5 min
Humans and The Risks of Automation
“How can we design systems to use the sophistication of human thinking and decision making, AND the complex computation power of machines to strike a healthy balance of automation?”
Articles
3 min
How Blink UX Inspires Corporate Social Responsibility In the Workplace
A recent NPR campaign asked Millennials to define themselves using single words — words like adventurer, optimist, eco-conscious, and activist were among the most popular ways we describe ourselves. These really resonate with me, and I can say without a doubt there is one thing Millennials care a lot about: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
4 min
On the Fringe of UX
A friend of mine recently called me up and asked if she should go to ConveyUX. She’s a Project Manager, but she does just enough user experience (UX) work to be dangerous. She feels she should hone her UX sword rather than chopping with it like a machete.
10 min
The UX of Car2Go
A few of us here at Blink are big fans of Car2Go, the point-to-point carsharing service that operates the iconic blue and white SmartCars in several cities worldwide, including here in Seattle (you can typically find three or four outside our office on any given morning).
7 min
The fine art of creating experience maps
Here are more details about how we think about target users and their engagement with products to inform experience maps.
5 min
Dear (Digital) Diary: A Powerful Tool in User Research
These days, diary studies can be much richer and more flexible by taking advantage of digital, connected technologies. At Blink we’re developing a suite of internal digital tools that help researchers and designers be more effective; one of these tools is our Digital Diary.
7 min
UX and SEO — A love story
If you want to design the best experience for your users, you need to know their stories. Here at Blink we recently wrapped up a project that demonstrated how the “qualitative story” of user research and the “quantitative story” of SEO and analytics can be paired to produce powerful insights that provide the evidence you need to craft the right experience.
0 min
Personal Health Metrics and Good UX: Partners in Healthcare
When coupled with a good user experience, personal health apps and data can inspire positive behavioral or lifestyle changes.
3 min
Creativity, Collaboration & Confidentiality
So how do we get together and collaborate on ideas when a project is top secret? When only one person at Blink knows what the client is working on, and only a handful of employees at the client’s company even know what it is?
4 min
The UX of Stitch Fix: A Perfect Fit
Stitch Fix is a personal shopping service for women that has been gaining popularity lately. I couldn’t help but compare my Stitch Fix experience to other services that also attempt to serve me recommended content – i.e., Netflix, Spotify, Amazon.
2 min
Designing for Disengagement: The Art of Disappearing Technology
Increasing engagement is a clear way to increased revenue, as well as brand awareness and loyalty. This has resulted in some truly awesome, fun, smart products. Unfortunately we’ve also seen a whole slew of others made in the hope that adding daily reminders and superfluous gamification elements will translate to success.
6 min
Why UberX is Blowing My UX Mind
Which brings me to UberX. I’ve been using this service a lot lately, both for work and personal transportation, and it’s blowing me away from a UX standpoint.
6 min
On Being Like a Unicorn: How to Become a UX Designer Extraordinaire
Working in User Experience consulting has been likened to being a Unicorn: You are a unique and rare creature who is empathetic, creative, constructive, fast, and effective. At Blink UX we are very selective regarding who we hire and are always on the lookout for top UX talent.
6 min
Why the Toughest Conversations Matter Most
Karen Clark Cole, CEO and co-founder of Blink UX, holds closely to the 7 Fierce Principles in her work and life. In fact, she has them posted on her office wall. I asked her some questions about how she applies them.
2 min
Which Soft Skills are Essential for UX Pros?
Everyone talks about the required hard skills it takes to succeed in the world of user experience. HTML5, a background in ethnographic research, and the ability to create prototypes—these are not trivial skills and are a must for any UX team. But nobody tells you the soft skills required to succeed on that same team. Until now.
2 min
4 Reasons Why I Love Working at Blink UX
Blink UX is a user experience research and design firm specializing in digital products. What really differentiates Blink UX is our research: All of our client and project recommendations are based on actual end-user observational data.
2 min
Preparing for Takeoff: 5 Steps to Better Airline Apps
Some airline apps can truly help make travel a breeze, and others are a bit more turbulent. So what differentiates a great app from a mediocre one? Here are my five tips for success.
1 min
WPO Names Blink Fastest Growing Woman-Led Company
Recently, Karen Clark Cole and Blink UX were named to the Women Presidents’ Organization’s 7th Annual 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies award list. I sat down with Karen to learn more about her involvement with WPO and what it meant to her to win this award.
3 min
Agile Development – Meet Your New Friend, Old-School Architecture
We are often asked by potential clients if we “do Agile.” Being part of an outside firm, fitting into a client’s agile process can be a curious and interesting challenge given the variety of ways we see agile methodologies applied.
3 min
Choosing the Right Level of Fidelity for Your Wireframes
At their core, wireframes are an efficient, iterative communication tool.
2 min
Six Evidence-Driven Best Practices for Game Websites
As a user researcher here at Blink UX, I’ve spent some time assessing and testing websites for the game industry. Game websites have a variety of audiences with unique goals, but the most notable ones are these:
2 min
Why We Rebuilt Our Usability Lab Technology for Better UX
We take pride in helping our clients design and build exceptional user experiences. So it comes as no surprise that we would want to do the same thing with our usability labs – ensure the user experience for our clients is seamless, innovative, and effective by keeping “technology” out of their way.
1 min
Blink Joins Tronie Foundation's Mission To End Trafficking
For the past several months, Blink has been working with a truly exceptional and inspiring woman named Rani Hong, co-founder and president of the Tronie Foundation, an international non-profit organization dedicated to end modern day slavery and human trafficking.
1 min
28,000 Sounders Fans Enjoy New Loyalty Program & Website
We were thrilled when the Sounders approached Blink to help them design their new MatchPass loyalty program in late 2012. There were three major components to the project: 1. Conduct primary end-user research to learn what fans wanted in a Sounders loyalty program and 2. Design an intuitive and engaging website and 3. Conduct usability testing for the MatchPass website prototype.