“Design used to be the seasoning you’d sprinkle on for taste. Now it’s the flour you need at the start of the recipe.’’
— John Maeda, Designer and Technologist
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Privacy Policy
This Privacy policy was published on March 1st, 2020.
GDPR compliance
At UX GIRL we are committed to protect and respect your privacy in compliance with EU - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016/679, dated April 27th, 2016. This privacy statement explains when and why we collect personal information, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure. This Privacy Policy applies to the use of our services, products and our sales, but also marketing and client contract fulfilment activities. It also applies to individuals seeking a job at UX GIRL.
About UX GIRL
UX GIRL is a design studio firm that specialises in research, strategy and design and offers clients software design services. Our company is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland and you can get in touch with us by writing to hello@uxgirl.com.
When we collect personal data about you
When you interact with us in person – through correspondence, by phone, by social media, or through our uxgirl.com (“Site”).
When we get personal information from other legitimate sources, such as third-party data aggregators, UX GIRL marketing partners, public sources or social networks. We only use this data if you have given your consent to them to share your personal data with others.
We may collect personal data if it is considered to be of legitimate interest and if this interest is not overridden by your privacy interests. We make sure an assessment is made, with an established mutual interest between you and UX GIRL.
When you are using our products.
Why we collect and use personal data
We collect and use personal data mainly to perform direct sales, direct marketing, and customer service. We also collect data about partners and persons seeking a job or working in our company. We may use your information for the following purposes:
Send you marketing communications which you have requested. These may include information about our services, products, events, activities, and promotions of our partners. This communication is subscription based and requires your consent.
Send you information about the services and products that you have purchased from us.
Perform direct sales activities in cases where legitimate and mutual interest is established.
Provide you content and venue details on a webinar or event you signed up for.
Reply to a ‘Contact me’ or other web forms you have completed on our Site (e.g., to download an ebook).
Follow up on incoming requests (client support, emails, chats, or phone calls).
Perform contractual obligations such as invoices, reminders, and similar. The contract may be with UX GIRL directly or with a UX GIRL partner.
Notify you of any disruptions to our services.
Contact you to conduct surveys about your opinion on our services and products.
When we do a business deal or negotiate a business deal, involving sale or transfer of all or a part of our business or assets. These deals can include any merger, financing, acquisition, or bankruptcy transaction or proceeding.
Process a job application.
To comply with laws.
To respond to lawful requests and legal process.
To protect the rights and property of UX GIRL, our agents, customers, and others. Includes enforcing our agreements, policies, and terms of use.
In an emergency. Includes protecting the safety of our employees, our customers, or any person.
Type of personal data collected
We collect your email, full name and company’s name, but in addition, we can also collect phone numbers. We may also collect feedback, comments and questions received from you in service-related communication and activities, such as meetings, phone calls, chats, documents, and emails.
If you apply for a job at UX GIRL, we collect the data you provide during the application process. UX GIRL does not collect or process any particular categories of personal data, such as unique public identifiers or sensitive personal data.
Information we collect automatically
We automatically log information about you and your computer. For example, when visiting uxgirl.com, we log your computer operating system type, browser type, browser language, pages you viewed, how long you spent on a page, access times, internet protocol (IP) address and information about your actions on our Site.
The use of cookies and web beacons
We may log information using "cookies." Cookies are small data files stored on your hard drive by a website. Cookies help us make our Site and your visit better.
We may log information using digital images called web beacons on our Site or in our emails.
This information is used to make our Site work more efficiently, as well as to provide business and marketing information to the owners of the Site, and to gather such personal data as browser type and operating system, referring page, path through site, domain of ISP, etc. for the purposes of understanding how visitors use our Site. Cookies and similar technologies help us tailor our Site to your personal needs, as well as to detect and prevent security threats and abuse. If used alone, cookies and web beacons do not personally identify you.
How long we keep your data
We store personal data for as long as we find it necessary to fulfil the purpose for which the personal data was collected, while also considering our need to answer your queries or resolve possible problems. This helps us to comply with legal requirements under applicable laws, to attend to any legal claims/complaints, and for safeguarding purposes.
This means that we may retain your personal data for a reasonable period after your last interaction with us. When the personal data that we have collected is no longer required, we will delete it securely. We may process data for statistical purposes, but in such cases, data will be anonymised.
Your rights to your personal data
You have the following rights concerning your personal data:
The right to request a copy of your personal data that UX GIRL holds about you.
The right to request that UX GIRL correct your personal data if inaccurate or out of date.
The right to request that your personal data is deleted when it is no longer necessary for UX GIRL to retain such data.
The right to withdraw any consent to personal data processing at any time. For example, your consent to receive digital marketing messages. If you want to withdraw your consent for digital marketing messages, please make use of the link to manage your subscriptions included in our communication.
The right to request that UX GIRL provides you with your personal data.
The right to request a restriction on further data processing, in case there is a dispute about the accuracy or processing of your personal data.
The right to object to the processing of personal data, in case data processing has been based on legitimate interest and/or direct marketing.
Any query about your privacy rights should be sent to hello@uxgirl.com.
Hotjar’s privacy policy
We use Hotjar in order to better understand our users’ needs and to optimize this service and experience. Hotjar is a technology service that helps us better understand our users experience (e.g. how much time they spend on which pages, which links they choose to click, what users do and don’t like, etc.) and this enables us to build and maintain our service with user feedback. Hotjar uses cookies and other technologies to collect data on our users’ behavior and their devices (in particular device's IP address (captured and stored only in anonymized form), device screen size, device type (unique device identifiers), browser information, geographic location (country only), preferred language used to display our website). Hotjar stores this information in a pseudonymized user profile. Neither Hotjar nor we will ever use this information to identify individual users or to match it with further data on an individual user. For further details, please see Hotjar’s privacy policy by clicking on this link.
You can opt-out to the creation of a user profile, Hotjar’s storing of data about your usage of our site and Hotjar’s use of tracking cookies on other websites by following this opt-out link.
Sharethis’s privacy policy
We use Sharethis to enable our users to share our content on social media. Sharethis lets us collects information about the number of shares of our posts. For further details, please see Sharethis’s privacy policy by clicking on this link.
You can opt-out of Sharethis collecting data about you by following this opt-out link.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
UX GIRL reserves the right to amend this privacy policy at any time. The latest version will always be found on our Site. We encourage you to check this page occasionally to ensure that you are happy with any changes.
If we make changes that significantly alter our privacy practices, we will notify you by email or post a notice on our Site before the change takes effect.
Our CEO, Magdalena Ostoja-Chyżyńska, participated in an insightful interview with Kmag, sharing her professional experience. In the interview, Magdalena Ostoja-Chyżyńska shares her extraordinary journey, starting from her studies at the Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology, where her fascination with human-computer interaction shaped her professional path. Undeniable interest in coding and web design directed her towards a career she chose to pursue.
After a decade of working for other companies, she took a courageous step and founded her own design studio, UX GIRL, in 2020, during the challenging times of the pandemic. Beginning with a single project, she quickly gained recognition, leading her to expand her team. Today, with over 3 years in existence, the company is growing dynamically, featuring a five-person team, which until recently consisted exclusively of women.
Magdalena emphasizes the strong presence of "girl power" in her company, highlighting that communication within the team is efficient, and the atmosphere is open. Despite dynamic growth and client satisfaction, the majority of whom come from abroad, Magdalena is determined to maintain the boutique nature of UX GIRL.
A standout quote from the interview is: "We're facing a new situation - a man recently joined us. We'll definitely get along; he's a great specialist." This expression reflects Magdalena's openness to diversity in the team and the belief that differences are a strength that enriches the team's dynamics. Despite dynamic growth, the team remains crucial for her, and the atmosphere and quality of services provided remain top priorities.
Magdalena Ostoja-Chyżyńska, the CEO and Founder of UX GIRL, a while ago had the privilege to speak at Infoshare F3, one of the most significant technology conferences in Poland. She was one of the speakers on the "Design" track, where she discussed the critical role of collaboration between developers and designers in creating outstanding products and services.
During her presentation, Magdalena shared her expertise in UX design, providing valuable insights on how to achieve a successful collaboration between developers and designers. She talked about the importance of mutual understanding, clear communication, and problem-solving skills in creating high-quality products and services that meet users' needs. She emphasized that effective collaboration stems from trust and respect, suggesting that developers and designers should always respect each other's expertise and avoid overstepping into each other's domains without consent.
Magdalena's presentation was well-received by the audience, and her expertise in the field of UX design was widely recognized. Her ability to communicate her ideas clearly and concisely made her a valuable addition to the conference and sparked interesting discussions on the topic. For instance, she highlighted the significance of visual aids in meetings, underscoring that visual presentations often enhance understanding and empathy among team members, as opposed to solely verbal communication.
One particularly engaging part of her talk was about the concept of "storytelling" in design meetings. Magdalena pointed out that designers should not only present their visuals but also explain the reasoning behind their choices, which helps in building empathy and understanding from the developers' side. This approach fosters a more cohesive and collaborative environment.
Being invited to speak at Infoshare F3 was a significant accomplishment for Magdalena and a recognition of her expertise in UX design. It also helped to raise awareness of UX GIRL as a leading company in UX design solutions and highlighted the importance of effective collaboration between developers and designers in achieving better results. She shared that her extensive experience—over a decade in design and having collaborated with more than 75 developers—has taught her that the key to a successful product lies in seamless workflow and open communication.
At UX GIRL, we are proud of Magdalena's achievements and her ability to represent our company at such a prestigious conference. We look forward to continuing to share our expertise in UX design and providing high-quality solutions to our clients. Her insights from the conference reaffirm our commitment to fostering a collaborative environment where designers and developers work together towards a common goal, ensuring that our clients receive the best possible outcomes.
Moreover, Magdalena stressed the importance of continuous feedback and knowledge sharing within the team. She encouraged both developers and designers to openly share their thoughts and concerns, to continuously seek advice, and to not shy away from giving or receiving feedback. This culture of openness not only builds trust but also ensures that everyone feels involved and valued in the project.
In summary, Magdalena's participation in Infoshare F3 was a testament to her expertise and the innovative spirit of UX GIRL. Her presentation underscored the essential elements of successful developer-designer collaboration and highlighted best practices that can lead to the creation of exceptional products.
We are thrilled to announce that UX GIRL has been honored with the prestigious Clutch Global Spring 2024 Awards in the categories of User Experience and UX Strategy. This recognition underscores our dedication to delivering exceptional UX solutions and strategic insights that drive success for our clients.
About the Clutch Global Awards
Clutch is a renowned B2B ratings and reviews platform that identifies top service providers worldwide based on a strict methodology emphasizing industry expertise and the ability to deliver. This accolade is a testament to our commitment to excellence and client satisfaction.
Our Collaboration Highlights
Attentive to Details: We are usually noted for our meticulous attention to detail and effective stakeholder alignment.
Smooth Communication: Our clients highlight their daily communication and smooth workflow, which help address and mitigate any setbacks promptly.
High Client Satisfaction: Our ability to deliver high-quality designs with minimal revisions has been particularly appreciated by project leaders.
Behind the Scenes: Our Approach to UX and Strategy
At UX GIRL, we believe that user experience is at the heart of every successful product. Our approach is centered around understanding the needs and behaviors of users through comprehensive research and testing. Our UX strategy integrates these insights with business goals to create user-centered designs that are both effective and delightful.
Our team of skilled professionals brings a diverse set of skills and expertise, from user research and interaction design to usability testing and visual design. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that every aspect of the user experience is carefully considered and optimized.
Looking Ahead
This award is not just a recognition of our past achievements but also a motivation for the future. We are dedicated to continuing our pursuit of excellence and pushing the boundaries of UX and UX strategy. We invite our clients and followers to celebrate this milestone with us and look forward to achieving even greater heights together.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights from UX GIRL as we continue to innovate and lead in the UX industry.
Thank you to our incredible team and our clients for their support and trust. This achievement is a shared success, and we are excited about what the future holds.
The digital environment is constantly changing. Design evolves and adapts to new needs and new users. However, some solutions do not go out of fashion. People from all generations know them and changing them could introduce chaos or at least frustration.
All of you know it very well and see it every day while typing on any of your devices. It helps you by indicating the spot for your future text and does follow new letters as you type. It also specifies the location in the text where you want to paste something that you previously copied. You might have seen it as an underscore or a block but usually, it takes the form of a blinking vertical line. As we found out while researching for this article - it also has a lot of names
caret
blinking cursor
text cursor
text insertion point
Where did the blinking cursor even come from?
In the last century, along with technological development, the possibility of creating and editing texts on the first computers appeared. However, writers struggled with the problem of the lack of a quick and intuitive possibility of changing or removing a selected fragment of the text.
Charles Kiesling was one of the engineers interested in advancing the capabilities of computers in the 1950s. He worked on improving the logic circuitry of computers such as the IBM 650. In 1967, Kiesling filed a patent for a new typing solution - a blinking cursor. However, this solution became widely known and used in 1977 with the premiere of Apple II and a year later with the premiere of the first commercially popular word processor WordStar.
Today, anyone who has had a computer in their hands at least once knows what a cursor means. Designers and developers working on products and adding new features can’t disregard solutions users are already used to.
So what should we do if we need to point two spots at once?
We’ve recently asked ourselves this question for the first time. We came across a case that made us think about it while designing a tool similar to code creator. The user was supposed to add a few elements in the line, which together created a whole code. Each of the elements could have been selected from a code completion list that also had a search function. First caret: the user needed to be able to see the location of a new element added in the "code". Second caret: if the user wanted to search for an element, the caret must have appeared in the active textfield.
What now? Should we delete one cursor? Gray it out? How about leaving both of them and ignoring the problem? We’ve decided to check some popular apps - desktop and mobile and find out how they solve this problem.
Gmail on Mac - Adding emoji to a new email
One caret follows the text entered in the search box. The other indicates the place in the email where the selected emoji will appear. It's worth noticing that they are both blinking and have the same color.
Google Docs - Searching an element in the doc
In that case, the first cursor follows the text typed in the finder tool. The second one points to the last active text location. Both of the cursors have the same color, but just the one in the finder is blinking. The second cursor starts to blink again after closing the finder.
iOS Notes - Adding emoji to the note
iPhone users can experience a double text cursor creating a new note on their phones. The cursors are very different from each other - they have different colors and only the one in the search box is blinking.
WhatsApp for Android - Adding emoji to the new message
In that case, we can see only one caret and it’s in a search box. The one in the textfield is invisible but the selected emoji appears in the place where a caret was active the last time.
Which one is the best?
After testing a few apps, it's time to summarize the pros and cons of each solution.
Visibility of both cursors at once
In our opinion, the user should always be able to see where the result of their action will appear. Making one of the carets invisible takes away some part of the user's control. So we stand for keeping both cursors visible to the user. What is important here is creating a hierarchy for them. So now let's take care of…
Colors
Let's pay attention to a good idea that appeared in one of the inspirations we found: the cursor that is not responsible for the main action on the screen is grayed out. To highlight the importance of the main cursor, we can also choose colors other than black. Blue for example will call attention to the active status of the textfield.
Blinking
Last but not least - blinking of the cursor. It is obvious that this function helps a lot in finding our current location in the text. But aren't two elements blinking on the screen too much? In our opinion, yes. In the case of a double cursor, we would definitely choose to animate only one of them, the main action one.
Conclusions
Adding a blinking cursor to the interfaces was undoubtedly necessary to facilitate many people's daily work. This invention has stood the test of time and is still widely used today. However, sometimes even the most reliable solutions need an adaptation to more complex features. Yet, as designers, we have to remember that if the user already knows the action of a component, we shouldn’t change it.
In our opinion, in this task, we should focus on designing the hierarchy of elements. We have the ability to work on the visibility, color, and movement of elements. This essential UX designer skill will keep the interface transparent and let the user stay in control.
And you? How would you design a tool that requires two cursors? And as a user, have you noticed this problem in the apps you use?