Musings and lessons on UX design, web technology, documentation, working remotely, and more. Plus a book!
Wireframing for Everyone
Wireframing for Everyone demystifies UI design through wireframes, by stripping away the decorative layer so that anyone can learn to construct a digital product and make it easy to use. Get it free.
Jun 13, 2023
Common Website Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Learn how to improve your website’s user experience! For each mistake you’ll learn what usually happens and why, what it looks like, and what to do about it.
Aug 29, 2022
Balsamiq Wireframing Academy
The Antidote To UX Burnout is Designing For Users Who Need it Most
User experience design remains a highly-coveted and relatively satisfying profession. But I’ve started to see a noticeable trend in feelings of burnout and frustration in our field.
Apr 20, 2022
DeMagSign by Design Matters
Considerations for Using Markdown Writing Apps on Static Sites
If you use a static site generator, you might find yourself writing a lot of Markdown. And the more you write it, the more you want the tooling experience to fade so the content takes focus.
Oct 6, 2021
CSS-Tricks
Get Developers on Your Side by Making Their Job Easier
If you’ve never worked in the software industry before, learning the culture can be a huge part of your first year on the job.
Mar 29, 2021
LinkedIn
Five Steps to Creating Great Wireframes
Good wireframes solve real problems and lead to strong products. From writing out the scenario to gathering inputs, here is a proven path to a great website or app.
Mar 18, 2020
Balsamiq Wireframing Academy
Wireframes Aren’t Just for Designers
Leon Barnard explains how wireframes can be invaluable in facilitating communication and knowledge transfer during the product development process.
Jan 24, 2020
Mind The Product
Why Wireframes are Still Relevant
Why you should wireframe, what’s the right level of detail, where prototypes and sketches fit in, and how to make them a great communication tool for non-designers.
Aug 21, 2019
Balsamiq Wireframing Academy
How to Start a Wireframe Project
Four techniques to start a wireframe project from scratch and ensure that you dedicate enough time to the ideation phase, where the success of your product begins.
Jul 19, 2019
Balsamiq Wireframing Academy
How to Use Wireframes with Design Systems
An alternative to pushing wireframes beyond their limits is to keep them low fidelity and let another tool do the work of specifying the look and feel.
Dec 17, 2018
freeCodeCamp Blog
UI vs. UX: A Culinary Comparison
This article will combine storytelling with analogy to approach the subject of explaining UX differently.
Oct 4, 2018
Springboard
What is UI Design?
Learn to see like a UI designer by deconstructing an interface into its 4 layers: controls, patterns, design principles, and templates.
Sep 26, 2018
Balsamiq Wireframing Academy
Hugo Templates for WordPress Designers
Dive into the basics of the popular static site generator called Hugo by comparing it to its most well-known "dynamic" ancestor, WordPress.
Sep 29, 2017
Treehouse Blog
Balsamiq Docs Case Study, Part 3: Lists Get a Makeover
Give list pages a makeover using Hugo, a static site generator, with source files on GitHub from Leon Barnard, Designer and Writer at Balsamiq.
Apr 15, 2017
Docs Like Code
Balsamiq Docs Case Study, Part 2: Animated GIFs Pause and Play
Learn how to play and pause animated GIFs on static sites such as Hugo on GitHub from Leon Barnard, Designer and Writer at Balsamiq.
Apr 9, 2017
Docs Like Code
Balsamiq Docs Case Study, Part 1: Multiple Product Versions
Learn useful techniques for static sites such as Hugo on GitHub from Leon Barnard, Designer and Writer at Balsamiq. He describes documenting multiple versions of a product with a Go-coded solution.
Apr 4, 2017
Docs Like Code
Wireframing for Beginners
Wireframing is an essential skill for UX Designers and other experience design participants. Learn how to get your wireframing off to the right start.
Oct 18, 2016
UX Mastery
From the Classroom to the Cubicle: UX in the Real World
When you arrive at your first UX job you'll find conditions a little different than they were in the classroom.
Jul 12, 2016
UX Mastery
Getting Started with Static Sites
You may have heard the buzz about so-called "static" websites. In this post we'll tell you what they are, what's the big deal, and what you need to know to build one.
Jun 21, 2016
Treehouse Blog
HTML and CSS: Still Relevant for Designers
Knowing only HTML and CSS will still get you far as a designer, and can give you all the qualifications you need to meet the new bar for designers.
Feb 16, 2016
Treehouse Blog
Soft Skills for UX Designers
These practicable skills can be invaluable in getting your ideas and hard work into the end product.
Dec 30, 2015
Treehouse Blog
Tips for Presenting Your Wireframes
Once you’re done with your wireframes, you’ll need to present them to get someone’s approval. Learn 3 effective strategies to get buy-in and move forward.
Nov 5, 2015
Balsamiq Wireframing Academy
3 Steps to Better UI Wireframes
If you're new to wireframing, or are looking to level up your wireframe game, these steps should help you get the most out of the wireframing stage.
Sep 24, 2015
Treehouse Blog
On Working from Home, Better
Reflections on my first three years of working fully remote. In order to succeed I had to forget what I thought that working looked like.
Sep 3, 2015
Balsamiq Company Blog
Forget your Dream Job
I finally landed mine. And I was miserable.
Jan 17, 2014
Medium
The User Experience Gap
Every once in a while I’m reminded that there are still plenty of products out there that are in need of some serious UX love.
Sep 17, 2013
Balsamiq UX Blog
Tales from a UX Guerrilla
After several failed attempts, I found a way to bring UX to the table on a development-led project team.
Jun 3, 2013
Balsamiq UX Blog
Using Wireframes with Agile User Stories
A step-by-step guide on how to use wireframes in your Agile User Stories. Tips: add just enough detail and focus on what developers really need to know.
