UX & IA Design Thinking

I have been thinking about posting a Axure 9 UI review for a while now. In this video I explore some of the differences between the two versions of the Prototyping tool. Overall most of the core features are the same such as creating shapes, text blocks, and formatting. In Axure 9 they have allowed you to personalize the location and size of your tool panes. They have also changed around the interactions panel to be more streamline and not take up as much space. All of this takes a little bit of time to get use to but once you start working with it for some time it will become second nature. Check out the video below, I hope to create more videos around additional features within Axure 9.

Ok, I finally did it! I did my first live stream on youtube and people actually showed up! Yeah it was not millions of designers looking for help but its a start. It was not promoted, and kinda a last minute thing on my part. I had a few request from some people to do one so I figured why not. If you want to get alerted about my next one please subscribe to my youtube channel here: Subscribe to my Channel I hope to do more steams soon. Please comment on this post on what types of things you want me to cover and I will try my best to fit them all in.

I have recently had the need to create some different data visualizations for recent clients. I really enjoy the challenge on how to create new design elements that are both visually compelling but also provide really valuable data to the user. The need was to create some conceptual examples of different data visualzations to compare local wifi usages. I usually start out by sketching a few ideas out and here is an example of that. After I have a pretty good idea of what it should look like based on the user needs identified I then jump into either Sketch or Axure. I found a really easy way to create donut charts in Axure by converting a ellipse shape to a dynamic shape that you can adjust the handles to resize the size of the pie. This shape will be your variable percentage. This is really great because it is super easy for you to change the size of the pie without having to re-draw the circle. The next step is to create a light gray fill circle the same height/width as your other obj...

Wow, look at me go! A blog and two video posts all in one day… I just wanted to put out this quick video to showcase some of the core UI controls within Sketch. I have to be honest for the longest time I did not give Sketch the credit it deserves because I was so focused on Axure. However Sketch is so simple and easy to use that I now use for almost all of my projects. It is really basic but provides all the right things to quickly throw together some concepts or designs.

This video is the first of many tutorials that will get you started with learning a new tool for your designer toolbox. Take a moment to check it out and subscribe to my channel .

Over the last 15 years I have used many different tools to help me create great design experiences. One of the largest changes I have seen is the shift to using one tool that basically does it all. I have sort of come full circle when it comes to software / hardware within my design career. I first started off in school using a Mac to create digital art using Adobe Photoshop and Freehand from 1998-2001. My first job out of college I was producing illustrations for a publishing company and I used Photoshop, freehand, and illustrator exclusively. Then came 2003 and what I call my era of SharePoint where I ditched the Mac, grabbed a Windows Laptop and started doing all my wireframes in Visio. It was not until 10 years later (2013) that I came back full circle. I jumped back on the Mac Powerbook bandwagon and started using Axure. Axure for me has been amazing but I am starting to see another shift where Sketch has become that next best thing. Sketch by itself is pretty limiting, however wh...

You may say that Modal windows are what pop up were 10 years ago. Like them or hate them they have become an essential UI design element for almost any website or application. Recently I have started to see a transition of how these screens are being used. We first started seeing modals about 8 years ago when a developer named Lokesh Dhakar created a Javascript Library called “Light Box”. It was a very simple way of putting focus on one image at a time and graying out everything else. This became so popular that many people starting to throw anything and everything in these smaller focused screens. Some people call them Dialog boxes, others call them Modals but they really all mean the same thing. The main purpose is to present the user with additional information while putting the main parent page on hold until they are done. Of course with any UI design element they have been misused and abused in many different ways. I have seen some applications that have more than 3 levels of moda...

Over the last couple of years UCD (User Centered Design) has become a buzz word just like RWD (Responsive Web Design). 5 years ago when I wrote my SharePoint Branding book I use to call it the 4D’s of User experience. It included Discovery , Definition , Design , and Development . I had a nice little picture and everything to depict the different phases. Now the picture is much nicer and clean however, I really don’t think it matters what you call each phase it matters more what you do within them. I have seen so many different variations sliced and diced in different ways. To me it is about adjusting your approach based on the needs of your users and your client. In a more traditional waterfall project you have a tendency to over burden yourself with documentation because there is no chance of going back. Also those types of project are usually the ones where you scope out in the begging a full solution without ever fully knowing what the real need actually is. I would much rather on...

By nature most people are resistant to change. I have learned the hard way that just because something has been working great for the last 10 years does not mean it is always the best solution now. So much has change with technology not only within the last 3 years but over the last 6 months I have seen drastic evolutions of the art of possible. Users are demanding more and in faster timeframes. We as designers have to keep up with the latest trends, patterns, and interactions or you will be left in the dust. I recently had a design challenge that required the ability to display a horizontal sub navigation for mobile. Since we already had a main navigation being taken up by the parent hamburger menu I was in a bit of a jam on what to do. My first instinct was to group all of the navigation elements into some sort of drop down so that when users clicked on the drop down they see the navigation list options. This would have been fine but was more of an old school way of looking at ...

The tools we use to help define UI experiences is constantly changing. The fact is that Photoshop and Illustrator are no longer the preferred tools in an XD designers tool kit. We have transitioned to more flexible and robust applications that allow both low fidelity sketch like concepts to Pixel perfect high fidelity visual designs. Sketch does a really good job at providing both of these levels as well as the in between. In combination with Zeplin and Invision these three applications provide a pretty solid output for creating great experiences for both desktop and mobile applications. Zeplin has been a great tool to lessen the burden on our visual designers for creating redlines to our developers. It has some really neat features that would take weeks for to pull together in a style guide around spacing, colors, fonts etc. They are even experimenting with providing HTML and CSS outputs from the designs. When creating wireframes I tend to use both interactions that provide some le...

As time goes on we learn, grow and explore in new areas that make us happy and inspired. I am very lucky to have found that path. Since 2003 I focused on providing great experiences to my clients around a specific tool known as Microsoft SharePoint. I was so invested in this tool that I even wrote a book on how to stretch the limits on customizing it. Over the last couple of years SharePoint has changed to be more stand alone through Office 365. Within the last few years I have had the pleasure to not only wok for the best company Slalom Consulting but also work for some really amazing clients! My most recent projects have been outside of the world of SharePoint and in all honesty I could not be happier. It is sad to see it go but I think it is time to pass the torch to other great and amazing bloggers that will keep posting technical posts on how to configure and explore new ways of making SharePoint do what they need to present the right information to users at the right time. My p...

My SP24 Session has come and gone but can be viewed at any time on-demand either at the SP24 site HERE which allows you to add in comments and download the supporting PowerPoint presentation and SharePoint 2013 Axure base interactive wireframes. However you will need to register to sign in. Or you can view my session below from YouTube! My Session Intro: Full 1 hour Session: I hope you enjoy my session! If you do not want to register through the SP24 site I have uploaded the Presentation and the Axure file to my OneDrive account. Erik Swenson UX Solutions Principal Slalom Consulting Twitter: ErikJSwenson LinkedIn: Erik Swenson Session Hashtag: # SP24S005 Leave a comment on what you think about my presentation and any topics around User Experience!

So come to find out my session was the second highest viewed session of SP24 (If you were not counting the Keynote). The coordinators have come up with a great idea to re-run the conference but in reverse order. This could be good or bad for you depending on where in the world you are located. For me on the Easter Time zone in Boston MA. My session will be starting on May 15th at 2am in the morning … But for someone on the other side of the pond that might be a prime time to watch it. My Session: SharePoint 2013 Creating the Ultimate User Experience I will bite the bullet and drink a few red bulls to stay up and chat online while the session is going on at that time so come and join me to talk about creating the ultimate User Experience or just to chat if you are bored :) I have posted my slides and the SharePoint 2013 Axure 7 wireframes to the site so make sure you register to get access to those files. My session should be available on demand as soon as the rewound...

This is very exciting! My Session on creating the ultimate user experience will be live in less than 24 hours! Please make sure to go http://www.sp24conf.com and register before all the slots are taken. I promise that my session will be fun, interactive, and you will absolutely learn some new skills, trips and tricks to create your own great experiences for your users. My Session Details below: SharePoint 2013 Creating the Ultimate User Experience April 17th 10AM EST Below is the session room that you will be able to view the session streaming the Google Hangout, chat, and ask questions. Also as part of my session this Ferrari will help guide us on the path to the ultimate user experience… So Buckle up, and hold on its going to be one hell of a ride! Session Tag: #SP24S005 Follow Me: @ErikJSwenson www.erikswenson.blogspot.com

Update: My session time just changed from 9am to 10am EST .  I guess there was a glitch in translating GMT to EST or other local time zones on the website. SharePoint 2013 Creating the Ultimate User Experience On April 17th 2014 @ 10am EST (2pm GMT) I will be presenting at the FREE SP24 SharePoint Conference . I hope to see you at my session!

Great news! On April 17th 2014 @ 10am EST (2pm GMT) I will be presenting at the FREE SP24 SharePoint Conference . My session topic is: SharePoint 2013 Creating the Ultimate User Experience Here is a 1 min overview of my session! In this session I will walk you through best practices and tips and tricks for defining, designing and building a SharePoint 2013 UX project. These activities include: Identifying what users want (Requirements). Taking those needs/wants and creating the experience with Axure interactive wireframes. Using current trends such as flat design to create mockups in Photoshop for a slick modern UI that is tailored to your business. And finally reviewing design concepts for both desktop and mobile through Responsive / Adaptive web design. My Co-worker David Lozzi also has a session talking about taking SharePoint Public. His 1 min video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htClwprrW-E I hope to see you all at my session!

My journey in and around the Microsoft SharePoint 2014 Conference in Las Vegas this year has many high’s and lows. The lows of course are all the times that the casinos took my money but we just wont go there… Here is a little user journey for you on my path to and from the conference. I have been to this conference before and had a really good experience both times. I learned a lot and had a good time doing it. This year was a little different… I was one of the lucky ones that knew on the day that registration opened that I was able to go fully funded by my company Slalom Consulting (More about how awesome they are later in this post…) When I looked at the sessions I was really surprised at the lack of User Experience sessions that were offered. The previous conference was pretty much loaded with UX sessions since the design manager was new and the buzz was all around the new branding look and feel. So I started building MySPC calendar and noticed a trend that I was adding a l...

I will be Connecting, Reimagining, and Transforming myself at the SharePoint Conference 2014 in Las Vegas! I will be at all the usual social events so hit me up on Twitter to meet up and share a beer and talk about User Experience, Branding, or whatever. @ErikJSwenson https://twitter.com/ErikJSwenson If you are following the SPC14 Yammer Network you can also find me there as well. See you at the party!

I have been wanting to write this one for a while now. It is really amazing how UX is really finding is way into everything that we use and interact with. From Custom applications both mobile and on a desktop to document management or large data visualizations. There is always room for better usability and new concepts. SharePoint lists and library functionality really has not changed much for the past 10 years... I remember back in 2003 when I saw the same table/grid based views of documents and list items that exists in SharePoint 2013. But now we can look at them in a whole new way! In this video blog you will see how to create a responsive CSS table so that when the browser size is reduced it will hide specific columns. However hiding data is not always the right thing to do. What if a user needed those columns to filter on or to use for comparison to another document? Well that is where the custom jQuery Column chooser comes in. It allows you to see what columns are displ...

With the new year a lot of people are finally making the move to SharePoint 2013. They have either never used SharePoint before and are getting a brand new experience or they have ridden the waves of 2007 and 2010 and are taking the steps to upgrading to 2013. With all the new great features of SharePoint 2013 I am still scratching my head on why the product team removed some basic features such as a consistent breadcrumb, site title, and description. In the video below I describe how to add back in the SharePoint site title and Description and ways that you can transform your 2013 site to a more constant experience that you had in pervious versions of SharePoint. Below are the code snippets that you will need to do this on your own. Site Title: <span class="custom-sitetitle"><SharePoint:ProjectProperty Property="Title" runat="server"/></span> Site Description: <div class="custom-sitedescription"><Sha...