UX Patterns: When to Avoid Dropdown Lists

Dropdown lists are common user interface components. Chances are, you interact with them frequently—whether you’re entering your address in a form or selecting the color of a sweater when online shopping. Let’s chat about the good and not-so-good aspects of dropdown lists, and when you should avoid them altogether.

Designers, Let’s Chat about Infinite Scrolling

I keep a running list of blog post ideas. As I find myself facing interesting design, project management, or interpersonal problems to solve, I jot them down. The hope is that one day, I will craft a nice blog post out of each of them. For over two years, I have had an item on […]

Seven Steps for Turning a Difficult Situation into a Productive Conversation

We’ve all been there. Your coworker is not pulling his weight. Your significant other has been acting passive-aggressively. Your friend keeps letting you down on promises. Relationships are hard. Good ones are also crucial to having a happy and productive life. So what do you do when you find yourself in one of these thorny […]

Not All Software Design Is Shiny. Here’s How to Cope with That.

Being a software designer has many perks. I get to work with cool new technology each day. I get to build tools that make people’s lives better. The compensation and benefits certainly are not bad either—it’s nice to not worry about how I’ll pay the bills, and you’ll never hear me complain about dogs being […]

From Software Design to Project/Product Management: An Honest Reflection

I’m a software designer, but over the past year, I’ve slowly started taking on project management responsibilities through a role we call the Delivery Lead. It’s been a big challenge, but also a lot of fun.

Wireframing for Non-Designers – A Crash Course

Wireframes are not just for designers! As a software maker, you can and should be using them to eliminate risk and validate concepts. These tools benefit the entire team, and they can be created by any member of the team. This crash course will teach you why wireframes are important, when you should utilize them, […]

The Many Pros of Using Zeplin for Design Collaboration

There are countless design collaboration tools out there today. It can be overwhelming to know which ones are worth the time (and cost) investment, and which ones will turn into another item you need to maintain. I’ve recently started using Zeplin on a few of my projects, and I can confidently say it has improved […]

How Traditional Design Principles Apply to Software Design

There’s a perceived divide between “traditional” designers (who work in print and branding) and software designers. But the reality is, most of us received the same foundational education and follow the same design principles. The tools and outcomes are often different, but the ingredients have a lot in common.

How to Bundle & Deliver Design Assets Properly

As a software designer, it is inevitable that at some point in time, you’ll need to hand your design files off to someone else. That person may be another designer within your organization, a designer within a client’s organization, or perhaps not even a designer at all. I’ve been fiddling with different ways to bundle […]

What Is a Software Designer, and How Can You Become One?

I frequently get questions from traditional graphic design students, inquiring about what being a software designer is like. They want to know more about what I do and what they can do to get their foot in the door as a software maker. The answer to both of those questions can get complicated, but I […]

Atomic Spin

Atomic Object’s blog on everything we find fascinating.

By: Sarah Brockett

Author: Sarah Brockett