Mads Soegaard
Founder at Interaction Design Foundation INC
IxDF Distinctions
Publications
The World’s Best Teaching Design Job. The World’s Best Teaching Design Job
The Power of White Space in Design. White space (negative space) is the area between design elements. It's another tool for designers to design for the user experience (UX). Remember that white space is not necessarily white;
Dressing Up Your UI with Colors That Fit. Color is a powerful tool for you. Choosing a color scheme for a website is especially important for branding, as research has shown. Take a company like DHL, which uses yellow (believed to reflect hap
Recalling Color Theory Keywords: a way to refresh your memories!. Color is clearly an important part of a design’s aesthetic appeal. Basing your color palette on one of the existing color schemes can make it easier to strike the right balance from the start.
The Law of Similarity - Gestalt Principles (Part 1). Gestalt is a German word that carries a lot of importance, especially for us as designers. Its principles can show just how much this little word encompasses!
Laws of Proximity, Uniform Connectedness, and Continuation – Gestalt Principles (Part 2). Examine the Law of Proximity (another Gestalt principle) which is especially useful as it deals with how our eyes and brains draw connections with design images.
The Laws of Figure/Ground, Prägnanz, Closure, and Common Fate - Gestalt Principles (Part 3). Having a good grasp of these laws will enhance your ability to design with more thoughtfulness. Be confident that you’re making the best use of human tendencies!
Symmetry vs. Asymmetry - Recalling basic design principles. Designers often employ symmetry and asymmetry in web and app design to organize content and to provide a user-friendly interface. We can use symmetry and asymmetry as tools to achieve balance and harm
Emphasis: Setting up the focal point of your design. Emphasis is a strategy that aims to draw the viewer’s attention to a specific design element.
The Golden Ratio - Principles of form and layout. The golden ratio, which philosophers, mathematicians, architects, artists, and designers have employed for over two thousand years, is fundamental to both designers and users. Designs such as the Peps
Repetition, Pattern, and Rhythm. As a designer, you have three types of repetition: Repetition, Patterns, Rhythm
Fitts’ Law: Tracking users’ clicks. If you’ve followed all this so far, you’re probably thinking, well… that means “bigger is better” right? Actually, no: this is a law about usability. While “so tiny I can’t see it” is clearly not
The Grid System: Building a Solid Design Layout. A basic understanding of layout grids
Hick’s Law: Making the choice easier for users. Use Hick’s Law to examine how many functions you should offer at any part of your website & how this will affect your users’ overall approach to decision making.
Aesthetics and form need to hold hands. People are attracted to beauty. Attractiveness bias accounts for this systematic pattern of deviation.
Horror Vacui: The Fear of Emptiness. Horror vacui is the fear of emptiness. An age-old concept, evidence of this fear is visible throughout history, in busy, element-saturated work of past masters of the brush and canvas.
Occam’s Razor: The simplest solution is always the best. Occam’s Razor is a problem-solving principle arguing that simplicity is better than complexity. Here's how you can apply this principle in UX design.
Visual Hierarchy: Organizing content to follow natural eye movement patterns. Explore a topic that deals with how we look at designs. Understand how the human eye processes them, and find yourself better able to arrange your elements.
Accessibility: Usability for all. Examine a topic we take for granted to understand what it’s all about. By doing so, you’ll be able to proceed with an appreciation of how users engage your designs.
Adaptive vs. Responsive Design. The differences between responsive and adaptive design approaches spotlight important options for us as web and app designers. Choosing with insight can empower you to plan and execute your designs.
Consistency: MORE than what you think. Let’s examine a subject that has more to it than meets the eye. Applying a deeper appreciation of consistency to your designs will yield precious results, including keeping users happy.
Usability: A part of the User Experience. Learn about the specific nature of usability and use it to both design more effectively, and grow your website’s usership. Make sure it's not overlooked!
Wanted: UX/UI Designer with a love for writing and design education.
Join our team as Video Editor. Join our team as Video Editor
Searching For: 2D Animator with a love for story-telling. The Interaction Design Foundation is searching For: 2D Animator with a love for story-telling
Free E-book Bundle: Agile UX Best Practices.
Wanted: 2D Animator with a love for story-telling. Wanted: 2D Animator with a love for story-telling
UI & UX Designer Salaries: How Much Can I Earn in 2024?. How much does a UI or UX designer earn? Learn how to negotiate your salary based on today’s job market, location, seniority, and role in 2024.
What Does a UX Strategist Do?. Considering a career in UX strategy? See our complete guide to what a UX strategist does, from the skills required to day-to-day tasks and more. Read here.
UX Designer Job Descriptions: The Comprehensive Guide. UX Designer job descriptions can be confusing and often differ with each company. Our guide will help you understand what UX job descriptions really mean.
Graphic Artist vs. Graphic Designer: What's the difference?. Explore the differences between graphic artists and graphic designers. This comprehensive blog covers everything from education to career paths and more. Discover now.
Common UX Research Interview Questions. Ace your next UX research interview with our guide. Learn the most asked questions and discover our top tips to stand out. Read now to advance your UX career!
How to Become a Digital Designer: The Complete Guide. Become a successful digital designer with our in-depth guide. Learn essential skills, discover the latest tools, and understand strategies for success. Start now!
Web UI Design Examples: Inspire Your Next Project with Stunning Designs. Explore a curated collection of captivating web UI design examples from diverse industries. Get inspired to create remarkable designs for your own projects. Boost your creativity today!
The Top UX and UI Design Tools for 2024: A Comprehensive Guide. Stay ahead with our 2024 guide to top UX/UI tools: wireframing, prototyping, graphic design, collaboration, and trend updates for designers.
Rule of Thirds: The Definitive Guide & Examples. Discover the power of the rule of thirds in photography, graphic design, and UI design and how it can enhance your visuals. Learn the tips and tricks to master this technique. Read more.
Bad UX Exposed: A Comprehensive Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls. Uncover the world of bad UX with our comprehensive guide. Dive deep into real-world pitfalls, learn from these mistakes, and transform your user experience strategy. Start your UX journey Here!
15 Inspiring UX Quotes for Innovation and Design. Discover the power of UX quotes to inspire innovation and unlock your design potential. Explore a curated collection of impactful UX quotes at Interaction Design Foundation.
The Top UX Design Books You Need to Read in 2024: Beginner to Expert. Discover the top UX design books for 2024, handpicked for beginners and professionals alike. Transform your skills with these essential reads, curated by industry experts.
What Tech Job is Right for Me? A Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Your Career Path. Discover ‘What Tech Job is Right for You’ with our comprehensive guide. Compare key tech roles, understand industry trends, and find your ideal career path.
UI Color Palette 2024: Best Practices, Tips, and Tricks for Designers. Discover the power of a well-crafted UI color palette with our comprehensive guide for 2024. Learn the latest trends, best practices, tips, and tricks used by leading designers.
User Experience (UX) Surveys: The Ultimate Guide. Learn more about UX surveys with the best practices, a step-by-step guide, and a questionnaire to conduct your survey.
How to Create Wireframes: An Expert’s Guide. Learn the best practices of wireframing with our comprehensive guide. Explore experts’ tips and examples along with practical tools.
How to Become a Product Manager: Best Career Advice. Read our ultimate guide on becoming a product manager in 2023. Learn the steps, skills, and strategies to start your career in this high-demand role.
How to Design Use Cases in UX. Discover real-life UX use cases from mobile apps to e-commerce sites. Delve into the process of creation and learn from the most common pitfalls.
The Best UX Portfolio Website Builders in 2024. Do you want to build a captivating UX portfolio website? Choose the best builder, then showcase your design expertise and attract more clients.
The Best Free UX Design Courses in 2024. Explore the top-notch, free UX design courses that will transform you into a UX professional. We help you select the one that's right for you!
Rating Scales in UX Research: The Ultimate Guide. Discover how rating scales can help you in UX research. Get your step-by-step guide on how to create your survey, then analyze the data.
The 10 Most Inspirational UI Examples in 2024. Here are 10 of our favorite UI design examples in 2024. Gather some of the best ideas and get started on your own project with renewed vigor.
Everything You Need To Know About Triadic Colors. Discover the triadic color scheme and its importance in design. Learn how to blend triadic colors harmoniously.
7 Bad UI Design Examples You Can Learn From. Check out seven of our favorite bad UI design examples. Learn from the mistakes, and let’s show you how to avoid them. Read more.
Data Analysis: Techniques, Tools, and Processes. Discover key data analysis techniques, tools, and resources to extract actionable insights. Read on to unlock your data’s potential.
ChatGPT for UX Design: 7 of Our Favorite Prompts. ChatGPT can be a powerful tool to assist you in the UX design process. We share our seven favorite prompts to leverage ChatGPT for UX design.
Complementary Colors: The Ultimate Guide in 2024. Discover how complementary colors and color wheels can help you in the design process. Get examples, tips, and more.
System Usability Scale for Data-Driven UX. If you want to measure usability, a system usability scale is definitely a must. Read the best practices and common pitfalls and even get a free template.
What Does a User Interface (UI) Designer Do?. Discover the daily tasks and responsibilities to get a real taste of what it's like to be a User Interface (UI) Designer in 2023.
UX vs UI: What’s the Difference?. UX focuses on a product's aesthetics and sensory appeal, while UI focuses on user interaction. Read on for more differences between UX and UI.
UX Design Conferences You Can’t Miss in 2024. We've curated a list of the best UX conferences for 2024. Discover events near you, online, and worldwide. Get ready to learn, network, and level up your UX career.
8 Best AI Tools for UX Designers. Discover a design rеvolution with our guidе on the 8 best AI tools for UX dеsignеrs. Elevate your crеations with smartеr AI tools – your way to dеsign еxcеllеncе
Card Sorting: The Ultimate Guide (in 2024). Explore the ultimate guide to card sorting. Learn about the key methods, innovative tools, and pros and cons for effective user experience design.
User Story Mapping in Design. Explore user story mapping, a technique that visualizes the customer journey to help designers create intuitive and user-centered experiences.
Top 5 Customer Journey Mapping Tools (+ Templates). Explore the top five customer journey mapping tools. Use top templates to streamline your marketing strategies and enhance customer experience.
Native, Web or Hybrid App: Which One is Better?. Discover the pros and cons of native, hybrid, and web apps to guide your UX design and mobile development decisions. Find out more!
Top Service Blueprint Templates. Discover the best service blueprint tools and templates for efficient service blueprint creation. Streamline your processes and enhance user experience.
What is a Sitemap in UX Design?. Learn everything about UX Sitemaps: best practices, examples, tools, guides and much more await you in this comprehensive article.
10 of Our Favorite Login Screen Examples. First impressions matter! Get inspiration from these fantastic login screen page examples and learn why the login screen is so crucial.
Web Fonts: Definition and 10 Recommendations. Discover the power of web fonts in enhancing user experience and brand identity with 10 top recommendations and essential selection tips.
Mobile Breadcrumbs: 8 Best Practices in UX. Dive into Mobile Breadcrumbs design. Improve mobile UX with hands-on tips and techniques in our detailed guide.
UX Storyboards: Ultimate Guide. A definition and a full list of UX literature that deals with Storyboards from the world’s biggest and most authoritative library of UX design resources.
What is Eye Tracking in UX?. Enhance your understanding of user behavior and optimize your website's design with eye tracking in UX research. Learn more!
10 UI Designer Portfolio Examples. Find inspiration from top UI designers and their stunning portfolios. Unlock the key elements for greatness in your work.
How to Design UI Forms in 2024: Your Best Guide. Discover best practices and examples for designing user-friendly and visually appealing UI forms. Aim for enhanced user engagement and improved completion rates.
Tree Testing: A Complete Guide. Tree testing provides goal-oriented verification of a navigation hierarchy. Learn how to start your tree testing journey.
The Role of Micro-interactions in Modern UX. Learn everything about micro-interactions and their crucial role in enhancing UX design. Discover techniques, examples and best practices.
How to Design with AI: 5 Insights to Supercharge Your Work. Discover key insights about the AI for Designers course. Learn how the course can help you enhance your creativity and skills.
Your Guide to Hamburger Menus. Learn about the origin, the pros and cons and some examples of our favorite hamburger menus.
5 Ways to Design Impactful Mobile User Experiences. Learn the basics of mobile user experience design in our beginner course. Understand the steps to design for mobile and the basic concepts you should know about.
Top Tips to Create Effective Journey Maps. Leverage journey mapping to improve your product or service design. Learn how the journey mapping course can help you identify pain points and enhance user experience.
Master Mobile UI Design: Delight Your Users. Discover the essentials of Mobile UI design in our course. Learn what sets mobile interfaces apart and master designing for smaller screens effectively.
6 Insights to Achieve Agile UX Excellence. Enhance your UX design capabilities with agile methods for UX design course. Learn everything you need to know about the agile way of work to make better products.
Start Your UX Journey: Essential Insights for Success. Discover essential UX design insights and skills with the IxDF User Experience Design: The Beginners Guide course. Learn from industry experts to kickstart your UX career.
How to Elevate Your Mobile UX Strategy. Learn how to create engaging mobile experiences with the IxDF Mobile UX Strategy course. Master user research, content strategy and accessibility to build better apps.
Transform Your Creative Process with Design Thinking. Discover key strategies to spark innovation with the IxDF design thinking course. Gain insights and practical tools to enhance your creative processes.
Learn the Role of Perception and Memory in HCI and UX. Discover how perception and memory contribute to HCI and UX in the IxDF Perception and Memory in HCI and UX course. Learn from industry experts to kickstart your UX career.
How to Improve Your UX with HCI Insights. Learn about the foundation of UX design from the IxDF Human-Computer Interaction: The Foundations of UX Design course. Learn what it takes to excel in UX design.
Revolutionize UX Design with VR Experiences. Learn how to create engaging mobile experiences in VR with the IxDF UX Design for Virtual Reality course. Master the art of immersive experiences and 3D UX design.
Innovate with UX: Design User-Friendly AR Experiences. Learn how to create immersive, user-friendly experiences that blend the digital and physical worlds from the IxDF UX Design for Augmented Reality course.
Transition into a UX Career: Top Insights. Want a career in UX? Get insider insights from the IxDF UX Careers: Set Yourself Up for Success Master Class to transition into the exciting field of UX.
Cognitive Maps in UX | IxDF. Discover how cognitive maps in UX help designers understand users' mental models. Explore their types, benefits and the interview process involved.
The 10 Most Inspirational UX Design Portfolio Examples in 2024. We’ve collected 10 of our favorite UX design portfolio examples from 2024. Gather some ideas and start creating your stunning portfolio. Read on!