A List Apart

  • A Content Model Is Not a Design System

    Do you remember when having a great website was enough? Now, people are getting answers from Siri, Google search snippets, and mobile apps, not just our websites. Forward-thinking organizations have adopted an omnichannel content strategy, whose mission is to reach audiences across multiple digital channels and platforms. But how do you set up a content management system (CMS) to reach your audience now and in the future? I learned the hard way that creating a content model—a definition of content types, attributes, and relationships that let people and systems understand content—with my more familiar design-system thinking would capsize my customer’s omnichannel content strategy. You can avoid that outcome by creating content models that are semantic and that also connect related content…

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  • Design for Safety, An Excerpt

    Antiracist economist Kim Crayton says that “intention without strategy is chaos.” We’ve discussed how our biases, assumptions, and inattention toward marginalized and vulnerable groups lead to dangerous and unethical tech—but what, specifically, do we need to do to fix it? The intention to make our tech safer is not enough; we need a strategy. This chapter will equip you with that plan of action. It covers how to integrate safety principles into your design work in order to create tech that’s safe, how to convince your stakeholders that this work is necessary, and how to respond to the critique that what we actually need is more diversity. (Spoiler: we do, but diversity alone is not the antidote to fixing unethical, unsafe tech.) The process for inclusive safety When you are designing for…

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  • Sustainable Web Design, An Excerpt

    In the 1950s, many in the elite running community had begun to believe it wasn’t possible to run a mile in less than four minutes. Runners had been attempting it since the late 19th century and were beginning to draw the conclusion that the human body simply wasn’t built for the task.  But on May 6, 1956, Roger Bannister took everyone by surprise. It was a cold, wet day in Oxford, England—conditions no one expected to lend themselves to record-setting—and yet Bannister did just that, running a mile in 3:59.4 and becoming the first person in the record books to run a mile in under four minutes.  This shift in the benchmark had profound effects; the world now knew that the four-minute mile was possible. Bannister’s record lasted only forty-six days, when it was snatched away by Australian r…

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  • Voice Content and Usability

    We’ve been having conversations for thousands of years. Whether to convey information, conduct transactions, or simply to check in on one another, people have yammered away, chattering and gesticulating, through spoken conversation for countless generations. Only in the last few millennia have we begun to commit our conversations to writing, and only in the last few decades have we begun to outsource them to the computer, a machine that shows much more affinity for written correspondence than for the slangy vagaries of spoken language. Computers have trouble because between spoken and written language, speech is more primordial. To have successful conversations with us, machines must grapple with the messiness of human speech: the disfluencies and pauses, the gestures and body language, a…

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  • Designing for the Unexpected

    I’m not sure when I first heard this quote, but it’s something that has stayed with me over the years. How do you create services for situations you can’t imagine? Or design products that work on devices yet to be invented? Flash, Photoshop, and responsive design When I first started designing websites, my go-to software was Photoshop. I created a 960px canvas and set about creating a layout that I would later drop content in. The development phase was about attaining pixel-perfect accuracy using fixed widths, fixed heights, and absolute positioning. Ethan Marcotte’s talk at An Event Apart and subsequent article “Responsive Web Design” in A List Apart in 2010 changed all this. I was sold on responsive design as soon as I heard about it, but I was also terrified. The pixel-perfect designs…

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  • Asynchronous Design Critique: Giving Feedback, Part 2

    “Any comment?” is probably one of the worst ways to ask for feedback. It’s vague and open ended, and it doesn’t provide any indication of what we’re looking for. Getting good feedback starts earlier than we might expect: it starts with the request.  It might seem counterintuitive to start the process of receiving feedback with a question, but that makes sense if we realize that getting feedback can be thought of as a form of design research. In the same way that we wouldn’t do any research without the right questions to get the insights that we need, the best way to ask for feedback is also to craft sharp questions. Design critique is not a one-shot process. Sure, any good feedback workflow continues until the project is finished, but this is particularly true for design because design wo…

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  • Asynchronous Design Critique: Giving Feedback

    Feedback, in whichever form it takes, and whatever it may be called, is one of the most effective soft skills that we have at our disposal to collaboratively get our designs to a better place while growing our own skills and perspectives. Feedback is also one of the most underestimated tools, and often by assuming that we’re already good at it, we settle, forgetting that it’s a skill that can be trained, grown, and improved. Poor feedback can create confusion in projects, bring down morale, and affect trust and team collaboration over the long term. Quality feedback can be a transformative force.  Practicing our skills is surely a good way to improve, but the learning gets even faster when it’s paired with a good foundation that channels and focuses the practice. What are some foundationa…

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  • That’s Not My Burnout

    Are you like me, reading about people fading away as they burn out, and feeling unable to relate? Do you feel like your feelings are invisible to the world because you’re experiencing burnout differently? When burnout starts to push down on us, our core comes through more. Beautiful, peaceful souls get quieter and fade into that distant and distracted burnout we’ve all read about. But some of us, those with fires always burning on the edges of our core, get hotter. In my heart I am fire. When I face burnout I double down, triple down, burning hotter and hotter to try to best the challenge. I don’t fade—I am engulfed in a zealous burnout.  So what on earth is a zealous burnout? Imagine a woman determined to do it all. She has two amazing children whom she, along with her husband who is als…

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  • Beware the Cut ‘n’ Paste Persona

    This Person Does Not Exist is a website that generates human faces with a machine learning algorithm. It takes real portraits and recombines them into fake human faces. We recently scrolled past a LinkedIn post stating that this website could be useful “if you are developing a persona and looking for a photo.”  We agree: the computer-generated faces could be a great match for personas—but not for the reason you might think. Ironically, the website highlights the core issue of this very common design method: the person(a) does not exist. Like the pictures, personas are artificially made. Information is taken out of natural context and recombined into an isolated snapshot that’s detached from reality.  But strangely enough, designers use personas to inspire their design for the real world. …

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  • Immersive Content Strategy

    Beyond the severe toll of the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps no other disruption has transformed user experiences quite like how the tethers to our formerly web-biased era of content have frayed. We’re transitioning to a new world of remote work and digital content. We’re also experimenting with unprecedented content channels that, not too long ago, elicited chuckles at the watercooler, like voice interfaces, digital signage, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Many factors are responsible. Perhaps it’s because we yearn for immersive spaces that temporarily resurrect the Before Times, or maybe it’s due to the boredom and tedium of our now-cemented stuck-at-home routines. But aural user experiences slinging voice content, and immersive user experiences unlocking new forms of interacting…

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BizTechAfrica

IT News Africa

  • Nigeria’s Andela Achieves $1.5-Billion Valuation in Latest Series E Round

    Andela, a global engineering talent outsourcing company launched in Nigeria in 2014 has secured a $200-million investment during a Series E funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, the venture capital arm of Japanese mega-corp SoftBank. This latest funding round brings Andela’s total valuation to $1.5-billion, officially making it Africa’s fifth unicorn startup. According […]

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  • Nigeria’s Central Bank Launches eNaira Website

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has officially launched its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) website for the eNaira. Last month, the CBN announced that it was working with Barbados-based fintech firm Bitt Inc as a technical partner to launch the West African country’s own digital coin. The eNaira is set to launch in October. […]

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  • South Africans Are “Extremely Bullish” About Crypto – Luno

    Cryptocurrency buying and selling platform Luno has conducted a survey of over 1000 of its customers in South Africa in August 2021, along with customers in the UK, Malaysia and Indonesia. Luno found that 82% of South Africans who hold cryptocurrency on its platform expect the bitcoin price to rise significantly, some believe as high […]

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  • SA Has Less Than 3 Days Worth of Blood Stocks Amid COVID Impact

    The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) says that it has less than three (3) days blood stock currently on hand as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitals has stretched blood supplies in the country. SANBS has also been experiencing poor collection due to, among other challenges, low donor turnout to mobile blood […]

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  • UKheshe Partners Chipper Uniting 2 of the Most Valuable FinTechs in Africa

    Ukheshe Technologies, a leading fintech enablement partner, has announced a new partnership with Chipper, one of Africa’s most valuable startups and the purveyor of the Chipper Cash app, to enhance and accelerate the rollout of Chipper’s digital payment offerings. Chipper’s new planned offerings through Ukheshe include free and unlimited P2P payments across South Africa, value-added […]

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  • Ransomware Attacks Grew 1070% Since Last Year According to Fortinet

    Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, today unveiled the 2021 Global State of Ransomware Report. The survey reveals most organizations are more concerned about ransomware than other cyber threats, it also reveals that ransomware grew 1070% year over year from 2020. “According to a recent FortiGuard Labs Global Threat Landscape […]

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  • Amazon’s New Household Robot Can Learn Your Family’s Habits

    Amazon has revealed a new camera-equipped home robot that can patrol homes and investigate activity on your orders in a move that the billion-dollar tech giant is calling “a breakthrough for security and convenience.” The “Astro” robot as Amazon calls it is roughly 60cm tall and weighs around 9kgs. The motorised device can map out […]

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  • South Africa Braces for Petrol Price Hike as Crude Oil Hits 3-Year High

    Last week, South Africa’s Central Energy Fund (CEF) published its mid-month report showing that petrol prices in the country were set for a small decline in October to the brief relief of motorists who have been dealing with some of the highest fuel prices in SA’s history. However, the CEF stressed that the data was […]

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  • AI & Data Storage: Tintri & DDN Together Enable this Symbiotic Relationship

    In the field of enterprise IT, artificial intelligence (AI) is a buzzword that we’ve seen used time and again over the past few years, with the promise of making every part of a business better. What does this mean specifically for data storage? This is the question posed in a recent Tintri blog, which clarifies […]

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  • Businesses Need to Be “Data Driven” for True Digital Transformation says Altron

    Over and above leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud services; it has been widely acknowledged that the key building block for true digital transformation is the need for businesses to become data-driven. Of course, this is a uniquely challenging task for almost every business. Dealing with the Data Challenge At the core of any data […]

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Memeburn

Naija Tech Guide

Ogbongeblog

Online Africa

Stuff South Africa

  • The Android TV 14 Beta appears to let you make calls from the big screen

    Those magical pieces of tech that sit around unused in your pocket for most of the day? Forget about ‘em. Android TV 14’s Beta just dropped and it’ll be able to receive (and make) calls on the big screen, amongst a few other changes that involve energy conservation and better-optimized Bluetooth connectivity and HDR controls. [...] The post The Android TV 14 Beta appears to let you make calls from the big screen appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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  • The next-generation Xiaomi Box S has landed in South Africa – here’s why that’s awesome

    South Africans love streaming media boxes of all shapes and sizes, but the Xiaomi Box S has long been a favourite of users all over the country. It has been some time in the making but the second generation of this compact little streamer has just landed in the country. If you were sitting on the [...] The post The next-generation Xiaomi Box S has landed in South Africa – here’s why that’s awesome appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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  • No Atlantic crossing for Facebook data

    The Atlantic has always been the great physical divide between Europe and the Americas, between the Old World and the New World — as it was described 500 years ago, when seafaring adventurers set off from Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands to find riches. During World War 2 the crossings took on a different tone, [...] The post No Atlantic crossing for Facebook data appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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  • Meta assembles a taskforce to eradicate Instagram’s child-abuse content issues

    Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta is up to its neck in hot water. The social media parent of WhatsApp and Instagram is facing scrutiny from the Internet after a report from The Wall Street Journal (TWSJ) and the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) was released, condemning Instagram’s explore algorithm for ‘promoting’ the sale and distribution of self-generated child [...] The post Meta assembles a taskforce to eradicate Instagram’s child-abuse content issues appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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  • Track your business expenses with these expense-tracking apps

    Being fiscally responsible is much easier today thanks to smartphone apps that help you to budget your money and manage your expenses. This is doubly applicable to your small business, which lives or dies based on how well you manage your money. Here are five to help with fiscal responsibility that you can check out [...] The post Track your business expenses with these expense-tracking apps appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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  • HUAWEI P60 Pro’s Game-Changing Camera Sets a New Standard in Mobile Imaging

    The smartphone market is highly competitive, with each brand striving to deliver the best camera experience to users. HUAWEI, known for its innovation in smartphone photography, has introduced impressive camera features which can be experienced in the HUAWEI P60 Pro. The HUAWEI P60 Pro was recently put through a rigorous DXOMARK Camera test, ranking No.1 [...] The post HUAWEI P60 Pro’s Game-Changing Camera Sets a New Standard in Mobile Imaging appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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  • South Africa’s power crisis will continue until 2025 – and blackouts will take 5 years to phase out

    South Africa is in the middle of a severe electricity crisis, with enforced power cuts that have worsened every year. Electricity is sometimes unavailable for 10 hours a day. The shortfall is the consequence of frequent breakdowns at its ageing coal power plants, which constitute 74% of the country’s generating capacity. In theory, improving the performance and [...] The post South Africa’s power crisis will continue until 2025 – and blackouts will take 5 years to phase out appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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  • BritBox joins the DStv lineup for an extra R100/m

    After two years of availability in South Africa, BritBox is now officially available as part of DStv‘s bouquet of streamers, joining Showmax and Disney+. This is a result of a joint venture between South Africa’s MultiChoice Group and the UK’s BBC Studios and ITV. Before you get excited, all this means for you is Britbox’s [...] The post BritBox joins the DStv lineup for an extra R100/m appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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  • Volvo’s new EX30 electric SUV will start at R776,000 in South Africa

    South Africa is due to receive a new electric SUV soon. The Volvo EX30, announced this afternoon, is being billed as one of the country’s most affordable EVs. Granted, that’s not hard to do, but a starting price for the new compact SUV of R776,000 has it in the running for the best-priced (known brand) [...] The post Volvo’s new EX30 electric SUV will start at R776,000 in South Africa appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

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