DON NORMAN

Design Critique: Pikmin Bloom (iPhone App) - Cover Image

Design Critique: Pikmin Bloom (iPhone App)

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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Design Critique: CapCut (Mac App)

Introduction CapCut for Mac is a desktop video editor that aims to make video editing fast and approachable while offering a broad set of features. The experience is sleek and simple, but some design choices create friction around onboarding, visibility, sharing and error recovery especially for new users. Getting Started: Registration & Onboarding
 Right away,

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A person holding a smartphone displaying the Stellarium app, showing constellations against a starry night sky. Large white text on the left reads “Design Critique: Stellarium.

Design Critique: Stellarium (iOS App)

Stellarium is a mobile planetarium app that allows users to explore the night sky in real time. By pointing their device upward, they can identify stars, planets, and constellations through a realistic visualization. The experience feels immersive and inspiring, but certain design choices introduce challenges around discoverability and ease of use, particularly for beginners. Onboarding

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Hand holding a smartphone displaying the Flo app home screen, showing period tracking information on a pink gradient background, with the Flo logo on the left.

Design Critique: Flo (iOS App)

Flo is a menstrual cycle–tracking app that helps users monitor periods, ovulation, or pregnancy. It also offers resources on menstruation, pregnancy, mental-health and sexual wellness, along with symptom logging. This critique reviews Flo through concepts from Design of Everyday Things and How Artifacts Afford, focusing on the experience of a user tracking their period. Onboarding

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Design Critique: Chewy (Mobile App)

Chewy is an e-commerce company that offers businesses such as pet food retail, pet supply and accessories retail, medicines and health products, and other pet-related products. From Chewy, users could document their pets’ information and get the needed accessories. Its mobile app is aiming to offer users a convenient shopping experience Imperfect Shopping Details Items

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Design Critique: Bureau of Labor Statistics Data Retrieval Tool

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. Its website is home to labor and economic data and data tools available for public use. This article serves to critique the general accessibility and usability of the BLS Popular Series Data Retrieval Tool. Accessing Data Tools from the

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