We’ve all encountered a frustrating design, element, or pattern that made us want to click that “X” button. A common example is the Birthday Picker. Often presented in the form of native date pickers and dropdowns, this widget takes users on a long-winded journey, clicking dozens of times to input accurate dates. This amusing series dives into a variety of frustrating User Experience designs, and how they could be solved through utilising a custom solution taking factors like complexity, speed of input, accessibility, scalability into account. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here