UXploration!

Hey everyone! No, I'm not trying to flatter myself with this title: this is the very last post for UXploration. With Winter session starting soon, I'm wrapping up Fall with a couple examples of companies that offer several services to the users. The Good: Credit Karma I confess: I use Credit Karma. I further confess that using CK got me out of debt. Or rather, keeping active tabs on my credit score was a huge motivation for me to improve my credit utilization and clean up my finances. Credit Karma now offers many services, including personalized credit card and loan offerings (how they make money so that you can have free services), fee-free savings and checking accounts. Their website is clean, everything is clearly defined, with easy-to-find information about the many different services available. If you're in need of a pristine example of UX, Credit Karma is, in my opinion, the model to follow. They make a topic that is big and scary (PERSONAL FINAAAANCE!) and make it ea...

 Hello everyone! Welcome back to another week of UXploration! Today we'll be taking a look at the wild and wacky world of...used car sales, Oh, yes. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid. Buying a used car is a tricky endeavor to begin with. There are a thousand variables a person has to take into consideration. It's a large investment, and the consequences of that investment will be hanging around for a long time. As a businessperson selling used cars, you would probably want to communicate to your site's users that you're a trustworthy person, with a decent selection of reliable vehicles. You would want them to be able to browse your inventory, see your reasonable prices, and find your business location! The Good: Montebello Auto Montebello Auto does not have the flashiest site around, but it's clean, functional, and won't blind you with hideous patterns and colors that sear into your eyeballs (just wait). Montebello Auto's website is helpful and builds goodwill...

 Hey everyone! Welcome back to this week's UXploration! Up to this point, I've been alternating physical examples with web design examples, but I'm sticking with web design this week because I've got something very, very  special planned. Look, this week has been hard on everyone I know. We could all use a chance to decompress and relax, and I can think of no better way than with a massage. I know what you're thinking: Really, Shay? A massage?  In the middle of a pandemic? Okay not really , this is a UX blog for crying out loud, we're just looking at websites. Maybe some of the relaxation will drift through the screen and soothe our souls. The Good: In Step Massage In Step Massage is a small business near me. In happier times, I'd frequent their establishment because massages magically made my fibromyalgia subside enough that I was physically capable of working full shifts in winter (If you're reading this, ISM, I miss you so. much.). In Step Massage is ...

 Hi everyone, and welcome back to the latest UXploration! Yes, I know, the title is terrible, bear with me. If you're anything like me, you have at some point felt completely overwhelmed by the very idea of personal finance. If you've had a panic attack after opening a credit card, or searched the words "get my life together", these personal finance blogs might have already popped up on your radar. But whose user interface is more agreeable? Let's check them out! The Good: Broke Millennial Erin Lowry, queen of personal finance advice for my generation, has built an incredible and accessible brand guiding millennials (and others) through everything from essentials budgeting to investing. She even has a third book coming out in December about how to discuss finances with others (I promise, she's not paying me to say any of this). But it was her blog that started it all. #gyflt, girl Broke Millennial's UX is exquisite because it is simple, pleasant to look at...