Design Critiques

What makes some designs good and others bad? Why do some designs work while others don’t? Posts in this category offer thoughtful design critiques of modern digital interfaces, with commentary inspired by Don Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things.”

Xbox Adaptive controller with attachments

Assistive technology: Gaming via the Xbox Adaptive Controller

Introduction: The Xbox Adaptive Controller is a groundbreaking device developed by Microsoft to make gaming more accessible to individuals with limited mobility. First conceptualized in an internal hackathon in 2014, the device underwent several adaptations before its final release to the public in 2018. Designed with extensive input from gamers with disabilities and advocacy organizations, …

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Design critique: IKEA Kreativ (iOS app)

IKEA is one of the world’s largest furniture retailers for affordable and ready-to-assemble home goods. The IKEA Kreativ, a virtual design tool inside the IKEA app, allows users to design interactive showrooms or in their living place virtually and bring the iconic showroom experience that exists in IKEA’s offline store locations to a digital platform. …

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Digital drawing of a sailboat at sea with a shore and a palm tree. The artwork is in a blurry watercolor style and was created using the Tayasui Sketches iPhone application.

Design Critique: Tayasui Sketches (iPhone App)

Tayasui Sketches is an art making interface that employs the use of realistic tools and the customization of many aspects of the creative process. The user is able to create new works based off of templates, pick from a selection of tools that adapt to the digital canvas, and explore many other possibilities that can be associated with digital art-making applications.

Design Critique: Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go is a mobile app that aims to reduce food waste by connecting restaurants, grocery stores, and cafes to users looking for a deal on leftover food. Orders are packaged in surprise bags of whatever the business has left over and listed for sale at a significant discount.

Design Critique: AllTrails

AllTrails provides trail maps for a variety of activities all over the world, primarily focused on hiking and walking, but offering nearly 20 different types of activity trails. In addition to the navigation capabilities, AllTrails also enables detailed user reviews, building a ‘community’ of users. Let’s take a trip through AllTrails! Searching for a hike …

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