This week those of you who keep a hand in on all things design will recognize our own Vix Young peering out of the pages of New Design magazine. In the column Vix showcases some of her favourite design products. They include paper clips in the shape of a penguin, an egg cup in the shape of a chess-board rook and an accompanying knight to hold the ‘soldiers’ (we particularly like the continuity with that one) and a pink flamingo shaped chopsticks holder.  Very quirky!

 

One of Vix’s key observations in the article is how much she appreciates personality in design. It is a quality that really makes design stand out from the crowd, allows the character to shine through and showcases its differentiating qualities. However, when applying this insight to her own discipline Vix observes that UX designers can overlook this, whereas in product design it is the most important aspect: ‘I believe personality makes products more enjoyable to use and ultimately more memorable.’ She extols the virtue of cross-pollination between disciplines, enriching our user experience design instincts by learning from product design considerations. In a world where all marketers seek to create memorable work and deliver enjoyable experiences to users design is a fundamental consideration.

Vix is well placed to know. She is our senior user experience designer and this year brought her expertise to bear on the BIMA and the APA International Content Marketing award winning MyFarm project for National Trust, the Channel 4 Paralympics website design and build, where user experience design was fundamental in ensuring all content was delivered in such a way as to engage the c.7000 weekly visitors, as well as for projects for charities Prostate Cancer Charity and Somewhereto.

 

Tags: Charities, Design, Digital Marketing, engagement, MyFarm, National Trust, Not for Profit, Product Design, User Experience, UX