Just as we’ve seen direct-to-consumer retail businesses such as Warby Parker, Casper, and Dollar Shave Club flourish, democratization is thriving in the financial spectrum. Anyone can buy, sell, and create NFTs, and many artists, musicians, and creatives are eager to join in. NFTs offer a new space and medium for artists to create and share their art. Just as companies such as Robinhood claim to democratize investing and introduced the ability to buy fractional stocks, NFTs can “democratize investing by fractionalizing physical assets like real estate” through digitized assets. Trend #2: Digitization COVID19 has massively accelerated the global shift to digital, compressing ten years of e-commerce adoption into three months. NFTs capitalize on society’s recent digital shift, enabling digital representations of physical assets. Digital assets are much more portable and transferable, and NFTs combine these conveniences with blockchain’s powerful smart contract functionality. Trend #3: Decentralization Because NFTs convert physical assets into digital ones, they increase the market’s efficiency. NFTs allow artists to connect directly with their audiences, instead of relying on agents and intermediaries. Additionally, blockchain, NFTs’ underlying technology, has been heralded as a decentralizing force. Blockchain is a type of database that stores data in blocks, which are then connected to create a chronological ledger. Control and decision-making are transferred from a centralized individual, organization, or group to the distributed network. Attribute #1: Scarcity While units of cryptocurrency are interchangeable with each other, NFTs are decidedly unique. “NFTs shift the crypto paradigm by making each token unique and irreplaceable.” NFTs allow you to designate a digital asset as the “original”. While there can be many copies of .gifs and .jpegs, there will be a designated NFT version of it. This is akin to an artist selling many prints of a piece of art at a discount, while the original retains much more value. Attribute #2: Status As we’ve seen the price of Bitcoin explode from roughly $4,000 in early 2020 to almost $60,000 already in 2021, people are eager to get involved. Bitcoin has an air of coolness to it, which may come from some combination of celebrity association, wild speculation and profits, an air of mystery, and general confusion. NFTs are riding cryptocurrency’s rapid ascent and are enjoying their novel status. With ties to art, music, and entertainment and increasing celebrity involvement, they’re definitely benefiting from a certain trendy factor, acting as a status symbol, often of the tech elite. Attribute #3: Speculation In 2020, we saw retail investors jump headfirst into the market, buoyed by newfound time during lockdown, extra cash on hand, low interests rates, and reduced institutional barriers. With soaring valuations and profits (see Zoom, Netflix, Amazon, GameStop, etc), people were fearful of missing out. NFTs are the newest fad, and many people want to jump in and ride the wave. That being said, it remains to be seen if the technology will transcend its fad status and have real staying power and long term implications. Drawbacks While it feels like there are daily headlines of crazy NFTs profits, there are serious drawbacks to NFTs as they stand today. Firstly, NFTs are insanely and disastrously energy intensive. One Medium writer calculated that a single NFT’s footprint is roughly equivalent to “an EU resident’s total electric power consumption for more than a month, with emissions equivalent to driving for 1000Km, or flying for 2 hours.” Additionally, as I’ve mentioned previously, they’re highly speculative. One entrepreneur, author, and speaker calls them a “dangerous trap”. As more and more creators try to jump on the bandwagon and get rich quickly, they’re incentivized to create the illusion of scarcity and convince people that the tokens will only increase in value. Yet in practice, there’s no limit on the overall number of NFTs, and currently the ecosystem is devoid of any meaningful regulation. So, what can Design learn? First, we can identify and recognize the underlying trends and attributes (discussed above) at play in propelling NFTs’ explosive growth. Once we understand these factors and their power, we can integrate and capitalize on them in our own work where appropriate. We can look beyond the superficial fads and initial use cases to better contemplate the underlying technology and attributes. What is the core functionality and what is its potential? How can we use it to solve existing problems, address unmet needs, and power viable business applications? Design should join the larger conversation around blockchain, crypto, and NFTs. While technical minds developed the technology, we can creatively, thoughtfully, and strategically shape how it might be deployed and applied to solve real problems. It remains to be seen where cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and NFTs will go from here, but Design should learn what we can from their success and be a guiding voice to help shape their development. Designers can help find relevant and beneficial applications of this technology, while reducing complexity and creating more thoughtful experiences to help these technologies achieve their full potential. Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash

If you are creating a new website, using information from Google Ad campaigns will help you deliver better user experience and improve marketing results. Creating a Google Ads account with campaigns, ad groups, keywords and ad copies will greatly assist you in designing website navigation, web page or landing page formation and content creation. And if you already have a Google Ads campaign you can get feedback from your SEM Manager. Here is what to look for: Website Goals and Strategy: Review your existing campaign goals. If none exist, consider creating them within your new Google Ad account. These could be to increase sales, get leads, branding, app promotion or all of these as well as other goals. Furthermore you will need to include targeting data (location/s, devices, demographics and language). Enumerating this information will provide a good starting point for deciding the design, navigation, as well as content strategy for your website. Website Navigation: The Google Ads campaign structure with its ad groups will facilitate in organizing top-level navigation for your website by indicating the top web page product/service categories. You will also develop some basic idea on creating secondary level web pages. Web page Creation: Keyword research performed when creating campaign ad groups (keyword groups) will throw more light on the need for secondary level web pages and the required segmentation/navigation to these pages. You will also gain insight into the requirement of multiple web pages, dedicated landing pages or micro sites. Google’s keyword tool will give you data on mobile v/s desktop searches which is valuable in website design and content creation. Content/Copy Creation: Google Ad copy creation with character limitations for headlines, text and extensions compel you to prioritize copy that is keyword related with pertinent description and USPs. This process of creating ad copy is instrumental in not only deciding the content hierarchy on the web page but also in determining the need for separate landing or web pages for your marketing campaigns. Calls to Action (CTA): A Google Ads campaign helps you track leads, sales, content downloads, clicks to a dealer site, phone calls and more on your website. For this purpose you will have to create CTAs like forms (as pop-up or separate pages) and strategically place phone numbers and content downloads for the website visitor to take your desired action. You will have to prioritize your CTAs on the home page and all the landing/web pages. Most importantly you will need to design and write the content on the web pages keeping in mind the desired CTAs. Incorporating the insights from these five Google ads setup features will make your website customer, sales and lead friendly. And also result in more conversions from all your digital campaigns. For e-commerce sites, you will need to look at the setup and insights from Google Shopping campaigns as well for creating/optimizing your category and product pages. Of course other elements for website creation are also important like researching competitor websites, analytics information, and feedback from your social sites. Google Ads is a valuable tool in the website creation or improvement process when used properly. Just remember to make your SEM manager a key member of your team during this process. Photo by Myriam Jessier on Unsplash

Gamification has emerged as among the most amazing trends in UX design in the last few years. Games play a huge role in spicing up our lives by motivating us, helping us learn, and most importantly, unwind after a long day at work. Over the years, we’ve applied the experience of the thrilling nature of games in enhancing our daily lives. With the fast enhancement in technology, software designers are able to deliver projects that significantly respond to the needs of the users through a user-centered approach. The approach allows designers to constantly search and adopt the latest techniques in enhancing user experience and engagement. However, designers have to remember that users expect a simple and fun-to-use product when designing a product. Following this reason, the idea of introducing a “fun” element through UX design was born. Here we seek to understand more about gamification, what it is and how it can be used to enhance UX. What Is Gamification? Unlike what many people might think in the context of design, gamification and game design hardly relate. Unfortunately, however, it is common to see many people, especially those new in the software development industry, mistaking the two terms. Gamification is a technique that allows designers to insert gameplay elements and mechanics in non-gaming settings such as mobile applications and websites. The gameplay elements improve user experience and engagement with the service or product. In this case, the designer may add a game element like a challenge to a product to encourage users to interact more with the website or mobile application. Adopting game-like interactions in a non-gaming environment helps make the users more passionate and engaged. For example, these elements may include a challenge to check in the website or application every day and be rewarded. Such elements motivate users and influence their behavior as “players” to perform the expected actions. Gamification in UX design applies a user-centered approach and modern design to get rid of harmful practices. Consequently, UX designers are able to instill behaviors that improve end-users ‘ quality of life. Furthermore, gamification is not a monolithic or binary concept, which means it can be incorporated in levels depending on the user’s and product’s needs. Besides, gamification is not the main aim in UX design but a valuable tool that can enhance user engagement and experience. Types of Game Elements for UX Enhancement Source Gamification is a complex design technique that requires applying different game elements based on interactive UI mechanics. The technique does not target turning the product or service into a game fully but giving the product a game-like feel. Here are some of the game mechanics used in the improvement of UX design: Challenge Challenges bring the natural appeal to any action or activity that human beings undertake. Thus, using a challenge in websites or mobile applications is among the most compelling game mechanics. In addition, a challenge motivates end-users to take the expected action, making it a valuable tool in UX enhancement. However, you can also add some rewards to improve the challenge effect and make people more motivated. For example, productivity apps like Habitica offer challenges that allow players to compete with each other. This makes using the app fun and exciting, allowing you to gamify your life easily. © Habitica, Fair Use Stickers and Badges In this case, users can be awarded stickers and badges when they complete the set challenges or manage to collect a given number of points. Most people are familiar with virtual rewards as they are often awarded in video games. Such rewards can be designed in different ways, which allows you a huge room for creative experimentations. Stickers will be more appreciated as people have loved them over the years. However, any of these virtual rewards can be a great source of motivation to end-users. For example, Duolingo (a language learning app) uses badges to award users upon completion of a given number of skills, spending a certain amount of lingots and following friends. © Duolingo, Fair Use (image via Reditt) Points Most games apply the points system to gauge the success of players in overcoming the challenges. With gamification, a product can incorporate the same idea to benefit both stakeholders and users. Users are able to estimate their engagement with the application or website while stakeholders can see their achievements. The best idea is to base the count of the points on the number of video views or check-ins. For instance, Codecademy Go, an online platform where people visit to learn coding and software development, awards points upon completion of exercises. © Codecademy, Fair Use Journey The game element gives the user the feeling of a real player embarking on a personal journey of using the product. This element helps make the user’s interaction with the product simple and easily understandable. For instance, users can be introduced to the product’s features at the onboarding page to help them overcome the fear of making mistakes. As the journey continues, designers can apply the “scaffolding” method, which discloses features progressively. This allows users to gain more experience using the product while easily avoiding errors, which makes the product enjoyable. Besides, this game element can be improved by introducing the progress feature. The feature may offer information on the user’s journey and progress to motivate them to continue using the product. Constraints Introducing the element limiting users to completing a certain task within a given time brings great excitement in games. A gamified product can apply the same approach by ordering the users to complete a certain task within a day. The constraints motivate users to some extent, making them take action immediately and react faster. Leaderboards It’s human nature for people to have the desire to be a leader in any challenge. Leaderboards make the set challenges more exciting for users joining the competition. Choosing a system that ranks the users in the person’s order with more badges can greatly boost their morale and learn more about the application or website. However, leaderboards can negatively impact some cases as some users may feel demotivated when they compare themselves with people with high ranks. This means that the game element needs to be carefully applied in enhancing the UX experience. Why Is Gamification in UX Design Important? Source Gamification is one of the most widely used techniques in design today as it helps address various problems in UX. Using this technique appropriately and incorporating the right game elements can help designers enhance user experience and engagement. This can greatly improve the conversion rates of the product. As mentioned above, gamification brings fun to the usage of applications and websites. The end-users are able to experience the interactive process that involves handling challenges, competitive spirit, and fun, just like in video games. This motivates them to use the product and also encourages them to get back. Moreover, gamification includes challenges with awards and tasks promised to those who manage to overcome them. This helps create excitement and curiosity that drive people into performing different actions and spend more time on the website or application. Consequently, gamification is among the major design approaches today. Furthermore, many designers actively apply gamification in various projects to enhance the user experience and engagement. Thus, many users might have already enjoyed the experience of interacting with gamified products, which means that they expect nothing less in your product. Conclusion In conclusion, gamification can significantly help improve user’s engagement and experience with your product. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that gamification needs to be done appropriately in order to get the desired results. With its popularity growing rapidly, gamification in UX design is a new technique that can become the leading approach soon. Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Several programming languages are there; still, new ones are constantly emerging. But the major concern is which one running the whole market or which programming language is the most popular and well suited for web and mobile app development. It is not so simple to list down the most popular programming languages 2021. But this task can be executed efficiently by considering various metrics, such as technology popularity, trends, career-prospects, open-source, etc. 15-20 years ago, everyone was trying to become a lawyer or economist. Today, everyone tries his hand at programming. Why? Because the demand for good programmers is growing exponentially. It’s also a high paying job. Do not believe the words? Here are the statistics according to the report of Hired. The average salary of developers has grown by 7-13%, depending on the country. Demand for front-end and back-end developers has grown by 17%. Demand for AR / VR and Blockchain developers increased by 1400% and 517%, respectively. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) spectrum comes with the listing sheet of top programming language 2021. The list of the programming language is based on popularity. List Of Top Programming Languages Based on metrics mentioned above, I have done the listing of most popular coding languages, so now you can blindly pick any of the best programming languages for your next project. But always remember to choose the one which suits your project profile. JavaScript Many languages came and disappear but JavaScript is one of those few renowned languages that is enjoying a high run and demand in the programming world. In the TIOBE ranking report, JavaScript has been ranked under the top 10 programming languages for several years consistently. In fact, the Stack Overflow survey depicts that JavaScript is the most popular language among developers. At Octoverse also, JavaScript is enjoying the top position among all programming languages. Meanwhile, some of the renowned companies in the tech world that are using JavaScript are Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Uber, etc. Though the language is primarily known for adding responsive elements on web pages it has a wide range of applications such as in web development, game development, mobile application development, and many more. Moreover, the language is being used for both – Front End Development and Back End Development. Also, its compatibility with some prominent frameworks like React, Vue, Node, etc. makes it more preferable among the developers. As there are millions of websites already existing over the web that are heavily relying on JavaScript and on top of that, looking at the demand & dominance of the language, it won’t be wrong to say that JavaScript will rule in 2021 as well! Phyton As per the RedMonk Ranking report for the year 2020, Python outranks JAVA to become the second most popular programming language. The language has experienced tremendous growth of around 18-19% in the last 5 years. At the PYPL index, Python is ranking at the #1 position for December 2020 index. The language ranks among the most popular programming languages in several other renowned platforms also such as Stack Overflow, Github, etc. Also, the compatibility of Python with trending technologies like AI & ML makes it more preferable among the developers. Python has been the favorite language of almost every individual who is just starting with the programming domain for the last many years. The primary reason behind this is a quite simple syntax that makes it easy to read, learn, and use. The language is extensively used for web development, software development, etc., and with several trending technologies such as Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, etc. The language offers some enriching features such as rich library support, automatic garbage collection, easier integration with other languages, GUI Programming support, and many more. Several popular Python frameworks that make things more efficient & convenient are Django, Flask, Pyramid, etc. C / C++ Both C and C++ are occupying a considerable portion of the tech world and currently ranking at the top positions on various indexes. At the TIOBE index of 2020, C and C++ are ranking under the top 5 programming languages at first and fourth position respectively. At the PYPL index, C/C++ has seen an upward trend of around 0.1 % and is ranking at the #5 position. There are numerous big tech companies that hire C/C++ developers with some decent salary packages such as Adobe, Oracle, Microsoft, Nvidia, etc. And to learn C/C++ in 2021 is not only beneficial from the career perspectives but it also somehow makes it easier for you to learn other programming languages afterward. If we particularly talk about C language, the general-purpose procedural programming language is majorly used in the development of low-level systems like operating systems, kernel development, and others. And many other programming languages inherit the properties of this particular language. On the other hand, C++ is an object-oriented programming language (primarily developed as an extension of C). The language is widely used in Game Development, GUI & Desktop applications, and Competitive Programming along with several other fields. PHP Like many others, if you’re also considering that PHP is not worth it to learn in 2021 then you must know that the language is still doing very well in the tech world and is being preferred by the developers. As per the TIOBE Index for December 2020, the language secured a place under the top 10 programming languages at the #8 ranking. Infact, at RedMonk Ranking reports, the language is ranking at 4th position surpassing other prominent languages like C++, Kotlin, etc. Even, various renowned websites like Facebook, Wikipedia, WordPress, etc. are heavily relying on PHP and are providing numerous career opportunities for PHP developers regularly. The open-source server-side scripting language is used for the website development and comes up with some prominent features like cross-platform compatibility, object-oriented programming features, easy integration with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc, huge community support, and many more. The language is strongly recommended to beginners as it is quite easier to learn. Some of the popular PHP frameworks that you can take into consideration are Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter, etc. So, if you’re particularly looking forward to getting into the web development domain, PHP would be a great choice for you! Golang (GO) It was developed by Google back in 2007 for APIs and web applications. In the past few years, Go has become one of the fastest growing programming languages. Some programmers have even begun to claim that it is superior to Python. According to the Stack Overflow reports, Go falls under the list of top 5 most loved language by developers for the year 2020. Companies like Uber, Google, etc. are working with the Go language and you can choose to learn Go as it seems that the language is going to bigger & bigger in the coming years. Go is a statically typed programming language, developed by Google, and having a syntax similar to C. It provides you with numerous enriching features such as garbage collection, dynamic-typing, type safety, high performance & efficiency, and many more. The language supports multithreading and can be used in the Distributed system, Cloud Computing, etc. The best thing about the language is that it resolves several major issues like slow compilation & execution, unavailability of the rich standard library, etc. Conclusion In order to make efficient use of selected programming language in mobile app development get connected with the top mobile app development company and from there hire mobile app developers; this will help your business get a full-fledged mobile application. The languages present in the list proffer leading features and functionality that can help you build robust web and mobile apps. So now choose the right technology to develop agile web and mobile apps for your business. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Users can be involved in testing design ideas by using experimental, incomplete designs know as prototypes. Designers can create either a high or low-fidelity prototype depending on their purpose, allowing them to test a feature, application, or website. Developing prototypes is an integral part of the iterative user-centered design because it enables designers to try out their ideas with users and to gather feedback before the product is fully developed. Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of prototyping: paper-based and computer-based. Software prototypes are dynamic simulations. Users can try out operations by interacting with the system in "real-time" but usually, the functionality is only partial or is simulated. There is no shortage of ways to showcase the design’s interaction with the numerous prototyping tools available to designers. We’ll be taking a look at the top 5 tools that can help UX/UI designers develop the ideal interactive model for their design or product concept. Adobe XD Adobe XD Adobe XD is one of the most common apps among UI/UX designers as an all-in-one wireframe building prototyping platform, immersive prototypes, website designs, sports, smartphone apps, voice interfaces, and more. It allows teams to work together between platforms in real-time while receiving valuable comments and feedback directly from clients. Figma Figma Figma provides a very easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor to create wireframes and practical prototypes. It also has a lot of immersive elements to animate the prototypes. Most designers already know the famous web-based UI design tool. While Figma is widely referred to as the UX design app, it also has software for rapid prototyping. Additional features include plugins such as Figmotion and Autoflow plus the availability of Arc Tool and Vector Networks. Webflow Webflow Webflow is becoming really popular now as it speeds up the job of developers by providing clean and semantic code and designers, basically, it helps in prototyping while simultaneously building a live website. Webflow is a well-known prototyping method for developing zero-coding sensitive websites. Designers can use its pre-built complicated features to create high-fidelity designs that Webflow can transform into a production-ready website with just a click of a button. Sketch Sketch Sketch is one of the most widely used user interface and prototyping software for millions of programmers around the world. Sketch is one of the best applications available today to create all forms of user interfaces. It’s like a more sophisticated and widely-supported version of Figma. Although only available on iOS. It is a vector-based graphics platform with an elegant GUI for manipulating styling, scaling, and design templates and attributes a wide range of boundaries, gradient fills, blending modes, and more. Supports a seamless production process where designers will produce high-quality designs. InVision InVision InVision is another web app that operates with a focus on architecture. It provides all the materials you need to switch from wireframing to UI designs. And it comes with a lot of helpful methods for better teamwork and prototyping. InVision is one of the biggest, and most popular prototyping tools used by designers and top enterprises today. It supports real-time design changes and gathering of feedback quickly from teams while allowing the designer to organize their workflow, this causes for much more simplified project collaboration. Other Prototyping Options Balsamiq— The industry-standard low-fidelity wireframing software with plenty of online courses and resources to learn wireframing and UI design. UXPin — Design, prototype, collaborate all in one place on Windows, Mac, or simply in any browser. Framer — Best known for its versatility, immersive interface, functional designs, and intuitive templates. Origami Studio — This is a macOS desktop application created and used by Facebook. Axure RP — Combines powerful design tools, SVG import, and Sketch and Adobe XD integrations with world-class prototyping, you can easily share Axure RP prototypes and artboards from Adobe XD and Draw quickly and collect input on top of your screens; inspect the layout, get CSS snippets, and download assets; and convert static images into dynamic Axure Cloud prototypes. Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

Web design has come a long way in the past 30 years. Text documents strung together by inline links, background images sliced up into tables, and flash animation splash pages made unforgettable 1990s web pages. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the top five worst website designs. #5 Disney We’re drawn to the site’s double bottom navigation system – a must-have navigation system for 90s websites. On the one hand, you’ve got your playful wave of navigation links. On the other, you’ve got your bottom navigation bar, which looks a little odd with its links displayed in that brown/maroon color. #4: The Internet 1996 World Exposition The Internet 1996 World Exposition is a sort of encyclopedia of Internet history from 1996 for artists, engineers, and corporate executives. With a huge amount of subpages, this 90s website is absolutely among the top worst of the 90s decade. The site's decor, the same icon for each navigation, the fonts, and the readability. #3: Aliweb Aliweb is considered the world’s oldest search engine. You can either start your search by typing your content in the Search bar or searching through the categories provided below. In comparison to the websites at position number 4 and number 5, this site doesn't have the same decor but the way they used the text and the bars is a real treat for the eyes! #2: Amazon Silver medal to Amazon 1995! Before the mega menus, interactive carousel, and search bar with a drop-down, Amazon.com didn’t look much different from any other 90s website. #1: Arngren On the highest step of the podium, we have Arngren. The most shocking thing about this 90s website is that it’s still around. It is some kind of Norwegian online store? A catalog, directory? To anyone looking for something in particular on this site, good luck. With the thousands of cut-and-pasted low-quality images and blue and red hyperlinks, trying to find anything on this site is next to impossible. Conclusion These vintage 90s websites are truly awful. Well, technology is always evolving, and our websites need to reflect those changes. Looking at these vintage websites somebody might say that they’re definitely not designed for the user, and that is true! UX principles help make sure that our websites are accessible and a delight to interact with. As a designer, you need a well-defined process to redesign a website. Photo by Matt Mech on Unsplash

There’s never been a better time to pursue a career in UX. The demand for UX professionals is high, but obviously very competitive, with the right attitude and training anyone can consider a career change these days but some range of careers involve and/or are affected by user experience more than others. UX is an interdisciplinary field in its own right, but the concepts, tools, and techniques UX designers use trickle into neighboring professions as well. Understanding the core concepts of user experience can help improve your work in a variety of careers from web development to marketing and design. While switching careers can be a daunting prospect, it can also be exciting. A new career path often means learning new skills, meeting new people, exploring new ways of working and ultimately, being happier in your career. There’s an appetite for transferable and specialist skills There are many different paths into UX and the industry welcomes transferable skills from other disciplines, making it a great conversion career. There are many misconceptions about what a UX designer does and the full stack UX designer (who can do everything from user research to UI design) still exists. However, employers now have a better understanding of the intricacies of the different roles in UX. As a result, UX has branched into specialist roles like user research and content design in recent years. While everyone aiming to enter the UX industry should have a solid understanding of the overall UX design process, existing skills can help career switchers to land a UX job too. Let’s take a look at a range of careers that involve and/or are affected by user experience. 1. Front-End Development Front-end developers are typically the development team that UX designers work with most closely if they are, in fact, two separate teams. This close-working relationship fosters a mutual understanding between the two teams and tends to build a common language. Front-end developers are often closest to the wireframes and high-fidelity mockups produced by the UX designers and they do the majority of the UI implementation. Therefore, it benefits the front-end developers to have an understanding of user experience in order to more easily understand and implement the vision depicted by the user experience team. The more these two teams understand each other’s work, the stronger their communication becomes and, in turn, the stronger the final product will be. 2. Marketing Most UX professionals will describe their job as knowing their users, and knowing them well. Marketers might use a similar description. Therefore, marketers who understand user experience and UX designers who understand marketing will have a stronger grasp on how to use marketing tactics that are most effective from a user’s perspective. Marketing and UX are linked further than just a user-centric focus in their work. Tools and insights that are collected and used by marketing teams like market research, analytics, conversion rates, and A/B testing are important for UX designers as well. UX researchers often seek recommendations and guidance from marketing teams who utilize such practices. The fact that both teams, sometimes independently of each other, are conducting similar techniques and strategies to get at the common goal of “knowing their users” demonstrates the strong connections they share. 3. Graphic Design Graphic designers communicate with their users via text and images. They tend to make choices like what font or color palette to use. A graphic designer is often tapped toward the end of a project to “skin” the final designs using the wireframes and mockups created by the UX team. If the graphic designer and UX designer speak a similar language, it allows the graphic designer to make more thoughtful suggestions when collaborating on a final product. UXers and graphic designer can butt heads because good user experience does not always go hand in hand with the most visually pleasing layouts. If a graphic designer understands some of the reasoning and decision-making that goes into the user experience designer’s thinking, a more thoughtful and collaborative conversation will take place. 4. Customer Service Customer service and user experience can have a profound impact on each other. If a user had a bad experience with a customer service department, that will change the way she experiences an entire company. On the flip side, the design of a company’s user experience can, in turn, affect the customer service department. There is a reason that many UX professionals begin their research with a company by first interviewing customer service representatives. Customer service people know more about what’s wrong with a company than anyone else around. When a customer service representative receives the same “stupid question” over and over again this is an opportunity to rethink and improve user experience up front. When customer services reps and UX designers work closely together they garner better insights and magic can happen. 5. Strategy The way people interact with brands has changed greatly in recent years. Many brands are now understood through the lens of user experience and user interface. Therefore, now more than ever, UX designers and strategists need to partner with each other earlier and earlier in the process because strategists need UX insights to create a fuller picture. Once again, for this partnership to work and be effective, both teams must develop an understanding for each other. Ian Spalter, head of design at Instagram believes that planners and UX designers can see eye to eye when they, “… move from an inspirational insight to an actionable insight — things that set a brand up for impact rather than just creating something new and shiny.” 6. Product Management Products that provide great user experiences tend to achieve greater success. A product manager is in charge of facilitating this success by providing organizational leadership over her team, which typically includes user experience designers. In order for product managers to effectively guide their teams, they require at least a high-level understanding of their team’s skill sets. It may fall on the product manager to describe and validate user experience decisions and recommendations in order to help drive the product forward. UX is a meaningful career There’s an increased demand for UX skills globally, especially in regions like Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. In many countries, demand outweighs supply for skilled UX professionals. InVision’s ‘Product Design Hiring Report’ also speaks to the demand for UX designers. The report reveals that 70% of people managers increased the headcount of their design team in the past year. Their survey respondents also expected their design teams to grow by an average of 21%. This survey also cites UI/UX designers as the most in-demand product design job. 81% of respondents said they’re being contacted by recruiters monthly and 34% said they’re being contacted weekly. The global skills shortage and competition for UX professionals is pushing salaries upwards, especially for mid-level and senior positions. Salaries depend on different factors like years of experience, company location and company type. In a European tech capital like Dublin, junior UX designers can command a salary between €30,000 – €45,000, mid-level UX designers are expected to earn €45,000 – €60,000 and a senior UX designer can earn between €60,000 – €80,000 (Morgan McKinley, 2020). According to Glassdoor’s ‘50 Best Jobs in America for 2020’ report, the median salary for a UX designer is $90,478. Whereas a UX designer in Sydney, Australia can expect to earn around $89,932. Photo by Saulo Mohana on Unsplash