Author Archive for: admin

Original Source: https://abduzeedo.com/editorial-design-100-beste-plakate-24-showcase

Editorial Design: ‘100 Beste Plakate 24’ Showcase

abduzeedo
06/12 — 2025

Explore “100 Beste Plakate 24,” a stunning yearbook by Tristesse and Slanted Publishers. Dive into cutting-edge editorial design and visual identity.

Design enthusiasts, get ready to dive into the latest from the German-speaking design scene. The “100 Beste Plakate 24” yearbook offers a compelling showcase of contemporary graphic design. It’s more than just a collection; it’s a deep exploration of visual identity and editorial design.

This yearbook, published by Slanted Publishers and edited by 100 beste Plakate e. V. and Fons Hickmann, is a testament to the power of impactful poster design. The design studio Tristesse from Basel took the reins for the overall concept, delivering a fresh and cheeky aesthetic that makes the “100 best posters” feel like leading actors on a vibrant stage. Their in-house approach to layout, typography, and photography truly shines.

Unpacking the Visuals

The book’s format (17×24 cm) and 256 pages allow for large-format images, providing ample space to appreciate each poster’s intricate details. It includes detailed credits, content descriptions, and creation contexts. This commitment to detail in the editorial design elevates the reading experience.

One notable example within the yearbook is the “To-Do: Diplome 24” poster campaign by Atelier HKB. Designed under Marco Matti’s project management, this series features twelve motifs for the Bern University of the Arts graduation events. These posters highlight effective graphic design and visual communication. Another standout is the “Rettungsplakate” by klotz-studio für gestaltung. These “rescue posters,” printed on actual rescue blankets, address homelessness in Germany. The raw, impactful visual approach paired with a tangible medium demonstrates powerful design with a purpose.

Beyond the Imagery

Beyond the stunning visuals, the yearbook offers insightful essays and interviews on current poster design trends. The introductory section features jury members, their works, and statements on the selection process, alongside forewords from the association president and jury chair. This editorial content offers valuable context and insights into the evolving landscape of graphic design.

The book’s concept playfully questions the seriousness and benevolence of the honorary certificates awarded to the winning designers. This subtle irony adds a unique layer to the publication, transforming it from a mere compilation into a thoughtful commentary on the design world itself. It’s an inspiring showcase of the cutting edge of contemporary graphic design.

The Art of Editorial Design

“100 Beste Plakate 24” is a prime example of exceptional editorial design. It’s not just about compiling images; it’s about curating a narrative. The precise layout, thoughtful typography choices, and the deliberate flow of content all contribute to a cohesive and engaging experience. This book highlights how editorial design can transform a collection of works into a compelling story, inviting readers to delve deeper into each piece.

The attention to detail, from the softcover with flaps to the thread-stitching and hot-foil embossing, speaks volumes about the dedication to craftsmanship. This is where illustration, graphic design, and branding converge to create a truly immersive experience.

Final Thoughts

This yearbook is a must-have for anyone passionate about graphic design and visual identity. It offers a fresh perspective on contemporary poster design, highlighting both aesthetic excellence and social relevance. The detailed insights into the design process and the designers’ intentions make it an invaluable resource. Pick up a copy and see how impactful design can be.

You can learn more about this incredible work and acquire your copy at slanted.de/product/100-beste-plakate-24.

Editorial design artifacts

Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/society6-vs-etsy

If you’re trying to sell art prints, posters, or merch online, there’s a high chance you’ve run into these two: Society6 and Etsy.

Quick answer?

If you want full control, build a brand, and scale over time, Etsy wins hands down.
But if you just want to upload art and not worry about a thing, Society6 is less effort but lower reward.

Let me walk you through it — from someone who’s been selling on both for over a decade.

Society6 vs Etsy: Full Feature Comparison Table

FeatureSociety6Etsy (with POD integration)Platform TypePrint-on-demand marketplaceCustomisable ecommerce marketplaceSetup TimeSuper fast (15–30 mins)Moderate (2–5 hours with integrations)Ease of UseVery easy, no tech skills neededSteeper learning curve, more toolsCustom Storefront❌ No – generic product pages✅ Yes – full store brandingProduct Range~80+ products (home decor, wall art, furniture)Unlimited via Printful, Printify, Gelato, etc.Design ControlVery limited – upload onlyFull control over product mockups, descriptions, listingsBranding❌ None – no email list, no logo, no customisation✅ Full control over branding and marketingCustomer Ownership❌ None – you never see the buyer✅ Yes – you get buyer data, can retargetProfit MarginsLow (e.g. $3–5 on a $25 print)Higher (e.g. $10–15 on a $25 print)FeesNo upfront or listing fees$0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + 3% payment feesTraffic SourceBuilt-in marketplace trafficBuilt-in traffic + SEO + Etsy AdsMarketing Tools❌ None – no email, coupons, analytics✅ Coupons, email, abandoned cart, SEO, adsSEO OptionsNoneFull control over titles, tags, categoriesCustomer SupportHandled by Society6You or your POD partner handles supportFulfilmentHandled entirely by Society6Handled by POD partner (e.g. Printful)Payment HandlingSociety6 pays you royaltiesEtsy takes payments via Stripe or Etsy PaymentsPayout TimeMonthly (Net-30)Weekly or faster (via Etsy Payments)International ShippingYes (Society6 fulfils globally)Yes (depends on POD partner)Mobile AppNo seller appEtsy Seller App availableAnalytics & Insights❌ None✅ Built-in analytics, external tracking supportedSupport QualityMinimal – hard to reachResponsive through Etsy + POD platformIdeal ForArtists who want passive incomeSellers building a brand and long-term store

What Are They? Let’s Set the Stage

When you’re first getting into print-on-demand, the platform you choose shapes everything — how much control you have, how you brand yourself, and what kind of customers you attract.

Society6 is a print-on-demand marketplace built specifically for artists.

You upload your artwork, choose the products you want it printed on — like prints, mugs, pillows, or even furniture — and Society6 takes care of the rest.

No need to manage inventory, customer support, or fulfilment. It’s plug-and-play, which makes it incredibly beginner-friendly. But you’re operating within their ecosystem — your store isn’t really yours.

Etsy, on the other hand, wasn’t designed for POD — it’s a massive global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and custom goods.

But with the rise of integrations like Printful, Printify, Gelato, and Gooten, Etsy has become a powerful POD platform.

You get the benefit of Etsy’s built-in traffic while running a storefront that’s fully branded and tailored to your vision.

Here’s how the two compare at a glance:

FeatureSociety6EtsyBuilt-in PODYesNo (requires integration)Custom StorefrontNoYesBrandingLimitedFull controlPOD Product Range80+ SKUsUnlimited (via integrations)

If you’re looking to keep things simple, Society6 is the clear winner for getting started fast. No tech setup. No fulfilment. No headaches.

But if you’re serious about creating a brand, setting your own prices, and building long-term equity in your business, Etsy gives you far more flexibility and control.

It takes more upfront effort, but you’re building something that’s actually yours.

Verdict:
Society6 is the easiest to start. But Etsy’s flexibility gives you way more power in the long run.

Setup: Getting Started Without Losing Your Mind

When you’re just starting out, setup time matters. Some platforms let you get selling within the hour, others feel like setting up a full ecommerce business — because you are.

Society6 setup? Took me 15 minutes, max. It’s built for speed and simplicity.

Here’s how it works:

Upload your art files (they’ll walk you through sizing)

Choose which products to apply your designs to — posters, canvases, throw pillows, bath mats, etc.

Add a title, tags, and categories

There’s no storefront to design. No shipping settings to mess with. No need to connect a domain or payment processor.

Everything’s handled for you. You’re basically renting space on Society6’s marketplace.

Etsy setup? It’s a real project — not hard, but definitely more involved.

You’ll need to:

Create a seller account and set up your payment and billing details

Design your storefront — banner image, logo, shop description

Pick your print-on-demand partner (I use Printful and Printify the most)

Connect the integration app

Sync your products, set your prices, choose your mockups

Configure shipping settings, taxes, return policies

That’s a lot of steps compared to Society6. But this is also where you start owning your brand.

StepSociety6Etsy with PODAccount CreationSimpleRequires business detailsStore DesignNot applicableFull custom brandingProduct SetupBuilt-in interfaceSync via Printful/PrintifyTime to Launch15–30 minutes2–5 hours (or more)

Verdict:
Society6 wins on ease. It’s great if you want to get up and running without any hassle.
But if you’re in it for the long haul and want control over your branding, Etsy is worth the extra effort.

Design, Branding & Store Control

If you care about building a real brand — something customers remember and come back to — this section matters more than anything.

This is where Society6 falls flat. You’re basically listing your art in a massive catalogue.

No storefront. No brand identity. You can’t control how your products are presented beyond the title, tags, and a short description.

Here’s what you don’t get with Society6:

No logo or custom header

No control over layout or page design

No ability to build an email list

No connection to your social media

You’re just another artist in a sea of listings

You’re dependent on Society6’s algorithm and promotions. And if your product doesn’t get featured or picked up by search? You vanish.

With Etsy? It’s a whole different game.

Upload your logo, create a custom banner, and write your shop bio

Control your product titles, descriptions, and tags for SEO

Choose your product photography and set up custom mockups

Build an email list using integrations like Klaviyo or Mailchimp

Drive traffic through your Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and link your shop

It feels like your shop, because it actually is. You’re not just selling prints — you’re building a business.

Here’s a side-by-side breakdown:

FeatureSociety6EtsyLogo & BrandingNoYesCustom Store DesignNoFull design controlEmail List IntegrationNot availableSupported via integrationsSocial Media ConnectionsNoYes – connect and drive trafficCustomer RelationshipAnonymousYou can build direct relationships

Verdict:
Etsy dominates here. If you’re building a real business, this stuff isn’t optional — it’s essential.

Fees & Profit Margins: Who’s Taking the Bigger Cut?

This is where things start to separate pretty clearly — and where your actual income gets decided.

Here’s the kicker: margins. You could sell the same $25 print on both platforms, but what you keep can vary wildly.

Society6 works on a royalty-based model. That means they set the retail price for most products, and you get a small cut — usually fixed.

The only exception is art prints, where you can adjust your markup.

Here’s how it breaks down:

Art prints: You choose your markup (e.g. add $5–$10 on top of the base)

Other products: Fixed royalty (often $1–$4, sometimes even less)

You can’t see the full breakdown of production costs — it’s baked into their pricing

So while it’s passive and low-maintenance, the payout per sale is very limited.

Etsy, on the other hand, puts you in control. You set your prices based on your POD partner’s base cost (like Printful or Printify), and Etsy takes its cut through fees.

Here’s what you’ll pay on Etsy:

Listing fee: $0.20 per item

Transaction fee: 6.5% of the sale price

Payment processing fee: Around 3% + $0.25 (depends on your location)

Optional Etsy Ads: If you want to boost visibility

So if you sell a $25 print on Etsy through Printful (base cost around $11), you’re walking away with roughly $10–$13 profit per sale — more than double what you’d earn on Society6.

PlatformCost to CustomerYou EarnFees & CostsSociety6$25~$3–$5Hidden production cost, fixed royaltiesEtsy + Printful$25~$10–$13$0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + ~3% payment fee

This matters a lot if you’re doing volume. That $7–$10 difference per sale adds up fast.

Verdict:
Etsy gives you better profit margins — if you’re willing to do a bit more work upfront.

You control pricing, you see your costs, and you actually keep most of what you earn.

Society6? Easier, but less money in your pocket.

Traffic & Discovery: Who Brings the Buyers?

This is the part most new sellers overlook — but it’s everything.

Society6 brings built-in traffic. People go there looking for art and home goods.

They might type in something like “cool abstract posters,” and if your design matches the keywords, you could show up in search.

But here’s the catch:

You’re one of thousands of artists

Listings are controlled by their algorithm

If you’re not featured or trending, your visibility tanks

Society6’s traffic is passive — it comes to you, but only if the algorithm likes your stuff that week.

Etsy? Same idea, much bigger playground.

Over 90 million active buyers

Strong organic search engine presence

High-intent shoppers looking for unique, creative products

But Etsy gives you tools that Society6 doesn’t. On Etsy, you can:

Run Etsy Ads to boost visibility in search

Optimise your listings with targeted keywords for SEO (titles, tags, descriptions)

Build repeat traffic by growing your brand and fan base

Connect your store to social platforms and drive external traffic

You’re not just waiting for Etsy to feature you — you’re building momentum yourself.

FeatureSociety6EtsyBuilt-in Marketplace TrafficYesYesSEO ControlNoFull control (titles, tags, URLs)Paid AdsNoYes – Etsy AdsExternal MarketingLimited to noneFull access (social, email, blogs)Long-Term VisibilityAlgorithm-dependentBrand-driven + SEO-scalable

Verdict:
Etsy wins on scalable traffic.

Society6 can give you a little passive exposure, but Etsy hands you the tools to grow visibility over time — if you’re willing to market smart and play the long game.

Product Variety & Print Quality

When it comes to what you can actually sell, both platforms offer a lot — but in very different ways.

Society6 has a built-in catalogue of over 80+ unique products. And they’re not just the usual T-shirts and mugs. You’ll find:

Rugs

Shower curtains

Furniture like credenzas and side tables

Wall tapestries

Throw pillows, coasters, and comforters

It’s quirky, artsy, and product development is handled entirely by them. You just upload your designs and apply them to the available templates.

The catch? You’re limited to what they offer — no way to go outside their range or use a third-party fulfiller.

Etsy with POD integrations? Pretty much endless.

What you can sell depends on your print-on-demand provider. For example:

Printful: Clothing, posters, hats, bags, wall art, embroidery, stickers

Printify: Phone cases, mugs, canvas prints, pet products, puzzles

Gelato: Posters, calendars, books, and more (with global fulfilment)

Gooten: Home decor, travel bags, and niche items

That flexibility means you can test product types fast, respond to trends, and even switch suppliers if needed.

Print Quality?
Both platforms can be hit or miss, depending on the item and production partner.

Society6 uses its own network of third-party manufacturers. Some users report great quality, others mention poor colour accuracy or inconsistent packaging.

Etsy POD quality depends entirely on your provider. In my experience:

Printful is excellent — consistent colours, reliable fulfilment

Printify can vary by supplier (they use a large network)

Best approach? Order samples before you commit

Here’s how the two stack up:

FeatureSociety6Etsy with PODProduct Variety80+ built-in SKUsUnlimited (varies by provider)Unique Product TypesRugs, furniture, tapestriesApparel, accessories, decor, giftsCustom Supplier OptionsNo – Society6 onlyYes – choose among Printful, etc.Print Quality ControlMixed – you have no controlHigher – depends on chosen providerSample OrdersNot availableAvailable through most POD partners

Verdict:
Etsy wins on flexibility. You can sell almost anything, test fast, and change suppliers as needed.

But Society6 wins on unique SKUs — it’s the only place I know where you can sell a credenza with your artwork on it.

Marketing Tools

This is where the difference between the two platforms becomes night and day — especially if you’re thinking long-term.

Society6 gives you… nothing.

And I mean that literally. There’s no built-in marketing dashboard. No tools for capturing leads. No way to re-engage past buyers.

You list your designs and hope the platform features you or that someone stumbles across your work.

What’s missing:

No email collection or campaigns

No analytics dashboard

No discount codes or promotions

No control over retargeting or ad spend

If you want traffic or repeat business, you’ll have to send it there yourself — but you can’t track or retarget those visitors. It’s a closed ecosystem.

Etsy? Total opposite.

While it’s not a full-blown marketing suite, Etsy gives you just enough to build and scale real growth.

Here’s what you get out of the box:

Discount codes for promotions, seasonal sales, or rewarding return buyers

Email campaign tools (via integrations like Mailchimp or Etsy’s built-in messages)

Abandoned cart recovery — Etsy emails potential buyers who left items behind

SEO customisation — you control listing titles, tags, categories, and meta descriptions

Etsy Ads to promote your listings across Etsy’s search and platform

And if you’re looking to level up, you can plug into serious marketing tools:

Google Analytics for tracking store performance and user behaviour

Pinterest Ads for visual product discovery

Klaviyo or Mailchimp to build automated email flows, abandoned cart sequences, and product recommendations

Here’s how they compare:

FeatureSociety6EtsyDiscount & Promo CodesNoYesEmail MarketingNoYes – via integrationsAbandoned Cart RecoveryNoYes – built-inSEO OptimisationNoFull control over listingsPaid AdsNoEtsy Ads availableAnalyticsBasic sales data onlySupports Google Analytics & third-party toolsRetargeting & RemarketingNoPossible with external tools

Verdict:
If you’re serious about building a brand and driving repeat sales, Etsy wins by miles.

Society6 just isn’t built for sellers who want control over growth or strategy — it’s more of a passive listing platform.

Etsy gives you the tools to actually market, scale, and turn visitors into long-term buyers.

Support & Fulfilment

This part comes down to how hands-on you want to be after the sale is made.

Fulfilment and customer service can either be fully automated or a shared responsibility — depending on the platform.

Society6 handles everything.

Once someone places an order, Society6 takes over. They:

Print and ship the product

Deal with customer emails

Handle returns, replacements, and tracking

Manage delays or damaged goods

It’s a true “set it and forget it” model. You don’t interact with the customer at all.

While that’s convenient, it also means you can’t build customer relationships or directly resolve any issues — you’re completely out of the loop.

Etsy? It depends on how you’ve set things up.

If you’re using a POD partner like Printful or Printify, they handle:

Printing and fulfilment

Shipping (with tracking)

Some support, like replacing damaged items

But you’re still the storefront owner — so customers come to you when there’s a problem. That means:

You write and manage your shop’s policies

You’re the first line of communication for complaints, refunds, or questions

You may need to coordinate between the customer and your POD provider

It’s more work, but it also gives you flexibility and control over how issues are handled.

FeatureSociety6Etsy with POD PartnerOrder FulfilmentFully handled by Society6Managed by POD provider (e.g. Printful)Customer SupportSociety6 responds directlyYou respond, POD helps in backgroundReturns & RefundsManaged by Society6You manage or coordinate with supplierShipping & TrackingIncluded, automatedProvided by POD partnerSeller InvolvementNoneMedium – depends on setup

Verdict:
Society6 is more passive — you don’t lift a finger after the sale.

But with Etsy, you sacrifice ease for flexibility. You get to decide how your business responds, what your return policy looks like, and how customer service is handled.

For brand builders, that trade-off is often worth it.

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Use?

At the end of the day, choosing between Society6 and Etsy comes down to what you’re trying to build.

If you’re just dipping your toes into print-on-demand and want something passive with zero setup headaches, Society6 is an easy entry point.

It’s hands-off, low effort, and doesn’t require marketing or tech skills.

But if you’re here to build a real business — one with repeat customers, a strong brand, and scalable revenue — Etsy is where that happens.

You’ll have to put in more work upfront, but the long-term control and profitability make it worth it.

Here’s how I recommend thinking about it:

Use CaseMy RecommendationTotal beginner, no audience, no time to marketSociety6Want to build a brand, grow traffic, scale salesEtsyWant to test and build at the same timeUse both — start with Society6, scale Etsy

Here’s what I do:

I use Society6 to test low-effort designs. It’s a sandbox — I throw some artwork up, see what gets traction, and move on. I don’t expect big returns from it, but it’s a nice passive add-on.

But 90% of my energy goes into my Etsy store. That’s where I’ve built my customer base, my brand, and my income.

It’s also where I have the most control — and that control is everything when you’re playing the long game.

If you’re serious about print-on-demand and want to create something that lasts, Etsy’s the one to back.

The post Society6 vs Etsy: Which Is Better? appeared first on Ecommerce-Platforms.com.

Original Source: https://smashingmagazine.com/2025/06/collaboration-most-underrated-ux-skill/

When people talk about UX, it’s usually about the things they can see and interact with, like wireframes and prototypes, smart interactions, and design tools like Figma, Miro, or Maze. Some of the outputs are even glamorized, like design systems, research reports, and pixel-perfect UI designs. But here’s the truth I’ve seen again and again in over two decades of working in UX: none of that moves the needle if there is no collaboration.

Great UX doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens through conversations with engineers, product managers, customer-facing teams, and the customer support teams who manage support tickets. Amazing UX ideas come alive in messy Miro sessions, cross-functional workshops, and those online chats (e.g., Slack or Teams) where people align, adapt, and co-create.

Some of the most impactful moments in my career weren’t when I was “designing” in the traditional sense. They have been gaining incredible insights when discussing problems with teammates who have varied experiences, brainstorming, and coming up with ideas that I never could have come up with on my own. As I always say, ten minds in a room will come up with ten times as many ideas as one mind. Often, many ideas are the most useful outcome.

There have been times when a team has helped to reframe a problem in a workshop, taken vague and conflicting feedback, and clarified a path forward, or I’ve sat with a sales rep and heard the same user complaint show up in multiple conversations. This is when design becomes a team sport, and when your ability to capture the outcomes multiplies the UX impact.

Why This Article Matters Now

The reason collaboration feels so urgent now is that the way we work since COVID has changed, according to a study published by the US Department of Labor. Teams are more cross-functional, often remote, and increasingly complex. Silos are easier to fall into, due to distance or lack of face-to-face contact, and yet alignment has never been more important. We can’t afford to see collaboration as a “nice to have” anymore. It’s a core skill, especially in UX, where our work touches so many parts of an organisation.

Let’s break down what collaboration in UX really means, and why it deserves way more attention than it gets.

What Is Collaboration In UX, Really?

Let’s start by clearing up a misconception. Collaboration is not the same as cooperation.

Cooperation: “You do your thing, I’ll do mine, and we’ll check in later.”
Collaboration: “Let’s figure this out together and co-own the outcome.”

Collaboration, as defined in the book Communication Concepts, published by Deakin University, involves working with others to produce outputs and/or achieve shared goals. The outcome of collaboration is typically a tangible product or a measurable achievement, such as solving a problem or making a decision. Here’s an example from a recent project:

Recently, I worked on a fraud alert platform for a fintech business. It was a six-month project, and we had zero access to users, as the product had not yet hit the market. Also, the users were highly specialised in the B2B finance space and were difficult to find. Additionally, the team members I needed to collaborate with were based in Malaysia and Melbourne, while I am located in Sydney.

Instead of treating that as a dead end, we turned inward: collaborating with subject matter experts, professional services consultants, compliance specialists, and customer support team members who had deep knowledge of fraud patterns and customer pain points. Through bi-weekly workshops using a Miro board, iterative feedback loops, and sketching sessions, we worked on design solution options. I even asked them to present their own design version as part of the process.

After months of iterating on the fraud investigation platform through these collaboration sessions, I ended up with two different design frameworks for the investigator’s dashboard. Instead of just presenting the “best one” and hoping for buy-in, I ran a voting exercise with PMs, engineers, SMEs, and customer support. Everyone had a voice. The winning design was created and validated with the input of the team, resulting in an outcome that solved many problems for the end user and was owned by the entire team. That’s collaboration!

It is definitely one of the most satisfying projects of my career.

On the other hand, I recently caught up with an old colleague who now serves as a product owner. Her story was a cautionary tale: the design team had gone ahead with a major redesign of an app without looping her in until late in the game. Not surprisingly, the new design missed several key product constraints and business goals. It had to be scrapped and redone, with her now at the table. That experience reinforced what we all know deep down: your best work rarely happens in isolation.

As illustrated in my experience, true collaboration can span many roles. It’s not just between designers and PMs. It can also include QA testers who identify real-world issues, content strategists who ensure our language is clear and inclusive, sales representatives who interact with customers on a daily basis, marketers who understand the brand’s voice, and, of course, customer support agents who are often the first to hear when something goes wrong. The best outcomes arrive when we’re open to different perspectives and inputs.

Why Collaboration Is So Overlooked?

If collaboration is so powerful, why don’t we talk about it more?

In my experience, one reason is the myth of the “lone UX hero”. Many of us entered the field inspired by stories of design geniuses revolutionising products on their own. Our portfolios often reflect that as well. We showcase our solo work, our processes, and our wins. Job descriptions often reinforce the idea of the solo UX designer, listing tool proficiency and deliverables more than soft skills and team dynamics.

And then there’s the team culture within many organisations of “just get the work done”, which often leads to fewer meetings and tighter deadlines. As a result, a sense of collaboration is inefficient and wasted. I have also experienced working with some designers where perfectionism and territoriality creep in — “This is my design” — which kills the open, communal spirit that collaboration needs.

When Collaboration Is The User Research

In an ideal world, we’d always have direct access to users. But let’s be real. Sometimes that just doesn’t happen. Whether it’s due to budget constraints, time limitations, or layers of bureaucracy, talking to end users isn’t always possible. That’s where collaboration with team members becomes even more crucial.

The next best thing to talking to users? Talking to the people who talk to users. Sales teams, customer success reps, tech support, and field engineers. They’re all user researchers in disguise!

On another B2C project, the end users were having trouble completing the key task. My role was to redesign the onboarding experience for an online identity capture tool for end users. I was unable to schedule interviews with end users due to budget and time constraints, so I turned to the sales and tech support teams.

I conducted multiple mini-workshops to identify the most common onboarding issues they had heard directly from our customers. This led to a huge “aha” moment: most users dropped off before the document capture process. They may have been struggling with a lack of instruction, not knowing the required time, or not understanding the steps involved in completing the onboarding process.

That insight reframed my approach, and we ultimately redesigned the flow to prioritize orientation and clear instructions before proceeding to the setup steps. Below is an example of one of the screen designs, including some of the instructions we added.

This kind of collaboration is user research. It’s not a substitute for talking to users directly, but it’s a powerful proxy when you have limited options.

But What About Using AI?

Glad you asked! Even AI tools, which are increasingly being used for idea generation, pattern recognition, or rapid prototyping, don’t replace collaboration; they just change the shape of it.

AI can help you explore design patterns, draft user flows, or generate multiple variations of a layout in seconds. It’s fantastic for getting past creative blocks or pressure-testing your assumptions. But let’s be clear: these tools are accelerators, not oracles. As an innovation and strategy consultant Nathan Waterhouse points out, AI can point you in a direction, but it can’t tell you which direction is the right one in your specific context. That still requires human judgment, empathy, and an understanding of the messy realities of users and business goals.

You still need people, especially those closest to your users, to validate, challenge, and evolve any AI-generated idea. For instance, you might use ChatGPT to brainstorm onboarding flows for a SaaS tool, but if you’re not involving customer support reps who regularly hear “I didn’t know where to start” or “I couldn’t even log in,” you’re just working with assumptions. The same applies to engineers who know what is technically feasible or PMs who understand where the business is headed.

AI can generate ideas, but only collaboration turns those ideas into something usable, valuable, and real. Think of it as a powerful ingredient, but not the whole recipe.

How To Strengthen Your UX Collaboration Skills?

If collaboration doesn’t come naturally or hasn’t been a focus, that’s okay. Like any skill, it can be practiced and improved. Here are a few ways to level up:

Cultivate curiosity about your teammates.
Ask engineers what keeps them up at night. Learn what metrics your PMs care about. Understand the types of tickets the support team handles most frequently. The more you care about their challenges, the more they’ll care about yours.
Get comfortable facilitating.
You don’t need to be a certified Design Sprint master, but learning how to run a structured conversation, align stakeholders, or synthesize different points of view is hugely valuable. Even a simple “What’s working? What’s not?” retro can be an amazing starting point in identifying where you need to focus next.
Share early, share often.
Don’t wait until your designs are polished to get input. Messy sketches and rough prototypes invite collaboration. When others feel like they’ve helped shape the work, they’re more invested in its success.
Practice active listening.
When someone critiques your work, don’t immediately defend. Pause. Ask follow-up questions. Reframe the feedback. Collaboration isn’t about consensus; it’s about finding a shared direction that can honour multiple truths.
Co-own the outcome.
Let go of your ego. The best UX work isn’t “your” work. It’s the result of many voices, skill sets, and conversations converging toward a solution that helps users. It’s not “I”, it’s “we” that will solve this problem together.

Conclusion: UX Is A Team Sport

Great design doesn’t emerge from a vacuum. It comes from open dialogue, cross-functional understanding, and a shared commitment to solving real problems for real people.

If there’s one thing I wish every early-career designer knew, it’s this:

Collaboration is not a side skill. It’s the engine behind every meaningful design outcome. And for seasoned professionals, it’s the superpower that turns good teams into great ones.

So next time you’re tempted to go heads-down and just “crank out a design,” pause to reflect. Ask who else should be in the room. And invite them in, not just to review your work, but to help create it.

Because in the end, the best UX isn’t just what you make. It’s what you make together.

Further Reading On SmashingMag

“Presenting UX Research And Design To Stakeholders: The Power Of Persuasion,” Victor Yocco
“Transforming The Relationship Between Designers And Developers,” Chris Day
“Effective Communication For Everyday Meetings,” Andrii Zhdan
“Preventing Bad UX Through Integrated Design Workflows,” Ceara Crawshaw

Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/beautiful-illustrated-kids-books/

In the digital age, children are increasingly engaging with iPads, transforming the way they read and interact with books. This interactive platform offers a new dimension to storytelling, making it more dynamic and engaging. However, with a plethora of apps available, it can be challenging for parents to sift through and find high-quality, engaging content suitable for bedtime stories.

Indeed, there are a select few children’s books on iPad that are beautifully illustrated, enabling children to immerse themselves in the magic of storytelling. The power of a captivating picture book lies not just in the written words, but also in the vibrant illustrations that breathe life into the narrative. In this article, I’ve curated a list of the top 10 children’s book apps, featuring stunning illustrations that bring stories to life.

20 Beautiful Children’s Book Cover Illustrations

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20 Beautiful Children’s Book Cover Illustrations

We all have a special place in our hearts for children’s books. When we were young, they stirred… Read more

In this article:

Book Title
Description

The Cat in the Hat
Classic Dr. Seuss tale transformed into an interactive learning adventure with kindergarten-level activities

Fairy Tales ~ Bedtime Stories
Beloved fairy tales come alive with interactive scenes and customizable reading modes

Nighty Night Forest
Help seven adorable forest animals prepare for bedtime in this charming 3D-2D hybrid world

Little Stories: Bedtime Books
Make your child the star with personalized tales featuring stunning illustrations and voice recording

Even Monsters Get Sick
Heartwarming story about friendship between a boy and his under-the-weather monster companion

Little Fox Music Box
Sing along to timeless children’s tunes brought to life with charming paper cutout animations

The Heart and the Bottle
Touching tale of curiosity and emotion, beautifully blending traditional and digital art

Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes
Traditional fairy tale gets a delicious twist with stunning watercolor and pencil artwork

Cinderella
Timeless princess story reimagined with modern animations and enchanting music

Monster Games on StoryBots
Spooky castle adventure where your child becomes part of the bold, playful illustrations

The Cat in the Hat

Author and Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Oceanhouse Media

Check out Dr. Seuss’s “The Cat in the Hat” iPad app to explore a fun and magical world. It’s not just an electronic version of the much-loved story; it’s also a lively, interactive space that brings the tale to life. Kids will love to tap, drag, and tilt their devices to find fun surprises and get more into the story.

The unique feature of this app is its educational aspect. Apart from just being entertaining, it also includes learning activities. These activities have been designed with the help of literacy experts, focusing on enhancing kids’ skills in spelling, phonics, rhyming, and reading comprehension. They are in line with kindergarten level English Language Arts (ELA) standards. Hidden as stars throughout the book, these activities encourage kids to learn at their own speed and keep coming back for more.

To top it all off, parents can keep track of their child’s learning journey. They can check the number of minutes their child spends reading and the pages they have read in a dedicated section. This way, the app not only brings joy but also provides significant value.

Fairy Tales ~ Bedtime Stories

Author and Illustrator: Vincent Herriau
Publisher: AmayaKids

The “Fairy Tales ~ Bedtime Stories” app lets your child dive into a magic-filled world of classic fairy tales. This amazing collection includes popular stories like “Puss in Boots”, “The Beauty and the Beast”, “Cinderella”, and “The Snow Queen”, plus so many more.

But this isn’t just about reading – the app brings each story alive. It does this with interactive scenes, characters who move and talk, and even educational games hidden inside the stories. This way, every fairy tale becomes an exciting way to learn.

Designed especially for children, this app is super easy to use. The “Read to Me” and “Read it Myself” modes let kids pick how they want to enjoy each story.

Nighty Night Forest

Author and Illustrator:Jeremy Kool
Publisher: Fox and Sheep GmbH

“Nighty Night Forest” is the delightful follow-up to the internationally adored bedtime apps “Nighty Night” and “Nighty Night Circus”. This third part takes kids on a magical journey into a sleep-filled forest with seven cute and playful animals. Designed to become part of your child’s nightly routine, it allows kids to help animals get ready for bed by switching off the lights. From deer to foxes, each animal performs funny and surprising activities before going to sleep.

Developed by renowned artist Jeremy Kool, this app masterfully combines 3D modeling and lighting with 2D drawings and textures to bring stunning landscapes to life. Features include an autoplay mode, hidden treasures, personalized sound effects and music, plus narration in 13 languages. Because of its perfect length, it’s an excellent way to establish a calming bedtime routine for children aged 2 to 5.

Little Stories: Bedtime Books

Publisher: Diveo Media OU

“Little Stories” is a fun collection of fairy tales designed to make your kid the star of the story. All you need to do is put in your child’s name and gender, and you’ll get a bunch of stories tailored just for them, complete with lovely pictures and captivating music. The app even lets you turn these stories into your own audiobooks. Parents can narrate the tales, adding a layer of comfort and familiarity.

This story collection has more than 50 thrilling tales and over 2200 stunning illustrations. It’s been awarded numerous times, even bagging 1st place in the “Entertainment” category at the 2018 Rating Runet.

Even Monsters Get Sick

Author and Illustrator: Michael Bruza
Publisher: Busy Bee Studios

Children aged 3 to 7 are sure to enjoy this sweet tale about a little boy, Harry, and his unwell monster friend. The story is brought to life with cartoon-style drawings, enhanced with bold, eye-catching textures that make the lovable monster truly stand out.

Little Fox Music Box

Illustrator: Heidi Wittlinger
Publisher: Fox & Sheep

Little Fox is a sing-along book that’s perfect for kids aged 2 to 6. This musical app allows you to teach your kids timeless tunes like “London Bridge” and “Old Mac Donald Had A Farm”. The award-winning artist, Heidi Wittlinger, has filled the app with fun characters, created using a unique style of textured illustrations and paper cutout art.

The Heart and the Bottle

Author / Illustrator: Oliver Jeffer
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Oliver Jeffers, a celebrated author of children’s books, has crafted a book for kids aged 2 to 8. It’s all about a curious little girl who loves to discover new things. The book combines traditional art and digital illustrations to create fun, modern, doodle-like drawings.

Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes

Illustrator: Lucia Mascuill
Publisher: BlueQuoll

Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes has a fresh new twist that kids aged between 1 to 8 years will surely enjoy. Lucia Mascuillo spices up the traditional fairytale vibe with her illustrations. She uses a mix of watercolor and pencil to give her artwork a unique touch.

Cinderella

Illustrations: Edward Brya
Publisher: Nosy Crow

This award-winning app breathes life into the timeless tale of Cinderella through fun animations and unique music. Kids aged 3 and up will be thrilled to engage with the story. The app also features beautiful illustrations, which blend real-world textures with paper cutout styles, adding a contemporary touch to the story.

Monster Games on StoryBots

Illustrator: Nikolas Ilac
Animator: Amelia Lorenz
Publisher: JibJab Media Inc

This Halloween book is perfect for kids aged two to eight! It’s all about a little kid who goes on an adventure to a scary castle. You can make the story extra special by adding a picture of your child. Children will surely enjoy the fun and unique character illustrations by Nikolas Ilac. His art style beautifully combines bold shapes with delicate details.

The post 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books for iPad appeared first on Hongkiat.

Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/business-wordpress-themes/

Selecting the right WordPress themes is crucial for any business aiming to establish a robust online presence. This article showcases 20 exceptional WordPress themes, catering to a diverse range of business needs. Whether you’re a startup, a small business, or a large corporation, you’ll find themes here that are tailored to your unique requirements.

Our curated list includes both free and premium WordPress themes, ensuring that you can find a perfect match regardless of your budget. Each theme is designed with functionality and aesthetics in mind, making it easier for you to create a website that not only looks professional but also resonates with your brand identity.

Let’s explore these themes and find the one that aligns best with your business vision.

Free Business WordPress Themes
BoostUp Business

Boostup Business transforms the way businesses and consultants build their online presence. It’s a Full Site Editing (FSE) WordPress theme that excels in creating both dynamic business websites and captivating blogs.

With its modern, elegant design, it offers a plethora of customization features. The theme adapts beautifully across various devices, ensuring a seamless experience on any screen size.

Plus, it’s built with SEO and mobile-friendly aspects, giving your site an edge in online performance.

Bosa Business Services

Bosa Business Services, branching from the versatile Bosa, caters to a broad spectrum of websites, ranging from e-commerce to fashion and more. This multipurpose theme melds aesthetics with speed and lightness, ensuring a responsive experience.

It’s highly customizable, compatible with Gutenberg and Elementor page builders, making it simple to materialize your vision. Prioritizing SEO, speed, and user-friendliness, it offers diverse header and footer designs, ready-to-use starter sites, and works seamlessly with key plugins like WooCommerce and Yoast.

Its adaptability and user-friendliness make it an excellent choice for any business-oriented site. You can explore its capabilities in the Bosa Business Services Demo.

Business Chat

Business Chat is a free WordPress theme perfect for a variety of sites, including businesses, online shops, personal blogs, and journalistic outlets. Its minimalist design is both clean and modern, making it a great fit for corporate, fashion, food, travel, and lifestyle sites.

With SEO optimization, it helps your content rank better in search engines. Features like sidebars and widgets are ideal for displaying Adsense, affiliate links, or author information.

This theme is not only lightweight and customizable but also works smoothly with page builders like Elementor and Divi Builder. Its compatibility with WooCommerce adds e-commerce functionality, making it suitable for startups, agencies, and portfolios.

The theme is mobile-friendly, translation-ready, and supports schema markup. A key feature is its live chat integration with JoinChat for real-time customer engagement.

Business Conference

Business Conference Theme is a go-to free WordPress theme for events and conferences. Designed specifically for business meetups, technology conferences, and product launches, it’s compatible with WP Event Manager plugin and integrates well with popular page builders.

It’s responsive, supports multiple browsers, and is translation-ready and SEO-optimized. With dedicated customer support, it’s an ideal choice for any event-focused website.

Business FSE

Business FSE is a dynamic Full Site Editing WordPress theme, ideal for a range of business sectors including startups, law firms, and agencies. Leveraging the power of WordPress’s block editor, it enables the creation of eye-catching designs without the need for coding.

This theme offers an array of pre-designed templates and patterns, addressing various business requirements and goals. Known for its rapid loading times, Business FSE enhances both user experience and SEO performance.

It is search engine optimized, featuring clean code and compatibility with major SEO plugins. The interface is user-friendly, facilitating the implementation of SEO best practices. Consistency in responsive browsing across all devices ensures your website looks impeccable on any screen.

Explore more about Business FSE through its demo, and access documentation or support as needed.

Business Growth X

The theme is SEO-optimized, boosting your content’s search engine visibility. It supports popular page builders such as Elementor and Divi Builder, offering design flexibility. With WooCommerce compatibility, it enables e-commerce features and includes schema markup for improved online visibility.

Mobile-friendly and translation-ready, Business Growth X is great for bloggers, startups, and anyone aiming for a professional online look. Explore Business Growth X for a customizable web experience.

Business Guidance Coach

Business Guidance Coach is a WordPress theme crafted specifically for business coaches, consultants, and mentors. It provides a polished and complete platform to showcase expertise and offer advice to emerging entrepreneurs and leaders.

The theme’s design is sleek and user-friendly, reflecting the professionalism of business coaches and facilitating easy interaction. It’s responsive across various devices, extending its reach to a broader audience.

Customizable to align with personal branding, it enhances each user’s unique identity. Supporting multimedia integration, it enriches interactions between coaches and their audience, making it an ideal choice for professionals in business coaching.

Cube Business

Cube Business is a WordPress theme based on Elementor, fitting for agencies, businesses, and financial sites. It boasts a modern, responsive layout with excellent typography, prioritizing readability and user experience.

Its compatibility with Elementor Page Builder makes it user-friendly, even for beginners, by removing the need for CSS or HTML skills. Cube Business is ideal for those who want an easy, yet powerful theme for a professional online presence.

FSE Business Blocks

FSE Business Blocks delivers a simple yet elegant solution for WordPress website creation. It features a clean design and a comprehensive set of features, including hero sections, portfolio showcases, prominent call-to-action buttons, and client testimonials.

Suitable for business sites, personal brands, or creative projects, FSE Business Blocks is designed for quick and effective website launches. It combines functionality with aesthetic appeal, making it a prime choice for establishing a prominent online presence.

Goldy Business

Goldy Business is a WordPress theme that blends a modern aesthetic with user-friendly functionality. It’s adaptable for a variety of websites, featuring an appealing design and numerous features like a featured slider, sections for about, portfolio, team, services, sponsors, and testimonials.

The theme also includes a sticky header, social information, a sidebar, and excerpt options. These features are responsive and easily customizable, allowing Goldy Business to meet your specific requirements, providing an effortless experience for both site owners and visitors.

Premium Business WordPress Themes
AhaShop

AhaShop is tailored for small to medium-sized online fashion stores, making it a prime choice for businesses dealing in clothing for all ages, along with shoes, watches, jewelry, handbags, and accessories.

This WordPress theme streamlines the creation of online fashion stores with tools like WPBakery Page Builder, Flexible Slider, compatibility with the latest versions of WooCommerce and WordPress, Bootstrap CSS framework, a shop grid layout, a mega menu, and a mobile-friendly design.

AhaShop is dedicated to facilitating a quick and easy setup for online fashion businesses, offering a swift solution for launching fashion products online.

Preview theme

Cena Store

TB Cena Store is a flexible WooCommerce WordPress Theme, offering a variety of powerful customization options. It’s particularly effective for electronics online stores but versatile enough for various purposes.

The theme excels in SEO, boosting your site’s visibility on search engines. It’s fully responsive, ensuring a seamless shopping experience across all devices. Cena Store provides more than 10 different homepage designs, giving you ample choices to find the ideal match for your needs.

The One-click import feature simplifies the process of importing content, widgets, sliders, menus, and customization settings.

Preview theme

Fildisi

Fildisi is a WordPress theme that serves a wide range of users, from corporations to freelancers, agencies, photographers, designers, and bloggers.

Designed to spark creativity, it allows for unique layouts that break from traditional design norms. Fildisi adapts to your creative demands, offering the freedom to craft distinct and striking layouts for any purpose.

It’s a top choice for those who prioritize design flexibility and aim to make a strong visual statement with their website.

Preview theme

Hermes

Hermes is a WooCommerce theme that excels in versatility, fitting a wide range of e-commerce websites.

It offers various layouts for home and product pages, providing extensive customization possibilities. Beyond e-commerce, Hermes serves business, creative, news, and corporate sites effectively.

Its features include a responsive layout, mega menu, page builder, Slider Revolution, product quick view, and one-click installation. Designed for ease of use, Hermes allows you to create websites without coding skills, making it perfect for those looking for a professional and flexible WordPress theme.

Preview theme

Krowd

Krowd is a WordPress theme designed for crowdfunding, charity, nonprofit, NGO, and donation websites, as well as other business and non-profit ventures.

Tailored to meet all aspects of crowdfunding, Krowd includes essential features for successful fundraising campaigns. Fully responsive and optimized for conversion rates, it offers high-resolution graphics and easy customization.

Key features include Elementor Page Builder, Slider Revolution, WooCommerce, MailChimp, and the Events Calendar. With its advanced control panel and use of technologies like Bootstrap 4, SASS, HTML5, CSS3, and Font Awesome, Krowd is ideal for creating impactful crowdfunding or charity websites.

Preview theme

NowaDays

NowaDays is a multi-purpose WordPress theme suitable for creative agencies, portfolios, blogs, and showcases, whether as a multi-page or a one-page layout.

It features the Unyson drag-and-drop Page Builder and a comprehensive Theme Options panel, making site building accessible without programming skills. The theme offers a range of Page Builder elements to make your site unique.

NowaDays is designed to effectively showcase products or services, making it a great choice for those seeking a user-friendly, standout WordPress theme for their creative or business projects.

Preview theme

Okab

Okab is a multipurpose WordPress theme noted for its excellent performance. Responsive, user-friendly, and fast-loading, it’s adaptable for a variety of websites including business, finance, consulting, personal blogs, shops, photography, and events.

The theme boasts over 275 stylish elements and numerous features, all customizable with an advanced visual builder that doesn’t require coding skills. Okab’s modern design and adaptability make it a top choice for creating a professional and diverse online presence.

Preview theme

Pheromone

Pheromone is a modern, minimalist WordPress theme, perfect for crafting a simple, fast-loading business or personal site.

Tailored for developers, designers, bloggers, and creatives, it offers an easy-to-use and efficient platform. With a focus on simplicity and speed, combined with aesthetic appeal, Pheromone is ideal for those looking for a clean and effective online presence.

Preview theme

Restly

Restly is a professional WordPress theme specifically designed for IT Solutions & Technology businesses, startups, and digital agencies. It features a high-quality, fully responsive design that achieves a site speed of 95+ even without optimization plugins.

Key attributes include RTL and WPML support, and a responsive mega menu. Built using Bootstrap 5 and Elementor, along with other current technologies, Restly is ideal for presenting the story and services of IT companies, consultants, and corporate agencies.

Its focus on IT solutions and technology sectors makes it a prime choice for digital industry businesses aiming to create a robust online presence.

Tunis

Tunis is a personal portfolio template developed with React + NextJS, targeting professionals such as designers, developers, writers, instructors, photographers, freelancers, and software engineers. Its design is creative, minimal, and clean, making it perfect for digitally showcasing professional projects and services.

Being 100% responsive and ultra-fast, courtesy of React v18 + NextJS 13, Tunis stands out as a superb option for specialists seeking a contemporary, efficient, and visually captivating online portfolio.

Preview theme

The post 20 Best Business WordPress Themes appeared first on Hongkiat.