Design

Like a construction worker wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint, a designer shouldn’t dive into the visual (UI) design without a wireframe. It’s extremely difficult to design an application on the fly. Even if you know all of the components needed to create it, a lack of upfront planning guarantees that steps will be skipped, mistakes will be made, and extra work will be invested, which wastes resources and money in the long run.

Branding is how a business creates an emotional connection with its audience. It’s why “In the Arms of an Angel” makes you want a new pet or why Nike commercials inspire you to triumph.

Quantifying a company’s value and authenticity is more than just colors, websites, and... awnings. It’s the perfect combination of marketing and storytelling that communicates why a company makes you feel a certain way. Selling products is challenging, but without a clear identity, it’s even tougher to stand out against competitors and generate organic relationships.

There are no buzzwords that get more attention today than "artificial intelligence" and "machine learning". AI and ML, as the cool kids call them, are the talk of the town.

Venture capitalists want to invest in AI and ML companies, founders want to start them, and enterprises are… learning what the heck these terms mean.

Today, we will briefly touch on what AI and ML are but, more importantly, we will spend time exploring how artificial intelligence can create better user experiences.

Your products and services should be accessible by everyone. Billions of people have access to internet-connected devices and are ready to interact with your brand. Whether you operate an ecommerce store, a news website, or a consumer mobile app, accessibility matters.

By taking accessibility seriously, you position yourself better for all users – not just those with physical or mental impairment. The truth is that good accessibility practices boil down to good user experience (UX) practices.

The term "Responsive Design" is a blanket statement used to cover all of the intricacies involved in making a website / application function well for large displays (desktop), handheld displays (mobile), and everything in-between (tablet, laptop, etc). This topic is becoming increasingly important as the range of devices, and the displays used for them, is growing and changing exponentially. No longer can you trust that your website will be viewed on one of three sizes of screens.

Wireframes are the blueprint of a design. They don't contain colors, fonts, button treatments, or any visual flair- it's simply the layout / organization of where the content will go on a page; the bones of a site.

Brand identification and brand positioning are, put simply, how you exist in the minds of your customers. Creating a positioning statement requires you to sum up all of the great things about your company in only 1-2 lines, and it should not only differentiate your services or product but also resonate with your customers. You want to be perceived as unique, positive, trustworthy, and desirable- and the way that you position your brand, from colors to typeface to wording makes all the difference in the world.