#002 The Design Insider: Digest
New features coming to Google Pay, Group video calls coming to Telegram, Spotify launches redesigned ‘Your Library’ and much more.
🗞 In the News 🗞
Spotify launches redesigned ‘Your Library’
Spotify will begin rolling out a redesigned "Your Library" to users on iOS and Android devices. The goal of these design updates is to help users find and organise their music faster. The changes include;
Streamlined Search: Users can now tap the search icon, type in what they're looking for and browse their entire collection of music in one place.
New Grid view: Users can now sort through their liked content more visually with a large-tiled album, playlist, and podcast cover art.
New dynamic filters: Users can now browse their saved music by album, artist, playlist, or podcast.
Better sorting options: Users can also find the tunes they're looking for faster by sorting their music alphabetically, by recently played, or creator name.
Pin your favourites for instant access: Users can pin up to four playlists, albums, or podcast shows for instant access. To see the pin option, swipe right on each item.
New features coming to Google Pay
Google Pay will be adding several new features to help its customers, a considerable number of whom are now using the service every day, better manage their finances. The new features, which will initially go live for US customers only, include;
Weekly Grocery Deals: This feature gives users the chance to find the very best deals on groceries at their nearest Safeway supermarket.
Mobile tickets for city transit: In addition to the 80 cities, users in both San Francisco and Chicago will soon be able to purchase and use mobile tickets for transit directly from Google pay.
Saving and money management: Users can now view balances, bill dates and get other helpful insights on their spending from the insights tab. Google Pay will also automatically categorise users' transactions, allowing them to see exactly what they're spending on.
Uber unveils new updates and partnerships
Uber customers will get access to a host of new services as part of the company's get initiative. The new services, which will initially be available for US customers only, include;
Book Vaccination Appointment: You'll now be able to both book your vaccination appointment at Walgreens and a cab to get there directly from the Uber app.
Book a rental: You'll now be able to browse and book rental cars from several providers such as Avis, Budget and Hertz directly from the Uber app. There will also be a valet feature where you can get a rental car faster and have a driver collect it on return.
Book Hourly: You'll soon be able to book a cab by the hour, during which you'll get driven about with unlimited stops.
Reserve an UberX: The Uber reserve service where you can book an Uber 30 days in advance with a chosen driver will now be expanding to more US cities and internationally. Reserve for airports will also launch soon, allowing travellers to book an Uber for curb-side pickup, with a 60 minute guaranteed wait time in case of delay.
Netflix adds “Play Something” shuffle feature
Netflix has a massive library of content, so deciding what to watch can be quite a challenge. To make things easier, Netflix has added a shuffle button called "play something" which will recommend users content based on their previous viewing preferences.
Instagram copying Clubhouse?
Earlier this year, Instagram made a big move in their battle with Clubhouse by releasing Live Rooms. Now they're taking things a step further by allowing users to mute their microphones and switch off their video during live streams. The purpose of this new feature is to give creators more flexibility and control in what they broadcast.
Group video calls coming to Telegram
In a message on his Telegram channel, CEO Pavel Durov announced the group video call feature will go live on the iOS version of the app in May.
"Group video calls will have screen sharing, encryption, noise-cancelling, desktop and tablet support — everything you can expect from a modern video conferencing tool, but with Telegram-level UI, speed and encryption".
YouTube tests SoundCloud-style comments
Youtube has begun testing a timed comment system with a small group of users on its iOS and android app. Like SoundCloud, the feature will allow users to link their comments to a specific part of the video, which users can load up by clicking on them. The team at Android police created the mockup above as an idea of what the feature might look like.
📚 Recommended Reads 📚
Viewing patterns - The subconscious psychology of the eye: People visiting your website will quickly scan through the content and decide whether they want to read on. In this article, the author breaks down four common patterns users follow when scanning content and shares tips on how designers can leverage these to create layouts that emphasise valuable information and provide a seamless experience, so visitors carry on reading.
Measuring design debt: Having a backlog of design changes that you need to make is normal but can be detrimental if you don't keep things under control. In this article, the author dives deep into the topic of measuring design debt, detailing the qualitative and quantitative measurements with tips on how to put them into practice so you can better manage it and not lose control.
How to balance user-centred design with business goals: Balancing user experience and business goals is quite a challenge but essential to crafting successful digital products and interfaces. On the one hand, you want people to use your product. On the other, you've invested money and need to generate revenues. As designers, there's constant pressure to compromise UX and use unethical tactics such as dark patterns to deliver the latter. In this article, the author shares some alternative tactics you can use to remain user-centred in your design approach while also driving business objectives.
Designers should know crypto: Cryptocurrency and blockchain are two of the most talked-about topics in technology today, with new cryptocurrency projects and platforms emerging every day as consumer demand increases. So, as a designer, the chances you'll be working on a crypto project in the future is very high, so it's, therefore, essential to understanding the basics of this technology. This article covers what you should know, so if you're assigned a design task in this space, you can use your knowledge to create killer UX and interfaces.
Evolution of typography — survival of the fittest: Typography has been transformational, revolutionising how we communicate and interact. In this article, the author takes you back to learn about how type has evolved from Gutenberg's era to its use in the digital pixel-perfect products/interfaces we use every day.
0 Budget Research Methods: To build successful products, you need to have an in-depth understanding of the problems, needs, goals and motivations of the people your building for. You can get these valuable insights through simple user research. Yet, most people avoid doing it as they think it's too time-consuming and expensive, which is so far from the truth. In this article, the author dispels these misconceptions and shares some cheap user research techniques you can use to get valuable insights to drive the design process.
🛠 Useful Tools and Resources 🛠
Book of the Week - Microcopy: Discover How Tiny Bits of Text Make Tasty Apps and Websites by Niaw de Leon
Tool of the Week - Landing Page Checklist - Landing Page Checklist is a complete, interactive and up-to-date resource designed to help you with any troubles that come your way when creating a landing page. From layout design to analytics tracking, the checklist will guide you along the road of what's new in best practices for landing pages and keep it as updated as possible.