Every Sunday I sit down to write weekly journal prompts as part of a self-care ritual. The first question is “How do I feel right now?”, checking in with myself to assess. Other questions are about assessing my goals and progress, including regular versions of an Eisenhower matrix. One question, though, always makes me stopContinue reading “What Inspires Me Today?”
Author Archives: Elizabeth Pizzuti
Form field validation that’s not annoying
A few notes I’ve collected from working on form field validation for Checkout, Forms, and Settings. 1. Prevention is better than correction The “right” way should be the easiest way. Use input masking and contextual help text to shape correct input from the start. ✅ Auto-formatting credit card numbers (e.g., 1234 5678 9012 3456) ✅ Pre-filled country codes in phoneContinue reading “Form field validation that’s not annoying”
Being authentic
Read a couple books recently that reinforced a thread that has always followed me in life, being your authentic self and expressing yourself authentically. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a story about a girl who doesn’t want to live anymore and she’s taken on a journey through all her potential parallel lives, basedContinue reading “Being authentic”
Becoming a better designer, Part 2: Take a break before you break yourself
This is the next part of a series I started a few years ago “How to be a better designer”. I’m changing to the phrase “Becoming” because this advice is more for myself than anyone else. However, bonus if anyone reading finds this useful for their own lives! I’m currently enjoying a 3 month sabbaticalContinue reading “Becoming a better designer, Part 2: Take a break before you break yourself”
We’re stewards, not owners: User experience and open source
I work at a relatively large organization. There are many divisions and teams, and products within the larger product. At this organization, I design for people using these products. To add another layer of complexity, the products we design and build are open source. This means that beyond the end users of the product, merchantsContinue reading “We’re stewards, not owners: User experience and open source”
How to be a better designer, Part 1: Consequences of social media algorithms
I’ve been meaning to write this post on the consequences and power of data, and reflecting on what power we have as designers to make things better. It’s becoming more clear as time goes on, some of the things we design (or technologies we facilitate with our design) related to our work on certain platformsContinue reading “How to be a better designer, Part 1: Consequences of social media algorithms”
Design, cooking, and frameworks for creativity
I’ve had to think about my ideation and design process a lot lately, transitioning from a background of customer-centered product design to tech companies that are more driven by engineering. How does design work in these environments? Also, during the recent extensive time at home I’ve managed to cook a lot of meals. I hadContinue reading “Design, cooking, and frameworks for creativity”
Using technology to connect us with shopping IRL
Some context: I designed an app a little while back that connect you with points of interest around the city, and you could follow different paths based on your location and interests. Although there’s a lot of talk about how much technology disconnects us from the world around us, I’ve always been fascinated by theContinue reading “Using technology to connect us with shopping IRL”
Rethinking Retail: 4 Opportunities to Upgrade the Associate Experience
At HBC Tech, one of the company’s current initiatives is to bridge the divide between the physical and digital experience. Saks Fifth Avenue has a considerable network of retail locations throughout the US, and our goal is to use technology to entice more people into these stores. More specifically, one initiative focuses on connecting newContinue reading “Rethinking Retail: 4 Opportunities to Upgrade the Associate Experience”
Notes on Creativity and Originality in Digital Product Design
Designers are extremely creative people, but the design of websites and digital products is becoming less and less so. And it’s not just because of responsive web design. I’ve been thinking about why this is happening, and in my research for a new platform I’m building, I asked many designers their opinions on the topic.Continue reading “Notes on Creativity and Originality in Digital Product Design”