Easy-to-understand articles on the principles of design, UX foundations, and the tools designers actually use. Written by Shirish Shikhrakar, a UX engineer in Kathmandu.https://ux360.design/en-usShirish Shikhrakarhttps://ux360.design/icon-512.pnghttps://ux360.design/https://ux360.design/white-space-design/https://ux360.design/white-space-design/White space is the empty space in a design. It is also known as negative space.Thu, 17 Mar 2022 12:33:36 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/emphasis-design/https://ux360.design/emphasis-design/Emphasis is how you pull the eye to one part of a composition. Learn the techniques (contrast, isolation, placement, scale) with real UI and poster examples.Thu, 17 Mar 2022 10:33:59 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/movement-design/https://ux360.design/movement-design/Movement guides the viewer's eye along a path through a composition. Learn the techniques, from lines and repetition to actual motion, with examples from real designs.Sat, 22 Jan 2022 13:07:55 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/balance-design/https://ux360.design/balance-design/Symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial balance explained. How visual weight works and how to check whether a design feels balanced. Free infographic PDF included.Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:39:11 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/case-study-neue/https://ux360.design/case-study-neue/Project Overview The product: Neue is an online clothing store specifically focused on making purchases convenient for blind people. The app is designed…Tue, 18 Jan 2022 16:12:04 GMTCase Studieshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/case-study-flora/https://ux360.design/case-study-flora/Project Overview The product: Flora is an online flower shop based in San Fransico, California that also ships its products to the UK. The app is designed…Tue, 18 Jan 2022 16:11:33 GMTCase Studieshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/variety-design/https://ux360.design/variety-design/Variety breaks monotony and creates visual interest. What it means, how it balances against unity, and how to add it with shape, color, size and texture.Sat, 04 Dec 2021 06:35:21 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/unity-design/https://ux360.design/unity-design/Unity ties every element of a composition together. Learn the methods that create it (proximity, repetition, alignment, continuation) with examples and a free infographic.Sat, 04 Dec 2021 05:30:17 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/proportion-design/https://ux360.design/proportion-design/What proportion means in design, how size and visual weight relate, and how to use scale to guide attention. Clear examples from apps, posters and architecture.Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:34:03 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/point-design-element/https://ux360.design/point-design-element/The point is the first element of design. What a point is, how points create focus, lines and patterns, and examples from typography, layout and art.Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:28:15 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/case-study-nutri/https://ux360.design/case-study-nutri/Project Overview The product: Nutri is a recipe nutrition calculator app developed for a luxury restaurant called Cape’s Banquet located in the tourist area…Sat, 06 Nov 2021 11:53:27 GMTCase Studieshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/texture-in-design/https://ux360.design/texture-in-design/The types of texture in design (tactile and visual, real and implied) with examples from print and digital work, and how texture changes how a design feels.Thu, 04 Nov 2021 07:15:07 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/line-in-design/https://ux360.design/line-in-design/The types of line in design (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curved, implied) and what each communicates, with examples from art, logos and interfaces.Thu, 04 Nov 2021 05:16:36 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/closure-design/https://ux360.design/closure-design/The law of closure: why the brain completes missing shapes. Examples from famous logos and interfaces, and how to use closure deliberately in your designs.Tue, 08 Dec 2020 11:35:00 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/continuation-design-principle/https://ux360.design/continuation-design-principle/The law of continuation explains why the eye follows lines, curves and paths. What it is, how it differs from similarity, and how designers use it in layouts.Sun, 01 Nov 2020 14:25:00 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/similarity-design-principle/https://ux360.design/similarity-design-principle/The law of similarity: elements that share shape, size, color or orientation are seen as related. How it differs from proximity, with examples from real interfaces.Tue, 15 Sep 2020 11:59:43 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/gestalt-principles-design/https://ux360.design/gestalt-principles-design/Similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, figure-ground, symmetry and common fate, each explained with interface examples. Free cheat sheet PDF included.Mon, 08 Jun 2020 07:17:03 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/symmetry-design-principle/https://ux360.design/symmetry-design-principle/The Gestalt law of symmetry explains why balanced compositions feel stable. What it is, how symmetry and asymmetry create balance, and examples from real designs.Wed, 06 May 2020 16:33:25 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/false-consensus-ux/https://ux360.design/false-consensus-ux/In this article, we will discuss why the false-consensus effect is bad for UX designers and what are the ways we can avoid the effect.Sun, 19 Apr 2020 05:51:21 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/anchoring-bias-ux/https://ux360.design/anchoring-bias-ux/In this article we will discuss how anchoring bias affects our decisions and why is it important for marketers and designers.Mon, 13 Apr 2020 17:34:01 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/wabi-sabi-design/https://ux360.design/wabi-sabi-design/In this article, we are going to explore a different philosophy where we achieve aesthetic balance in our designs through imperfections: wabi-sabi.Sun, 12 Apr 2020 13:43:02 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/bandwagon-effect-ux/https://ux360.design/bandwagon-effect-ux/In this article, we will discuss the bandwagon effect, how to avoid it and its effect on social media. The Bandwagon effect is a type of cognitive bias.Sun, 12 Apr 2020 07:48:11 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/selection-bias-ux/https://ux360.design/selection-bias-ux/In this article we will discuss the types of selection bias and the ways to avoid it. Selection bias is a type of cognitive bias where...Fri, 10 Apr 2020 08:25:41 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/confirmation-bias-ux/https://ux360.design/confirmation-bias-ux/Bias towards information that supports previous beliefs or experiences. Learn to avoid the confirmation bias for rational thinking.Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:15:38 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/recognition-over-recall/https://ux360.design/recognition-over-recall/In this article, we will learn about the differences between recall memory vs recognition memory with the help of examples.Sun, 05 Apr 2020 08:10:39 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/cognitive-bias-ux/https://ux360.design/cognitive-bias-ux/Here are the 7 types of biases every UX designers and marketers should know about. All of these biases can be used to our advantage.Sat, 28 Mar 2020 06:50:07 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/conformity-bias-ux/https://ux360.design/conformity-bias-ux/We change our behavior according to what is socially accepted at the moment. Here, we will go into detail how marketers use conformity bias.Mon, 16 Mar 2020 12:14:06 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/framing-effect-ux/https://ux360.design/framing-effect-ux/In this article, we are going to look at one of the cognitive biases: framing and how we can frame content to influence decision making.Sun, 01 Mar 2020 16:17:19 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/figure-ground-relationship-design/https://ux360.design/figure-ground-relationship-design/Figure-ground is how we separate a subject from its background. What it is, ambiguous examples like Rubin's vase, and how designers use it in logos and UI.Sat, 22 Feb 2020 08:41:41 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/chunking-psychology-design/https://ux360.design/chunking-psychology-design/Chunking breaks information into memorable groups. Where the idea comes from, why 7 plus or minus 2 is misread, and how to chunk content in interfaces.Mon, 13 Jan 2020 16:03:45 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/proximity-design/https://ux360.design/proximity-design/The law of proximity: things placed close together are read as a group. Proximity vs similarity, and how spacing alone can organise a layout. Examples included.Sun, 29 Dec 2019 11:56:42 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/legibility-vs-readability/https://ux360.design/legibility-vs-readability/Legibility is whether you can recognise letters. Readability is whether you want to keep reading. What each means, what affects it, and how to improve both.Sun, 22 Dec 2019 06:37:42 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/parewalabs-website-redesign/https://ux360.design/parewalabs-website-redesign/A couple of weeks ago, my company, Parewa Labs, released a new look for our website. The website portrays our journey into being a values-oriented product…Thu, 12 Dec 2019 05:46:34 GMTLong Readshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/uncanny-valley-design/https://ux360.design/uncanny-valley-design/Some of us may look back at some old-school video games we played as kids, and wonder how nice it might have been had they possessed more realistic graphics,…Fri, 22 Nov 2019 14:52:59 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/common-fate-design/https://ux360.design/common-fate-design/The law of common fate says elements moving together are perceived as a group. What it is and how motion, animation and interaction design put it to work.Sun, 17 Nov 2019 16:01:13 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/alignment-principle-design/https://ux360.design/alignment-principle-design/Alignment is the simplest principle of good layout. The types of alignment, why edge alignment beats centering, and examples from real interfaces. Free infographic PDF.Sun, 17 Nov 2019 05:29:21 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/affordance-in-design/https://ux360.design/affordance-in-design/The objects we encounter in daily life (and in UI design) all have different properties and characteristics. In this section, we will learn how to use these…Sat, 09 Nov 2019 11:27:01 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/accessibility-design/https://ux360.design/accessibility-design/In this section, we will discuss the principle behind making products simple and easy to use: accessibility.Sat, 09 Nov 2019 08:20:48 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/satisficing-design/https://ux360.design/satisficing-design/Satisficing is a decision-making behavior where users settle for a satisfactory solution instead of a better solution which would require more effort.Wed, 16 Oct 2019 11:57:33 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/80-20-rule-design/https://ux360.design/80-20-rule-design/In this article, we will discuss how 80/20 Rule occurs in real-world scenarios and how to implement them while designing our products.Thu, 10 Oct 2019 05:25:03 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/elements-of-design/https://ux360.design/elements-of-design/The 7 elements of design are point, line, shape, form, space, color and texture. Each one explained with real interfaces, plus a free printable infographic PDF.Sun, 08 Sep 2019 10:50:51 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/cognitive-dissonance-design/https://ux360.design/cognitive-dissonance-design/In this article, we will focus on how people experience cognitive dissonance and how we can use this psychological state in UX design.Tue, 03 Sep 2019 17:57:40 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/rule-of-thirds-design/https://ux360.design/rule-of-thirds-design/In this article, we will discuss what is the rule of thirds and how to implement it in your designs and compositions. We will look at some examples.Sun, 18 Aug 2019 10:01:02 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/cost-benefit-analysis-design/https://ux360.design/cost-benefit-analysis-design/In this article, we will look into how we can analyze our product by comparing cost and benefit. We will learn more about cost-benefit analysis in design.Wed, 14 Aug 2019 16:32:39 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/aesthetic-usability-effect/https://ux360.design/aesthetic-usability-effect/In this article, we will discuss how aesthetics influences our perception of a product. We will dive deeper into what aesthetic effect usability is.Sat, 10 Aug 2019 15:37:49 GMTUser Experiencehello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/principles-of-design-and-art/https://ux360.design/principles-of-design-and-art/Repetition, rhythm, movement, balance, proportion, white space, contrast, emphasis, hierarchy, variety and unity. Each principle explained with real examples and a free PDF.Sun, 04 Aug 2019 19:07:26 GMTDesign Fundamentalshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/usability-testing/https://ux360.design/usability-testing/The definitive guide for usabilty testing. In this article, we will explore various steps to perform usability testing, its advantages and alternatives.Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:12:39 GMTTutorialshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/interaction-design-inspirations/https://ux360.design/interaction-design-inspirations/Handpicked mobile UI interaction design inspirations for you. We collected the best interactive designs for mobile by well-trained designers.Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:39:19 GMTDesign Inspirationshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/web-design-inspirations/https://ux360.design/web-design-inspirations/Handpicked web designs inspirations for you. We compiled the best web designs by skillful designers for your inspiration.Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:38:52 GMTDesign Inspirationshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/mobile-design-inspirations/https://ux360.design/mobile-design-inspirations/Handpicked mobile UI design inspirations for you. We collected the best mobile UI designs inspirations created by the finest designers around.Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:38:32 GMTDesign Inspirationshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/sketch-alternative-for-windows/https://ux360.design/sketch-alternative-for-windows/If you are looking for the best windows sketch alternative then Figma is your best bet. We recommend Figma because it supports Sketch import.Tue, 16 Jul 2019 16:58:29 GMTTools and Kitshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/figma-resources/https://ux360.design/figma-resources/If you are using Figma, we put together a list of resource sites that will help you with your next work. These are the best sources for Figma resources.Sun, 07 Jul 2019 15:32:48 GMTTools and Kitshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/figma-vs-sketch/https://ux360.design/figma-vs-sketch/In this article, we will be doing a Figma vs Sketch comparison to debate on which of the options is more viable for you with rating based on their features.Fri, 28 Jun 2019 17:18:57 GMTTools and Kitshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/best-ui-ux-tools/https://ux360.design/best-ui-ux-tools/Looking to optimize your workflow with the best UX design tools around? Find out which tools works best with your UI worklow.Sun, 23 Jun 2019 09:18:01 GMTTools and Kitshello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)https://ux360.design/mirror-sketch-design/https://ux360.design/mirror-sketch-design/In this article, we will go through a workaround to mirror sketch designs and artboards on multiple devices in real time and also explore alternatives.Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:02:26 GMTSketchhello@ux360.design (Shirish Shikhrakar)