Footer design tips, UI patterns for AI, wireframe alternatives & more
Sketching for UX Newsletter Issue #26 - my favorite design resources I discovered last month (December, 2024)
Hey dear subscriber š,
I hope you had a productive start of this year! Luckily I found time to discover new design resources and create a sketch for you (even though currently my main job is to keep my newborn baby alive š)
āļø What I have been up to this month
1) Attending the Next-Level Web Design course
If you have been a long time subscriber, you know that Iām a course hoarder, and Iām always happy to learn new tricks: Iām attending Benten Woodringās Next-Level Web Design course on Maven, and it has been a blast:
There are assignments in every topic (e.g. typography, color and layout) so that students can apply the theory right away - and the best part is that Benten gives everyone detailed feedback on all the submissions
We have direct access to one of the greatest web designers out there, and we could āpeak behind the curtainā, too: Benten explained and showed us his web design process - this behind the scenes look alone makes this an outstanding course
The cohort-based experience is a big plus
The next cohort launches on the 10th of March, get notified of it here.
2) How to train your designer eye workbook
Bentenās course pushed me to start working on the landing page of my How to train your designer eye workbook (which is in progress, too).
3) Design inspiration - sharing my favorite finds
I have been working on a new side project: Iāve collected many-many design inspiration pieces throughout the years, and I want to share my favorite ones with you in an organized way (like the UX Bites by Built for Mars). Iām still not sure what would be the best format, Iāll keep you posted :)
āļø Footer design best practices
My new UX Knowledge Piece Sketch is about an often overlooked aspect of web design: how to create a truly impactful footer. A generic footer is a missed opportunity, you should end on a high note!
Check out my sketch & detailed article here soon (I included many real life examples, too). And btw. if you are searching for footer-specific inspiration, check out the www.footer.design website by Benten Woodring, Matt Cram, Devin Fountain and Fons Mans.
āļø Favorite resources
Here are my favorite discoveries of December, 2024:
#1 14 UI Patterns for generative AI by Des Traynor
Originally posted on Twitter
#2 The software stuntman - Content, UX, gamification, oh my! (Ft. Peter Ramsey of Built for Mars)
Check out Peter Ramseyās fascinating story and how he is building the best UX library.
Related article: This is how design professionals use Built for Mars
Latest case study on Built for Mars: How Product Psychology Could Stop Uber Drivers From Stealing
#3 Over-complicated? Over-simplified? The UX Efficient Frontier by Morgane Peng
āUnlike large consumer base products ā that offer the simplest experience to the largest number ā products for Experts or Employees have to be tailored to their specific professional usages.ā
#4 Pablo SĆ”nchezās 7 rules for designing the unexpected
āInstead of striving for objectivityāwhich can compromise your vision and potentialādesign something that inspires you.ā
#5 Improving User Experience with Diary Studies by StƩphanie Walter
āBecause of the diversity of tasks users carried out with the tool on a daily basis, it was impossible to cover everything during the 1h 1to1 testing sessions. We needed a self-reporting method to collect data on real usage over a period of time.ā
My sketch about diary studies
#6 Designer Lynx
Designer Lynx is a resource hub for all things figma and product design.
#7 Design Against the Machine by Boris MĆ¼ller
āInstead of banning AI tools, I made them a requirement for a speculative design classā
#8 An interactive guide to color & contrast by Nate Baldwin
A comprehensive guide for exploring and learning about the theory, science, and perception of color and contrast - alongside with many UI design tips.
#9 The next era of design is intent-driven
ā[ā¦] interfaces donāt have to be static structures users must learn. Instead, they can be fluid, contextual experiences that adapt to user intent.ā
#10 How I used AI to design brand-aligned illustrations by Moty Weiss
āLearning to break down style requirements and refine prompts can elevate design skills and expand possibilities in brand illustrationā
#11 Stop wireframing (but still start low-fidelity)
āBy abstracting low fidelity away from wireframing, I have become 10x more productive as a designer.ā
+1 Drawing people for visual notes by Ink Factory
āWhile drawing characters can be complicated, there are easy ways to simplify them so you can draw them quickly and easily for visual note-taking.ā
š„ Deals & recommended products
My Udemy courses
Newest course: How to train your designer eye - ā¬12.99
Sketching for UX Designers course - ā¬12.99
Be a better designer by understanding development aspects course - ā¬12.99
My (pay-what-you-want) books
Recommended design courses
Master Gorgeous UI Design Course by
& his team- (use the code SKETCHINGFORUX to get $100 off)
Into UX Design (UX research & concept validation) by Anfisa Bogomolova (use the code SKETCHINGFORUX to get 10% off)
The Ultimate UI Design Mastery Bundle is an epic starting point if you want to become a UI designer. I attended their Advanced Figma course, so I experienced their teaching style myself.
How to Measure UX and Design Impact - A Practical Guide To UX Metrics & Design KPIs. (use the code IMPACT to get 20% off)
Other deals
Mobbin 2.0 is here with many new exciting features like flows, advanced search and an all-new library! Join with my link to support me with a couple of dollars, Iād really appreciate it!
Thanks for reading my newsletter, I hope you enjoyed it! š
Krisztina