UX of Everyday Things, UX
Kayla Heffernan
From 2015 to 2024: how real estate websites ...

In 2015, I embarked on the journey of buying my first home. At that time, I wrote a blog post critiquing the UX of real estate websites through a, somewhat sarcastic, persona named ‘Kayla’ and listed out ‘her’ (my) user needs and how they weren’t being met. Discover how real estate websites have evolved from 2015 to 2024 through a personal lens. Spoiler alert – it still sucks, but it sucks a little less.

In this blog post, I evaluate how current real estate platforms address user needs such as viewing new properties, staying within budget, accessing accurate information, and managing inspection schedules. It suggests key improvements and practical recommendations for improving real estate website UX.

From 2015 to 2024: how real estate websites have evolved
UX
Kayla Heffernan
Why you need to observe your users

Sometimes it feels that UX Research has become synonymous with surveys. They’re cheap, easy & can reach large amounts of users. Sounds great, right? Wrong. Surveys are not enough

Why you need to observe your users
Kayla Heffernan
Four things I wish I knew earlier in my career ...

I took a pause and then answered four things I am sure they were not expecting. My tips are about how to improve the health and happiness of your work life.

Four things I wish I knew earlier in my career that I now know
SEEK, Portfolio, UX
Kayla Heffernan
Warping the space-time continuum with design

After just 0.1 second users start to perceive a delay if your app isn’t doing The Thing™ that they just told it to do. We needed to buy 8.5 seconds. We had to manipulate (percieved) time.

Warping the space-time continuum with design
Insertables
Kayla Heffernan
NFC & RFID Microchip FAQ’S

There are predictable questions I get asked over and over again when someone finds out what I research, and that I have 2 microchips inside my body. These same questions pop up on social media every time I appear on TV or in the news.

Some people refused to believe the reality of how these chips work, and there’s no point trying to change these minds; the “the Government is secretley tracking you with a microchip you received at birth, it’s all about the New World Order and they’ll switch you off if you don’t comply” crowd.

This post is not for them. This post answers the FAQs for people genuinely interested in learning about the technology and educating themselves on the reality.

NFC & RFID Microchip FAQ’S

UX of Everyday Things

Drunk Kayla & Uber UX

I had a few after-work drinks last Friday and caught an Uber home — this was always the plan, although I probably had one (or three) too many drinks on an empty stomach and was a little drunk (not part of the original intention). I lost my phone and this is a story of that UX. 

Bad Error Messages Are Harming Your Users - The UX of Error Messages

Bad Error Messages Are Harming Your Users - The UX of Error Messages

Research shows error messages increase cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in individuals when they were interacting with computers that faced a system breakdown. Our error messages are physically harming individuals; we have a responsibility to consider the UX as to not affect our users health.

UX of Everyday Things Series

Just a quick note to formally acknowledge my "UX of Everyday Devices/Things" themed posts are, of course, inspirited by the great Donald (Don) Norman and his influential book published in 1988: The Design of Everyday Things (DOET) (then the Psychology of Everyday Things POET). 

This book is the cornerstone of my UX journey; it was this that sparked my passion and made me realise other people were not only frustrated by the design of every day things, but were working to understand and change the way that people interact with technology and objects.

These posts are my experience, interpretation and observations of the UX of Everyday Things (UETS) and will be an ongoing theme I write about.  

My much loved copy of DOET

My much loved copy of DOET

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