Design’s role in companies is becoming less about visual appeal and more about hitting business goals and creating value for users. Therefore, the need to build teams with diverse perspectives is becoming imperative. This article is for people who are part of a design team (or any team) that makes crucial business decisions with stakeholders and how they might go about building a diverse team through the use of the Competing Values Framework evaluation.
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Creating a team who can work well together across different disciplines can be hard. Given the wide range of skills held by the line-up at the upcoming SmashingConf Toronto, Rachel Andrew solicits some suggestions from the speakers. She’s wrapped those up with her own experience of 20 years working alongside designers and other developers.
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What does it take to be a great UX leader? Well, not only do you need to provide clear guidance, but also empower different individuals in your team. A UX leader needs to encompass a wide range of skills. In his final article in this series on user experience design, Christopher Murphy will explore the different characteristics of an effective UX leader, and provide some practical advice about growing into a leadership role.
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As the spotlight has focused on the potential of design to transform businesses, we’ve seen a growing need for designers across a wider range of specializations. The number and types of roles have increased and, as UX continues to become a sought-after business differentiator, these roles will continue to diversify. What do you look out for when hiring team members? In this article, Christopher Murphy outlines how to go about building a UX team, which attributes to look out for when hiring, and he will suggest some avenues you can explore to find team members.
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Software developers in the UK need to better understand how copyright laws may affect their work so that they don’t miss out on opportunities to protect their work and to avoid infringing on the work of another. So, where do we start? In this article, Kimberly Bond will provide information about one type of IP law, copyright law, for software developers who live or work in the United Kingdom. She will discuss the definition of copyright law, the source of UK copyright law, and how it applies to technological works.
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Web professionals should not only think about insurance, but also understand it. Insurance is something we don’t necessarily want to budget for or consider, yet as professionals, we have to. In this article, Ashley Baxter will explore what this insurance is and how it’s designed to keep web professionals in business. She’ll also be sharing real stories of businesses who were glad they had insurance.
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Planning is essential for most businesses and organizations. Unfortunately, when it comes to websites there is often a failure to plan properly or at all. This guide aims to change that. Always remember that a good website isn’t a one-time event, but rather an extensible communications tool. Once you’ve built a great website, keep the momentum going. Devote resources to regular maintenance, and check in with your site visitors regularly to identify areas for improvement.
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When it comes to websites there is often a failure to plan properly or at all. In Part 1 of this series, Ben Seigel emphasized on the importance of recognizing the purpose of your website, and why planning for the web is just as important as planning for anything else associated with your business. In this article, he’d like to go into more detail of evaluating a plan, choosing web professionals, and determining your site structure.
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Planning is essential for most businesses and organizations. Unfortunately, when it comes to websites there is often a failure to plan properly or at all. As a veteran designer, developer and project manager, Ben Seigel has identified a common problem with many web projects: failure to plan. For that reason, Ben has written a guide in order to help other designers, businesses and organizations plan and realize successful websites.
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Personal reflection enables us to process and make meaning of all of the great (and not so great) learning and working experiences we’ve had. Everyone stands to gain from engaging in some type of reflection. We can also encourage others to grow through personal reflection. In this article, Victor Yocco will cover some of the benefits of personal reflection, as well as methods of reflecting that you can incorporate into your routine.
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