Lightbox: illuminating ideas by Astriata
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insider insights

details matter for UX

7 Must-Do Tips for UX-Friendly Error Messages

Human error is inevitable, but there are right and wrong ways to handle error messages. Here, we share 7 ways to make them effective.

An FAQ on Navigation and Usability

What are the most common mistakes in website navigation? What navigation works best on mobile? Here, we answer your questions about navigation and usability.

Use Your Site Search to Boost Usability

Today’s users expect more from your site search. What do you need to know to create a user-friendly search experience?

the trifecta

usability

To improve your site search, consider adding this information to your results display: relevance, date last updated, media type, and category. Also give users the ability to filter and sort.

design

Designing navigation for both mobile and desktop requires specific solutions for each. Consider putting your main navigation on the bottom of the screen for mobile for an easier reach.

technology

Keep the forms on your website accessible by making sure you’re using form labels for every element. When text that could label an element is not visible use aria-labelledby instead.

mental memo from Aline

As I reflect back on the year, I’m thankful for the great year we’ve had at Astriata. My team continues to make invaluable contributions, and to put it mildly, our clients have been the best. When it comes to the day-to-day work involved in creating human-centered, UX-friendly web designs, sometimes it’s the small things that make all the difference. This past month, we’ve focused on seemingly mundane details that add up to make a huge difference in UX, exploring topics like error messages and site search. In our December issue of LightBox, we share tips and hope you find them helpful.

Meanwhile, enjoy, stay well — and when it comes to usability, design, and technology, stay intentional.

Aline, Astriata CEO & Creative Director

cerebral matters

Curated resources that bring light to intriguing topics.

  • The Usability of Augmented Reality | article
    What’s in store for the future? We’ll most likely see more opportunities for augmented reality. This opens up a lot of usability issues to consider. Find out what Nielsen Norman Group learned from their study.
  • Usability, Not Just Accessibility | podcast
    In Geektime’s “High Tech on the Low” podcast, CEO and Co-Founder of Purple Lens Menashe Shani explains why we need a paradigm shift from traditional web accessibility to one of usability for all.
  • How to Repurpose Video Content for Bigger and Better Results | article
    Video and animation are all the rage right now but can take time and money to create. How can you repurpose video content in ways that engage audiences? B2B content expert Amy Woods explains.

past issues

2022
November: The Psychology of Marketing
October: Usability 101
August: Less is More
July: Investing in UX
June: Ethics
May: User Engagement
April: DEI in Website Design
March: Psychology in Website Design
February: Workplace Topics

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