One of our overarching goals for the end of the year here at Automattic is to “close the gaps” between our modern Calypso interface and the classic /wp-admin/ interface. Its been nearly 2 years since we first announced Calypso, but there are still some things missing. One of these “gaps” is bulk editing of your … Continue reading Preparations for Bulk Editing
design
Embracing web-safe fonts
Before webfonts were widely available, designers relied on a relatively small number of web-safe fonts, i.e. fonts that come pre-installed with various operating systems, and thus most likely to be present on user’s devices. As a result the web was saturated with Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Georgia and Times New Roman. While these fonts are not … Continue reading Embracing web-safe fonts
What’s Coming in WordPress 4.9
As y'all might remember, I'm currently co-leading the release of WordPress 4.9. Since we're winding down toward release, I wanted to take the opportunity to walk through some of the key features of the release. Drafting and scheduling changes in the Customizer In WordPress 4.9, you'll be able to draft your customizations before publishing them, or … Continue reading What’s Coming in WordPress 4.9
Finding inspiration in the mundane
A few years ago I hit a creative block. Now, I know this is nothing new. Whether it's a short block specific to a project or a longer period of burnout, everyone has those times where they're feeling uninspired. I've certainly had my share of times where I felt it since then, but this particular … Continue reading Finding inspiration in the mundane
Keeping product assumptions in check
Assumptions can be difficult to overcome. Many times we don't even realize we're making them. As an experienced product designer, I find it easier to make these assumptions. They more easily creep into my work subconsciously because I have more knowledge and experience of "best practices" and "what worked before". So how can we keep … Continue reading Keeping product assumptions in check
Recruiting participants for remote user tests
I recently attended my first remote design sprint at Automattic. It ran over a two week period and was attended by fellow designers, developers, data scientists, happiness engineers, and marketers. Together we created two prototypes and tested them out with real customers. I found the experience to be both rewarding and inspiring. We came up … Continue reading Recruiting participants for remote user tests
Remote Workshopping: Facilitating a KJ Technique, Fully Remote
As a designer working in a fully remote team, I often get the question on how certain common design activities happen in remote environment. In some cases, the answer is to just reframe the problem taking a different approach, or to just meet in person when it's needed, but other times we can transition traditional … Continue reading Remote Workshopping: Facilitating a KJ Technique, Fully Remote
Typographic Tweaks for Longreads
During the 7 years I've been involved with Longreads, we've gone from sharing links on Twitter to publishing our own in-depth, investigative stories. While we've grown substantially in scope and focus, the brand has largely stayed consistent. The core of the Longreads brand has always been simple, traditional typography, paired with a healthy amount of whitespace. I've made small … Continue reading Typographic Tweaks for Longreads
Fidelity matters
When trying to communicate a design idea in a work environment, it is essential that you do so in the most effective way possible for all parties involved. You want to be as clear and as purposeful as possible, and make sure the delivered message lends itself to meaningful feedback and action. How you communicate … Continue reading Fidelity matters
How we build empathy for our customers
In my last post, I wrote how we use interviews to learn about our customers. They allow us to ask them questions and in their responses we find insights and get inspired. In this post, I’d like to share some other ways we build empathy for the people using our products. Support Rotation 💬 It starts … Continue reading How we build empathy for our customers