Software has never been more accessible than it is today. User interface design has never been more straightforward, or more standardised. Today, we can all enjoy websites, products and applications without having to trade in hours of training and technical know-how.
This widespread accessibility seems patently beneficial. After all, software proficiency is no longer the sole realm of programmers and IT experts. Technology has got over its elitism problem, and become inclusive to users of almost all skill levels.
The question is: is this digital ‘dumbing down’ as desirable as it first appears? What we can gain in ease of use, we can also lose regarding user control. There is a fine line between dull and primitive; between refined and reduced. Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy answer as to just how quick and easy software should be.
https://usabilitygeek.com/is-digital-dumbing-down-desirable/
The new product development cycle can be quite complex, especially when it comes to technology. There’s a lot of planning, testing and tinkering that must happen before a tech product is ready to hit the market, and sometimes it requires going back to the drawing board.
An essential step in this process is usability testing, which helps determine whether a product functions as expected or whether it needs additional fine tuning. But how do you know the right time to begin this testing? To find out, we asked a group of Forbes Technology Council members to share their opinions.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/01/02/is-it-time-to-test-your-new-products-usability-13-tech-experts-weigh-in/#2a2dc3d225b2/
Some brands have tried -- not particularly successfully -- to use new technologies like augmented reality to create more customized experiences. The companies that have succeeded are those that truly understand what customers want and need and that use technology as merely a means to that end.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/09/13/it-takes-more-than-technology-to-create-a-memorable-user-experience/#2ec22b7714c4/
“It really is the end user experience,” said Eric Klein, director of mobile/wireless at VDC Research. “You have to understand how the individual worker uses those tools. Engage with your user community regularly.”
Even with the latest cutting edge technologies available to enterprises in 2018, the old adage about the importance of the user experience still rings true. Attendees to the Enterprise Mobility Transformation Exchange saw this theme on full display within many sessions.
https://www.enterprisemobilityexchange.com/eme-managed-mobility/news/end-user-experience-exchange/
The digital world, as we’ve designed it, is draining us. The products and services we use are like needy friends: desperate and demanding. Yet we can’t step away. We’re in a codependent relationship. Our products never seem to have enough, and we’re always willing to give a little more. They need our data, files, photos, posts, friends, cars, and houses. They need every second of our attention.
We’re willing to give these things to our digital products because the products themselves are so useful. Product designers are experts at delivering utility. They’ve perfected design processes that allow them to improve the way people accomplish tasks. Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly clear that utility alone isn’t enough.
https://medium.com/s/user-friendly/the-future-of-digital-product-design-is-about-human-empowerment-6a025bc330a/
"I still think the user experience is crucial -- and it's about providing something that's right for the individual," says Cohen. "Technology departments must make sure they are providing the most optimal computing environment for their colleagues based on the state they're in -- whether that's fully connected, occasionally connected or entirely remote."
https://www.zdnet.com/article/laptops-hybrids-smartphones-and-tablets-deciding-the-right-mix-for-productivity/
This article accepts a simple, obvious, and often forgotten premise: software continues to become more complex. Back in the mainframe days, manual code review was possible. That was a combination both simpler code being developed and slower change cycles. Advanced in hardware, software and user experience (UX) have massively increased both the volume and complexity of code. The web, smartphones, and other technology have both meant far more people using technology and causes a service oriented change to work to provide software updates faster.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidteich/2018/06/28/machine-learning-and-software-lifecycle-tools-each-must-help-the-other/#2cb1ad571189/
t was not long ago when tablets were the craze, and technology was taken less seriously by businesses. Back then it was a perfect mix between people, technology, and process. Today, we are in an era when technology is improving, and people and process are gradually replaced by it.
Although that may not be entirely true. It is actually a paradox since more often than not we introspect how technology has made our lives easier both from an individual and industrial point of view. One of those aspects which has helped build economies and various sectorial businesses is Machine Learning (ML). From automation to analysis of data, the technology has the power to learn without having to be explicitly programmed.
http://www.bgr.in/features/machine-learning-is-changing-the-face-of-businesses-today/
Many times in designing and developing the user experience (UX) related to systems and services, something gets left out of the equation: the user. In a recent tweet, Jason Williams, expressed the need to rectify this so well:"You can't start with the technology and then develop the customer experience (UX).You have to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology."
https://www.zdnet.com/article/making-user-experience-an-agile-pursuit/
For many retailers, improving the customer experience involves simplifying e-commerce to rely on fewer clicks and supplementing text search for the ever-potent, AI-powered visual search feature.
Whether it be for navigating outfit inspiration, as seen on platforms such as Pinterest and ShopStyle or creating hyper-personalized recommendations, witnessed in Spotify and Netflix, the bottom line is through these technologies, retailers further empower their shoppers and guide purchases.
In a similar mission, the winner of Digiday’s Best Retail Technology award, Syte, aims to provide a cutting-edge visual AI search, which offers the necessary immersive experience and improved user journey shoppers crave — all beginning with the shopper’s chosen image.
https://wwd.com/business-news/technology/visual-search-1202880164/v/
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