#and ux research...what if i don't like it??

[psychopomp-namine]

I love our designer soooo much. I love working with designers. I love talking with them while we have different perspectives (I ask questions to make sure a design is feasible on a technical level, they talk to me about research and design and how what we're doing is being validated with the people who will actually use the stuff we make). I just love being the person who executes someone's designs

[sirfrogsworth]

I am so tired of this brand pissing contest.

All of the metal bricks do pretty much the exact same thing. There isn't a better one. Just a slightly different user experience.

It basically comes down to 3 things. UX preference, ecosystem, friends/family.

Some people like the UX of iOS, some prefer Android. Either will do almost all of the same things. Android allows for more customization and tinkering. iOS tends to keep things stock but has more reliable apps—though Android development has improved.

Some people have PCs. Android and Google services tend to work better with a PC.

Some people have MacBooks and iPads. You would be silly not to get an iPhone at that point, because the integration of Apple products is seamless and kind of amazing.

And finally, what is everyone else in your group using? If they are mostly on iPhones, you will find communicating a little easier if you also have an iPhone.

There is one thing Apple does better than other manufacturers that I should include. Longevity. They support their devices for pretty much their entire lifespan. They allow software updates for as long as your phone will tolerate them. And since their hardware design is unified, you can always count on getting a well made product no matter the price point. No need to research each model to see if it is prone to break or has an exploding battery. This point makes me a little frustrated because so many iPhone users will upgrade every year for some reason. Unless there is a new feature you absolutely need, this is wasteful.

Android flagship phones tend to have decent longevity and get continued software updates. But there has always been an issue with the more budget models being forgotten about after a year and receiving no more software. You need to do a lot more research to see if the manufacturer of a particular line of phones has a history of quality manufacturing and good support or if they abandon their phones once the warranty period is up. I tend to steer people toward Pixel phones if they don't feel like doing the research. Google has been decent about long term support so far.

You have to evaluate your circumstances and choose the platform that will serve you best. In all honesty, you can make either work regardless. And you will probably have a few frustrations no matter which you choose.

Brand loyalty is stupid.

Pick what suits you best.

[majorbaby]

getting to know mutuals!

tagged by @marley-manson <3

what's the origin of your blog title?

it's a line from the pilot of MASH:

Hawkeye: sorry, baby Margaret: "Major" to you Hawkeye: Right, sorry, Major Baby

otp(s) + shipname(s):

i have one otp and that's traphawk

favourite colour:

pink

song stuck in your head:

no surprises - radiohead

weirdest habit/trait:

shrug. i have pink hair i've been committed to for over 10 years now, i think that's probably the most immediately recognizable thing about me that is "not normal".

hobbies:

i have so many, too many, hobbies. you might say that my hobby is having hobbies. i've been most consistent about reading, playing videogames and music for most of my life though.

if you work, what's your profession?

i work in the nebulous field of "digital design" and i wear multiple hats depending on the day. sometimes i'm UX / UI, sometimes I'm directing creative... this week I've been doing post for a video series with a little help from some junior staff. it sounds like i'm describing a start-up - but actually i'm about as secure and fairly compensated as you can be in my industry, so i can't complain there.

like most working-level white collar serfs will tell you - i feel like my "profession" is writing emails about nothing.

if you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

researcher

something you're good at:

research

something you hate:

SaaS

something you collect:

i don't really think of it as "collecting" but i can't resist a really nice mug, and i like getting them as gifts too, which people know about me.

something you forget:

if i don't write it down, it's gone

what's your love language:

physical touch and words of affirmation, preferably at the same time.

favourite movie/show:

the matrix

favourite food:

eggs

favourite animal:

idk but seeing a robin out digging for worms in early spring always makes me happy

what were you like as a child:

precocious, tenacious, curious and sensitive.

favourite subject at school:

history

least favourite subject:

phys ed

what's your best character trait?

i'm kind

what's your worst character trait?

i can be resentful

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

3 day work week

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

i'd like to talk to my younger self but i'm not sure exactly at which age.

[astertimberwolf]

It's worse. It's so much worse than I wrote in my AI paper- worse than anyone could have ever anticipated...

... At this rate if we keep worshipping capitalism and profit, the human lives behind 95% of the creative industry are going to get flushed down the toilet.

AI will replace actors, actresses, film makers / producters, illustrators, animators (essentially, entire production studios), marketing teams, people working in advertisement, photography, video editors, 3D artists, musicians...

... What will be left? Influencers? Not even that. YouTubers are also going to disappear, according to what Google has just released in terms of AI... and Zucky dearest (Mark Zuckerberg) already said he will implement AI social media profiles.

...

We might be looking at the death of the Internet as we know it.

Will switching to VR save us? Or will that get invaded by the AI dystopia as well?

... man. I really tried to have a positive outlook on the future but THIS. Changes. EVERYTHING.

I tried to warn people through my honors project... Tried spreading the word about how much big tech has already eroded so many of our human rights (starting with our right to privacy). People didn't react because it was slow enough- and ingeniously advertized as "free convenient services". The frog was set in warm water and only after 20 years it started boiling. Nobody read the Terms of Service. Everyone just pressed "Accept" without thinking twice. Captcha trained AI every time we clicked on a motorcycle or set of stairs. But everyone was all-too-happy to have a "free" Google or Microsoft account- or rejoice in their "freedom of expression" on Twitter or whatever other toxic, data-harvesting social media platform. Facebook manipulated people and persuaded them into voting for Trump in 2016 and then washed their hands clean by letting the blame fall on Cambridge Analytica. Algorithms construct psychological profiles from our online activities and monitor our preferences- feeding us extremely tailored content that we consume mindlessly... or show us bespoke items that we buy compulsively... and very few if any people at all question how that stuff reached them in the first place.

I have been awake for a long time- and I have little hope when it comes to any of this ever reaching other people anymore...

... It feels like a futile attempt to stop- or change the direction of our future.

The future is already here.

That's how fast things are going. That's why some people are finally noticing how f*cked we are.

It's easy to live in denial and dismiss the reality we live in, as well as anyone speaking out as a "paranoid catastrophist" or "conspiracy theorist". You can spend hours researching how deep things go and have literally no one listen to you when you try to warn other people... Why? Because the most popular social media platforms have integrared dark UX patterns so deeply in their systems that they killed critical thinking. They are literally MEANT to dumb you down- to destroy people's attention span, to divide and pit people against each other. It's by design... Meshed into the very fabric of how they work: by imposing very restricting character limits per post- by feeding you content that upsets you or makes you hate a group of people that is the exact opposite of your ideals and who you are. It's all documented. People have made documentaries and informative videos about it... Yet there is such an apathetic or negative, defeatist attitude lingering... "it's all out of my hands", "I can't change anything anyways so might as well accept it". You want to accept the looming death of the entire creative industry, just like that? -now that AI isn't being regulated fast enough? How about getting your ass up to go outside with a group of creatives and become part of a demonstration? What about protesting in front of government buildings?? Or demanding legislations be made to contain this technology?! Especially if you live in a big city... Rally. Don't just sit there and let it all happen.

Maybe hearing this come from a nobody on the internet with hardly any followers isn't what you pictured in your head when you thought of someone trying to rally a resistance movement. Maybe you don't agree with who I am, my past, my taste in music- art- shows- fanfiction or whatnot- but God damn. When has something like that ever stopped you from relating to a person, who is just as upset as you are to see it all go up in flames?

I am not going to shut up and I don't f*cking care if people call me crazy for it.

Fuck Google. Fuck Microsoft. Fuck Facebook, Meta, Instragram, Threads- and whatever other shit they want to rebrand themselves as- and shove down our throat. Fuck Twitter / X. Fuck the Ultra Rich & Elite. Fuck Trump. Fuck Elon Musk. Fuck Mark Zuckerberg- Fuck Amazon and that soulless piece of sh*t that puts profit over human lives- and is responsible for modern-day (wage-)slavery called Jeff Bezos... and most importantly, FUCK AI.

Fuck all of them and all of this crap (yes, this last paragraph will stay uncensored).

I've had enough- and I know that if you've made it this far into my rant / ramble, you are probably fed up as well and wanting to feel validated for feeling this way.

I'm not Greta Thunberg, nor am I Snowden- or Julian Assange... But God damn. I hope Anonymous replenishes its numbers and starts a mass, world-wide cyber attack on all major tech and AI companies. Something needs to desperately change if we don't want to live in the Black Mirror version of Cyberpunk. Hold them by the balls. Hit them where it hurts. Shut down their data centers. Freeze their assets.

Rise. Rebel. Resist.

[parkchvnyeols]

get to know your tumblr mutuals tag

tagged by @hwanswerland my beloved 🖤

what's the origin of your username? -> baekhyun + winwin, two of my ults (the stable ones who don't make me question my existence daily. u can imagine how unhinged the others make me feel if i'm describing baekhyun as stable)

OTP(s) + shipname -> i don't really have any OTPs.........the closest is my fav celeb couple which is saint levant and naika sjdhfjdh if they ever break up i will stop believing in love fr

song stuck in my head -> walk by nct 127 😔 right where it's been for at least the last 7 months

weirdest habit/trait -> i have to take a video of myself child locking and then locking the front door daily, because i have a freak cat who is tall enough to open doors and i am terrified that one day i'll forget and he'll escape. so i need daily video evidence that i didn't forget sjdhfjs

hobbies -> dancing, working out, making gifs for this hellsite

if you work, what's your profession? -> ux research

if you could have any job you wish what would you have? -> as they say, i do not dream of labor. however, if i could get paid to read books or watch movies i'd totally do it

something you're good at -> irl, comedic timing not gonna lie

something you hate -> bigots, terfs, zios, nazis, the list goes on

something you forget -> certainly not child locking doors!

your love language -> quality time

favourite movies/shows -> parks and rec, brooklyn 99, the devil wears prada, gilmore girls, tangled, the imitation game, more that i'm forgetting

what were you like as a child? -> very outgoing and social, and allegedly peer pressure killed my spirit around age 9 jdhfskjd

favourite subject in school -> biology

least favourite subject -> statistics...i've failed or nearly failed every stats class i ever took

what's your best/worst character trait? -> two sides of the same coin: best, sees the bigger picture which usually means i give good advice. worst, sees all possible outcomes of a situation and overthinks and catastrophizes all of them 🥶

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? -> i wish my cat hank would come and sleep with me on my bed again :(((( he had been doing it every night for 7 months and inexplicably stopped about a month ago and i am SAD AND FEEL REJECTED

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? -> 2018 lee soo man to tell him to get the fuck over himself and let exo perform at coachella....lives would be changed....the world would be on a different trajectory....

feel free to ignore, idk who enjoys this kind of stuff! tagging @sehunlyone @xiuhunsoo @xiuminscatgirl @sangytual @donghyuckkies

[as-if-and-only-if]

So, I think I'm finally going to apply to grad school for math!

But there are a few issues!

One issue is that I've got pretty severe ADHD. I think that means I ought to look for a professor first, and a school second. I think I need to find a particularly accommodating professor who's willing to take on unorthodox Ph.D. students.

Then there's the issue of: well, what do you want to do research in? And honestly, I kind of want to spend some time learning a lot of things in multiple areas of math. I already have a lot of exposure from taking mostly grad courses in undergrad, but I want to understand things more deeply. I don't want to be tied down to a specific area; generally, I'm interested in: understanding complex systems; connections between different fields of math; the foundations of "abstract nonsense"; fundamental theoretical physics; the places where group & representation & number theory come together; computer realizations of mathematical practice (UX for actually doing math research, knowledge organization, and formalization); and some more "philosophically-oriented" things which tend not to be part of any named fields. I've also got interdisciplinary inclinations and have some budding interest in nanotechnology; and I'd like to be in a place that mixes everything together, and exposes me to even more things to be interested in.

So really, I'm looking for either a professor or two who are also interested in all sorts of things, or a department that allows you the freedom to do all of this stuff at once! A lot of Ph.D. programs seem to signal that they prize specialization, but that's just not an option for me. Sure, I'll do a thesis about a particular thing, but ideally it'll involve a lot of things!

And that's another crucial desideratum: I want a vibrant culture. Far too often I hear about grad experiences in which the grad students are working away in isolation without much community or energy. I want to be around people who are excited about all of the things I'm excited about!

So, three things: accommodations for unorthodox working style; encouragement of interdisciplinary/wide-ranging interests; and a vibrant, exciting culture.

This is really a diary/processing post, but feel free to consider it a request-for-info post—if you happen to have any helpful ideas or connections, pls don't hesitate to share! :D

(I could also use some advice on how to find what I'm looking for, including pointers to groups of like-minded people or places to ask questions. Right now my strategy is "read the faculty bios on university websites, see if anything jumps out, and cold-email the professors", which, you know. We'll see how that goes.)

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Dear Agents, Writers are not Psychic, please auto include YOUR Trigger Warning Policies

Some background, because no one is going to click on the profile part of the page. I'm aware of that.

The first part of this is that I have an Anthropology degree, which the majority of the classes are concentrated in Systems, such as racism, sexism, etc. The BA would have had a certificate if I didn't have to travel 2-3 hours one way in order to get the certificate.

The second part is that I've been around the publishing industry inside of it, published by it, reading up on the history of it, reading an astounding number of writing advice manuals to track down one diagram and crying over that, to know how the industry works. I know I don't list all my credentials, but seriously, how long do you want a bio?

The third part is that I've worked with websites, UX (User Experience) and the whole idea of User Experience is that even if it functions, it doesn't mean it works without the ability to interface with humans.

And lastly, I have C-PTSD. I know how fucked up PTSD can be. And what a trigger feels like. What a flashback feels like. It's not OMG, I feel icky and have no emotional toll. It's I need a therapist to manage my triggers because it wears me out to have an anxiety/depression attack. And I know how fucked up triggers can be. I've written blog posts about it.

You are not everyone.

User experience is about Empathy. This means you realize: You are not everyone else. Everyone else is not you. They are not going to do what you think is best, so how do you make everyone happy through best practices?

Other agents aren't going to WANT what you want. They are selling different genres, they have different life experiences. Just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for anyone else. By saying, Well, every agent should do as I want, isn't helping anyone.

History

Before the 1900's, most stories were serialized, and only the popular ones got full books. Before the 1960's-1970's according to Steven King's On Writing, there were no Agents. You simply submitted to the publisher. (Agents should know their publishing history, I'm just saying... you should know the history of your own profession.)

Agents became a requirement in the 1990's, not the 1980's. Before that, you could hire a lawyer. And many early agents were lawyers.

This meant because of print tech, and the requirement to join a union, the way to submit to an agent was EXACTLY THE SAME.

The Neurdivergent rejoice. They are happy with this.

But then the internet hit in about the mid-2000's and then agents started to be paid more and more like crap. And then with the plummeting enjoyment, and the publishing industry realizing that they could dump people from their staff and PUT IT ALL ON THE AGENTS, the standardization of the forms fell with it.

Why would this be in UX terms? Well, now agents aren't doing it "for the money" and in basic psychology this means they want more individualistic things. You're likely to do it for the side money, you want to have it the way you want to have it, because what's the point if it's not fun? Thus the standardization in the industry falls apart as people put forth their own individualistic wills. (Do you need the fancy psychology terms. I can do that.)

And then with the internet the industry and everyone started to MAKE UP THEIR OWN RULES.

The ND people are crying. WTF.

Especially the autistic people who like structure and rules that are even and easy to understand. (I had a long conversations about this. I did the research.)

Why would someone want a different trigger policy than me?

People represent different genres and have different aims

This is where the empathy and the ability to actually go through other agent blogs comes in. You need to be able to read other agents, their genres and realize that writers have different genres and combination of genres they are submitting to.

You might be looking ONLY at contemporary Romance, but there are agents that represent Horror, Thrillers, and Mystery and dark fantasy. Even without that, there are subgenres of fiction that might *require* triggers be included. Abuse Romance is a thing (50 Shades) and there is Dystopian SFF.

The agents that rep these genres want the thrill of the surprise. The agent wants to not have to know what's up front to experience the story first hand. This is what I've read from those agents. The ones that rep Horror are more than likely to not want trigger warnings from my asking over and over again. And they are less likely to list a no list to the trigger list.

But those self-same agents *also* represent things like Romance. Because like everyone else on the planet, people like more than one genre.

BTW, out of all of the agents, the agents that rep Romance from my asking around, because no one else is crunching data are more likely to want trigger warnings, but I'm telling you it gets tricky when you're mixing Romance with Supernatural, Mystery, and Fantasy.

BTW, Fantasy and SFF as genres, RANGE WILDLY. So the triggers are going to be all over the map.

And for the people who rep Horror, etc, the reason why your (US) romance agents want trigger warnings is because romance works on a totally different emotional basis compared to Horror. Expecting your potential clients to know that and your fellow agents to follow suit when they have a totally different agenda is not reasonable.

This is where UX comes in. YOU, agent, Have do the work to bridge the gap between you and the other agents. If you all are going to have different policies about triggers, then writers are going to also do their best guesses and try for a middle.

People have different triggers than you.

I have a trigger around melamine floors. Do you have a trigger around melamine floors? Does it make your spine go cold it makes my spine go cold. Do you get a mild headache thinking about them especially if they are white? No? You don't?

Would it be reasonable for me to ask you to guess that about me?

Would it be reasonable for you to take all of my feelings about it because I never informed you this was the case?

If you're getting my drift:

LIST YOUR TRIGGERS. Not everyone has the same triggers. Write it out. Asking people to manage and guess your invisible triggers is unreasonable. It does harm to others. You don't want them to do harm to you, it's your responsibility to let people help you by making it known. 100% I know this as a person with C-PTSD and also with Sensory issues. It's not other people's responsibility if they don't know about it. It is 100% mine to let them know if I have an issue and it's too much. If they don't respect you after you have let them know, then the onus is on them, not before then. It's also anti-ND to expect people to *guess* your triggers. But it's also better for your mental health so people don't submit something you don't want.

Trauma *is* fucked up. But part of recovery is taking control and taking control of your triggers and processing them. So let people help you by you listing your triggers you don't want to see or be warned about in fiction.

Set clear boundaries

Goal-setting: Ask yourself questions like “What is the goal in setting a boundary or needing to set a boundary?”

Start small: Setting boundaries can be hard and uncomfortable. The key is to start small and focus on one at a time.

Be clear: Focus on what you want as clearly as possible.

Practice: If thinking about setting a boundary makes you nervous, write out what you want to say beforehand or practice stating a boundary in the mirror.

Keep it simple: Less is more with boundary setting. Try not to overload someone with too many details at first. Just pick the main thing that is bothering you and focus on that.

From the website.

Make your boundaries clear. If you don't list triggers, don't ask for a trigger list on your forms, don't make it known on your website, assume everyone is going to do it that everyone agrees with you, and don't put it where people can see it, then you are responsible for the result and in making it more clear. You can't act like a victim if you haven't set clear boundaries.

Act like an adult and set your boundaries.

BUT WHY would anyone write it/not want a warning as an agent?

Some people like to deal with their triggers in fiction. It's distant, not real, it gives them a sense of control, like a safe word in BDSM. A lot of reading of horror and thrillers in particular are when people are anxious. This is according to Stephen King that greater fear means a spike in his sales. (Interviews, Writing Excuses). You should be paying attention to that... just saying. This is marketing. You are also (unfortunately) part marketer, not only lawyer.

Some people are using it to ask for rights. Buy being clear as a victim of abuse, etc that helps people feel empowerment by *stopping it*.

If people want to stop homophobia, that means they have to talk about homophobia. Taking power back from the oppressors feels good. This is like step 3 of recovering from trauma, though. I've covered previously that after victimhood, you should be aiming for survivor, but the aims of a social justice person are transformation of trauma and that has to be somewhat different and is somewhat opposed to being a victim.

Everyone is healing in a different way and speed than you are. Again, everyone is not you. This is marketing too.

BUT OTHER AGENTS SHOULD DEAL WITH MY POLICY

No, they shouldn't. You are not everyone else. See the UX rule.

How Do I Fix it?

Put on your forms a trigger policy. Try to get other agents to also put on a trigger policy standard.

You can copy-paste the following and cut the irrelevant:

Trigger Warning Policy

I would like you to give a trigger warning: Yes/No.

I would like you to give a trigger warning:

In the query

When I request fulls.

You should not submit if your manuscript has:

You can submit if your manuscript has, but warn me:

Skip trigger warnings for these genres:

[List genres]

Listed nicely and UXed like that with the bold? Yes. Makes it easier to read.

Where should I put it?

There's a fancy UX term for this, but the basics are: If it's important to you, you will LIST it in multiple places. And since writers, even if they wanted to be aren't psychic at grand distances and are submitting to you from places like Australia (because you should know that) and from other countries. They will have no clue what you want if people want different things. So all of these places.

Manuscript Wishlist

Your Profile on your website

Query Manager (You can put it at the top and sometimes with the query part)

Submissions Guideline Page (especially if you don't have Query Manager)

Why not on Twitter?

No one is going to read thousands of tweets and work through your tweets that are going to disappear to find your trigger policy. !@#$ No. Too much time, too much effort, those things disappear, and those are not for permanent information.

If it's Absent...

The user will assume if it is absent in the query manager, especially, there is none, and they can do as they like or guess. Absence is assumed this way.

If you need the long psychological reason why, in UX this is true, then imagine it this way (extended analogies are my jam):

Cashier A is not labeled. Cashier B is not labeled in a store.

You want to check out of the items you've collected in the store and not steal things. You're likely to do as you like. And choose between Cashier A and Cashier B.

Cashier A is labeled now: Returns.

Cashier B is labeled with a cart icon.

You want to check out. You're likely to choose Cashier B.

Therefore, if it's absent on the form, people will do as they like. Basic marketing, psychology and UX. If you want it to be known, you label it.

Mechanically list it. Put it visible everywhere.

Make the form standard on Query Manager and Manuscript Wishlist

Even better yet is to make it standard on agent websites.

Here is the contact for them.

MSWL: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/contact/

Query Manager: https://querymanager.com/contact.php

Here is what you can write:

Hello,

[Honest reasons you love their website]

I would really like a standard form for trigger warnings. The form would look like something like this:

I would like you to give a trigger warning: Radio buttons: Yes/No.

(Require) If no, then the rest of the form doesn't need to be filled out.

I would like you to give a trigger warning:

If yes require...

Radio buttons for:

In the query

When I request fulls.

You should not submit if your manuscript has: (Optional)

You can submit if your manuscript has, but warn me: (Optional)

Skip trigger warnings for these genres: (Optional)

[List genres]

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Name]

BTW, I put programming and UX info into the letter to make it easier on them. Because again empathy and again, I'm HSP, so I can't help it. I want to make implementation as easy as possible.

Please don't abuse the word "Trigger"

BTW, Please do not for the sake of people with C-PTSD and PTSD say something you "dislike" is a "trigger." Dislike should be Content warning. And in that case just list it with your usual "Don't send me this."

Saying something is a trigger because you dislike the trope–please don't abuse the word trigger this way.

Yes, there are low level triggers that don't make sense. I've covered melamine floors before as a trigger for me and institutions. But usually I don't trip out if it's in fiction. But that might be you. Again. Not everyone has the same triggers for fiction, because you are not everyone. Or as Mr. Rogers liked to say loosely You are unique.

While you're at it...

BTW, I also listed other things that agents disagree on. Just do it as a part of your policy to list them.

Conclusion

To me, at this point, if you don't list it and rep a bunch of different genres, I'll choose what I guess is best. If you hit more than one, then yeah, I'm left guessing.

And as an HSP, agents getting really mad at both ends, to the point they are willing to get irritated, I can't take that on. Writers are left confused and in the middle. So instead, just use the form I listed. I mean, it's not that hard to copy-paste.

Your little bit of work up front will help everyone else. Make it a standard that all agents list a trigger warning policy EVERYWHERE it can be visible. We can't guess and no one is going to read all of your Twitter.

Marketing ideas also work towards your clients. You want them to do a certain behavior, then you have to also market yourself well, which means you need to be making your trigger policy known and visible.

[donnerpartyofone]

This morning I left a long comment on a Facebook post by my dead friend's mom where she said she isn't ready to arrange a life celebration yet, and she urges people to keep sharing her daughter's memory. I had been meaning to do this for a month, but I often find Facebook too annoying to use just in UI/UX terms, and I had developed some sort of ridiculous paranoia that people would find out that I might have been the last person to speak to my friend, and that I was standing outside her apartment expecting her to let me in while she was dying. I fantasized that I would have to account for that somehow, to comb through details that I'm sure wouldn't be useful to anyone, and explain why I didn't do more when she strangely didn't come to the door or answer my texts. I still don't know what happened to her.

I reached out to the only acquaintance we shared in common, who was one of her roommates when we were neighbors. He regarded her as his best friend and has been completely shattered by this, especially as it came a year after the death of his ex-girlfriend, who who acted as their kind-of third musketeer. Privately I got a pretty good impression that he drove my dead friend nuts, but I wouldn't know if that was just a part of their "old married couple" dynamic or if they had a truly one-sided relationship. I guess you just don't always get to know how your dearest loved ones really think of you, and in fact maybe you shouldn't. He was the person I had asked to check up on her the day that she died, and he was the only person I could think to ask what happened to her, although I was afraid to. He texted me a detailed download of all the sad things that have happened to him since she died in September, and then he said he would have to wait until his day off to answer my question. I haven't heard from him and I don't think I'm going to. I'm sort of sorry I asked.

Tangentially: It struck me recently that cause of death has become the final frontier of privacy. This is fascinating to me, considering the constant state of overexposure in which most of us live. I've had several experiences in the past few years of someone dying--a casual acquaintance, a friend more than 3 degrees of separation away, a minor celebrity with a cult following in which I participate--and I just had no way of finding out what happened. These have been rare cases in which Google had nothing, not even a rumor; in the present case I was able to unearth the record of an arrest I had never heard about, but nothing about the death. Obviously if you're Michael Jackson or Prince or something then all bets are off, but below that line, if the bereaved don't choose to broadcast the cause or manner of death, then you'll just never find out what those things could have been. I'm thinking right now of another friend of mine who, we all tended to agree, had committed suicide, which was absolutely in-character for her as far as I was concerned...but at the same time, there were compounding factors that made her true level of deliberation ambiguous. I sometimes wish I could talk to someone about it, but I'm afraid it would just hurt her survivors pointlessly to hash it out. In her case, I just have to choose what I want to believe.

Anyway.

My plan that day had been to get a quick haircut before I went to London to record a commentary track for a new release of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, based on my research into the creation of its mythology. This opportunity had come by way of a strange coincidence, and it seemed to justify the grueling self-directed project I had made out of it for the past several years. As I was preparing for my trip, which felt like the climax of a long journey with this subject, I started to feel silly about never having gone to Amityville to see the house. It's not an easy thing to justify; I'd basically be traveling for a total of 5 hours just to stand in front of the house long enough to annoy whoever lives there. But it felt like something I ought to do, as part of my devotion to the topic, so my plan was to see my friend for a quick trim, get on the Long Island Rail Road to do the thing, then return as fast as possible to pack in time to leave the house at 4am the following day. When my friend didn't let me in, only an hour and a half after we'd texted, and I waited around for 25 minutes in the boiling heat in case she had stepped out for coffee or something, before finally coming to terms with the fact that she flaked on me while I was preparing for a stressful international trip, I got all agitated and couldn't bring myself to do the rest of my plan. I've still never seen the Amityville house.

But later, after I found out what had happened, I was glad I didn't go. I imagined the alternative timeline: I went to my friend's apartment for a trim, couldn't make contact with her, went to see the legendary house where six people were brutally murdered and where, according to countless books and movies and podcasts etc, demonic possession took hold--and then I came home to discover that my friend had suddenly and mysteriously died. It would have been impossible for me not to connect these things. Not that I'm so eager to believe in curses; in fact my work has mostly focused on why belief in the supernatural has been easier to achieve than the availability of help for sufferers of mental illness, drug addiction, and domestic violence. But I'm not a hardcore skeptic either, which is exactly why this story has been so meaningful to me. We can't identify true mysteries if we don't train ourselves to analyze real-world events, and the reasons why certain events attract certain monstrous interpretations. For me this kind of training is urgently important, because I'm given to certain strains of magical thinking and I have to be vigilantly aware of what motivates my behavior and convictions. The circumstantial connection between my friend's unexpected death, and my plans for that day, could have proven irresistible to me.

Even now, obviously, I am connecting my plan to visit the cursed house at 112 Ocean Avenue to my friend's abrupt passing. The connection isn't as corrupting as it would be if I had put my feet on Amityville soil that day, but the experience I am currently having tells me exactly how potent this influence could have been at maximum. All my work has been about belief, where beliefs come from, what they do to us personally, even neurologically. I'm haunted by things I used to believe and where those beliefs came from, why I was so vulnerable to them, to the point of complicity in my own destruction. I'm sympathetic to people who believe in things that seem dicey, or in things that offer a seductive reward that outstrips the need to weigh evidence and consequences. But I believe that in many, perhaps most cases, skepticism is just as much of a belief system as faith. Hard evidence always looks that way as long as hard evidence is what you're looking for, an impression that seduces you away from noticing what personal choices you are making in the curation of your worldview. And at the risk of being overly cryptic, I have come to believe that people are only capable of perceiving that which they already believe in, whatever that might consist of. In any case, if you are really paying attention, you begin to notice that you find true proof of things less often than you simply have to prejudicially choose what you believe. These days I have tried to make agnosticism into a discipline, but at the moment I am consciously choosing to believe that my friend did not die in connection with a curse. And I am consciously acknowledging the fact that if that day of my life had gone as originally planned, it could have had a much graver impact on my experience of the death.

[post-academic]

Stuff I'm noticing about alt-ac career advice:

-It assumes that the inability to get an alt-ac job is because the candidate just simply doesn't know what's out there or doesn't recognize their own strengths. Therefore, a lot of advice is centered around you discovering what kinds of careers you want and how to identify transferrable skills. My problem with this focus is it assumes that you always have a choice in what job you get; it does not account for ebbs and flows in individual markets, job availability by region, etc. It also doesn't account for the fact that simply wanting a job doesn't mean you get it; I can want to get into book publishing all I want, but that doesn't mean an employer is hiring or will let me in if there are no openings.

-It assumes PhDs don't know how to write a resume. The resume tips can be fair advice if the candidate needs them, but the problem is that often, the best written resume doesn't get the job.

If I had to give actual advice (based on my own experience), it would be:

-Sometimes you just have to take jobs you don't like and learn to detach. Some people find very fulfilling alt-ac careers; some people take jobs because the money is good. It's ok if you find a job and you're not filled with enthusiasm about it.

-Alt-ac career advice makes things like UX research and project management sound akin to graduate work. In reality, alt-ac careers may make use of your skills, but they are NOT the same as graduate work. Furthermore, these sites will make alt-ac careers sound emotionally fulfilling. The truth is that some people will love project management and some people will absolutely hate it. A particular alt-ac job is not one-size-fits-all for all former PhDs.

-All sectors have the capacity to be toxic. Academia is not uniquely toxic and you're not morally superior for leaving academia.

-The single best way to get into a career field you like is to network. Sometimes, a resume will stand out and get your foot in the door, but most companies will hire someone on recommendation over a well-qualified cold application.

-Don't trust sites that make it seem like oversaturated markets like library science, museum studies, etc are viable options. These are just as bad as the academic job market, so if you try your hand at them, you need to go in fully aware.

-The bias against humanities degrees is real. Even if you have a lot of transferable skills, some employers will still pass you over if they don't value your major. You can try to get around this by showcasing your job experiences and/or any volunteer work, putting your education towards the end of your resume.

-Some panel speakers have said that in order to get a job, you just need to apply, even if you don't meet 100% of the qualifications. This can work, but if the company gets 200 applications, they're going to go with people who will most likely fit what they want. You're basically rolling the dice and seeing what happens. Again, it can work. But most people won't sift through 200 applications and will instead narrow the pool by comparing against the job ad.

[siriuslysatorusimping]

I was tagged 😃

So I have a bachelors and masters in applied psych and now am working towards a PhD in neuroscience :) I love love love it with every fiber of my being and I must be a masochist bc I LOVE the academic hazing that is grad school. I’m probably gonna end up teaching and doing research bc I don’t wanna stop being a student. How do Rinko and Gojo feel about grading btw? Hate it. Worst thing ever.

My focus is on brain imaging and stress in a special population of kids who are highly predisposed to developing schizophrenia, but I had to have a lot of training in psychopharmacology and general cognitive and behavioral science to begin with which is why I am so ready to nerd tf out with Rinko studying psych 😍

YOU ARE SO FUCKING SMART. HOLY SHIT. THAT IS SO FUCKING COOL.

Kiko ranted like a dumbass so hi, rest below the cut 🫠

I have a BA and MA in Technical Writing & Rhetoric with a minor in English Literature. HOWEVER. My grad research focus was actually user experience, which was born from human-computer interaction (a psychology major at my old school). Our department had the best user experience professor, so we had a lot of the HCI PhDs in our UX classes. I always loved talking to them and picking their brains. Part of me wishes I had gotten my PhD in HCI or a related field, but I needed out of academia. I fucking hated it. It was also in the height of COVID, which just destroyed all of my motivation for life itself lol

AS FOR GRADING: I FUCKING HATED IT, TOO.

listen.

when i was in grad school, i had 50+ papers to grade every couple of weeks and we had to have them graded within a certain time period or administration CAME FOR US AND IT WAS TERRIFYING.

But one time I left all 50 until the day before I was put on the hit list and I wanted to die. So I chugged two redbulls and proceeded to go on a grading marathon of like, 10 hours.

This AU is feeding my tiny desire to go back to school to keep me from making the giant financial mistake of trying to get my PhD when I know I'll hate academia just as much as I did last time.

I think Rinko will actually semi-enjoy grading, because she's the type who will be so intrigued to see how her students think.

Gojo hates it. But he also doesn't trust anyone else to do it right. Lucky for him, most of his exams are multiple-choice. But since it's physics they have to show their work, and he hates grading that shit because it becomes so obvious that they don't fucking know what they're doing.

(maybe one of the installments will be a cute, fluffy lil grading session where they're just keeping each other company 🥺)

[jack-valentine]

"They never fucking fix anything!" and "They changed everything and it sucks!" in the same goddamn breath. Day after day.

I have forced dev teams to implement features requested by research participants only for those same people to say 'oh god this sucks why did you do this?' These were people who sat in front of prototypes that looked exactly like what they were now using and I'm highly trained in spotting liars.

And then two months later...oh, turns out they're really happy with the new layout!

Because on average it takes you 5-6 weeks to adapt to structural layouts because you don't read and rely on visual proximity to do everything. UI disruptions on this level are not someone's whim - they're almost always based on lots of research and tested repeatedly. UX researchers and designers fight like hell for what you ask for (sometimes we lose, sometimes we're wrong, but that's why we do research) and you hate everything. Absolutely every major change. But this is the only way forward. We can't create anything new if we're locked into old interaction patterns. (Yes, deliberate enshitification is a thing but for most apps, it's people trying to make them better.)

I am NOT saying this change is good - I can't, I've barely touched it myself - but I'm gonna give it a shot. I'm so tired execs demand I "justify my existence" when I tell them what you told me and then you hate your own choices.

the new discord update really sucks huh

[riyasabubacker]

How I Help Brands Achieve Success with Digital Marketing

In today's hyper-connected world, a business that isn’t established online is like a shop with no signage. With everything moving online, becoming visible, credible, and scalable in the digital space is no longer optional—it’s the formula for growth and success.

I’m Riyas Abubacker, a results-driven digital marketing professional based in Dubai. Widely regarded by many as the best SEO expert in Dubai, I don’t just run campaigns—I build digital systems that generate measurable, long-term results. Whether you’re a startup or an established business, my goal is simple: help you get seen, stay relevant, and turn clicks into lifelong customers.

Why Digital Marketing Matters Today

Traditional marketing methods—billboards, flyers, even TV ads—just don’t carry the same weight they once did. Consumers now search online, compare brands, and make decisions digitally. If your business doesn’t show up when they search, someone else’s will.

Digital marketing empowers you to:

Reach a global or hyper-local audience

Track and measure every point of user engagement

Build credibility and trust with valuable content

Turn website visitors into paying, loyal customers

My Approach to Digital Growth

I believe in strategy-first digital marketing. That means: understand your business, goals, and audience deeply—then create a tailored roadmap for growth.

Here’s how I deliver results-driven digital marketing:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO isn’t just about ranking—it’s about visibility, trust, and traffic that converts. I help your business rank higher with:

Search intent-driven keyword research

On-page, technical, and UX-focused SEO

Ethical link-building strategies to boost domain authority

Local SEO to dominate search results in Dubai

Did you know? SEO delivers one of the highest ROI of all digital channels—when implemented with precision.

2. Social Media Marketing

Instagram. Facebook. LinkedIn. TikTok. These platforms are where your audience spends time—and where your brand should shine.

I help brands grow by:

Creating educational, entertaining, and conversion-focused content

Running paid campaigns that attract and retarget engaged users

Building communities that love and advocate for your brand

As a freelance digital marketer in Dubai, I craft social strategies that speak directly to your audience and drive engagement.

3. Performance Marketing (Paid Ads)

Want fast, measurable results? I design and manage paid ad campaigns across platforms like:

Google Ads (Search, Display, Shopping, YouTube)

Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)

LinkedIn Ads

Retargeting & Conversion Funnels

Every dirham you spend is tracked and optimized using KPIs like CTR, ROAS, cost-per-lead, and conversions. I don't believe in spending—I believe in scaling.

4. Content Strategy & Marketing

In a noisy online world, your content is your voice.

I help brands build authority and drive action through:

Long-form blog posts (like this one)

SEO-optimized website content and landing pages

Email campaigns that convert leads into clients

Lead magnets, eBooks, and nurturing funnels

As a freelance digital marketer in Dubai, I specialize in crafting content strategies that not only attract but convert your audience into paying customers.

Real Results, Not Empty Promises

Here are just a few ways I’ve helped businesses grow online:

A Dubai-based fitness brand increased organic traffic by 320% in 4 months A real estate agency generated 50+ qualified leads monthly through targeted ads A local service provider ranked #1 on Google for high-competition keywords A startup reduced ad spend while doubling their conversion rate

I’ve worked across various industries, and as a freelance digital marketer in Dubai, I bring tailored solutions backed by data, experience, and local insight.

Why Work With Me?

With so many agencies and marketers out there—why choose me?

Here’s what I bring to the table:

Agility: No middlemen. Just quick, clear, and focused communication

Affordability: Get high-quality results without the high agency fees

Local Expertise: I know what works in Dubai’s market, culturally and competitively

Dedication: I treat your brand like my own—because your success is my reputation

I bring the experience of an agency and the personal commitment of a partner.

Tools & Platforms I Use

To drive results, I use top-tier digital marketing tools:

Google Tools: Analytics, Search Console, Tag Manager

SEO: SEMrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest

Ads: Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager

Web: WordPress, Elementor, Webflow, Shopify

Email: Mailchimp, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign

Design: Canva, Adobe Suite, Figma

Every campaign is data-driven, performance-tracked, and ROI-optimized.

Let’s Work Together

Whether you're:

A startup looking to make your mark

An established brand aiming to scale

An agency needing expert support

Let’s build your digital future.

Email: [Your Email] View my full list of services: [Insert Services Page Link] Book a free 15-min discovery call: [Insert Link or CTA]

Final Thoughts

Digital marketing isn’t just about algorithms or platforms—it’s about connecting with people. It's about showing up where your audience is, delivering value, and building relationships that last.

I’m here to help you do just that—with strategies that are smart, scalable, and success-focused.

[majorstudydigitalmediaarts]

June 2nd - June 8th: Week 2 Summary

This week's summary:

Completed the core foundational text settings for Cardomnia.

Finalized the core game mechanics workflow.

Watched tutorial videos related to character design and Live2D animation.

Began research into the game's art style.

Wrote three blog posts and the weekly summary.

Adjusted time management.

Cardomnia Core Text Settings Completed

The most important task this week was "completing the core foundational text settings for Cardomnia." I'm quite happy that I managed to write these crucial text settings in line with my Gantt chart progress. Even though this is just text without any images, for me, it's the most essential foundation and core that I'll base my future designs on. I might write a blog post later to share what I learned and the resources I referenced while working on these text settings.

Core Game Mechanics Workflow Confirmed

This was another important task this week! I've finalized the workflow for the game's core mechanics!

Before this, the gameplay for Cardomnia was pretty vague; it was more like I just had a cool idea, but absolutely no clue how to actually implement it. However, with the "game core text settings" now written, I was finally able to clearly think through the core game mechanics workflow and then diagram it to check for any issues! I'll likely begin the UX and UI design based on this workflow next.

Watching Tutorials on Character Design and Live2D Animation

This week, I continued watching tutorial videos on character design and Live2D animation techniques!

For character design, I gained a deeper understanding of the importance of shapes, silhouettes, and proportions. As for Live2D animation, besides getting a clearer grasp of how to use the animation panel, I also started applying the principle of "squash and stretch" from "The 12 Principles of Animation" to create an in-place jump animation. (Here, I was only responsible for adjusting the animation; all the image assets were provided by the tutorial video.)

(Below are the Live2D online course I'm taking and the character design video I'm watching.)

https://sat.cool/course/114

Began Game Art Style Research

After completing the core text settings, I also started researching game art styles. Above are my notes on the Japanese artist Renz and his X link. The main reason for doing art style research is that I don't want to simply use my existing drawing style for Cardomnia. I hope to create a unique art style specifically for it. That's why I'm researching artists whose styles I find ideal and close to what I envision for Cardomnia, hoping to find inspiration and learn how these artists handle light and shadow, color, character proportions, composition, and so on. I'll probably write a dedicated blog post about this later.

Wrote Three Blog Posts and Weekly Summary

This is straightforward: I completed three blog posts and the Week 2 summary. This is my first time consistently writing blog posts, and I find the experience quite interesting and surprising. (This clearly shows how poor my previous time management skills were!)

Adjusted Time Management

This part is probably the best decision I made this week! I'll likely write a dedicated blog post to elaborate on how and why I made these adjustments, but I'm really glad I quickly recognized the issue and made changes. I hope this adjustment helps my progress become smoother.

[digizenzee]

Maximize Your Success with a Web Design Company

In the digital age, your website is your storefront. Whether you're a small business owner, a marketing manager, or a startup, collaborating with a web design company can significantly impact your online presence. But how do you ensure you get the best results from this partnership? This post will guide you through practical tips and strategies to make the most of your collaboration with a web design company, with a special focus on working with outfits like Digitechniques, a leading web design company in India.

Understanding Your Needs and Goals

Before approaching a web design company, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of your business needs and goals. What do you want your website to achieve? Are you looking to increase sales, generate leads, or improve brand visibility? Clearly defined goals will provide a roadmap for both you and the design team.

Researching Potential Web Design Companies

When choosing a web design company, don't settle for the first option you find. Conduct thorough research to identify firms with a strong portfolio and positive client testimonials. Look for companies like Digitechniques that have experience in your industry and understand your target audience.

Setting a Realistic Budget

Establishing a budget is a critical step in the web design process. While it's tempting to go for the cheapest option, remember that quality design requires investment. Discuss your budget openly with your chosen company to ensure there are no hidden costs down the line.

Communicating Your Vision

Effective communication is the foundation of a successful web design project. Share your vision, including color schemes, layout preferences, and particular functionalities. The more detailed you are, the easier it will be for the design team to bring your vision to life.

Establishing Clear Milestones

Setting clear milestones helps track progress and ensures that the project stays on schedule. Agree on key deliverables and deadlines upfront. This approach fosters accountability and keeps everyone aligned.

Providing Constructive Feedback

Your feedback is invaluable in refining the design. Be specific in your comments and avoid vague statements like "I don't like it." Instead, explain what works and what doesn't, providing examples when possible. This approach ensures that your feedback is actionable.

Trusting the Expertise of Your Design Team

While it's essential to communicate your needs, it's equally important to trust the expertise of your design team. Companies like Digitechniques have years of experience and a deep understanding of what works in web design. Trust their recommendations and be open to new ideas.

Focusing on User Experience (UX)

A visually appealing website is important, but user experience is paramount. Ensure that your web design company prioritizes UX, creating a site that is intuitive, easy to navigate, and accessible to all users.

Optimizing for SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical aspect of web design. Work with your design team to ensure that your site is optimized for keywords like web design company India and Digitechniques. This will improve your search engine rankings and drive organic traffic to your site.

Ensuring Mobile Responsiveness

With a significant portion of web traffic coming from mobile devices, a mobile-responsive design is non-negotiable. Confirm that your web design company can deliver a site that functions seamlessly across all devices.

Integrating Analytics

Analytics tools are crucial for measuring the success of your website. Ensure that your site has integrated analytics to track visitor behavior, conversion rates, and other key metrics. This data will inform future improvements and marketing strategies.

Planning for Future Updates

Web design is not a one-time task; it requires ongoing updates and maintenance. Discuss a plan for future updates with your web design company to ensure that your site remains current and functional.

Building a Strong Relationship

A successful web design project is built on a strong, collaborative relationship. Foster open communication, mutual respect and a willingness to work together to achieve common goals.

[creativemorningsvancouver]

COMMUNITY PROFILE

“Creativity isn't just when you're writing poetry, it's about how you live your life.”

Meet Jai, the epitome of a “multi-pie guy”. His full life is a tapestry deeply woven with creativity, innovation, and community. A few of Jai’s pursuits span the realms of poetry, music, co-housing, writing, and cooking. His mind is constantly innovating and creativity is a part of his daily life. He also finds solace in slowing down to create space to fully savour his creative process. 

As a co-cordinator and instructor at the Capilano University, IDEA School of Design, he co-developed the Interaction Design program. Jai works in user experience (UX) research to help people and organizations discover how their products and services interact with people. People and technology are at the heart of his career. 

Jai’s heart also beats for service - he is a respite foster care parent and a board member with Brightside Community Housing as well as a volunteer at MOSAIC, assisting newcomers to Canada find job opportunities. In every facet of his life, Jai stays true to his values whether that be writing music or helping a family acclimate to a new country, he believes that life is an act of creativity. 

How does your creativity flow shift between all your different projects? 

“My values of collaboration, convening and creativity are at the center of everything. I’ve always worked in collaboration whether as a composer writing music for dance and theatre, creative writing, or in the work I do. And convening, I love bringing people together. I often have people for dinner and organize salons to help make sense of the world. It is bridging like-minded people together. Creativity is the last pillar of that for me and it is imbued in everything that I do. Creativity isn't just when you're writing poetry, it's about how you live your life.”

How do you personally define creativity? 

“Maybe it’s an approach to the world. Creativity is a mindset where you see everything as endless opportunities for creation and imagination. I think our culture doesn’t encourage people to play like when we were young. Children are always curious, sharing, understanding, trying things out, and playing. And somewhere along the line, we get told that we have to be good at something for it to be good. You don't. Fail creatively!”

So, how do you manage to not lose that sense of play and wonder? 

“I’m pretty silly, always tweaking the nose of whatever I’m doing.  And maybe it's a mindset. It’s the way I see the world. I see the world in abundance of endless opportunity. Lately, I've been feeling overwhelmed with all the terrible things happening in the world. I think one of the things that we can do is be creative and bring something beautiful into the world. Being creative is making a choice to be optimistic.”

Can you tell me about a time you used your creativity to overcome adversity? 

“The pandemic was a hard time for everyone. My friend and I created a project called the Power of Portrait, and we put out a call to everyone to submit a photo and a story of how they were dealing with COVID-19. When all the businesses were boarded up downtown, we had this huge display of all the portraits that linked to their stories on the website. We wanted to create something that might capture the hearts and minds of people and inspire togetherness despite being a part. It was a beautiful display of collective creativity.”

What advice do you have for someone afraid to express their creative voice? 

“First off, if people are feeling like they are not creative, ask yourself, “Where is that coming from?”. And be confident that you have something to say, something to add to this world. And then perhaps take a second to slow down and take a look at what you’re already doing. Reframe your thinking of what is creative. Whether that's cooking, arranging the pillows on your bed, or the way you dress; these are all creative acts.”

[brookewalkerblog]

From Idea to Launch: Preparing Your Taxi Booking App

Launching a taxi booking app is an exciting journey, especially with the convenience and efficiency of readymade solutions. Having worked in the mobile app development industry, I understand the unique challenges and opportunities startups face. To ensure a smooth and successful launch, a comprehensive pre-launch checklist is indispensable. Let me guide you through some essential steps, sprinkled with real-world insights and practical advice, to help you hit the ground running.

1. Market Research and Analysis

Before diving into the development phase, it's crucial to understand your market. Conduct thorough research to identify your target audience, their preferences, and the competition. According to a report by TaxiOnGo, understanding market dynamics can significantly influence your marketing strategies and business model .

Target Audience: Identify who will use your app. Are you targeting urban commuters, tourists, or corporate clients?

Competitor Analysis: Study your competitors. What features do they offer? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

2. Choose the Right Technology Partner

Selecting a reliable mobile app development company in USA is a pivotal decision. A skilled team can transform your vision into a robust and scalable app. Look for a company with a strong portfolio in taxi booking app development services in the USA, and don't hesitate to ask for client references.

3. Define Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Your UVP sets you apart from competitors. What unique features or services will your app offer? Consider integrating features like real-time tracking, multiple payment options, and an intuitive user interface. According to SpotnRides, having a clear UVP can attract more users and create a loyal customer base .

4. Develop a Comprehensive Marketing Plan

A strategic marketing plan is vital for a successful launch. Utilize both pre-launch and post-launch marketing strategies to build anticipation and maintain momentum.

Pre-launch Campaigns: Leverage social media, email marketing, and influencers to create buzz.

Press Releases and Media Outreach: Reach out to local and national media to get coverage.

Beta Testing: Conduct beta testing with a select group of users to gather feedback and make necessary improvements.

According to Purrweb, a well-executed marketing plan can significantly enhance your app's visibility and user engagement .

5. Focus on User Experience (UX) and Interface Design (UI)

A seamless user experience is non-negotiable. Your app should be easy to navigate, visually appealing, and functional. Invest in professional UI/UX design to ensure that your app provides a smooth and enjoyable user experience. Remember, the first impression is crucial.

6. Implement Robust Security Measures

Security is a top concern for any app. Ensure that your app complies with all necessary regulations and implements robust security measures to protect user data. Features like two-factor authentication and encrypted transactions can enhance trust among users.

7. Set Up Efficient Customer Support

Having a reliable customer support system is essential. Users should be able to reach out for assistance quickly and easily. Consider integrating live chat support and providing a comprehensive FAQ section within the app.

8. Optimize for App Store Submission

Submitting your app to app stores (Google Play and Apple App Store) requires careful preparation. Ensure your app meets all the guidelines and requirements for a smooth approval process. Optimize your app store listing with relevant keywords, engaging descriptions, and high-quality screenshots.

9. Monitor Performance Metrics

Once your app is live, continuously monitor its performance using analytics tools. Track key metrics such as user acquisition, retention rates, and in-app behavior. These insights can help you make data-driven decisions to enhance your app's performance.

10. Prepare for Scalability

As your user base grows, your app should be able to handle increased traffic without compromising performance. Plan for scalability by choosing a flexible architecture and leveraging cloud services.

Personal Insights and Conclusion

Launching a taxi booking app is not just about having a functional product; it's about creating an experience that users love. From my experience, the startups that succeed are those that pay attention to every detail, from market research to user experience, and security to customer support.

Remember, the journey doesn't end with the launch. It's an ongoing process of learning, adapting, and improving. With the right preparation and a dedicated approach, your taxi booking app can become a significant player in the market.

Partnering with a reputable mobile app development company in the USA and leveraging white-label taxi app solution can streamline your process and give you a competitive edge. I hope this checklist serves as a valuable resource as you embark on your exciting journey to revolutionize the transportation industry.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further guidance. Here's to your success!