Archive for month: March, 2019

Original Source: https://www.sitepoint.com/the-difference-between-computed-properties-methods-and-watchers-in-vue/

For those starting out learning Vue, there’s a bit of confusion over the difference between methods, computed properties and watchers.

Even though it’s often possible to use each of them to accomplish more or less the same thing, it’s important to know where each outshines the others.

In this quick tip, we’ll look at these three important aspects of a Vue application and their use cases. We’ll do this by building the same search component using each of these three approaches.

Methods

A method is more or less what you’d expect — a function that’s a property of an object. You use methods to react to events which happen in the DOM, or you can call them from elsewhere within your component — for example, from within a computed property or watcher. Methods are used to group common functionality — for example, to handle a form submission, or to build a reusable feature such as making an Ajax request.

You create a method in a Vue instance, inside the methods object:

new Vue({
el: “#app”,
methods: {
handleSubmit() {}
}
})

And when you want to make use of it in your template, you do something like this:

<div id=”app”>
<button @click=”handleSubmit”>
Submit
</button>
</div>

We use the v-on directive to attach the event handler to our DOM element, which can also be abbreviated to an @ sign.

The handleSubmit method will now get called each time the button is clicked. For instances when you want to pass an argument that will be needed in the body of the method, you can do this:

<div id=”app”>
<button @click=”handleSubmit(event)”>
Submit
</button>
</div>

Here we’re passing an event object which, for example, would allow us to prevent the browser’s default action in the case of a form submission.

However, as we’re using a directive to attach the event, we can make use of a modifier to achieve the same thing more elegantly: @click.stop=”handleSubmit”.

Now let’s see an example of using a method to filter a list of data in an array.

In the demo, we want to render a list of data and a search box. The data rendered changes whenever a user enters a value in the search box. The template will look like this:

<div id=”app”>
<h2>Language Search</h2>

<div class=”form-group”>
<input
type=”text”
v-model=”input”
@keyup=”handleSearch”
placeholder=”Enter language”
class=”form-control”
/>
</div>

<ul v-for=”(item, index) in languages” class=”list-group”>
<li class=”list-group-item” :key=”item”>{{ item }}</li>
</ul>
</div>

As you can see, we’re referencing a handleSearch method, which is called every time the user types something into our search field. We need to create the method and data:

new Vue({
el: ‘#app’,
data() {
return {
input: ”,
languages: []
}
},
methods: {
handleSearch() {
this.languages = [
‘JavaScript’,
‘Ruby’,
‘Scala’,
‘Python’,
‘Java’,
‘Kotlin’,
‘Elixir’
].filter(item => item.toLowerCase().includes(this.input.toLowerCase()))
}
},
created() { this.handleSearch() }
})

The handleSearch method uses the value of the input field to update the items that are listed. One thing to note is that within the methods object, there’s no need to reference the method with this.handleSearch (as you’d have to do in React).

See the Pen Vue Methods by SitePoint (@SitePoint) on CodePen.

The post The Difference Between Computed Properties, Methods and Watchers in Vue appeared first on SitePoint.

Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2019/03/learnability-in-ux-design/

Building a learnable website is much tougher than it sounds.

One thinks one’s design is clear and comprehensible; however, a design that might be obvious for you, might be perceived totally different by a user with a different set of experiences. Therefore, the goal is to design a clear user path that visitors can quickly pick up and understand.

Why Learnability Matters

Learnability has a strong correlation with usability. It is vital for users to quickly understand the layout and purpose of an application. Especially for web applications, providing an easy to learn interface is important. It is much more convenient to design an easy to understand mobile app compared with a web application; a mobile screen just doesn’t allow to provide a complex interface or let the user accomplish difficult tasks.

The speed of adoption is not the only criteria why learnability matters. A website that looks familiar and provides an understandable interface will result in a lower bounce rate. This is especially useful for websites that try to boost their conversion rate. A complex design scares users and they will resort to other tools that provide a clear interface. In the end, the goal of every website is to convert an occasional user into a repeated user and engage the user for interaction.

Learnability by Example

We can find loads of examples on the internet where learnability has been applied in the right way. Let’s take a look at the key elements of learnability in design…

Small Hints

A few days ago, I moved to Berlin and I had to fill in a form for calculating the cost for my European health insurance. Unfortunately, the form is only available in German, however, due to the great combination of visuals and text, I could perfectly understand what information they required. This is a great example of how an icon can reflect a possible answer.

Other small hints like a tooltip or default text can give a user an initial idea about how the interface can be used and what options are available. Let’s take the Twitter “Compose new Tweet” modal as an example. The design asks the user to tell what is happening. The initial response of a new user would be to input what just happened into the field. Besides that, when the user hovers one of the icons below the text field, a tooltip will appear telling the user what action the icon allows. In short, no space is wasted on adding text, the design speaks for itself.

Familiarity by Consistency

Google uses its own design system (Material Design) which is increasingly used across all of its products. Therefore, a call-to-action button will be the same across tools. Users who have used Gmail should recognize a lot of the elements when using Google Drive for the first time.

This familiarity eases the adoption process of a new interface as users are able to transfer their mental model of one product onto another. Especially for an older generation who didn’t grow up with computers, this familiarity is important as they tend to avoid change and learning new interfaces.

A mental model represents a person’s thought process for how something works. Mental models are based on incomplete facts, past experiences, and even intuitive perceptions. They help shape actions and behavior, influence what people pay attention to in complicated situations and define how people approach and solve new problems or interfaces.

A snippet from Susan Carey’s 1986 journal article about ‘Cognitive science and science education’.

You can find this familiarity also on blogs, but not that explicit as only certain elements are implicitly required. For example, the hamburger icon indicates a menu is hidden and can be unfolded by clicking the hamburger. Mostly, you’ll find a search icon on the right side of the navigation bar.

Also, the layout across blogs is quite consistent. A blog always consists of a header with clear navigation followed by some featured articles and then the body of the article. We, as users, became familiar with this concept so that a blog with a different layout will look, and feel strange to us.

Evidence of Actions

In addition to making sure actions are comprehensible, it’s also important to make sure the user has evidence of their actions; this helps to reinforce what reaction each operation produces throughout the journey.

To give you a simple example, when completing a form, you are shown a ‘thank you’ or a mail that indicates the completion. For a user, that is clear evidence they have used the interface correctly. Why does this matter? Providing feedback during the learning process helps a user to remember the interface better as he immediately learns what is possible or not. Proper feedback mechanisms can reduce the learning curve quickly and also help the user increase his efficiency while using the tool.

To give an example, instead of solely giving feedback upon submission of a form, let’s provide feedback along the way on a field per field basis. This can be as simple as showing a list of requirements for a password field: whenever the password meets one of the listed requirements, the requirement gets ticked off; when all requirements are met, the input field turns green indicating the user can move on to the next input field.

How to Measure Learnability?

Actually, it is not that difficult to design a solid process for measuring learnability. First of all, a key indicator for learnability is the bounce rate. Therefore, using Google Analytics is crucial to gain insights.

Besides Google Analytics, you can perform tests yourself with random test subjects: Provide an interface to your test subjects and give them five simple tasks to complete. For example, you have an online platform for creating and sending invoices, let your users perform the following tasks:

Create an invoice with one item;
Edit invoice;
Send invoice to receiver;
Track payment for the invoice;
Download completed invoice for personal bookkeeping.

Now, let your test subjects perform these simple tasks five times in a row with each time a day of rest. It is important to measure the time needed for completing each task. A design that provides good learnability capabilities should see an increase in efficiency while repeating tasks. After five repetitions it is normal to see stagnation as the user has reached the limits of efficiency (unless they are superhuman).

Many elements determine the learnability factor. Never take your design for granted, there is always room for optimization. Use these tips in practice and see how you can optimize the conversion rate of your design.

Featured image via Unsplash

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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CreativeBloq/~3/WD6enNvyCIo/apps-design-inspiration-51515007

 Inspiration is essential for every creative person. If you are in the right mood, it can come from almost anywhere. However, when you feel tired or distracted, your imagination may need additional sources to get inspiration from. 

Having scoured the internet, we've collected a selection of what we think are the best apps to give your inspiration a boost. We've included loads of free apps, and some worth paying a little extra for. So read on to get your creative cogs whirring.

For an extra creative boost, take a look at our articles summing up the best iPad apps for designers, and our pick of the best drawing apps for iPad. 

Brilliant design portfolios to inspire you
01. Creative Live

Creative Live delivers classes from world-class creators to get you learning and inspired

From free

'Master your craft, your passion or something new with creative classes taught by the world's best.'

Creative Live streams classes taught by master creators including Grammy award winners, best-selling authors and world-renowned photographers. This app has the potential to be life-changing and we don't say that lightly

With free classes streaming 24/7, you could stay on the sidelines and dip in and out of the impressive free timetable. If you choose to dive in deeper, the 1500+ classes are available on-demand and you have payment options including individual classes (variable) and a monthly subscription ($39).

02. Coolors

Find a colour palette in seconds

$1.99/£1.99

Coolors is a super-popular app that does its one thing extremely well: it generates colour palettes. If you're having trouble finding the right aesthetic for your design, simply hit the spacebar to scroll through Coolors' collection of colour palettes. You can then adjust the temperature and hue, and export your palette in a number of different formats.

As well as an iOS app ($1.99/£1.99), you can now use Coolors as a Chrome extension ($1.99/£1.29) or plug it into Photoshop CC or Illustrator CC ($5). It was designed, developed and is maintained by one man – Fabrizio Bianchi – and has amassed over 320,000 users.

A short lesson on colour theory
03. Fabulous

Develop a healthier lifestyle

Free

Award-winning app Fabulous aims to help you form healthy habits. Use it to increase your energy levels, sleep better, and generally become healthier – all of which are conducive to getting your creative juices flowing. 

While there are lots of apps around that are geared towards forming healthy habits, this one is backed up by actual science (it was incubated in Duke's Behavioral Economics Lab, we're told). Available for iOS or Android.

04. Facebook Local

Get out and about

Free

Facebook Local is Facebook's events app. Everyone knows that there's only so much inspiration you can glean from sitting at your desk – getting out and about and interacting with people is a top way to get fresh ideas.

This app includes an interactive map you can use to find events and activities happening near you, and filter them down by time, category, location and more. It also offers recommendations based on what's popular with your friends, so you might discover something new.

05. Oak

Try meditation

Free

Perhaps the best way to fill your mind with wonderful new ideas is to first clear it of any niggles, stresses and worries. Oak is a meditation app based around techniques that have been practiced for centuries. 

It offers guided meditation sessions of different lengths (got a deadline? Perhaps go for the 10-minute option), as well as yogic breathing exercises to help calm you.

06. Windy

$1.99/£1.99

Meditation is great, but nothing beats a good night's sleep for helping focus your mind. Windy masks unwanted noise with high-quality wind sounds recorded in psychoacoustic 3D, accompanied by mesmerising parallax 3D illustrations. 

Featuring natural wind recordings in partnership with Emmy-award winning nature sound recordist Gordon Hempton, it's a cool alternative to a white noise generator. Also great for drowning out annoying colleagues so you can apply yourself to the task at hand.

07. Frax HD

$1.99/£1.99

It's hard to beat the sight of a lovely rendered fractal image, and all the more so when it's animated, allowing you to dive down into it to reveal ever more details. Frax HD does exactly that and more: you can choose different fractals, adjust the texturing, lighting and colour settings, and best of all you can set everything in motion and steer your way through the fractal landscape by tilting your device.

Best viewed on a recent iPhone or iPad Air, it's a psychedelic delight that'll get your inspiration glands firing. 

08. Bicolor

$1.99/£1.99

Bicolor is a perfect choice for those who want to give their brains a workout with a puzzle game, but can't stand the cluttered, frenetic interface that often comes with it. As you'd expect from its name, Bicolor is a game app in only two colours.

Enjoy over 240 puzzles to kickstart your cranial activity. If you have a client who wants to have something unusual, install this app and let the ideas flow into your mind.

09. Monument Valley 2

Monument Valley’s Escher-esque world is hard to resist

$4.99/£4.99

The follow-up to ustwo's smash hit from 2014, and featuring the same dreamy aesthetic, Monument Valley 2 is a game with some serious design credentials. In this version, you journey through surreal worlds with a mother and daughter, navigating impossible geometry and optical illusions. 

Take a 10-minute break, explore, and marvel in the incredible design.

10. Inkflow Visual Notebook

Free

One more great app to help you arrange your thoughts and generate a mind-blowing project: Inkflow Visual Notebook combines the feel of pen-and-paper note-taking with the flexibility of digital. 

Take notes within the app, then scale and move your notes about to organise them into a coherent page. It's ideal for brainstorming your next big idea. 

11. Yummly

Yummly will get you cooking delicious new recipes

Free

An empty stomach is the enemy of a busy mind – focusing on being creative when your stomach is growling for attention is almost impossible. Yummly to the rescue – this popular recipe app displays photos of amazing dishes together with delicious recipes. 

Choose what you want to cook, the app will generate a shopping list with the ingredients, and show the number of calories and the amount of time you'll spend on cooking.

Related articles:

19 free ebooks for designers and artists5 apps that are shaking up the art market10 of the best notebooks for designers 

Original Source: https://www.sitepoint.com/natural-language-processing-python/

A significant portion of the data that is generated today is unstructured. Unstructured data includes social media comments, browsing history and customer feedback. Have you found yourself in a situation with a bunch of textual data to analyse, and no idea how to proceed?

The objective of this tutorial is to enable you to analyze textual data in Python through the concepts of Natural Language Processing (NLP). You will first learn how to tokenize your text into smaller chunks, normalize words to their root forms, and then, remove any noise in your documents to prepare them for further analysis.

Let’s get started!

Prerequisites

In this tutorial, we will use Python’s nltk library to perform all NLP operations on the text. At the time of writing this tutorial, we used version 3.4 of nltk. To install the library, you can use the pip command on the terminal:

pip install nltk==3.4

To check which version of nltk you have in the system, you can import the library into the Python interpreter and check the version:

import nltk
print(nltk.__version__)

To perform certain actions within nltk in this tutorial, you may have to download specific resources. We will describe each resource as and when required.

However, if you would like to avoid downloading individual resources later in the tutorial and grab them now in one go, run the following command:

python -m nltk.downloader all

Step 1: Convert into Tokens

A computer system can not find meaning in natural language by itself. The first step in processing natural language is to convert the original text into tokens. A token is a combination of continuous characters, with some meaning. It is up to you to decide how to break a sentence into tokens. For instance, an easy method is to split a sentence by whitespace to break it into individual words.

The post Getting Started with Natural Language Processing in Python appeared first on SitePoint.

Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2019/03/popular-design-news-of-the-week-march-11-2019-march-17-2019/

Every week users submit a lot of interesting stuff on our sister site Webdesigner News, highlighting great content from around the web that can be of interest to web designers. 

The best way to keep track of all the great stories and news being posted is simply to check out the Webdesigner News site, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick and useful compilation of the most popular designer news that we curated from the past week.

Note that this is only a very small selection of the links that were posted, so don’t miss out and subscribe to our newsletter and follow the site daily for all the news.

8 Web Development Trends to Take Notice of in 2019

Maze 2.0

Going Beyond the Golden Ratio

IBM is Preparing for a UK Exit from the EU

Planning for Responsive Images

A JavaScript-Free Frontend

Create a Beautiful and Responsive HTML Email Template

Consult this Handy Chart to See if You are an ***hole Designer

Web Design Museum

Using Shaders to Create Realistic Special Effects in Web Design

Bringing Black and White Photos to Life Using Colourise.sg

Haiku Animator

5 UX Tips I Learned Working in Gamedev

10 Analytics Tools for Optimizing UX

Design Checklist for Perfect Charts

On the Dismissal of Design tools

Hot Take: Dark Mode

Design in Tech Report 2019

Women Made it – Tools, Books and Blogs Made by Women

The Planned Obsolescence of Old Coders

8 Creative Ways to Share your User Research

Typography on the Web

How the Bauhaus Kept Things Weird

Mozilla Firefox Send Lets You Share Encrypted Files Privately and for Free

Design Better Products by Building Trust

Want more? No problem! Keep track of top design news from around the web with Webdesigner News.

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