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.”
Introduction The Discover Bank mobile app allows users to manage their bank and credit card accounts, pay bills, and deposit checks, among other things, all in one place. This design critique aims to examine the Discover Bank mobile app’s user experience by reviewing three features: view credit card transactions, search transactions, and tag/manage transaction tags. […]
Design Critique: Discover Bank iOS Mobile App Read More »
Introduction Resy is a restaurant reservation platform used all around the world from New York City to Hong Kong. The platform provides users with endless options from up and coming restaurants to top rated restaurants. Acting as a bridge between customers and restaurants, the platform allows users to search different restaurants, book a table, change/cancel
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WhatsApp, with over 2 billion users, is a leading messaging app used globally and is integral to daily life in countries like India. Recently, WhatsApp revamped its Android UI, which disrupted users’ muscle memory. This critique will evaluate the app from a new user’s perspective, focusing on rarely or never-used features.
Design Critique: WhatsApp (The Android APP) Read More »
Introduction Booking.com is a travel app that helps people find great hotels, hostels, or apartments efficiently, users can also use this app to book flights, rental cars, and other things about travel. Every time I travel, I used to use Booking.com to search the available hotels. Even though I’m familiar with its functions, I still
Design Critique: Booking.com (IOS App) Read More »
Etherscan is the premier Ethereum blockchain explorer that provides real-time information on blockchain transactions, smart contracts, and wallet activities. As an essential tool for blockchain developers, crypto enthusiasts, and casual users alike, Etherscan is highly functional, but its user experience is lacking in several key areas. By evaluating the website through the lens of Don
Design Critique: Etherscan (Website) Read More »
Notability is a note-taking iPad app. It has a simple interface with smooth interactions. The app allows users to log in and start writing down their thoughts (either using the Apple pencil or typing manually). There is also an option to customize the notebook cover (like choosing a style for the book cover). This is
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Ultimate Guitar is primarily a crowdsourced catalog of chords and tabs. Musicians of all levels use its mobile app to learn how to play popular guitar, bass, and ukulele songs, improve their skills, and join a community of musicians. This is a design critique of the Ultimate Guitar iOS mobile app’s free tier. Overview Apply
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Introduction v0 is a chat-based web development companion created by Vercel that is meant to help users program front-end code, offering help such as debugging and executing code. It can even generate UI components from Vercel’s popular component library shadcn/ui. This article explores and critiques v0 through the lens of Don Norman’s “Design of Everyday
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Introduction LibraryThing is a free book and movie cataloging website and app made specifically for personal and independent libraries. The application is praised for its simplicity, not using any library software to work and only requiring a username and password to begin. LibraryThing uses thousands of database systems like Library of Congress, Amazon, and public
Design Critique: LibraryThing (iOS App) Read More »
Adaptive scissors are specialized cutting tools designed to assist individuals with physical disabilities or limited hand strength, dexterity, or coordination. For people with conditions such as cerebral palsy, arthritis, or hand tremors, these scissors can be particularly beneficial in achieving greater independence and ease in everyday tasks. Key features 1. Continuous Loop Handles The most
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