Creativity or Rip Off and Duplicate? I get a kick out of the second part of the above statement – the “rip off or duplicate” part. James Scarpetta quoted that phrase in his DevCon 2018 presentation on interface design last summer – and he quoted a professional photographer sharing what he perceived as a universal […]
FileMaker UX and UI with Semantic UI Humming Tech is pushing the boundaries of the FileMaker User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) recently, and their latest effort is no exception. This time it is a video tutorial (with a Free FileMaker Example File) on integrating features from the free Semantic UI development framework: Semantic is a […]
UX Design Trends and FileMaker What’s happening in the UX design world for 2018? What can we learn from the latest trends and how (and should we) apply it to FileMaker database designs? Let’s take a quick look. Shopify Predictions Shopify’s Oliver Lindberg delves deep into the subject, covering topics from variable fonts to ethical […]
Dynamic FileMaker Navigation Bar Mike Duncan updated his ten year old dynamic FileMaker Navigation Bar, and it’s pretty awesome. And he included a free FileMaker Example File, as well! (Looking for more ideas for FileMaker Navigation Bars? Click here.) Duncan’s solution is easy to implement, loads fast, and changes if you change the order of […]
Frictionless UX Hacks Susan Prosser’s presentation at FileMaker DevCon 2016 on Frictionless UX Hacks: Do you think that trendy colors, a snappy custom theme, and a smooth workflow are all that goes into great user experience (UX)? Get your head out of Layout Mode and turbo-charge your custom apps so users make the right choices, get […]
Tim Beck: Just a friendly request: Links should open in a new window. Often, I lose track of the remainder of your…
Don Clark: Thanks for the feedback, Tim. I prefer that way of setting up links, too, but once in a while I…
Fibonacci and the Golden Triangle Fans of design theory are familiar with the Fibonacci Formula and the Golden Ratio and how they help design layouts that are naturally friendly to the eye. The reason is simple: the Golden Ratio appears over and over again in nature, and the human eye subconsciously picks up on the […]
Tips for Writing for Mobile Users This article on writing for mobile users is a bit old (2011), but offers some timeless insights: We’ve recently run many user studies, watching people read information on mobile devices. Our research included mobile websites, apps, and email newsletters. Across all formats, there’s one indispensable element: focus. Content comprehension […]
Learn about the Math of Visual Design from Alexis Allen of DesigningFileMaker.com For those who did not or could not attend Devcon 2016, watch this video presentation that goes over the math of visual design. Allen covers the math (and more) in her presentation: The Golden Ratio Symmetry Hick’s law (the time required to make […]
There are changes to what is popular – and working – in Form Design And these changes apply to what you need to know about form design in FileMaker. And I think this is a good thing, as form design (and readability) suffered from the Flat Design fiasco that swept the design world a couple […]
Executing Design It’s time for FileMaker’s take on UX design, brought to you by Chih Hsiao, Senior UX Designer at FileMaker: How do you incorporate design into your day-to‐day development activities? Design is not an afterthought but an ongoing practice of planning, testing, and validating your ideas. In this session, we look at examples that […]
Experience vs. Usability From Jordan Watson, a developer at We Know Data, a DevCon 2016 presentation about User Experience vs. Usability. Watson refers to Facebook as a prime example of great usability at the beginning, but don’t let that stop you from reading (Facebook is popular, in my opinion, despite it’s User Experience). This video […]
UX Design Susan Prosser, President DBHQ, LLC, presented on Frictionless UX Hacks at FileMaker DevCon 2016. Her focus is on UX Design through building great communication skills for use during the entire project. The focus of her presentation in flow/enchantment, the last 10% you need to build to make your software really easy to use. Button […]
Susan: Thanks for posting the link to my session!
Don Clark: You're welcome, Susan! I listened to it once, but need to do it again, this time taking notes. There was…
User Experience Here’s an informative post by Jordan Watson on user experience at Medium.com: Defining what constitutes a great user experience is near impossible. This is because building a custom app with a good user experience is based upon multiple factors, from your relationship with your client, to the level of usability and interfaces you provide, […]
Designing Clarity, Accessibility and User Effort in FileMaker How much is there to consider about the lowly text field when designing a form? Quite a lot, actually. Consider the following traits: Clear text labels Short text labels Proper field size Visual focus for input fields Input hints (think placeholder text) When to how much helpful information Accessibility […]
Alex Barattieri: Thank you for P. J. O'Rourke's quote of the day.
Don Clark: You bet, Alex. O'Rourke has a way with words...