DEV Community: Jim Zarkadas

The UX of Loading states

Jim Zarkadas — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 10:01:24 +0000

Every week I help and coach fellow indie hackers by working together on their product's UX. With some of them we livestream our sessions for my YouTube live show called "UX sessions for indie devs".

On the last episode I worked with @mdgale on the checkout loading flow of his product.

Here is what we talked about:

🔸Think offline first. Think like a human.
🔸Difference between actual and perceived time
🔸 The 4 response time limits
🔸 Active and passive user modes
🔸 Examples of active and passive modes
🔸 Live user testing and feedback on Matt's Fbars app loading flow prototype
🔸 The concept of Optimistic UI
🔸 Live pair-design of the new loading flow
🔸 How can a user understand which UI elements are clickable?

👉 Check out the episode and let me know what you think! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIlDxDDcwwE

💡UX Tip: Every pixel in your UI should have a purpose

Jim Zarkadas — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 14:08:53 +0000

When building a screen, make sure to ask yourself "Why?" before you add a component.

It's easy to unconsciously add components we don't need, just because we saw them somewhere or are included in a UI kit we use.

User testing made easy - 4 tips to get started and improve the UX of your project

Jim Zarkadas — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 09:36:35 +0000

Asking your users to give you feedback on something you built can be tricky.

One simple and effective way to do it is to jump on a call with them, ask them to use it and observe them.

Here is what you should keep in mind:

1. Keep the testing session focused.

Ask your users to complete small focused tasks.
For example: You are building a platform where people can sell products. Ask them to "add a new product".

2. Ask your users to think out loud as they use your product.

This is by far one of the simplest and most effective methods to get insights. It's like getting access into your users' brains.

3. Don't interrupt your users. Listen and observe.

Your goal is not to sell your product or to prove that you are right.
Your goal is to understand how they feel when using it.
Practice your listening skills. It's tough at first but gets better as you practice.

4. Don't test the same thing with more than 5 users.

The best results come from testing no more than 5 users and running as many small tests as you can afford.

Actually even just 2 or 3 will give you plenty of insights!

Any questions/thoughts?

Feel free to comment below, happy to help!