The Squint Test, Rick Rubin & THE SITE for AI Inspiration
Happy Monday! This week I’ve got a UX technique, highlights from a Rick Rubin interview and a cool AI site to share with you.
Let’s get into it.
I. The Squint Test
A great technique for designers and non-designers
When designing I start by determining what the focus or key objective is for that part of the experience. Then as the design evolves, I go back again and again to ensure the focus hasn’t been lost. I use the squint test, which is a usability evaluation technique, to get a quick, high-level view of the visual hierarchy of my work (presentation slide, screen, web page.. whatever it might be). Ensuring my design has a clear focus and call to action.
Use the Squint Test to identify:
Poor visual hierarchy
Unclear call-to-action (CTA) buttons
Unbalanced composition
How to do the Squint Test
Step 1 – Display your design on screen.
Step 2 – Take a step back and squint your eyes (close them partially to distort your vision). The design should become blurry and only the largest, most basic shapes of the interface should be able to be perceived.
Step 3 – Observe the visual hierarchy of your work and note what’s standing out to you. Is the primary focus where you want it to be? Are too many elements on the page confusing the eye? Is anything getting more attention than it should?
By squinting, you can get a quick and rough idea of how well the design elements are aligned and how well they guide the user's attention.
II. Rick Rubin on Huberman
If you missed it, Rick Rubin (a renowned record producer) discussed the creative process and how to access creativity on the Huberman Lab Podcast. A 3 hour interview but definitely worth the listen this week as he covers the following topics:
The role of feelings as guideposts
Balancing self-doubt and anxiety
Adopting new perspectives to channel the creative process
Using deadlines and eliminating distractions
How our experiences and emotions influence the creative process
3 Quotes from Rick
Personal taste & other’s opinions:
“I am doing me, and I am showing you who I am, and you can like it or not but either way, this is still how I see it.”
Developing your voice:
“Understanding how you feel in the face of other voices, without second guessing yourself, is probably the single most important thing to practice as an artist. Or a skill set to develop as an artist is to know how you feel, and own your feelings.
And the key to that is it’s not ‘I know, so I know what’s right for you.’ It doesn’t work that way. It’s just I know for me, and the reason I choose to be an artist is to demonstrate this is how I see it. If I’m undermining my taste for some commercial idea, it defeats the whole purpose of doing this.”
On Self-doubt:
“It can either be really helpful or it can undermine you. So it’s something we all have. And if we let it undermine us, then we don’t make anything and that’s not good. But when used as a balancing tool in our lives, it serves a great function… You can doubt your way to a great masterpiece. Sometimes that questioning allows you to push further than just accepting ‘I made it so it’s good.’”
Watch or listen — YouTube | Apple | Spotify
III. AI Inspiration for the Week
Trying to stay in the know about AI tools? Same here. I’ve been using There’s an AI for that to do just that. (The “R.I.P.” section is quite interesting)
Check it out: https://theresanaiforthat.com/
That’s it for today! Hit reply or comment if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like or share it with a friend!
Until next week,
raika
Great read!
Super insightful edition!
Rick Rubin's been making the rounds for his book (which is a great read so far). He was in the Tim Ferriss Podcast and had this quote that I love:
“What makes an artist great happens not in the making. It happens in the way of being in the world, the way of experiencing the world, the way of noticing the thing that someone else doesn’t notice. The way of seeing what’s beautiful when everyone else sees the mundane, and being able to represent that back in a way that other people get a glimpse of what we saw that they didn’t notice."