What users really care about, and tablet sales
How much information should you give customers online? I enjoyed this article about the radical idea of designing a website around the user’s needs. The example given is of a home swimming pool company...
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Whitespace, copywriting and Google Now
Why whitespace matters There is a tendency among non-experts to cram as much information as possible onto a webpage. But you should not think of whitespace as wasted space. Designers know that...
View ArticleLessons learnt from responsive design
Rolling out responsive BBC News worldwide: what have we learnt so far? This article looks at the rollout of a responsive web design for BBC News in multiple languages across the world. The experience...
View ArticleThe shift to mobile and tablet devices
When will more people visit Gov.uk using a mobile or tablet than a PC? Mobile and tablet traffic to the Admissions website almost doubled during 2013. Mobile/tablet traffic is rising all the time. But...
View ArticleTouch screen usability
How to adjust controls for touch This interesting video is a great explanation of some of the challenges we face when designing for touch screens. Over 75% of all mobile users use one digit to select...
View ArticleThe perils of hiding navigation
Side drawer navigation could be costing you half your user engagement The side drawer navigation menu is similar in function to the hamburger menu, as used on the Study at St Andrews website. The side...
View ArticleAssumptions about mobile users
UX myth: Mobile users are distracted The rise of mobile has also given rise to myths about how people use it. The idea that mobile users are more distracted than users of any other devices does not...
View ArticleGoogle signals on mobile-friendly webpages
Helping users find mobile-friendly pages Google is beginning to crack down on websites that do not display properly on mobile devices. A ‘mobile-friendly’ tag will be added to search engine results on...
View ArticleTest your website is mobile-friendly
Google mobile-friendly test We have previously mentioned the steps Google is beginning to take to encourage mobile-friendly web development. Now Google has developed a tool that allows you to check...
View ArticleHow the web is used in China
On China’s bleeding edge: Web design trends 2015 We, along with our colleagues in Admissions and IT Services, have been doing a lot of thinking recently about how we can best reach users in China. Web...
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8 tips on recording professional video with a smartphone
It has never been easier for anyone with a smartphone or a digital camera to record their own video footage and broadcast it to anyone. Simply pull the smartphone from your pocket, click record, and...
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Standardising the use of Google Maps
Look through the University’s website and you’ll find that there’s a wide variety of map styles being used. With things like map size, marker colour, how marker information is displayed (information...
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Guerilla testing on mobile devices
A couple of weeks ago The University of Dundee’s external relations team released data from some guerrilla usability testing they had conducted during their freshers’ week. It was an incredible data...
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Results from mobile usability testing
Last week I conducted some guerrilla usability testing on a mobile device in the University’s Library. The main purpose of the test was to find out whether the new digital prospectus pages can be used...
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Flaws in UX design standards: Gesture based navigation
When Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, multi-touch technology got mainstream attention and users learned that they could not only point and tap on the interface but also zoom, pinch and swipe it....
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Mobile app onboarding
App onboarding is the process of getting users familiar with a new interface, by using dedicated flows and user interface elements that are not part of the regular app interface. They explain and...
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Internship with the Digital Communications team – Piotr Kaniewski
Piotr Kaniewski, a 4th-year chemistry student, has just completed a six-week internship with the Digital Communications team. You can read about his experience in his own words below. Soon I will...
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Design to avoid catastrophes when accidental touches happen
People vary. Their particular needs and capabilities, and their environments, influence how they interact with the websites and apps we design for them. Around 15% of the world’s population, about one...
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