What the F is Smorgasblog?

What the F is Smorgasblog?

Smörgåsbord

📓 [ smawr-guhs-bawrd, -bohrd or, often, shmawr- ]

noun

1. a buffet meal of various hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, salads, casserole dishes, meats, cheeses, etc.

2. an extensive array or variety: a smorgasbord of choices.

Cambridge Dictionary

About Smorgasblog

Smorgasblog, much like a “smörgåsbord”; is an extensive array or variety of my design interests and hot topics; personal hobbies and interests, such as fashion and footwear; curated sources of inspiration; as well as, my own musings and thoughts.

And if you’re lucky, maybe an odd photo, (or three!) of my beloved English Bulldog, Mr. Chow, will make a guest appearance here as well.

I love hearing from you so please feel free to comment under posts, (or go on a 🤍’ng spree). Alternatively, if there is something privé you would to share, such as feedback etc., please directly send me a message here via the Contact page.

Smorgasblog will give you an intimate screen capture into the eccentric and eclectic but I assure you, always light-hearted world of Moi.

Read on!

Storytelling and its effects on the Brain

Storytelling and its physical chemistry on the Brain.

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Hooking users with the power of neurochemistry

Your brain chemistry

on storytelling

I read Giovanni René Rodriguez’s article; “This Is Your Brain On Storytelling: The Chemistry Of Modern Communication" on Forbes.com a few years ago and it particularly resonated with me because I finally grasped the powerful effects of storytelling on human behavior.

Read on to learn more about the role that storytelling plays in activating a small set of organic chemicals in your brain chemistry!

Read article

Article summarized and reworded for your reading pleasure by Moi

1. First, there’s cortisol, which gets produced when something warrants our attention like distress. When we hear about potential threats in our environment or hear something distressing in a story, cortisol helps us stay attentive. From a marketer’s perspective may be the compound most closely associated with “the top of the funnel” experience (the first contact with a customer) known as awareness. Or the hook.

2. Next comes a far more popular and controversial compound, dopamine. This gets produced to aid in an elaborate learning system that rewards us with pleasure when we follow emotionally charged events in a story. This takes us further down the funnel.

   If cortisol helps with awareness, dopamine aids with arousal, or in other words, rewards us to stick with the journey.

3. And then comes the wonder drug of storytelling: oxytocin. This chemical has been identified as promoting prosocial, empathic behavior. And according to story scientists, it’s what enables us to identify with the hero/protagonist in a story.

So let’s pause for a moment, and summarize, we have a storytelling cocktail of chemicals: cortisol that helps with awareness; dopamine that helps with arousal (pleasure). With oxytocin, in combination with cortisol and perhaps with dopamine we have a drug that helps produce action.

This is intriguing and slightly dangerous to know that storytelling possesses the power to “hook” users into action by manipulating their neurochemistry. This knowledge should be used for the greater good but unfortunately people know the power of propaganda. The brain is so hungry for its pattern-making dopamine rewards, it overlooks contradictory or conflicting information whenever possible. Fewer people people may know just how biologically susceptible we are to telling stories and hearing storing stories that blind us to the truth, or other perspectives.

Storytellers have a choice and they are the most human when they exercise that choice with an understanding of the ethical implications of their craft.

The bottom line is; empathy when applied to the science of storytelling isn’t just part of the formula but it’s also an unquestionable part of the decision making process behind storytelling.

Favorite books on my Shelf!

What are some of your favorite books from this spread?

Fahhhh-shion & UX Design - surprising synergies

Dior - the storytelling behind haute couture

The magic behind haute couture.

I own a beautiful coffee table book, Dior: Couture Photographs by Patrick Demarchelier, Text by Ingrid Sischy. The foreword explains how the public’s curiosity about fashion to the growing affluence of the time, the power of advertising, and the constance coverage in magazines, hits upon an idea that is key and still true today:

“It has to do with our collective need to believe in some kind of magic.” - Ingrid Sischy

Fashion is pure escapism and a creative expression of daily reality and culture. And that is what captivated me to join the industry in my early twenties.

The highest echelon of fashion is haute couture and to produce a show requires Olympian statistics: a show, such as Dior, for example, necessitates approximately; “9750 yards of material: 22 miles of pattern canvas; 100,000 working hours; 500-700 working hours for a dress; plus 300-400 working hours for the embroidery on that dress.”

A typical collection employs collaboration between artists workshops, milliners, hosiers, shoemakers, corsetières, embroiderers, textile manufacturers, not to speak of all the talent that is contributed by the in-house staff, the assistant designers, the seamstresses, tailors, the stylists and of course, the superstar who reigns over the atelier, often referred to as the creative director. We’re clearly not talking T-shirts.

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Connecting the dots between Faahhhh-shion & UX Design

Although the role of the designer is paramount, haute couture is a collaborative medium. And here we can see the parallels between fashion and the UX Design process. Process being the conditional word. The agile and cross-functional like nature of both disciplines involves endless amounts of trust, communication, sensitive interpretation, and inspired execution.

There is workmanship, esprit de corps, empathy, and know how - what the French call savor-faire. And just as in the fashion world, much like we enjoy in the tech industry, there is always amazement, pride, satisfaction and joy in what is created. For the fashion set, the “MVP of couture” becomes their baby too.

The human relationships that are formed from realizing the final product, whether it from creating a stunning garment or improving functionalities; it is a reminder of what human beings can create together; when you depend on imagination, teamwork, leadership and vision.

Financial Forecast: UX Design Trends 2024

Financial UX Design Trends that will TRANSFORM Digital Banking

The vanguard of financial UX Design trends

I have myriad interests. Although finance may not appear in the same list of interests of fashion and footwear, as most designers, it surfaces in mine because of my relevant background and experience. My first degree and formal education is a bachelor’s in commerce, with a major in corporate finance and marketing. Upon graduating from The University of Sydney, I actually interned in the investment banking division at Westpac and while it was an enlightening and formative experience, numbers didn’t entirely agree with me. And thus, my path to design and the arts were carved.

It led me to a successful and enjoyable fashion career as a footwear designer for 6+ years, where I enjoyed immersive industry experiences (working next to the legendary Oscar de la Renta backstage!) that if I told my teenage self of the stories I witnessed firsthand and experienced, I would have to pinch myself!

Hindsight is 20/20 and while I was privy to a most rewarding and edifying career in fashion for the most of my twenties, footwear design didn’t stimulate my creativity in a way that activated both hemispheres of the brain. Although inherently my right side, the analog side (the visual and intuitive functions) will always be the more dominant; the analytical and critical thinking side of my brain yearned to be empowered as well. I see now, that finance and UX Design is the amalgamation of where my business, marketing and design acumen can best be applied.

My reading has recently gravitated towards where the top financial UX design trends are converging. And as the year ends, I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to summarize some of the top trends that have emerged from my reading.

1. From default “bootstrap” to exceptional tailor made design.

   Takeaway for product designers: create a digital product interface that’s unique in accordance with the visual identity of the financial brand. This will make the digital product delightful and allow it to stand amount among the growing competition.

2. From limited mono-functional to super app design.

   Takeaway for product designers: learn the best practice from super app designs and get ready to scale your product while maintaining simplicity and usability.

3. From demotivating Excel-like interface to dopamine like gamification.

   Takeaway for product designers: try to apply gamification elements to refresh the design of the most boring financial products to motivate users.

4. From limited functionality to exciting full experience design.

   Takeaway for product designers: find the missing desktop functionality for mobile solutions and create a mobile design out of it.

5. From legacy incumbents to confident digital outperformers.

   Takeaway for product designers: operate from the design-first principle by stepping out of the legacy to design a world-class digital first product/

6. From frustrating fragmentation to an enjoyable digital ecosystem.

   Takeaway for product designers: use design to unite company products into a consistent ecosystem that overcomes service and organizational silos.

7. From a complex puzzle to an effective design system.

   Takeaway for product designers: take design further than interface and visual identity by transforming it into a language that establishes rapid and effective product development by using a design system.

8. From cold- to warm-hearted design.

   Takeaway for product designers: don’t be afraid to be informal in financial design, perceive users as friends and build an emotional connection with them through design.

9. From mobile-only to progressive VR/AR ready design.

   Takeaway for product designers: think about the perspective of product development in the near future to be ready at the design level.

10. From package to ideology that makes an impact.

    Takeaway for product designers: look at design as your business ideology. What perspectives and opportunities does this open up, and can you as a designer do to realize them?

Further Reading

• Fintech UX Design Trends

• Digital‌ ‌for‌ ‌Finance‌ ‌-‌ ‌A‌ ‌Covid‌ ‌Advantage‌

• 10 tips for better Financial UX Design

• Mastering Fintech UX – A Design Case Study

Quote of the day 🖤

The influence of fashion & footwear on my design process.

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“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”

— Marilyn Monroe

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How Footwear Design has inspired my UX Design Approach

My product design background is heavily influenced and inculcated by my 6+ years, working in the tireless and dynamic fashion industry. 

My professional pivot to the tech industry was fortunately, a very natural and organic transition, as there exist many parallels and synergies between footwear design and the iterative UX design process.  As a result, of the intense and hands-on, footwear design education and training that I received, combined with the cyclical nature of the fashion industry, I am accustomed to, and I’m immensely comfortable with, providing fluidity to amorphous processes and challenges.  This has meant, I’m extremely resourceful and open minded, and have developed resilient positive thinking, from years of living and working internationally, across five different continents in 12 years.  There is no better school or teacher for compassion and respect, personal edification and self-development than real life, global experience. 

In this way, I am an open minded thinker and in big picture terms, as opposed to myopically.  In addition, I have mastered the task of taking broad concepts, and infusing life into, and weaving compelling stories around, products and experiences.  The challenge, then emerges, in harmonizing and refining the delicate interrelationship, between function and utility; with emotion and beauty.  

In this way, my career as a footwear designer, was the ultimate launchpad to prepare and propel me for success as a digital and professional problem solver.   Breathtaking shoes are not much different from one’s most revered or most memorable digital products, such as one’s beloved smart phone for example.  A seductive red outsole heel, or one’s most indispensable social media app:  both are adored products yet both debate where the optimal integration, between usability and emotional design prevail.  Designing footwear was a fantastic incubation period to unintentionally help me understand and explore emotional design, which is centered around solving customized digital solutions that utilize Design Thinking Curriculum and Human Centered Design processes. 

In summary, my career as a footwear designer has influenced me to be able to translate usable, engaging, accessible products and experiences, from start to finish, while maintaining the integrity of the design process.   

Balenciaga VS. Rib Eye

Balenciaga Makes “Raw Meat” Color-way

How would you like your meat served?

Balenciaga, is back at it again with more controversy! Months after releasing their crocs with stiletto heel, and yes I had the same reaction you had while reading that. The luxury fashion house, under the creative direction of Demna Gvasalia, has turned their attention towards reviving the chunky dad kicks; the style known as “Triple S”.

The colors include red, beige, black, blue and green and are also covered in a white overlay to give it a more “faded” or “dusty” effect. Aside from these new hues, the red one in particular, remind us of raw meat.

The result: bloody, indeed.

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Credit @diet_prada

Ta-dahhh! Meet Mr. Chow!

Mr. Chow & his confusing Namesake…

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Meet Mr. Chow

This is his classic, “fed up with life” pose.

Leslie Chow

Mr. Chow’s original namesake from The Hangover trilogy.

Mr. Chow Restaurant

The famous restaurant that people often confuse my puppy’s namesake for 🤷🏻‍♀️

What is next for mobile UX trends?

Top Mobile UX Trends on My Radar for 2023/4

(Click image to refer to original article)

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With 2021 almost over, it’s a perfect moment to explore what’s on the frontier of UX design trends for mobile.

- Regurgitated and reworded for your entertainment and pleasure by Moi

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1. The rise of the superapps:

   This trend originated in Asia. A notable example of such apps is Wechat; which combines a messenger, social media and mobile payment app into one. Superapps are essentially a multi-purpose app that are capable of performing many different tasks. Such apps strive to create ecosystems that cover all users needs so that users don’t have to switch to another app to solve their problems.

   It’s a very challenging concept. Since the app offers many different functions, it’s essential to invest in good discoverability and in-app navigation.
   
   

2. Video interactions:

   COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on our life; it has changed the way we work and communicate. Video conferencing software became one of the most in demand tools of 2020. And as we found out, it’s possible to do many things remotely without sacrificing efficiency.

   And In 2021 and in the future, we will see more and more cases of video interactions integrated naturally into our daily routine. Telemedicine and video shopping will be the two most popular areas.

3. 3D graphics with a functional purpose:

   3D designs have been used in apps and websites for years, so you can hardly call it a novel design trend. However the role of 3D objects in design is changing - they serve a clear functional purpose. There is an opportunity to render 3D graphic design a central part of the mobile experience.
   
   

   3D graphics first and foremost, should improve the efficiency of the interaction process and only then create a wow effect. The sector of e-commerce apps can particularly benefit from leveraging 3D graphics. 3D attracts attention and makes products look more appealing; it can allow, for example, designers to integrate a 360 view of a selected product.

4. Manipulation of information:

   Users face manipulation of truth both on news websites and, especially, in social media. The content on social media can be misleading but presented in a very compelling way so you start to believe that it’s true. After all, not many people have time to research facts, especially when they’re on mobile.
   
   

   Media platforms like Twitter, for example introduce algorithms that conduct content analysis and hide information that might be misleading.

5. Voice based design:

   You’re right, I know. Voice-based AI assistant or conversation design, really? It’s sooooo last season.

   Apple Siri, Google Now, Amazon Alexa are the big 3. Yet, most of them work more like voice-based shortcuts for common operations (i.e., “Alexa, what’s the weather” or “Siri, set the alarm to 8:00 am”), rather than powerful AI-based solutions

   
   The ultimate goal is to create a technology that will be capable of solving complex problems (i.e., “Should I buy a house now?” or “What college should I select for my kids?”) and be user-friendly at the same time. The next-gen of AI assistant will have:

   • Advanced personalization. The main goal of personalized design is to make the user feel that the content is created especially for them. Voice-based assistants will learn to understand who is interacting with them by analyzing voice and face.

   • Touchless interactions. Voice-first interfaces will help designers to reduce the number of steps a user has to take to reach the desired result.

   • User mood analysis. The next generation of AI assistants will understand user intention and analyze user speech to understand the current mood.

6. Cross-platform app optimization:

   With the release of the M1 chip, Apple breaks the borders between desktop and mobile and opens a new chapter in cross-platform solutions. The fact that M1 is based on ARM technology allows us to run iOS apps on the macOS.
   
   But what does it mean for product designers?  It means that we can (and should) optimize iOS apps not only for mobile devices but also for a desktop experience. Why? Because it gives you access to a larger audience and allows you to create a seamless transition between platforms.

   Finally, users will decide what platform they want to use at each given moment.

7. Advanced data visualization:

   Communicating information through visual representations is a great way to make data engaging and easy to understand. Data visualization can turn cold numbers into real stories, and stories can provoke emotion. It can be especially useful for the healthcare to the banking industry, helping us for example, better understand how we spend our money.
   
   

   Product designers must remember however, that the purpose of visualization is insight, not pictures. Data visualization is a lot more than beautiful visuals; it’s about a thorough understanding of the target audience and their needs, and finding the best way to communicate valuable information to them.
   
   

8. Subtle neomorphic details:

   Flat UI paired with minimalisms is the de facto industry standard. To create something fresh and unexpected, designers try new approaches in the attempt to go away from the Flat UI. One of the techniques popular in 2020 is neu-skeuomorphism (or neomorphism). This visual style uses design elements and textures that mimic the physical world. Neomorphism has one key difference from skeuomorphism: designers who apply neomorphism mimic the physical world for purely aesthetic purposes.

   Similar to skeuomorphism, neomorphism makes it difficult to scale a design. So it’s better to avoid creating full-neomorph UIs.
   
   

   However, it’s important for product designers to know that it’s possible to introduce subtle neomorphic details such as icons or pseudo-3D-buttons in design. By doing that, you can add “human touch” to the overall UX of your products and make products stand out from the crowd.

9. Next-gen of augmented reality apps:

   Facebook has unveiled its long awaited smart glasses in partnership with giant sunglass corporation, Luxottica under Ray-Ban, entering a nascent wearables market with a focus on capturing photos rather than augmented reality. The Luxottica partnership would help accommodate an array of styles and preferences that people might have for the devices.  The Facebook glasses allow users to take photos and video, to listen to music and to answer phone calls. While they lack AR, the technology that overlays digital content on the physical world, Facebook says it eventually plans to embed that functionality.
   
   

   In addition, Apple is rumored to have a secret team of hundreds of employees working on augmented reality projects.

   These are clear indicators that the industry is moving towards AR glasses and will invest heavily in AR technologies. And the best platform to pilot the AR tech is well, mobile.

10. Data security and privacy:

    Many users are concerned about trust and privacy. It is well known that large IT giants are profiling our activities. Most of us being in a situation when we browse for something on the web, for the next few weeks we see advertisements, mimicking our browser history. In addition, massive data leaks have made users reluctant to share their personal data.
    
    

    Industry leaders aim to find a solution to some of these problems. For example, registration and log-in processes are steps in the user flow, where we typically share our personal data. In 2020 Apple introduced Sign in with Apple feature, a private way to sign into apps and websites. Displaying a Sign in with Apple button in your app or website means that people can sign in/up with just a tap using their Apple ID. In cases where you choose to ask for a name and email address, people have the option to share a unique, random email address that automatically relays messages to their personal email address.
    
    

    Also, Apple have updated the App Store to include a new badge that shows what data linked to your identity the app collects.