Everyone Can Design

We’ll be back soon with some more new episodes! But in the meantime, we were recently guests on the “Claris Talk AI” podcast hosted by Cris Ippolite and Matt Navarre.

We talked at length about all things AI related to UI/UX, including:

• A lively discussion about how AI is shaking things up in the design world
• Insights into using AI as a research tool and idea generator
• The importance of the human touch in design, even with AI in the mix
• Thoughts on AI-generated UI and its current limitations

Listen to this deep-dive into the fascinating world of AI and design! (And make sure to follow Cris and Matt’s podcast too!)

Follow Cris: / @isolutionsai  

 / crisippolite  

 / isolutionsai  

https://www.isolutionsai.com

Follow Matt:

https://www.navarre.training

 / navarre  

Ever been frustrated by a poorly designed app or system?

You're not alone! In this episode, we dive deep into the world of user interfaces and user experiences.

We share stories and discuss the importance of considering more than just the happy path, all so we can highlight the crucial role of usability testing and user feedback.

Tune in to learn what NOT to do, and how good design can turn a frustrating experience into a satisfying one!

Are you interested in the potential of AI and its implications?

In this episode, we dive deep into a fascinating conversation about ChatGPT and machine learning, discussing the benefits and ethical concerns in the field of AI.

We also explore the role and responsibility of UX designers and technology creators in creating AI systems.

Join us as we navigate the challenges and possibilities of AI in our modern world. You won't want to miss this insightful discussion!

Dive into the fascinating world of prototyping with our latest episode! We discuss the game-changing benefits of prototyping, share insights about tools like Adobe XD and Figma, and explore the concept of "Build to Learn". If you're looking to minimize risk, ensure your final product effectively solves problems, and learn how to ease client transitions, this episode is a must-listen.

Topics Discussed:

1. Importance and Benefits of Prototyping: How prototyping can minimize risks, help ensure the final product effectively solves the problem, and make it easier for clients to transition to the new system.
2. Prototyping Tools: We talk about tools like Adobe XD and Figma and explain how to use them effectively in the prototyping process.
3. Concept of "Build to Learn": The idea that the learning process should continue even during the building phase of development, and we give you examples from our own experiences.
4. Usability Testing: The importance of usability testing at different stages of development. We share some advice on how to conduct effective usability tests.
5. Challenges of Change for Clients: The difficulties clients often face when transitioning to a new system and how prototyping can help ease this transition.

Unlock the potential of teamwork and shared creativity! 

In this episode, we explore how to generate unique and innovative solutions to tough design problems, and how to involve your clients to help you develop ideas into real, workable solutions. 

We don’t just talk about how to generate lots of ideas, though. We also dive into exactly how to review and validate them with your clients, including whether you should present only your best idea, or all of the ones you came up with!

There’s much more in our conversation that'll help you make the most of your idea-generating process.

Don't miss this chance to learn about these powerful strategies that can help transform your team's approach to problem-solving. Tune in today!

In this episode, Matt and I talk about how to turn user research into something useful and compelling, that will help you both understand the problems you’ve defined, and enable you to communicate with others about them. We debate various ways of molding all the stuff you’ve gathered into a valuable tool that will help you keep your project on track, and enhance your chances of success.

Some highlights:

• Why you should synthesize user research into something you can share
• What kinds of documents are best to help you illustrate the discoveries you made during your research, and convince stubborn stakeholders to make changes
• The value of involving users in the design process
• How important it is to create user research documentation to help you estimate your project scope and cost.

Ultimately, we uncover valuable secrets that will help you make the most of the time you spent researching!

User research is incredibly important to the success of any potential app. But what exactly is user research, why is it so important, and what are the methods you can use to carry it out?

In this episode, we deep-dive into the topic of user research methods in UX design. We cover a wide range of topics including:

• How to conduct effective user research to inform the design process
• The role of interviews in user research and how to conduct them effectively
• Why it’s important to challenge your own assumptions and not take everything at face value
• Why you need to understand the user's world to design effective solutions
• How the design process is similar to the scientific method

This episode provides valuable insights and practical examples for anyone looking to improve their understanding of user research and enhance their design strategy. 

This is our very first episode of the show! We (Alexis and Matt) discuss the idea that everyone can design. We talk about how design is not just for “designers”, and how more software developers should recognize their role as designers—even if they’re building something small or seemingly insignificant.

We also talk about why it's crucial to understand user needs, and how hard it is to design for behaviour and process change.

We tackle the age-old debate about the difference between UI and UX design—and why that difference might not matter too much in the long run!

Ultimately, we agree that designing is really about solving problems for people and making their lives easier, and that everyone making software has the ability to contribute to that goal.

Resources mentioned in the show

• The UX Design Workshop - Learn UX Design for Claris FileMaker - The premier all-in-one UX design course for FileMaker developers. Learn to confidently create effective and usable apps—even if you’re a UX design novice. Skip the trial and error and get the expert guidance you need to get your app built right, the first time.
• Resources - UI/UX Design for Claris FileMaker - Download free design resources here
• FileMaker UI/UX Design Community - Join our Facebook group!

In this episode, we talk about why it’s so important to have a design process to create an amazing UI or UX. Without any sort of process, you may—or may not—be solving the right user problems. But if you learn and follow a good design process, you can vastly increase your chances of UI/UX success.

Listen in to discover why it’s crucial that you understand the people who’ll be using your solution—and the problems they face, when and how to include them in the process, and why it’s essential to validate your ideas before you invest a ton of time into development.

We also touched on the importance of good communication throughout the design process.

Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical advice.

Resources mentioned in the show

• The UX Design Workshop - Learn UX Design for Claris FileMaker - The premier all-in-one UX design course for FileMaker developers. Learn to confidently create effective and usable apps—even if you’re a UX design novice. Skip the trial and error and get the expert guidance you need to get your app built right, the first time.
• About IDEO: Our Story, Who we Are, How We Work
• Software Estimation - By Steve McConnell
• Mapping Experiences - By James Kahlbach
• FileMaker UI/UX Design Community - Join our Facebook group!

We’re Alexis Allen and Matt O’Dell, UI/UX designers with decades of experience helping all sorts of clients create effective custom apps. On the "Everyone Can Design" podcast, we strive to demystify UI/UX design and make it accessible to everyone.

We bring you practical, actionable advice to help you improve your UX design skills. Our focus is on exploring user experience, design, and problem-solving for all, with a particular emphasis on helping software developers learn about UX design methods and best practices. By sharing our knowledge, we want to empower you to create powerful and flexible apps that are also simple and intuitive to use.

Alexis is a FileMaker designer and developer with over 25 years of experience, and is the founder of fmdesignuniversity.com, a blog devoted to UI/UX design for the Claris FileMaker platform.

Matt is an Experience Design Team Leader with a focus on systems design, business process, tools, and education.