In UX design, the tiniest elements on your webpage can make or break your site. The overall design, images, color schemes, and typography are all important to the user interface. These elements must support your brand voice.

Written content is no exception. Would you publish a blog on your site that had nothing to do with your brand? Would you use words in a heading that don’t convey your company’s personality? 

Your voice is unique — the copy on your website should reflect that!

Microcopy is small bits of written content that don’t occupy a lot of space on the webpage but instead guide the user through the interface. It’s an underutilized tool in UX, and a good copywriter (like the ones here at CreateApe ?) can use it to set a page’s tone, encourage users through conversion, and build a fully realized brand experience. 

Microcopy includes everything from:

• Call-to-action buttons                               
• Image captions
• Placeholder text
• Billing/shipping text
• Navigation tabs
• Error messages 
• Loading screens
• Instructions
• Search bars
• Cookie messages

Good microcopy should confidently guide users, gain their trust, and reinforce brand identity. It should also help the user understand website functions and complete tasks successfully. 

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The smallest microcopy can carry the user through your site and back again, or it could drive them away entirely. So, pay big attention to the small words!

CreateApe’s Guide to Microcopy

In our UX process, creating copy is just as important as the design and user flows. We know how to make everything on the site on-brand and user-friendly, including the words that drive conversion. Follow these steps when writing and evaluating microcopy:

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Evaluation

‍When evaluating a website, we take every single interfacing element into consideration. The first step to creating a user-friendly design is discovering pain points that slow down or stop conversion. Ask yourself these questions when evaluating microcopy:

• Is it visible?
• Is the wording ambiguous/misleading?
• Does it guide the user to where they want to go?
• Does it communicate our voice?
• Is the messaging clear and compact?
• Does the messaging inspire trust from our users?
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User Empathy

‍Anticipate your users’ needs to keep them coming back to your website. At CreateApe, we heavily rely on data and analytics, but it’s not all a boring numbers game. 

We use this information to create fictional user personas and give insight into the types of users visiting your page. User personas help us visualize and empathize with the user, creating an experience designed with a specific person in mind. A UXperience, if you will.

Ask yourself these questions to help empathize with your users:

• What does the user do on the website?
• Why are they doing it?
• How do they feel when doing it?
• How long does it take them to complete tasks?
• What, if anything, drives them away from completing tasks?
• What words and phrases speak to them?
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Voice/Tone

‍Once you get a big picture of your audience, figure out how to use your voice to guide them through your website. Write microcopy that supports your voice so the user knows they’re interacting with your brand in the conversion process.

On-brand microcopy lends uniqueness and authenticity to the overall UXperience. Consider this when applying your voice to microcopy:

• Does the user know they’re communicating with us by reading the microcopy?
• Does the copy reflect our attitude?
• Is it conversational/does it engage the user?
• Does it help the user understand how the site functions?
• Does the tone of the messaging reflect the actions?
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Testing

‍Iteration is key in ensuring your digital product is the best it can be. Test your microcopy to see if users can navigate your site, log in, checkout, and complete the onboarding process. Consider this when testing your microcopy:

• Did it direct the users where they wanted to go?
• Did it help them easily complete tasks?
• Did it drive them away at any point?
• Did it distract them from completing a task?
• Did it confuse/mislead them?

Revisit and revise your microcopy until you’re happy with it!

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So, Why Is All This Important?

By personalizing your website’s microcopy, you can subtly reinforce your brand identity and build a more personal connection with your user. When used right, it drives an effortless UXperience and boosts conversion. Keep it clear, conversational, on-brand, and aware of the user’s needs.

Figma itself is a pretty well-rounded tool used by the majority of pros in the design industry, but it doesn’t have everything (looking at you, spellcheck). To make up for the gaps, we use several Figma plugins to make using the software just a bit easier.

Straight from our UX design team, we’ve identified eight incredibly useful Figma plugins that we use on a daily basis.

1: SkewDat

SkewDat is a neat little tool that gives designers the surprisingly useful ability to skew just about everything on a Figma design in real time. Bring depth to your designs to enhance your project, and SkewDat lets you do this without stressing about the small details.

One, two, maybe nine layers need to be skewed to present? Not a problem. Lean on this plugin to do the heavy lifting, and you’ll do the rest.

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2: Contrast

Contrast serves an important role in ensuring a design looks good no matter what display it’s on. This Figma plugin allows professional designers to double-check one key element with relative ease – accessibility.

You’ll need to manage:

• Text size under 18.66px having a minimum contrast of 4.5:1 - 7:1 contrast ratio.
• Text size over 18.66px having a minimum contrast ratio of 3:1.
• Background elements having a contrasting ratio of 3:1.

It can be a designer’s nightmare getting the contrast just right, but the Contrast Figma accessibility plugin takes some of that headache away by showing you exactly what you need to know, when you need to know it.

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3: TextCutter

Optimize your design workflow by automatically cutting the amount of text you have per line. You can join or split text at any time using this plugin, or assign it to a hotkey and make your work that much more efficient. Take ownership back in your designs by limiting exactly how much text goes where.

Imagine if it takes you 10 seconds to adjust the text on a line. Doesn’t sound like a lot, right? Well, that time adds up. This plugin does a great job of cutting down on excess time and reducing the amount of re-work you might end up doing otherwise.

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4: Aninix

Animations are made easy using Aninix, and our UX design team uses this to effectively create animations in Figma files. While it is in a beta state at the moment, it’s still extremely adaptable and gives you access to intricate keyframes alongside other animation staples.

The intuitive interface allows pretty much anyone to create a complex animation in a Figma file without the hassle.

The best part is, when you’re done you can directly export your files to .lottie, .mp4, .webm, or .gif to streamline your exports.

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5: UI Faces

UI Faces makes it a tad more simple to sympathize with the users you’re designing for. The reason being, it grabs a photo based on the various parameters you set. Use it as a profile placeholder, or simply have it to the side. This way, you can put a face to a list of design necessities. Take the guesswork out of the equation with UI Faces.

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6. Table Creator

This one is pretty self-explanatory at first, but deep down it’s really a complex organization of systems that work in tandem to… create tables. Really, though, this plugin is a no-brainer addition to Figma that seems like it should just exist naturally.

Just insert the parameters you need and this plugin will output a table that’s 100% customizable for anything you’d need. Time-saving and efficient, we’re all about it.

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7. Charts

Another straightforward plugin, Charts does just what it says it does. It can put out either an area, line, pie, scatter, bar, or really any other chart you might need for a design. Configure your mix/max values and set up each chart exactly how you want. 

It’s an efficient way to make your designs pop out that much more without designing a chart from scratch.

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8. Restore Image Dimensions

Saving the best for last, this comes in handy when in a pinch. After you crop or resize an image, just run this plugin and your image is right back to normal. The best part is, you can select multiple objects and have them restored all at once.

Great for those exploratory moments that don’t go according to plan. Can’t get a social media graphic in just the right place? Not a problem, this Figma plugin is in your corner.

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Looking For More Help With Designing Digital Products?

There are thousands of Figma plugins to choose from, and you’re more than welcome to explore to find what works for you. Managing your time can make or break a project in the long run. These eight tried-and-true Figma plugins are just a few that our professional design team uses to design, prototype, and create your digital product’s fresh look.

Want more info on how we do things? Drop us a line and we’ll work alongside you to polish your project.

Need your site analyzed? Our researchers are on top of it. Maybe you just want to rebrand your site? Our designers have your back. Anything from the front end to the back end, we can swing in anytime.

Remember, it’s a jungle out there and CreateApe can be your guide.

There are awesome UX design examples all over the internet, but we’re here to show you WHY they’re great!

If you’re familiar with UX or not, it still has a big impact on the success or failure of your site. It’s not just about bringing in new users—but also showing them around your site and keeping them coming back for more.

So, What Makes a Good UX Design?

A successful UX design usually has these three things in common:

• Simple-A clean, clutter-free design helps the user focus on their goals.
• Intuitive-Anticipate what the user needs and how you can help them.
• Effortless-Because the user WILL remember how easy or hard it was to use your site

And Why is it Important?

The proof is in the pudding (or, more accurately, this stats blog from websitebuilder.org).

• Intentional UX design can boost your conversion rates by as much as 400%.
• 61% of users will flock to your competitors if they can’t find what they’re looking for quickly.
• 74% of users are likely to return to a mobile-friendly website and 67% are more likely to make a purchase.
• AND MOST IMPORTANTLY—only 55% of companies conduct user testing (where 85% of usability issues are found).

Basically, UX design (when it’s done right) gives you an excellent leg-up on your competition. Always put yourself in the user’s shoes to figure out the best way to get them from point A to point B.

Our UX design examples will show you the basics of how CreateApe guarantees a great user experience and how you can do something similar for your site.

Get Inspired by our Top 8 UX Design Examples

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Help the user QUICKLY find what they’re looking for

What’s the main goal of someone visiting a commercial real estate website? If you said “To search for available properties,” then we’re on the same page!

This design for Matthews Real Estate leaves no room for ambiguity. The messaging is clear, and it’s the first thing you see when you open the page. 

We also satisfy two different users in one toggle switch. This lets the user view properties for sale or for lease.

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• Satisfy the user’s search intent right away
• Make sure your message is clear and to the point
• Throw out anything that may confuse or distract the user

View Web Development Case Study

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Show the user you care

Empathizing with your user means understanding who they are, why they’re visiting your site, and how they’re feeling. 

Seeking treatment for an eating disorder is scary and stressful for patients and family members alike. That’s why we wanted Alsana’s site to be as inviting as possible.

The purpose of Alsana’s website is to inspire hope for recovery instead of selling treatment plans. Because it's paired with seamless navigation, the user feels less anxiety while finding help.

• Show the user that you’re there to help
• Think about what kind of visuals and features
• Make navigation as simple as possible

View Web Design Case Study

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Make a tedious task quick and easy

Do you hate scheduling doctor visits as much as we do? Create an effortless way for your patients to book appointments again and again.

We designed an appointment portal with a short and sweet form for Perpetual Motion Physical Therapy. This takes away the burden from the patient while helping the client pull in new users.

We also went the extra mile and added a page of accepted insurance plans. This lets the user know they're covered before they even have to ask.

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• Answer the user’s questions before they have to ask
• Make a dull task straightforward and painless
• Only ask for necessary information in your forms

View Web Design Case Study

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Create some unique features

Stand out from your competitors by including a unique website feature that helps users achieve their goals.

Think about how you can make your services more convenient for the user. Medikeeper creates products for employee wellness, so how could they help businesses keep track of employee wellness through COVID-19? By developing a handy virtual screening app!

Having a great idea is just the first step. The best UX design examples need to be as easy to use as they are innovative and timely.

We designed a streamlined survey with friendly illustrations to check for symptoms and give the user suggestions for the next steps if they are at risk.

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• Ask yourself: What do you offer that your competitors don’t?
• Help the user accomplish their goal in a unique way
• Create solutions that benefit the user long-term

View Mobile Design Case Study

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Get to know your user through your onboarding experience

Personalization is huge in UX design because it shows the user that you’ll give them a great experience by tailoring your solutions to their individual needs.

The onboarding process is crucial in creating personalized experiences—but instead of setting up a profile for your user, treat onboarding as an opportunity to get to know them!

Onboarding is especially important when creating e-learning platforms like Wurrly.edu. Here, we built the user’s dashboard around the information they gave us during the onboarding process. This is so we can show the content most relevant to their needs first.

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• Do plenty of research to understand your users
• Ask the right questions to show that you care
• Incorporate their feedback into the design to show that you listen

View Web Design Case Study

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Take your website on-the-go

Making your website mobile-friendly is more than just copy/pasting your site on a phone screen.

A smaller screen means less space and less time to meet the user's needs. To make your mobile experience as strong as the web, restructure your content to show the most important things right away!

Think of your mobile design as a hierarchy. Ask yourself, “What is the main reason a user would come to my website?” Now, make that the first thing they see and make it fit into a smaller space.

This UX design example for Viesso puts the user’s needs front and center. They should be able to understand what your site is all about right away.

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• Resize your design to fit a phone screen
• Make sure your user sees the most important things first
• Check out our blog for more Mobile Design Tips

View Web and Mobile Design Case Study

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Keep it simple, stupid!

Minimalism will probably never go out of style (at least in UX design).

Just because a design is simple doesn’t mean it has to be boring. In fact, with an uncomplicated design, it’ll be easier to communicate with your user and help them solve their problems.

Looking at these UX design examples from Soleo Communications, you can see that a crisp, white background goes a long way. It’s an easy way to group things together and helps your secondary colors (accents and CTAs) pop!

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• As always, keep your design as clutter-free as possible
• Use minimalism to create an effortless, but sophisticated look
• Prioritize the user’s needs over a complex design

View Web Design Case Study

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That being said…don’t neglect visuals

Every design choice you make should have meaning behind it—to help the user solve a problem. But that doesn’t mean “don’t be creative.”

UX and UI go hand in hand because they cover everything the user interacts with on a website. When your design is both usable and good-looking, you create a lasting impression with your user while giving your brand a chance to shine.

Once you have a solid navigational experience in place, ramp up your design with interesting content, original iconography, and maybe some fun animations!

• Remember: The best UX design examples are as on-brand as they are easy to use
• Build out a solid flow first, then design around it
• Get creative with your use of color and typography to make your brand stand out

View Web Design Case Study

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So, What Did We Learn from These UX Design Examples?

Web design trends will come and go, but UX is here to stay. By empathizing with the user and designing FOR them, we can help them solve their problems and build trust—which is good for your business, too!

Following these UX design examples will help you create a memorable experience that your users won't soon forget!

Need some help improving your user experience? Check out our web design and development services to see how CreateApe can help.

For some UX/UI designers, presenting UX research findings is the most challenging part of the job. You’ve gathered all your information and spent countless hours conducting tests and interviews…how do you turn all that data into an action plan that gets your clients on board?

Several things could get in the way of a good presentation. Too many glaring problems with the digital product, harsh user feedback hurting some feelings, unclear next steps, lack of confidence in public speaking, or a meteor could crash into your house and land directly on your computer (weirder things have happened).

But to start the design on the right foot, you need a slam-dunk presentation to get the ball rolling. How do you lay out the facts, engage your client, gain their trust, and compel them to act?

Unfortunately, we’re not psychic apes (as cool as that sounds). We don’t have a crystal ball to look into your future and tell you exactly how the presentation will go. 

What we do have is TONS of experience with UX evaluations and presenting our findings to clients. Whenever there’s been a curveball, we’ve found a way to meet it head-on and knock it out of the park.

In this article, we’ll outline a few potential challenges you may encounter when presenting UX research findings. Rest assured, for every challenge, there is a CreateApe solution!

What We'll Cover

• Keeping stakeholders engaged
• Combatting bias
• Aligning with the user and stakeholder goals
• Keeping presentations short and sweet
• Turning insights into actions
• Using visuals effectively
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Why Presentations Are an Essential Part Of Your Project

Communication is paramount for any collaborative project between a vendor and a stakeholder.

No client is ever going to hand you a project and say “Go nuts!” Their company is vital to them and they are investing too much time and money into a product that puts them on the map. To us, gaining our clients' trust means they need visibility every step of the way.

UX presentations are our way of pulling back the curtain, giving the client a glimpse of the unknown. A UX evaluation shows specific problems that need to be fixed to keep their business on the right track, and the presentation gets everyone on the same page.

But it’s not just for the clients! Think of a UX presentation as an outline for a big speech. It helps you make sense of your findings and lay them out in a way that really tells a story. The facts and user feedback are compelling on their own, but it’s up to you to turn them into something tangible.

It also gives you time to plan your next steps before starting the design. You can lay out your priorities in order of importance, pick the low-hanging fruit, and improve your own processes for the next presentation.

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How To Present UX Research Findings To Clients

Now that we’ve convinced you of how AWESOME UX research presentations are, you probably think you’re going to go in there, crush the meeting, and not run into any trouble.

You totally could! But, things can always go wrong. We’ve all had a flat tire on our way to work or spilled coffee on our favorite pair of pants — things happen, it’s a fact of life.

Presentations never go 100% flawlessly without questions or pushback. Here are just a few ways you can streamline your presentation, engage your audience, and prepare for roadblocks.

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Challenge: Keeping Your Audience Engaged

Meeting with creative teams is exciting for clients, but going over numbers and data usually isn’t. How often have your eyes glazed over while listening to speakers go over metrics and charts?

While numbers aren’t typically engaging on their own, the data you gather during a UX evaluation are the eye-openers clients need to improve their products. You can’t do a UX research presentation without hard-hitting data.

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Solution: Know Your Audience

As the kids say: “Read the room.”

You’re not connecting with your audience when you’re just clicking through slides and reading off numbers. Your presentation needs to appeal to their interests, whether it’s increasing their conversions or improving their branding to reach a new demographic.

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Presenting UX research findings to clients gives you an opportunity to flex your storytelling skills. Understanding your client’s desires is as critical as understanding the user’s goals.

“Your target users were visiting your website, ready and rearing to request a demo of your SaaS system. But they don’t have time to scroll through your whole website to find the form they need. Your users became frustrated when they couldn’t find it right away — and as a result, 95% of them abandoned ship.”

How much more interesting does that sound than “95% of the users leave the website before starting the conversion process”? Demonstrate the problem by emphasizing the user’s journey.

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Challenge: Combatting Bias

We’ve all seen an article online that didn’t agree with our point of view and gave it a quick scoff or eye-roll before scrolling by. Don’t lie, bias is just a part of our human nature.

Sometimes clients can be a little stuck in their ways without knowing how much it’s hindering their product. But as tech evolves, so do best practices. What worked best in 2002 definitely isn’t going to work in 2022.

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Solution: Present Qualitative and Quantitative Data

It’s up to us UX professionals to show clients the way, and the numbers don’t lie. Both qualitative and quantitative data show the value of your work while breaking down the processes that lead you to your conclusion. 

Quantitative data is the “what”, while Qualitative data is the “why.” The client needs to understand the weight of both before they confront their own bias.

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After all, we’re the experts. This data lends us authority and gives us the know-how to create a successful product. If the client can visualize what’s not working and why it’s driving away their users, they’ll be more inclined to make the changes the product desperately needs.

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Challenge: Meeting In the Middle Of the User And Client Goals

For many clients, their profit is their bottom line. If they’re investing in UX design, then they already understand that satisfying the user’s needs is the way to continue growing and making money.

Unfortunately, the user and business goals don’t always intersect perfectly. The user could be looking for a feature that is out of the business’ capabilities or a cheaper solution that would not benefit the client. How do you find compromises that appease both stakeholders?

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Solution: Lead With Empathy

Empathy is the name of the game in UX design, for both users AND clients. All our stakeholders need to know we have their best interests at heart for us to gain their trust.

It’s also super helpful in battling the confirmation bias we mentioned earlier. The client needs to understand that when we present findings that don’t mesh with their methods, it’s all in the name of helping their bottom line.

When we empathize with both the client’s and the user’s goals, it’s much easier to think critically and present solutions that serve both stakeholders.

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Challenge: Keeping Presentations Short And Sweet

UX presentations are only a short part of our client’s day. We gather plenty of data during UX evaluations (sometimes enough for an hours-long presentation), but we only get a limited amount of time to go over our findings and address questions and concerns before kickoff.

As much as we’d like to spend our whole day doing a collaborative working session with our clients, they’re just too busy. How do we show them that their product is in capable hands without presenting every single piece of data we collected?

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Solution: Focus On Three To Four Key Findings

Target data points that capture the big picture. No matter how much information you collect, chances are that presenting UX research findings can be summed up in a few main points. The rest of your findings will likely fall under the same umbrella as the main ones.

It’s all about how you structure your presentation. You can’t just rattle off all your data points and expect your audience to be invested all the way. Keep it tight by focusing on the three or four most compelling points, and lump supplemental findings under those talking points.

User feedback also helps you illustrate the problem by letting the client see things from their user’s perspective. You can present tons of data about why something isn’t working, but nothing hits home quite like the user telling them “This navigation makes absolutely no sense.”

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Challenge: Turning Insight Into Action

Gathering all the data and putting the presentation together is the hard part…now comes the next steps. You know what’s working and what’s not, how do you actually tackle the problem?

The client needs to know exactly what the next steps are to be fully on board. Give them the confidence they need with creative solutions and a solid plan of attack.

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Solution: List Your Recommendations

At CreateApe, everything we do is backed up by research and findings from past projects. It gives us the validation we need to know we’re making the right changes.

Your clients are trusting that you’re the expert when it comes to user experience. Come armed with a plan that shows you’re invested in the project and prepared to make it a raging success.

Address the easy fixes first to get the ball rolling. Things that can be remedied quickly to improve the existing experience without having to wait for the final project. Then, lay out your long-term plans (new onboarding flows, features, total website face-lift, etc).

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Challenge: Show, Don’t Tell

Even the most engaging and exciting speakers still need visual aids. Think of the last TedTalk you watched…was the speaker just standing there waving their arms around or did they have slideshows or props to help bring their words to life.

Sometimes visuals say so much more than words ever could. Not only do they illustrate the problem you want to solve, but they also provide more value to your presentation by giving your audience something to chew on in between numbers and written content.

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Solution: Using Visuals Effectively

“75% of your users didn’t scroll past the top section of the page” is an eye-opening statistic on its own, but how much more effective does this look?:

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Here, the client can see the activity on the page and where users are trailing off. This is the wake-up call they need to restructure the content of the page and lead with the user’s main goal. Bing, bang, boom…problem solved.

You can also get creative while presenting UX research findings. Think about including some before and after shots to show off your design chops. Give them a little taste of what’s to come. Abstract data visualization is also super hot right now, so incorporating some out-of-the-box charts and interaction design couldn’t hurt either.

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Knock Your Presentation Out Of the Park!

It's not enough to convince your client of the value of UX. They need to visualize the product's pain points and see a solid action plan before they confidently invest their time and money.

Knowing what to present is half the battle. When all of this important ground is covered, all that's left is letting your personality and UX-pertise shine. Pace yourself, lean on data, gain the client's trust, and kick your partnership off right!

Want to see what a UX/UI facelift can do for your site? Need some help convincing the higher-ups of the benefits of UX? Start a project with us today or swing into our jungle for a UX evaluation!

AI tools for UX/UI designers…friend or foe?

Like it or not, AI is here to stay. But we have a long, LONG way to go before its creative-thinking skills are on par with a UX designer. Hopefully, we’ll never experience the dystopian nightmare that is autonomous AI.

But what do we do until then? Embrace the change!

AI had a significant impact on employee productivity in the last few years. This LinkedIn article estimates that strategic AI implementation has cut operational costs by 30% through task automation and boosted overall efficiency by 40%.

Do you know what that means for creatives like us? More energy to focus on pushing the envelope with our designs!

But reducing the time we spend on tedious tasks isn’t the only benefit. With the right systems and prompts, these AI tools for UX/UI designers can help us streamline workflows, generate new ideas, and curb the brain blocks and burnout synonymous with our field.

Our Top 8 AI Tools For UX/UI Designers:

• Midjourney
• Builder.io
• Adobe Firefly
• Uizard
• Khroma
• Resemble.ai
• ChatGPT
• Poised
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Mastering AI As A Digital Product Designer

We know what you’re thinking…”Why should I work AI into my design process when I’M the one with creative capabilities?”

At this point, you may have dealt with a client or a stakeholder that would rather cut costs and let AI do all the heavy lifting. You may be tired of having your skills undervalued in comparison. But truth be told, AI is only as good as the person entering the prompts.

AI relies on user input to gather information, spit out results, and refine based on feedback (find out more about how it works in our “Will AI Replace UX Designers” blog).

In short, a UX designer needs to tell the AI what the users are looking for through our research and findings for it to generate workable solutions.

With all the different platforms designed for information architecture, art direction, coding, and writing, all the tools to become a more well-rounded designer are at your fingertips. But it needs YOUR creative direction to produce your unique product vision.

By learning how to talk to the AI and influence the right response, you can drastically reduce the time it takes to ideate and consider some options you haven’t even thought of. Plus, mastering these systems can help you fill gaps in your skill set and create a fully-realized product to present to your clients.

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8 AI Tools Every UX/UI Designer Should Try At Least Once

We’ve talked up AI a lot in this blog and previous ones, but we haven’t touched on specific tools we use here at CreateApe and would recommend to other UX Designers.

These are just a few of our favorites. Keep in mind that AI is still in its infancy, and some of these products may not work perfectly the first couple of times. Or you may find another system that serves the same purpose but fits better into your workflow.

The trick is to keep an open mind and play around with different tools until you find one that works best for you (or until you can guide it into giving you the results you want). Also, with new AI tools for UX/UI designers releasing frequently, keep your ear to the ground for the latest advancements!

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Midjourney

• The Value: “Create awe-inspiring masterpieces effortlessly and explore the endless possibilities of AI-generated art. Enter a prompt, choose a style, and watch Imagine - AI art generator bring your ideas to life!”

• Why We Use It: AI art has been controversial since its inception. At this point, their systems have received thousands of prompts related to our clients’ purposes (patients at a doctor’s office, someone using a beauty or personal care product, and so on).
  
  Instead of relying on Midjourney to create finished UI designs and branding assets, we use it to guide and refine our art direction, messaging, and information architecture as we go. By leveraging and expanding on Midjourney’s suggestions, we can gather more ideas and iterate until we land on something unique to our client’s brand.
  
• Pros: Midjourney’s text-to-image generator is especially impressive. With this feature, you can provide more detail outside of the subject and color palettes to try out different art styles (minimalist, corporate illustrations, charcoal, ink drawings, etc).
  
  Though Midjourney is still in beta testing, they’re working on adding features similar to Photoshop (inpainting, background replacement, image expansion, and more). These are sure to be a game changer in the design world.

• Cons: Outside of some wonky-looking hands? Well, there are a few minor ones. Midjourney isn’t free to use anymore due to people abusing the system. And the only way you can access it is through a Discord server.
  
  The server gets crowded due to having so many users. But if you sign up for the pro plan, you can send your prompts to Midjourney’s Discord bot via private messages. Check out this article from zapier.com on how to use Midjourney through Discord.
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Builder.io

• The Value: “Eliminate long backlogs and missed deadlines. Leverage our Visual Headless CMS to visually build and optimize web and mobile experiences on your existing sites and apps to move faster, together.”

• Why We Use It: In a perfect world, every designer would understand coding to make the product behave as envisioned. We can’t all be cross-functional experts, but tools like builder.io get us a little closer.
  
  With this plug-and-play system, our designers can create API-based infrastructures for their work native to whatever code stack they’re using. Plus, with their handy dandy Figma plugin, we can import our designs, and the AI reads and rearranges the layers.

• Pros: With builder.io, building a fully customized site (from designs to interactions) is as easy as using something like Squarespace. The platform enables us to use our client’s existing data (like product catalogs or customer databases) and create building blocks to drag and drop data into a dynamic interface.
  
• Cons: Depending on who you ask, this could be a pro or a con. Builder.io doesn’t eliminate the need for a front and back-end development team. You may still need a consultant to come in and help with integrating and styling components, especially if you don’t consider yourself super tech-savvy.
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Adobe Firefly

• The Value: “Experiment, imagine, and create an infinite range of images with Firefly, generative AI-powered content creation from Adobe.”

• Why We Use It: Powered by Adobe (of Photoshop and InDesign fame), Firefly is a robust generative AI tool that behaves similarly to Midjourney. However, Firefly has more bells and whistles like generative fills, text effects, recoloring, and 3D image building.
  
  This system is hugely helpful for our designers proficient in Adobe Suite (which is most of us). Firefly allows us to download whatever we create in the app and upload it to other Creative Cloud tools to continue editing and refining.

• Pros: Firefly pulls from a huge library of public domain content (stock images, videos, and graphic designs) to ensure the legal use of each designer’s creation. While some might see this as limiting, we’d rather be safe than sorry with copyright infringement.
  
  But that’s not the only reason we love this creator-first platform! Adobe is actively pushing for ethical standards around AI artwork and working on compensation plans for stock contributors. As AI evolves, we’re happy to put our ball in their court.
  
• Cons: Firefly’s AI algorithm doesn’t pull results from other users’ results. It only goes off your input. Adobe structured it this way to protect artists from infringement and unintentional plagiarism, but the results won’t be as varied as Midjourney’s. However, you can rest assured that whatever you create is yours alone.
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Uizard

• The Value: “Design stunning prototypes in minutes. The world’s easiest-to-use design and ideation tool — powered by AI. No design experience required!”

• Why We Use It: If any AI tool is coming for our gigs, it’s Uizard. It’s a powerful tool that automates the entire digital product design process from wireframing to prototypes. With a few simple text prompts or even a sketch upload, Uizard generates fully designed screens and flows for your team to improve on.
  
  With Uizard, all you really need is an idea. The platform has several ready-made templates for wireframes, landing pages, apps, and component libraries to help turn concepts into fleshed-out products.

• Pros: Each of these platforms claim that the possibilities are endless with AI, but it’s especially true with Uizard. From text-to-mockup UI generation to turning sketches and screenshots into editable designs, Uizard can potentially cut down the product design process from years to months (or even months to weeks).

• Cons: AI tools (even one as revolutionary as Uizard) lack the user empathy capabilities of a living, breathing human. You can upload sketches or take screenshots of your favorite products all day, but it still can’t guarantee all the features or functionalities that suit your target user.
  
  Treat a product like Uizard as just a jumping-off point instead of a fix-it-and-forget-it solution. Let the AI generate the blueprint for your product, then massage it to make room for content the user needs to accomplish their goals.
  
  And it also goes without saying…TEST IT!
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Khroma

• The Value: “Khroma uses AI to learn which colors you like and creates limitless palettes for you to discover, search, and save.”

• Why We Use It: So many brands are instantly recognizable through their color palettes, so picking the right ones is a daunting task for designers and stakeholders. Khroma streamlines that process by having you choose 50 options from its massive library — and based on your selection, its neural network generates palettes, typography, or gradients.

• Pros: Out of all the platforms we’ve talked about so far, Khroma is by far the easiest to use (you don’t even have to create an account). The process can be lengthy since there are so many options, but it’s a fun exercise to try in either a client meeting or a brainstorming session.
  
• Cons: There aren’t a whole lot of downsides to Khroma. However, it’s not the best platform for real-time collaboration since your data is only saved locally on the browser and device you use. But you can download your data and re-upload it to another device.
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Resemble.ai

• The Value: “Resemble’s AI voice generator lets you create realistic human-like voice-overs in seconds.”

• Why We Use It: We know users absorb information better through videos. But there’s not always room in the timeline or budget to hire a voice actor and have them record explainer videos. That’s where resemble.ai comes in.
  
  Whether you want to use your voice or a pre-recorded one from their community, resemble’s algorithm adds enhancements, emphasis, and emotions to the right words to create a personable voice-over that speaks to your target audience.

• Pros: Resemble thinks outside of the box with AI voice-over features. Outside of turning your script into the voice of your target user, the platform also has localization features to translate speech into different languages — a huge plus if you have a large international audience.
  
  Whether you want to use your voice or a pre-recorded one from their community, resemble’s algorithm adds enhancements, emphasis, and emotions to the right words to create a personable voice-over that speaks to your target audience.

• Cons: This con is less about Resemble and more about voice AI in general. All AI platforms are subject to misuse. So if you’re uploading your voice, proceed with caution.
  
  This is likely to create more trouble for public figures (and users wanting to appropriate their voices and likeness). Just be aware of any legal repercussions arising from voice AI platforms.
  
  In short, we know you want Morgan Freeman to narrate your product, but we don’t recommend using AI to make that a reality.
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ChatGPT

• The Value: “We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”

• Why We Use It: ChatGPT has taken the creative world by storm for better or worse. We could talk all day about the ramifications of this system on our news and entertainment. But for now, we’ll focus on the potential benefits of this AI tool for UX/UI designers.
  
  Many designers struggle with creating messaging that amplifies their visuals and the brand’s personality. With a suggestive prompt, ChatGPT generates content that expands on ideas or shaves them down to fit the allotted space in the design.
  
  Since ChatGPT’s model is conversational, you can continue training the algorithm if you’re not fully satisfied with the results. Drop in your commands to shorten the copy or tweak the voice and tone so the system gives you exactly what you need.

• Pros: Messaging is extremely important in engaging your target audience — it needs to be just as strong (if not stronger than) the visual components in your product to encourage repeat usage. ChatGPT is the best writing assistant you can ask for if you're not confident in your writing abilities.
  
  ChatGPT is a member of the OpenAI family of products, and it’s quickly becoming a one-stop shop for AI services. Features like DALL.E and API help designers and developers create original images that bring concepts to life and integrate existing applications or systems into their digital products.

• Cons: Though ChatGPT’s algorithm is constantly learning (in a non-scary way), the copy it generates has a limited and repetitive vocabulary. You can ask the AI to vary up the language a bit — but you'll want to keep a thesaurus on hand just in case.
  
  Another big drawback of ChatGPT is that it doesn’t always generate accurate information. Always fact-check the data it spits out to avoid misleading your users. Also, make sure to correct the AI by entering your findings (so the algorithm can take notes).
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Poised

• The Value: “Poised is the AI-powered communication coach that helps you speak with confidence and clarity. Private and secure, an essential tool for digital-first workplaces.”

• Why We Use It: A remote job (like the ones at CreateApe) is an introvert’s dream! But that doesn’t mean we don’t need solid communication skills. After all, our clients put their trust in us to create an impactful product — and we need to show our confidence when presenting our creations to them.
  
  Poised reads your speech in real time during meetings and provides feedback on everything from your tone to the filler words you use. It also recognizes trends in your speech patterns and tracks your progress to help you improve your presentation skills.

• Pros: Public speaking is one of the most common phobias (surveys typically indicate that 72-75% of the human population share this fear). With recommendations from Poised, you can adjust your speech on the fly and calm the fear about how you're perceived by your audience.
  
  But the benefits of Poised aren’t limited to presentations. In fact, this system is perfect for interview prep with tips about passive voice misuse, speed, filler words, and interruptions.
  
• Cons: Poised only works in English (for now). But if English isn’t your first language, this system can still be helpful for grammar and word pronunciation. There is also a slight delay in the real-time feedback feature. We recommend using Poised when your meeting has three or more participants to give you time to digest new information.
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See The Benefits Of These AI Tools For UX/UI Designers!

As you can see, we think AI tools are a valuable asset for UX/UI designers, providing opportunities to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and generate new ideas.

While some of these products are still working out kinks, they significantly support and augment our busy, multi-tasking workflows. By strategically leveraging these eight tools, we’ve reduced tedious tasks and expanded our creative horizons as a team.

The key lies in understanding how to work alongside AI effectively. Recognize that it’s only as good as the input and guidance you provide. By mastering these AI tools for UX/UI designers, you can optimize your workflow, fill skill gaps, and deliver fully-realized products to your clients.

So even if you’re hesitant about AI, play around with a few systems and see how they can help you improve your processes. Who knows, you may find yourself taking a liking to a specialized field in UX/UI design through AI exploration!

If you’re looking for a fun agency job where you can use AI to take your designs to the next level, we’re always looking to add talented new apes to our shrewdness. Check out our open positions and apply today!

Ahhh, UX Design Critiques…Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re a vital part of guaranteeing our designs are the best they can be.

As much as a designer wants their creation to be 100% their vision, we occasionally need outsider perspectives to help us spot flaws or reconsider user goals to ensure we’re fulfilling the product's purpose.

Though 92% of people believe constructive criticism helps them improve their overall performance, many employees (in any kind of work setting) struggle with taking and giving it. But why is that when the majority acknowledges its importance?

It all comes down to how it’s delivered. What seems constructive to the giver could be construed as pointed or downright bullying to the receiver (in vice versa).

The fact is that interpersonal communication skills influence the delivery and usefulness of our feedback. So, how can you ensure that your criticisms land just right and lead to actionable next steps?

7 Tips For Better UX Design Critiques:

• Be straightforward
• Ask for explanations
• Offer suggestions
• Link feedback to goals and KPIs
• Ask open-ended questions
• Keep critiques relegated to in-person or video meetings
• Remove your biases
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Why Are Design Critiques Necessary?

UX design has a few too many moving parts for a single designer to handle on their own. Chances are that multiple team members, from interaction designers to web developers, will touch the project to ensure everything works as intended.

Even if a product requires several team members, everything has to gel together to create a cohesive experience.

By building a collaborative culture where cross-functional teams can offer diverse perspectives and keep each other aligned, critique sessions become a valuable asset in communication and risk mitigation.

In layman’s terms, design critiques (when done right) help your team feel supported and spark ongoing learning. And isn’t that what every designer wants out of their career?

Plus, the more your team shares tips and tricks with each other, the better the products will be in the long run. Through frequent critique sessions, designers and developers can continuously improve their processes and methodologies, leading to higher efficiency and cost-effectiveness (project managers, hint hint).

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Why Are Critiques So Intimidating?

With as many benefits as critiques have, you may wonder “How could anyone hate getting feedback on their work?”

Listen, digital product designers are artists. And we’re a sensitive bunch! There are a few (valid) reasons why someone would be apprehensive about getting their work criticized:

• Vulnerability: Designers put a piece of themselves into their work. They fear criticism and rejection.
  
• Fear of Negative Feedback: Nobody likes to hear negative feedback, even when it's constructive and especially when it’s something they put their blood, sweat, and tears into.
  
• Imposter Syndrome: Designers may worry that their colleagues will see them as impostors. This is true for junior designers or those new to a team.
  
• Time Pressure: Tight project deadlines can create apprehension. Designers may worry that they won't have time to make necessary changes.
  
• Perfectionism: Designers often strive for perfection in their work, and critique sessions can highlight imperfections. The fear of not meeting their high standards can exacerbate insecurities.

Critique sessions should be a safe space where everyone can share thoughts and not feel judged. The goal is to create an environment where no idea is a bad idea, kind of like an initial brainstorming session.

But how can you manage a collaborative critique session (where nothing’s off the table) and still remain productive?

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Setting Up Your Critique Session

Organizing a smooth critique session requires a lot more than just gathering participants. To keep things moving, the meeting organizer should limit the number of participants to the project team and a few design leads. A smaller audience allows people to focus on the big picture and leave space for everyone to share their thoughts.

Unfortunately, critiques can’t always be intimate affairs between close colleagues. So whether your meeting involves a select few or the entire organization, here’s what you can do to facilitate a structured, productive session:

• Define Clear Objectives: Begin by establishing goals. What specific aspects of the design are you seeking feedback on? What are the desired outcomes? Clear objectives help participants stay focused.
  
• Define Roles & Responsibilities: Typical roles include the designer presenting the work, reviewers providing feedback, and a facilitator/moderator managing the session.
  
• Set An Agenda: Outline the structure of the session, including time allocated for each component. You should also share this agenda with your teammates so they know what to expect.
  
• Time Management: Stick to the allotted time for the agenda. This helps maintain the session's momentum and ensures that everyone has a chance to participate. Use a timer to remind participants when a discussion is running too long.
  
• Record The Meeting: Use platform features or special software to record the meeting for participants to revisit later. With all the new AI tools available, you can find something that reviews your tone and delivery to improve your presentation skills.
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7 Tips To Elevate Your UX Design Critiques

Creating a no-judgement zone for constructive feedback is easier said than done. After all, the success of your session hinges on factors outside of your control.

It’s not just about the criticisms you give — it’s about how the receiver interprets your feedback and the active participation of everyone in the meeting. It’s more than strategizing products and design processes, it’s an essential team-building exercise that contributes to the ongoing success of your company.

Now that we’ve illustrated the pivotal role of critiques, let’s talk about ways to improve interpersonal communication through criticism.

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Be Straightforward

We get it, you’re not out to hurt someone’s feelings when you’re critiquing their work. But being vague or sugarcoating your feedback won’t lead to actionable takeaways.

Now, we’re not telling you to rip someone’s designs to shreds. Instead, try a balanced approach to your criticisms. State the positives, but highlight the drawbacks (sometimes known as the compliment sandwich).

By offering measured and straightforward suggestions, you’re giving the presenter clear feedback, helping them understand the exact issue you’re trying to convey without completely tearing them down.

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Ask For Explanations

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. What you don’t know is what you don’t know! If you’re critiquing a project you’re not involved in (or the person presenting is handling a different aspect of the project), you might not fully grasp the presenter’s thought process.

If you’re unsure about an approach, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or further insights. Remember, designers immerse themselves in data throughout the project. They may have sound reasoning or verified metrics to support their design decisions.

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Offer Suggestions

Design critiques are just as much about user experience as the products we create — and nobody wants to feel like they’re solving a problem alone. Instead of explaining “what” is wrong and “why” it’s wrong, suggest alternatives and work through their blockers.

By transforming the critique session into a collaborative problem-solving opportunity, you’re encouraging a mindset of "we're all in this together,” where everyone bounces ideas back and forth to find the best solution.

This is also a chance to define user testing flows (or A/B tests) to see which solutions work better for the intended audience. Because you never really know what target users will respond to until you get the product in front of them.

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Link Feedback To Goals

Between iterations and client suggestions, it’s easy for the user’s needs to get lost in the shuffle. That’s why we need our team members to hold us accountable and help us remember the problems we’re trying to solve.

When critiquing a design, referencing research findings and user data bridges the gap between subjective opinions and objective reality. It also helps the designer understand that something could make sense to them logically, but not to the person they’re designing for.

When you present suggestions rooted in user research, you're not just offering opinions but contributing to the user-centered design process. This approach reminds your team of the shared commitment to creating designs that meet user expectations.

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Ask Open-Ended Questions

Asking open-ended questions during a design critique sparks critical thinking, detailed feedback, and in-depth discussions within the team. Think of them as a thought experiment to improve product designs.

Open-ended questions don't have a single, specific answer. Instead, they invite the designer to provide context, rationale, and insights into their design choices. They also help designers feel less self-conscious about getting involved since there are no wrong answers.

This open-ended approach prompts the designer and other participants to consider various scenarios and user perspectives, leading to a richer discussion.

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Remove Your Biases

We all have our own opinions on what looks and feels better. But we’re rarely the exact persona we’re designing for. So if you hate a color, trend, or phrase, it’s probably not useful feedback (unless you can find verifiable evidence supporting your bias).

User-centered design places the user's perspective and needs at the forefront of the design process. Its name alone acknowledges that what may be appealing or intuitive to one person may not necessarily align with the preferences and expectations of the target user group.

Remove your biases to ensure that the design solutions discussed in the critique are grounded in evidence and objectivity, creating a laser focus on the end user instead of personal whims.

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Keep Critiques Relegated To In-Person Or Video Meetings

While written critiques serve their purpose, especially for asynchronous communication and documentation, they don’t capture the depth and immediacy of in-person or video meetings.

In-person or video meetings provide an environment where participants can socialize, read expressions, sense tone, and communicate the purpose behind their feedback. Since we know how easily context gets lost over text, face-to-face meetings don’t leave as much room for misinterpretation.

These methods ensure that the intent behind the feedback is accurately conveyed, leading to a more productive and collaborative critique session.

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Tips For Receiving Design Feedback

Yes, giving feedback can be uncomfortable sometimes. But let’s not forget that the receiving end can also throw us for a loop, especially when we’re so invested in a project and showing it to someone who’s not as involved.

We can be told to remove our egos from the situation a thousand times, but there’s still that feeling of disappointment when our hard work doesn’t go to plan. Don’t be upset with yourself when you feel this way — it happens with the best of us.

Here are a few tips to help you cope with negative feedback and turn it into something positive:

• Be Prepared To Answer Questions: Anticipate that reviewers may have questions about your design decisions. Be ready to provide context, rationale, and user research findings to help them understand your choices.
  
• Remain Open-Minded: Be receptive to different viewpoints and resist the urge to become defensive. Remember that critique sessions are about improving the design, not personal validation.
  
• Take Notes: Keep a notebook or digital note-taking tool handy during the critique. Jot down feedback, suggestions, and questions as they come up. This helps you capture valuable insights and ensures that you don't forget important points.
  
• Promote Equal Participation: Show your audience that you care about their feedback by asking follow-up questions and leaving room for discussion. As the designer, you can facilitate this by inviting quieter team members to share their thoughts and opinions.
  
• Avoid Immediate Rebuttals: When you receive feedback, it's natural to want to defend your design choices. However, it's often more productive to listen and absorb the feedback first, even if you don't agree. Take time to reflect before responding.
  
• Focus On Problems, Not Personalities: Remember that critique sessions are about evaluating the design, not the individuals involved. Keep the conversation centered on design issues and avoid personalizing feedback.
  
• Schedule Follow-Ups: After the critique session, schedule follow-up meetings to discuss and address the feedback received. This demonstrates your commitment to improvement and gives you a chance to present revised design iterations or ask for guidance if needed.
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Use UX Design Critiques To Your Advantage!

In the ever-evolving world of UX design, one thing remains constant: design critiques are necessary to ensure that our designs reach their full potential.

Designers often invest their hearts and souls into their creations, but the input of outsiders can help spot flaws and realign user goals to fulfill the project's purpose. While many still struggle with giving and receiving it, the key to effective critiques lies in the delivery and communication skills involved.

By mastering the art of design critiques, designers can create a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement, ultimately delivering better user experiences.

Design critiques are not just beneficial for team-building; they are a valuable tool in the UX designer's arsenal for success. So go forth, critique, and (as usual) be kind.