DlodDlod is about interactive design, and in particular the role of visual design in user experience. It’s geared towards visual designers seeking a greater understanding of user experience and UX designers interested in the role of aesthetics.
The basic premise for this blog is that graphic design has a huge influence on the overall user experience. It is more than just the placement of form elements or the application of branding. Humans are unavoidably emotional and how we feel about interactions affects how we experience them. Aesthetics therefore have a massive influence on the success of the interactions we design. I’m going to try to balance discussions on ideas about visual interaction with some practical posts on challenges facing UX and graphic designers on interactive projects.
I’m in no way using Dlod to position myself as a guru ready to pour wisdom down your eager baby bird throats, but I am happy to share what I’ve learnt so far working as both a graphic and user experience designer. I also welcome (read: am begging for) contributions either through submitted articles or comments.
Personally, I felt I became a better graphic designer the more I learnt about user experience. My contributions to the overall design (and consequently my graphic designs) were taken more seriously as a result. Later as a UX designer, my understanding of visual design helped me to create better experiences for my users. As graphic designers we have a responsibility to understand the greater design process, articulate the decisions we make and advocate for the importance of good visual design. As UX designers we need to to acknowledge the role of graphic design in influencing the user experience.
What is a Dlod?
Dlod is the mouth piece of Matt Gould, a user experience designer based in London England. I work primarily as a UX consultant but come from a graphic design background and often work on projects in both a UX and graphic design capacity. I have no idea what a Dlod is.
