Dear Subscribers, this is the first newsletter sent from my new home, which is indeed Barcelona 🏖️, and I wanna use it to update you on a couple of things. We still need to get rid of significance in A/B testing First of all, my piece on significance and A/B testing has finally been published… Continue reading Vamos a Barcelona 🏖️ (ToDUX Newsletter #2)
Author: Maximilian Speicher
Scientist, Designer, Part-Time Philosopher.
We Need to Get Rid of Significance in A/B Testing (ToDUX Newsletter #1)
Dear Subscribers, Welcome to the first issue of ToDUX (= Tales of Design & User Experience; I’ve skipped the “& Other Stuff” for the acronym). But first things first—thank you all so much for joining my mailing list. I feel very honored. 🙂 As promised, I want to use this newsletter to inform you about… Continue reading We Need to Get Rid of Significance in A/B Testing (ToDUX Newsletter #1)
User Experience Is an Elusive Thing, or Conversion Rate & Average Order Value Are Not UX Metrics!
In this article, I review six metrics commonly used to measure UX: conversion rate (CR), average order value (AOV), task success rate, time on task, Net Promoter Score® (NPS), and the System Usability Scale (SUS). CR, AOV, and NPS do not fulfil the definition of a UX metric while task success rate, time on task, and SUS do. Still, none of the metrics (alone) is suitable to reliably measure the UX of a digital product.
Creating Medium-Fidelity Prototypes for AR/VR Experiences
Prototyping in 3D isn't the same as in just two dimensions. Compared to regular, flat websites, augmented and virtual reality have very different requirements when it comes to creating prototypes. To close a gap in the medium-fidelity range of AR/VR prototyping methods, we've created 360theater, which makes use of dioramas and 360° content for creating physical-digital prototypes. We've used our new method in workshops with design students and found that it comes close to the final experience while complementing other methods with different levels of fidelity.
My Ultimate List of Books You Need to Read If You Want to Truly Understand Digital Design: A Work in Progress
This list contains the books I believe everyone who wants to truly understand what digital design is all about needs to read. I've tried to roughly categorize them into more foundational topics and then somewhat along the double diamond: finding the right problem and finding the right solution. To provide a glimpse into the future, I also list some books on designing for an with (a selection of) novel types of interfaces.
“Growth Marketing Considered Harmful” Published in i-com
I'm proud that my article "Growth Marketing Considered Harmful" has been published in the latest issue of i-com ‒ Journal of Interactive Media. Abstract: In today’s e-commerce industry, conversion rate optimization is often considered essentially the same as user experience optimization. In addition, there is a strong focus on quantitative experimentation, which some deem a… Continue reading “Growth Marketing Considered Harmful” Published in i-com
KPI-Centered Design
Despite evidence that employing a human-centered design (HCD) approach to product design yields a strong competitive edge, many companies neglect HCD or don't even consider it in the first place. One reason for that is probably that many who think they're working user-centered are practicing something entirely different: KPI-Centered Design. This article inquires into different forms of design processes, into the differences between proper HCD and KPI-Centered Design, and how a resonable compromise can look like: Formulating hypotheses based on evidence rather than just KPIs or gut feeling, and complementing quantitative experimentation with more qualitative insights.
5 Foolproof Conversion Rate Optimizations for Your E-commerce Business
When hearing conversion rate optimization, many think of the application of psychological principles such as social proof or scarcity. But before employing those, e-commerce businesses first have to get their fundamentals down—which many don't. In this article, I present five foolproof (and proven) ways to optimize your conversion rate: optimizing your checkout, getting rid of shipping costs (as much as possible), focusing on usability, getting rid of dark patterns, and gaining a deep understanding of your customers.
Herr Keller und die “umweltfeindlichen” Umweltspuren
Der neue Düsseldorfer OB Keller bezeichnet die Umweltspuren in der Stadt als "umweltfeindlich" und möchte sie daher abschaffen, obwohl ihre Wirkung durch ein wissenschaftliches Gutachten belegt ist. In diesem Artikel analysiere ich die Antworten des Rathauses auf meine Anfrage nach Belegen für Herrn Kellers Behauptungen. Das Fazit: Sie entbehren jeglicher Grundlage und es konnten keinerlei Fakten präsentiert werden. Stattdessen wird deutlich, dass Herr Keller die Umweltspuren lediglich abschaffen möchte, weil sie seiner Klientel ‒ Pendlern mit Benziner oder Dieselauto ‒ unbequem sind.
Five Books to Read in These Trying Times
In this article I want to recommend five books that I believe are essentials in trying times like these: Rosling et al.'s Factfulness; Marcus Aurelius' Meditations; Epictetus' Enchiridion; Seneca's On the Shortness of Life; and Dobelli's The Art of Thinking Clearly.
2008 – Tales of Design & User Experience 