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.”
Canva is a mobile design application that enables users to create visual content such as social media posts, presentations, posters, and videos using templates and direct manipulation tools. While Canva makes design accessible, its mobile editing experience reveals usability trade-offs when complex design tasks are attempted on a small, touch-based interface. Entering the Editor and […]
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The Nike Go FlyEase is a sneaker designed to be put on and taken off hands-free. Features including a hinged sole, tension band, and kickstand heel affords putting on and removing the shoe without the user bending over or using their hands The sneaker was created to address a need for fashion/athletic sneakers that are
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Introduction I got my first pair of Apple AirPods about a week ago and while exploring its features, I was surprised to learn that they can also function as hearing aids for people with hearing disabilities, something that was also discussed on the first day of our digital accessibility class. This discovery was particularly intriguing
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Design Critique: Too Good To Go (iOS App) By Annie Huang / February 9, 2026 / Design Critique Too Good To Go is a mobile app designed to reduce food waste by connecting users with surplus food from local vendors at discounted prices, and has become a widely adopted platform for everyday sustainable consumption. This
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OpenTable is a dining reservation app that allows users to explore local restaurants and make reservations with ease and better communication. It provides both diners and restaurants with an open communication platform that replaces the traditional, messy reservation process with a streamlined, informative network. Signing-in: Onboarding The sign-in pages (figure 1-3) utilized the classic phone
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Reduce Motion is an accessibility setting in Apple’s operating systems that limits screen animations such as zoom effects, parallax movement, and large transitions. It doesn’t remove features or content, but it changes how movement is used so the interface feels more stable and less physically overwhelming.
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The grabber tool, also known as a reacher or reach extender. It is a widely used assistive technology designed to support people with limited mobility, reduced grip strength, chronic pain, or balance impairments.
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The Xbox Adaptive Controller is a customizable gaming controller designed to make video games more accessible to players with disabilities. It functions as a central hub that connects to external buttons, switches, and joysticks, allowing players to create control setups that align with their physical abilities, preferences, and ways of interacting with games.
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Pikmin Bloom is a free augmented reality (AR) mobile app developed by Niantic and Nintendo. By implementing gamification strategies, it encourages players to walk more, explore their surroundings, and foster healthy habits. Although Pikmin Bloom demonstrates the power of gamification, it still suffers from several usability friction points that disrupt the Seven Stages of Action.
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Preply is a language-learning platform that connects students with live tutors. This critique covers the typical student experience on iOS platforms, including onboarding, tutor discovery, booking, and language practice features.
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