6 Design Best Practices for Apple Watch Applications

I recently worked with a client to design a standalone Apple Watch application to serve as an accompaniment for an exiting iOS app. When starting, I was surprised at the lack of design resources for the Apple Watch, specifically for designing standalone Watch apps. Here are my top six tips and resources for designing for […]

A Very, Very Lightweight Test Plan

When I first started to learn about testing, I found out about test plans. They looked impressive and professional. Many templates were available, with specific figures on how many P1, P2, and P3 defects were allowed before testing could move to a different phase, how many cycles of testing there would be, etc. They even […]

How to Create a Cohesive Conceptual Model from Diverse Mental Models

A successful software application needs one united conceptual model. But bringing together different mental models and turning them into a cohesive experience is a significant design challenge. Where should the application maintain divergence, and where should it unify similar concepts? Where do we (as a product team) aim to meet expectations, and where do we […]

App User Experience Review: How We Feel

Delivering new software is a complex process. Doing so at the height of a global pandemic only adds complexity. I thought I’d share my thoughts on an example done well, the How We Feel app. How We Feel is a mobile app that fills the gap between virus testing limitations and having no data at all. […]

Design Thinking Toolkit, Activity 21 – How Can I Help…?

You’ve conducted user interviews and now need to identify problem statements or areas of opportunity. This activity will give you a quick structure to begin synthesizing feedback and framing your thoughts. This is part of our series on Design Thinking Methods and Activities. You’ll find a full list of posts in this series at the […]

Getting Through Limitation Fatigue in Software Design

Design thrives on rules and limitations. It’s within these boundaries that we can flex our creative problem-solving skills and come up with great solutions. Sometimes, however, a project’s limitations can feel like an absolute brick wall that we can’t see beyond. It can be incredibly draining. How do we get beyond this rut? I want […]

Bringing Modern Design Practices to Legacy Technology

Almost all of the work we do at Atomic is forward-facing. We design cutting-edge mobile applications, rethink software that defines businesses, and develop code that automates the way our cars, batteries, and trucks manage themselves. Occasionally, we have to make software for legacy hardware. I recently finished designing for an embedded touch screen the size […]

Using Material Design? Keep the Design & Dev Teams Communicating

In an ideal world, the development team would build a component and pattern library around the designs identified by designers’ knowledge, industry standards, and research. Often, however, we see clients leverage Google’s Material Design, Bootstrap, or the like to expedite the process. There are often hidden costs to this route, which mainly surface as communication […]

3 Ways to Give Directions to Exploratory Testers Who Are Working from Home

All developers at Atomic do testing, but I have the specialized role of “exploratory tester.” I use my knowledge and experience to find any gaps that the makers missed during their testing. I’m often working on several projects at once, so I need to focus my testing on the most critical areas of an application. […]

Design Thinking Toolkit, Activity 20 – 2×3

You’ve identified a problem and maybe even asked, “How might we…?” Now it’s time to think of some fast solutions. 2×3 can kickstart quick prototyping and ideation. It’s great as a warmup for more detailed or complex solution-building activities. This is part of our series on Design Thinking Methods and Activities. You’ll find a full […]

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