Articles

Kate Kaplan

Kate Kaplan specializes in applying human-centered design and research practices to enterprise UX challenges. With over 15 years in UX, Kate has extensive experience in both conducting research and helping teams understand and apply user insights to overall business strategy.

@katewkaplan

Articles and Videos

  • UX Research with Minors: Consent vs. Assent

    When conducting UX research with minors, you must obtain consent from a parent or legal guardian and assent from the minor participant.

  • Why So Many Info Tips Are Bad (and How to Make Them Better)

    Information tips can clarify complex UIs, but they should not hide essential information, trigger redundant information, or disrupt the current workflow.

  • Designing Effective Contextual Menus: 10 Guidelines

    Contextual menus reduce clutter and interaction cost but have low information scent. Prioritize clarity, consistency, and proximity to balance the tradeoffs.

  • Workshopping UX Research with Stakeholders

    Three types of UX-research workshops help teams understand UX research, build empathy for users, and apply insights to design concepts.

  • Overflow Menu Icons

    Overflow menu icons are widely recognized, but hiding key actions inside them can hurt usability. Use them for secondary actions, and always prioritize clarity and proximity.

  • How to Spot Signs of UX Maturity Regression

    Recognizing signs of UX maturity regression early and addressing them quickly helps organizations sustain momentum and avoid backsliding.

  • How to Use NNGroup’s UX-Maturity Model Without a Formal Assessment

    Use our model as a reflective tool to identify signals, guide conversations, and build momentum, especially when time, budget, or support are limited.

  • Icon Interpretation vs. Recognizability

    Icons aren’t universal. Learn why recognizability and interpretation matter and why testing is essential for clarity.

  • Is the Floppy Disk Dead?

    The floppy disk still signals “save” to most users. But is it still the best way to show “save”? Maybe not.

  • UX Strategies for Complex-Application Design

    UX in complex, specialized domains requires adapting familiar methods across the design lifecycle to address domain constraints and expert-user needs.