Design News, April 2018

<div><div><h2>Information architecture vs user experience</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-1.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-1.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-1.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-1.webp" alt="." title="."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>In the early days of Web-based e-commerce, the term “information architect” was as pervasive as “UX designer” is today. This is a great little article on user experience as it relates to information architecture.</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i>UX Booth</i>, Darren Northcott, “<a href="https://www.creativebloq.com/features/are-microframes-the-future-of-wireframing">The difference between Information Architecture and UX Design</a>.”</p><h2>Google “Web Designer” Beta 3.0</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-2.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-2.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-2.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-2.webp" alt="." title="."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>Google just released the 3.0 beta version of its Web Designer application. Contrary to what the product’s name would have you believe, the application is designed specifically for creating animated and interactive HTML5 content, and especially ads.</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i>WebdesignerDepot</i>, Ezequiel Bruni, “<a href="https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2018/03/google-web-designer-reaches-3-0-beta/">Google Web Designer reaches 3.0 Beta</a>.”</p><h2>9 tricks to optimize a mobile app interface</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-3.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-3.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-3.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-3.webp" alt="." title="."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>In this article, the author shares 9 tricks to effectively optimize the interface of your mobile applications. Presumably, these tricks also work for Web-based applications.</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i>Fluid Blog</i>, Harnil Oza, “<a href="https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2018/03/google-web-designer-reaches-3-0-beta/">9 tips to optimize the UI of mobile apps</a>.”</p><h2>PineGrow, an editor for responsive sites</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-4.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-4.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-4.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-4.webp" alt="." title="."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>Pinegrow is a visual editing tool that works with regular HTML and CSS files. It has unique capabilities, like multi-page editing, a complete suite of components for Bootstrap and Foundation, live CSS styling with SASS and LESS support, a WordPress theme builder, Atom integration, and more. Take advantage of the 7-day trial version to try it out!</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i><a href="https://pinegrow.com">PineGrow</a>.</i></p><h2>The return of skeuomorphic interfaces?</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-5.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-5.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-5.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-5.webp" alt="." title="."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>A fascinating article that argues that after years of cold, minimalistic design, skeuomorphism is back. Skeuomorphism had been overused by Apple in its early iOS, but now, it is back in the middle ground of good, wholesome fun.</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i>Prototypr</i>, Michael Flarup, “<a href="https://blog.prototypr.io/bringing-back-skeuomorphic-design-d211cc1c22d2">Bringing back skeuomorphic design</a>.”</p><h2>This is Lunacy: .sketch files in Windows</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-6.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-6.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-6.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2269/1804-design-6.webp" alt="." title="."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>Lunacy is a software tool that allows you to open and edit “.sketch” files in Windows. Sketch is a rather powerful tool for user interface design, but it only works on Apple platforms. The best part? Lunacy is free!</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ “<a href="https://icons8.com/lunacy">Lunacy, Sketch for Windows</a>.”</p></div>