Icon #fail

Icon design can be an incredible challenge.  Icons are supposed to convey things in the most simple form possible, and yet they can often convey things differently than the designer intended.  I am a fan of super simple, line icons.  You can overdo it, try to get to intricate or complex, or come up with an icon that simply misses the mark. 

There are all numerous UX and research studies (here's one from Neilsen Norman) about the "infamous" hamburger menu icon, what it conveys, and how useful it is at conveying what it does. 

While there are certain icons that have multiple meanings, or perhaps aren't as clear as other solutions--there are some icons that are just plain bad.  A recent project I was working on had me looking at icons that conveyed the action of "tapping" on the screen.  There are some great simple examples--most involve a finger, with a semi-circle around the top giving the impression of movement or action taking place.  When working on icons I devote some time to research on Google and Dribbble, as well as looking through Iconfinder.com and Font Awesome for examples to help make a favorable icon/design decision.  It can be thought provoking and seriously helpful if you find yourself trying to come up with something unique, or hard to describe. 

"Tap" isn't one of those, but none-the-less, it's always worth a look.  I was surprised at what I found.  There were quite a few icons devoted to "tapping" the new Apple Airpods.  Not what I was looking for, and something I hadn't realized needed an icon.  I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one who saw the icon as odd, and frankly overtly phallic in nature--so I sent it around to my team.  The response was unanimous--this was a bad design choice... I'll let the icons do the talking for themselves...

The Infinity Logo

The infinity symbol ∞ (sometimes called the lemniscate) is a mathematical symbol representing the concept of infinity (thanks, Wikipedia).  In principle it a simple symbol, representing something that can be seen as both simple and yet complex.  I've always thought this symbol was great iconography for UX design.  It's an endless loop--no beginning--no end; just a continual motion.  UX is living and breathing and should be an ongoing process for any product--even the truest and tested over time.

As a product designer and human in general, being able to go through life and continually step back and take a look at problems, is integral in successfully overcoming them.

Rapid Wireframing a New Product

It's been a while since I've started working on a new product.  Today was full of rapid wireframing and project planning while my product team worked through a new idea.  This ought to be a fun one!

Beautiful User Experience

I'm not talking software here--just living in beautiful Utah...

Love the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon and the mix of maple and oak leaves turning colors...

How to properly use a toilet

Experience shouldn't have boundaries, right?

I guess that cultural differences can certainly lead to different perceived and actual experiences--as witnessed in the pit toilets at Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah this weekend.

I sure would have hated being the person who discovered this "UX problem". But sure loved the solution they came up with the help "alleviate the problem".

It seemed to be working from what I could tell ;)