32 UX Posts to Hit Your Conversion Targets

User Experience (UX) and design are all about helping users achieve their goals, typically related to product usability experiences. It’s also known as User Centered Design (UCD).

The business side is a little different. Conversion-Centered Design (CCD) is more about persuading visitors to focus on a single initial goal. Getting them past the first hurdle before they enter the experience of using your product, which is where the UX focus comes back in.

In this post we’re going to focus on the User Experience approach and how it can influence both your user and company objectives:

• The value of your UX and design to your bottom line
• The relationship between UX and psychology
• Typography 101
• Designing for mobile experiences
• Some of the coolest inspirations you’ll ever see

Where UX and Design Meet the Bottom Line

1. There Are Only 3 Ways to Increase Online Sales (Are You Optimizing for All of Them?)

These tips from Peep Laja will give you the best ah-ha(!) moment. Increased average order size, customer comments, and customer loyalty. Your UI design plays a major role in making this happen.

2. Why Top Execs are Starting to Care About UX Design

UX and design are valuable beyond aesthetics. Positive customer experiences are invaluable to the core of your business, sales and marketing efforts. Find out why.

3. The Difference Between Information Architecture and UX Design

According to writer Darren Northcott, the key difference relies on one key factor. Can you guess what it is? (Hint: it involves feelings).

4. Lessons Learned Designing a Windows 8 App

An eye into design for Microsoft’s newest, to-be-released operating system.

5. A Story About a Crappy UX Study

The title of this post is a bit misleading. The UX study was probably awesome, but communication is what forced the author to learn a ‘tough lesson.’ Here are Tomer Sharon’s takeaways for how to better communicate UX research findings.

6. The Future of User Experience Design

According to this blog post, we’re actually in a new-new Internet era. With innovation comes new UX challenges. This post will also take you down memory lane with old versions of the Yahoo homepage. #ohthehorror

7. The Future of User Experience Design

This is a post that you should make your executive team read too.

Where UX and Design Meet Psychology

8. Intuitive Web Design: How to Make Your Website Intuitive to Use

What good is a flashy website if your customers can’t figure out how to use it? Make your website as easy to use as possible. The key to achieving this goal is knowing your audience.

9. Guidelines for Designing with Audio

Audio has an impact on many people using mobile devices. Designing with audio is all about mastering the subtleties. Would you integrate audio with your UX?

10. Should We Focus on User Experience?

People are extremely individualistic. Is it possible to find a user experience that caters to everybody? Probably not. But if you know who your ideal target market is, then start by focusing on them. Question: How many personas have you identified?

11. Five User Experience Lessons from Tom Cruise

What do Top Gun and UX have in common? More than you think. So “Take my Breath Away”!

12. Design for a Thriving UX Ecosystem

Think of your UX like how biologists think of environments. Change one component, and you can cause a ripple effect.

13. When Talking to Users Saves You Time

If you’re not sure what your users want, you should just ask them. Save your company valuable design money by focusing exactly on what people need. One of the best ways is to watch people using your product in situ – part of the usability practitioners arsenal.

14. UX Design vs. Web Design

Has the design industry reached a point where they are one in the same? It really comes down to perspective. On what side of the fence do you fall?

15. An Event Apart: Properties of Intuitive Web Pages

These are Luke Wroblewski’s notes from Jared Spool’s ‘Curious Properties of Intuitive Web Pages’ presentation. One cool takeaway: “Amazon has the most secure purchasing system on the Internet but nobody notices it because the design is invisible.”

16. We Want More By Seeing Less

Minimalism is valuable, not simple.

Where UX and Design Meet Typography

17. Typography Carved In Stone

The art of typography stems from centuries before the computer. It’s carved in stone. Literally.

18. Resources and Rules For Web Typography Newbies

Intrigued by the world of web typography but don’t know where to begin?

19. 10 Beautifully Executed Font Combinations For The Web

Inspiration for how beautiful font combinations can guide your UX.

20. 8 Best Resources for Interface Icons

Icons can really beautify your design. According to this post, “they not only make your interface look more attractive, but they’re also useful for making certain text links easier to recognize and understand.” Are icons what your design has been missing?

Where UX and Design Meet Your Phone

21. 5 Examples of Brilliant Mobile UX

Here’s some inspiration to help take your big ideas to the small screen.

22. UI/UX 101: 8 Easy Tips for Mobile Web Design

8 small ways to improve your mobile visitor experience in a big way.

23. Mobile vs. Desktop

Which comes first? Mobile or desktop? According to recent stats, mobile is winning, so should you change your design strategy?

24. Breaking Dev: How BBC Fell in Love with Responsive Design

Fact: the first BBC news site went live in 1997. Along the way, they’ve invested in a kick-ass design team. Here is a collection of key takeaways from their experience using responsive design.

A Dose of Inspiration

25. 45 Examples of Sleek Contact Forms in Web Design

If you’re getting bored with your basic HTML contact forms, be sure to read through this post.

26. 30 Beautiful Textured Website Designs for Inspiration

Prepare to be wowed. These are really cool.

27. Web Design Inspirational Cocktail #45

From healthcare to fitness and graphic novels, here’s your weekly inspiration.

28. 25 Examples of Outstanding Ecommerce Website Design

Struggling to reconcile usability with beautiful design?

29. 25 Beautiful Examples of Pricing Tables

Your website’s pricing table is one of its most important features. Think about it: you’re convincing people to spend money with you. It needs to look awesome. And more importantly, communicate the value and benefits of signing up for your product or service.

30. All The Colours Of The Sun: 60 Perfectly Amazing Photos Of Nature’s Beauty

Need inspiration beyond your computer screen? Nature’s the place to look.

31. Art and Design Inspiration Fix for September 21, 2012

Only here will you find Daffy Duck and the Terminator in the same collection.

32. 21 Examples of Big Photography in Web Design

Love photography? Then make it a part of your design. It’s an elegant way to set your UX apart from the crowd.

What’s the best UX advice you’ve ever received? Share your best moments in the comments.

— Ritika Puri