Produxs Blog

Cyber Monday 2012 E-Commerce Lessons: Offer a Great User Experience… Or Miss Out on a $1.5B Shopping Spree

By Charlie Claxton December 5, 2012

IBM pulled together some dramatic stats in its Cyber Monday/Digital Analytics Benchmark Report that bring home the impact of what the report calls “the digital consumer.”

First and foremost, there was a huge leap in Cyber Monday spending – sales grew 30.3 percent over the same period last year. U.S. consumers spent $1.5 billion, making it the largest shopping day in history. …

A Few Thoughts About Elections — And Big Tech Launches

By Charlie Claxton November 7, 2012

Microsoft’s radically different Windows 8 operating system launched on Oct. 26, and watching the reviews roll in made me think of the presidential campaign.

When it comes to choosing who to align with — Apple v. Microsoft, Democrats v. Republicans — not too many people stake their claim in the middle ground territory, regularly going back and forth between which party they vote for and what technology they buy. …

The UX Take on Windows 8, Part 2: What Apple Should be Coveting

By Charlie Claxton November 1, 2012

There was a time not so long ago that writing a post about Microsoft having design delights and user advantages that Apple should covet would have been unthinkable. (Let’s be honest – laughable.)

But now I’m wondering how long it’s going to be before Apple pillages a little from the new Windows 8 operating system.

Here are just three advantages the controversial new Microsoft OS has over Apple …

The UX Take on Windows 8, Part 1: Why Windows 8 Matters to Business

By Charlie Claxton October 22, 2012

Microsoft’s new and ground-breaking Windows 8 operating system is generating buzz, predictions/speculation and dissection on a level usually reserved for a big Apple release.

We have a little firsthand experience with Windows 8 via some app design we’ve done this year,  but more importantly, we’ve spent a lot of time designing websites and apps to fit the online and IT needs of a wide variety of companies.

This understanding of those business needs, coupled with our Windows 8 work and entrepreneurial way of thinking, has given us valuable perspective on the new OS’ significance for the business community (and those who market to that community).

Here’s why we think the business community needs to pay attention to Windows 8 …

Real UX, Part 4: “You Might Not be Working with a Bonafide UX Designer If…”

By Charlie Claxton October 5, 2012

In this final post in our “Real UX” series, I’m taking a lighter look at the differences between true UX design versus UX design in name only.

Here are some unnatural UX designer behaviors to watch out for during your design process …

Windows 8 Panel Recap

By Craig Nishizaki September 28, 2012

Produxs had a great time hosting the “Windows 8 for Your Business” luncheon last week! Charlie gave the keynote presentation on Windows 8 that you can view here. We then got into a panel discussion and Charlie was joined by Todd Bishop from Geekwire, Brier Dudley from The Seattle Times and John Sloat from Diptic. Here’s a recap of some of the questions that came up and the responses the panelists gave …

Real UX, Part 3: UX Myths and a Client Bill of Rights

By Charlie Claxton September 11, 2012

I’ve touched on the role and value of UX in the big picture, real-world sense and shared a more detailed explanation of UX design as a valuable business tool for making more money.

This week, I thought I’d share a bit about the assumptions people have about UX design and finish up with a short “bill of rights” for UX clients – things you should expect when you hire a UX design firm. …

Real UX, Part 2: What is Real UX?

By Charlie Claxton August 27, 2012

In Part 1, I made a case for how prevalent and valuable user-experience (UX) design is in your day-to-day life.

Now that I’ve thrown out some big-picture context, I’ll use the rest of this series to explain what goes into real, true UX design. There are a lot of misconceptions and assumptions floating around, and it deserves a closer look for the sake of my pride and your budget. …

Real UX, Part 1: User Experience in the Real World

By Charlie Claxton August 17, 2012

User experience or “UX” design is historically one of the most powerful but least-known business tools companies can use to increase revenue in the digital age. Happily, we’re seeing a shift in the business world; more and more people are understanding the value of UX design and buying into a UX-focused strategy.

But UX design is often used either incorrectly or overly broadly, and to clear things up, we’ve put together a primer. Our next few blog posts will help you recognize true, bottom-line-focused UX design and avoid falling for beautiful “exteriors” that were created without user-centered design best practices.

Although we all encounter UX design every day, many people don’t recognize it when they see it – and benefit from it. So we begin the series with a quick look at how UX design plays into our personal lives and the business world. …