As UX designers, we strive to provide the most enjoyable and effective experiences for our users. To do this, we need to connect with our users on the most fundamental level by prioritizing their needs and desires. Empathic design can transform our designs from “nifty” to “necessary.”

UX designers want to give users the best possible experience by providing the most efficient and enjoyable designs. To do this, UX designers need first to study human behavior -- more specifically, the users and their needs. 

When you give someone a gift, do they focus on how well you wrapped it or how much thought you put into getting them the perfect gift?

For some of us, sticky notes are our best friends, and our planners are works of carefully detailed art. We tend to overthink and over-plan but then rush to the finish line when the planning process takes longer than, well, planned.

The magic of movie-making, like other art forms, is subjective, so there's no true wrong or right journey. That being said, some film tricks are tried and true basics.

The sun is the most powerful and common source of light, but it's always moving, thus making it more challenging to use as a primary source in film and television. Recording video in sunlight can be difficult, especially if the sun's rays aren't directly facing your subject.

We live in a world with constant distraction, so, unsurprisingly, most people can't pay attention to more than 10 seconds at the same angle in a sequence.

If you look at the world around you, what do you see? What do you notice? What draws your attention? The human eye has an angle of view around 25 degrees wide, but the eye automatically focuses on something interesting – like bright colors, busy patterns, or out-of-place objects.

Whether you've never picked up a camera before or you're a seasoned professional, your new video project should always start with the basics. If you were building a house, would you start with the foundation?

You want to start recording audio. You have a cellphone, a laptop, and probably a tablet of some sort, but none of those will capture the professional sound you want.

Objects vibrating in the surrounding air create sound waves which move outward spherically. For example, the air from our lungs vibrates our vocal cords as we speak, creating variations in voices and volume.

You've turned your little corner of the world into a full-fledged (possibly quirky) film. What's next? Well, the best part about your story is that even though you are the only person who can tell it, you aren't alone.

You might be thinking, "I've done all of this planning for my animation; what could go wrong?" Unfortunately, anything could still go wrong- Murphy's law doesn't only apply in the physical world.

Some animators spend their lifetimes perfecting one animation technique. Until you narrow down your perfect animation technique, you should be familiar with all your options.

With the power of animation, you can bring your wildest worlds to life. But once you define the rules of your world, you have to abide by them entirely, or your audience will give up on your story.

Chances are, you subconsciously associate specific colors with certain emotions. For example, black in North America typically represents death or mourning, but in many European countries, purple represents mourning.

I love filmmaking and storytelling because I can explore the wildest places. Animation, however, offers a medium where I don’t have to limit my wildest imagination to the laws of physics (without risking death or bodily injury).

We all love sending GIFs to friends and family. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) files all start at the very basics of animation and motion graphics. These two principles might be treated differently, but their core functions are nearly identical.

Over the last several months, I have been creating and sharing design projects. So, it's finally time to gather those together and create a dedicated portfolio to showcase my design progress.

Here in the suburbs, there are lots of local businesses, but many are restaurants or boutiques. Few of the local shops near me had nearly as much potential as the Enchantments and Oddities shop.