Duncan Stephen

Article — 2 July 2016 — 671 words

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to speak to my colleagues last week at IWMW 2016, the Institutional Web Management Workshop. I spoke about my experience building new teams at the University of St Andrews and SRUC.

Article — 7 June 2016 — 611 words

The Google accessibility tool that will improve mobile devices for everyone

Accessibility — Digital

Google wanted to fix mobile interfaces for people with motor impairments. But this new technology will benefit us all.

Article — 3 June 2016 — 2,294 words

The 14 lessons designers need to know from Ofcom’s report on ‘smartphone by default’ users

Digital

Last month Ofcom published a report on the people who rely on their phones as their main way of accessing the internet. Some of the findings are shocking and eye-opening.

Article — 1 June 2016 — 584 words

The devious designers trying to trick you

Uncategorised

Good designers aim to meet their users’ needs. But there is a whole other breed of designers who are trying to trick their users into something they don’t want to do. Find out about the evil magicians using dark patterns on you.

Article — 19 May 2016 — 612 words

This is why the future of our digital interactions could be in audio

Digital

We have an innate desire to pursue mobility. This is why that makes audio interfaces the logical next step in digital design.

Article — 18 May 2016 — 705 words

Exciting developments in mobile user interfaces

Uncategorised

This edition of the digital design digest highlights some incredible looking technology from Microsoft that could transform mobile interfaces.

Article — 17 May 2016 — 1,303 words

Protecting the web as a democratic medium

Web

Why are writers publishing their content to platforms like Medium when it threatens to undermine the do-it-yourself culture that made the web great?

Article — 4 May 2016 — 901 words

Avoiding bias in design

User research

One of the biggest challenges designers face is avoiding bias. We all have perspectives that subconsciously affect our decisions. In the case of design, those choices we don’t even realise we are making can have big consequences.

Article — 29 April 2016 — 94 words