In episode 6, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss designer-isms. As designers, we tend to use too much jargon. This episode is based on the article we wrote for UXATT (link below), where we wrote about 15 design terms. We talk about why you should avoid jargon. And give suggestions on how you could speak about the same thing in plain language. And yes, we need to get better at it too. Related interesting reads or resources 15 designer-isms - how to avoid jargon - UXATT.comWhy Design-isms are a problem - UX CollectiveHow to deal with information overload in everyday life - Monique DubbelmanMost Used words/terms in UX Design - Linkedin post by Akash Solanki

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Designer-isms: speak plain language

In episode 5, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss the value of UX research. Many designers, including larger agencies, have difficulties 'squeezing' user research into a project, because clients prefer to immediately jump to the visual part of design. But what is the value of UX research? List of used terms UX researchUser eXperience research. Find out how people feel when they use your product.UIUser Interface. The visual part of a digital product that people see when they use it. Related interesting reads or resources Just Enough Research, by Erika HallStart doing good research faster than you can plan your next pitch.Exposure is key to evidence-based decision making for product teams. Presentation for WPVIP- BigWP - 2020, by Cathi Bosco Why speculate about the people we are building and designing for? Our teams need a deep understanding of their needs and their environments.What Proactive User Research Looks Like, by Jared Spool - UIE ArticlesUnsplash plugin for WordPress by XWP

Understanding the value of UX research

In episode 4, Cathi, Jackie & Monique talk about how you can approach usability on digital products in a systematic way. We also introduce and explain our usability model, a pyramid that is based on the foundation of performance, accessibility and security. Listen now or read the transcript in the show notes to learn more. Links to discussed topics on usability From the UXATT blog: 10 critical usability heuristics to improve a digital experience Related interesting reads or resources Press This podcast episode with Jackie D’EliaNielsen Group 10 Usability Heuristics

How to approach usability on digital products

In episode 3, Cathi, Jackie & Monique talk about Web Stories for WordPress. Google recently released this plugin in Beta. With Web Stories, you can create visually immersive and engaging content. In this podcast, we look at the plugin from a design perspective. Who can benefit from this way of publishing content? What does it mean for accessibility? How is the overall editing experience? And why should you use this open source alternative, rather than use what's already out there, like Instagram Stories? We answer all these questions and more in this episode of the Rethink.fm podcast. Links to discussed topics on Google Web Stories Google Web StoriesPulitzer Prize Awarded: Powerless: A photographer's journey into Yemen's shattering war  by Lorenzo TugnoliCodePen: Text Magic by Paul BakausWeb Stories on WordPress Beta Related interesting reads or resources Other ways to publish stories in the include: Web Stories, Tapable HQ, Make Stories, Ampstor, Visual Stories TappableMake StoriesAmpstorOnceVisual Storiesroll your own with Web Stories released in 2019

Web Stories for WordPress

In episode 2, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss: What is good digital design? We take you back to the 80s and talk design for print. From there we touch on some design changes over the years and discuss how we work now. We also talk about the design of lawnmowers and Monique will tell you why she thinks Apple products like the magic mouse and the iPhone 11 are examples of bad design.  Listen now through your favorite podcast software, or read the transcript at the bottom. Links to discussed topics on good digital design Unsplash WordPress plugin  (coming to the plugin repo next week!) How progressive web apps can drive business success Related interesting reads What is intuitive design? Nobody told me UX would be like this

What is good digital design?

In episode 1 of season 3, Jackie D'Elia introduces the new co-hosts for the rethink.fm podcast: Cathi Bosco and Monique Dubbelman. The podcast continues in a new format, focusing more on design and user experience, both in and outside the WordPress ecosystem. Please find the transcript of the podcast at the bottom of this post. Listen to Episode 1 New co-hosts for rethink.fm podcast While we're redesigning this website to fit our new branding, please learn more about the new co-hosts for rethink.fm. Cathi Bosco I'm Cathi and I'm a Connecticut based UX Architect. I'm really excited to be part of this! Since we all bake, it's also a baking support group! Where to find Cathi Cathi's Business Website Cathi's Personal Website Cathi on Twitter Jackie D'Elia Hi I'm Jackie, the founder of this podcast. In another life, I could have been Rizzo from Grease. Where to find Jackie Jackie's Personal Website Jackie on Twitter Monique Dubbelman Hi, I'm Monique and I'm one of the inventors of Dutch Directness! (Or is it in our dna?). Where to find Monique Monique's Business Website Monique's Personal Website Monique on Twitter Or contact us via UXATT.com Links to discussed topics UXATT PressNomics GravityView Diversity Grant 2019 WordCamp US 2018 WordPress.org Design John Maeda Design-in-Tech Report 2020

Introducing the new co-hosts

Photo credit: Gary Lopater on Unsplash Exploring Page Builders and Advanced Custom Fields in WordPress In this episode, Diane Kinney and I are talking about Page Builders and Advanced Custom Fields Pro. There are a variety of tools available when it comes to building a WordPress website - and choosing the right tool for the job -- can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed. No worries, Diane puts it all in perspective and provides some useful tips on choosing a page builder. Diane Kinney Yes, I’m a mega WordPress nerd and I’d love to share the things I’ve learned in the last 17 years of building both simple and complex sites. Listen to Episode 24 Where to find Diane: Diane's Business Website: The Versatility Group Diane's Personal Website: DianeKinney.com Diane's Twitter link: @dkinney Her upcoming book with Carrie Dils: Real World Freelancing Tools and Resources discussed: Advanced Custom Fields Pro CMB2 - Custom Metaboxes 2 Page Builders Beaver Builder Site Origin Oxygen Page Builder Elementor Tailor Page Builder Critical Review by Pippin Williamson

Episode 24: Page Builders with Diane Kinney

Photo credit: Sasha on Unsplash Getting Started with Local SEO John Locke is back on Rethink.fm and this time we are talking about SEO and specifically Local SEO, what it is, who needs it and how to approach it. Whether you are just starting with SEO or have been struggling with it, this episode is sure to provide some valuable insight. John was my guest on Episode 1 of Rethink.fm where we talked about developing a content first strategy. John Locke John Locke is an SEO consultant from Sacramento, CA. He helps established businesses rank higher through his agency, Lockedown Design. Listen to Episode 23 Where to find John: Website: Locke Down Design Twitter: Tools and Resources discussed: DIY SEO Courses by Rebecca Gill KWFinder - Hundreds of keyword ideas SEO Audits Time To First Byte Brian Dean's Study of One Million Search Results Ahrefs - Tools to improve your search traffic, research your competitors and monitor your niche. SEM Rush Yoast Local SEO Plugin

Episode 23: Local SEO with John Locke

Photo credit: Puk Patrick on Unsplash Collaboration - Teaming up to tackle larger projects In this episode, I'm chatting with Cathi Bosco and Joe Dooley about a large project we did together. We talk about our roles and how we worked together. One of the challenges we tackled was incorporating a flexible animated icon system using SVGs -- and what was involved in building that. Listen to Episode 22 Cathi BoscoCreative Director, Digital Consultant, Web Designer, Artist, Illustrator, Children's Book Author, trail runner, dog lover & free thinker... My specialty is creating beautiful and cohesive web presence packages for clients that can convert audiences and present content elegantly (think modern and clean presentation). Our sites are built on The Genesis Framework and they function exceptionally well for a wide range of programs, communities, organizations, and companies. If you have an unusual challenge – we are all ears… tell us about your project and ideas! We don’t take on each and every proposal that comes along, but if we feel we can add value to your plans or programs, we’ll gladly get you a quote and get to work for you. I also think CSS transitions and CSS + SVG animations are very effective slightly below the surface. Designed to feed the human reward system. Always leaving the end user ‘in control’ of the navigation but royally rewarded aesthetically. This is for upper-end projects and can also help to differentiate sites from low-end, non-custom work… when done well. We all love this stuff… transitions and animations that are so subtle they beautifully and intriguingly enhance end-user experiences. Along with collaboration, they are key to forward momentum for Genesis developers and designers Joe Dooley Joe Dooley often describes himself as largely driven by analytics and a keen passion for SEO. His Tampa SEO company implements cutting edge practices to boost website conversion and meet his client’s marketing goals. Working as a front-end web developer and leading Developing Designs allows Joe to nurture the business aspirations of his clients as he works with them to advance their marketing platforms in exciting directions leading to success. Sponsor - IHateTomatoes.net This episode is sponsored by IHateTomatoes.net - Front-End Development Courses Don't let the name confuse you. This is the comprehensive resource that we used to build our SVG animations for the project mentioned in this episode. Petr Tichy is passionate about front-end development and offers three free introductory courses -- React 101, Greensock 101 and ScrollMagic 101 -- and when you are ready to take your front-end dev skills to the next level, he has affordable online workshops in React, web animations. High quality video tutorials that show you step by step how to accomplish some very amazing things. Master front-end development and take your React, GreenSock and ScrollMagic knowledge to the next level. Check out IHateTomatoes.net today. Where to find us: Website: C and D Studios Website: Developing Designs Website: Jackie D'Elia Design Twitter: Cathi Bosco Twitter: Joe Dooley Twitter: Jackie D'Elia Tools and Resources discussed: Greensock ScrollMagic IHateTomatoes.net Panetheon WP Engine Pagely SVGMO

Episode 22: Collaboration and SVG Animation

Photo credit: MILKOVÍ on Unsplash eCommerce - Helping folks sell online In this episode, I'm chatting with Bob Dunn of bobwp.com. Bob is a master at producing content and building an audience. We're talking about eCommerce, and what's involved in selling products online. And the conversation doesn't stop there. Bob shares his experience with podcasting, page builders, managing affiliates, sponsors and more. So if you are thinking about starting an online business, this episode covers a lot of ground. Bob Dunn With a background in marketing Bob and his wife Judy grew a marketing company into what today is a content marketing machine centered around eCommerce. "In 2007 I began to dabble in WordPress and by 2008, I knew it was the perfect solution for me and my clients. We dove back into eCommerce a bit more by starting a membership site in 2008 as well, a time before membership sites really were catching on. And obviously, with the technology nowhere at where it is today, it took us a good 9 months to develop the site." Today, Bob produces several podcasts and writes a ton of useful content for his growing audience. The rest is history, as they say. In a nutshell, it’s all about eCommerce with a frosting of WordPress. Listen to Episode 21 Where to find Bob: Website: bobwp.com Twitter: @bobwp Tools and Resources discussed: WooCommerce Easy Digitial Downloads Blubrry Libsyn AffiliateWP BeaverBuilder CoSchedule ThirstyAffiliates Shareasale

Episode 21: Bob Dunn on eCommerce

In this episode, I am chatting with Kim Shivler about Learning Management Systems, what are they and how easy it is to create a membership site of online courses. If you are thinking about selling courses or have clients that want to, this episode is for you.

Episode 20: Kim Shivler and Creating Online Courses

Why User Research Matters In this episode, I am chatting with Melissa Eggleston about UX, what it is and why it is a crucial component in creating a successful web project. I first met Melissa at WordCamp, Asheville in 2015 and had a chance to visit with her at the happiness bar and see her presentation Website Design with UX in Mind. Melissa Eggleston Melissa Eggleston is a User Experience Specialist and Content Strategist based in Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina. She helps businesses, non-profits, and universities find, attract, and help their target audiences. She often works for agencies and design/development teams. She's able to see the big picture while also digging into the details. She's worked on projects for both tiny tech startups and big organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Melissa's is the co-author of The Zombie Business Cure - How to refocus your company's identity for more authentic communication. Listen to Episode 19 Where to find Melissa: Website: Melissa Eggleston Twitter: @melissa_egg Tools and Resources discussed: Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug Just Enough Research by Erika Hall Hemingway Editor Jared Spool's All You Can Learn Library Grammarly - Awesome - in Browser Grammar checker

Episode 19: Melissa Eggleston on UX and Design

In this episode, I am chatting with Robin Cornett about her journey into plugin development. Robin started as a photographer who built her own website. Since those early days, she has created some very useful plugins, and is a contributor to the Genesis Framework.

Episode 18: Robin Cornett on Building Premium Plugins

Photo credit: Yanko Peyankov on Unsplash Workflow Wisdom In this episode, I am chatting with Nick Davis about his own workflow journey and why he started GenesisWP.guide. Nick Davis Nick's been building websites for fun and profit since 1997, doing everything from working as one of the first online journalists at the BBC; managing the website of one of the UK’s largest airports; to running a large team of web developers and designers for a publishing company in Dubai. Since going out on his own and discovering WordPress in 2010, he's worked as a WordPress developer and consultant helping business owners and agencies launch better websites for their businesses or clients, obsessing about making everything on their websites as easy to manage as possible. Listen to Episode 17 Where to find Nick: I Am Nick Davis @iamnickdavis on Twitter GenesisWP Guide Tools and Resources discussed: KnowtheCode.io Alain Schlesser - Reusable Code Series Transcript Jackie Hey everybody, this is Jackie D'Elia with episode 17 of Rethink.fm and I have my very special guest, Nick Davis. Hey, Nick. Nick Hey, how you doing? Jackie I'm doing well. Thanks for being on. Most of the folks that listen to this podcast that might be in the genesis community may know you from your GenesisWP.guide site and the newsletter you send out, but you've also been, you also have your hands in lots of other things. Can you give us an update on what it is that you do, where you live and what you're about? Nick Sure. Yeah. Too many things, I've been trying to slim it down but yeah probably people from Genesis, know me from GenesisWP.guide. Mainly I do the newsletter once a week, This Week in Genesis, a very creative title. I think a lot of people know me through that, we've got a few 100 subscribers from that so it's going pretty well. I'm a WordPress developer, I live in Italy. Before that I was in Dubai, before that was in UK. Done lots of different, I guess you could say maybe side businesses. I've been in WordPress development, I was co-founder of Lean Themes, we did a couple of I like to think really nice themes for Genesis. One of them got picked up by StudioPress Kickstart, which we're still getting inquiries and stuff about which is great. Did ThemeVale for a while which is setting up themes with people, doing that as like a business as well. Sort of trying lots of things, seeing what works. Really right now I'm super focused on my consulting and I just try to find a bit of time every week for the GenesisWP guide. Jackie Okay. GenesisWP guide, when did you start that? You recently just said you had a 100th newsletter that came out, the 100th edition. When did that start? Nick It was just over two years. I haven't quite managed every week, but yeah it's been, I think it was March 2 years ago so a little while. Jackie I think that's a really nice way of keeping the Genesis in touch with each other and seeing what's going on. I'm just curious, how do you curate all of that? I know you have something on your site where people can go and just contribute, put a link in, what it's about and why you think it would be useful. Do you use that was a way or do you have other methods of gathering information to put into your weekly newsletter? Nick Sure. I put a thing on the site and that definitely helps so if you haven't been there and you're in Genesis, this is my call to action for you now, go to GenesisPW.guide. You do have to register because I don't want anonymous contributions, but you don't even have to register for the newsletter, you can just post something. It goes literally straight up on the homepage, so don't post anything bad, you'll get banned. Stuff goes up on there and I really did it, yeah, to help me create a newsletter and also because it's long term and it's going to be super long term cause I've been thinking about it so, so, so long, I'd love to turn it more into ...

Episode 17: Nick Davis and Workflow Wisdom

Agency Workflows and Tools In this episode, I am chatting with Lee Jackson of AngledCrown all about agency workflows. What's life like running an agency across the pond? Tune in and find out. Lee Jackson Lee is the founder of Angled Crown, a digital agency in the UK. They primarily build WordPress site and plugins for design agencies. Lee is also the host of the WPInnovator Podcast - The podcast for designers, we talk agency life, strategy, marketing and WordPress. This episode of Rethink.fm is sponsored by: This episode of Rethink.fm is sponsored by Beaver Builder. If you are looking to reduce design and development time, Beaver Builder is your answer. It’s the only page builder I recommend and with over 375,000 WordPress websites built with Beaver Builder - you’ll be in great company. Stop reinventing the wheel. With dozens of gorgeous page templates, you’ll be able to spin up an amazing landing page in minutes. Looking for a template for your site's inner pages? Don't worry, they’ve got you covered there too. You can even save your own designs as templates and reuse them throughout your site, or export them to use on a different site. Build your website in minutes, not months! An now, take Beaver Builder even further. Bridge the Gap Between Pages and Your Theme. Beaver Themer lets you create layouts for archive pages, a template for an entire post type, 404 and search pages, and create parts like headers and footers. Beaver Builder, Awesome Software, Great Support, and a Helpful Community. Get all the details at WPBeaverBuilder.com Finally got some time to try this out. I bought a copy of Beaver Builder for a recent project. I created a gorgeous custom landing page in just a few hours. This is quickly becoming a favorite in my digital toolbox. --Jackie D'Elia Listen to Episode 16 Where to find Lee: Angled Crown @leejacksondev on Twitter LeeJacksonDev Facebook group Tools discussed: Ganttify Projecthuddle SVG Support Plugin

Episode 16: Lee Jackson and Agency Workflows

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