With a couple of really interesting UX-led projects underway and upcoming, we've been reading a bit more widely than normal on recent opinions and movements in this space. Here are three little vignettes, roughly in and around that field.

1. If you see a UI walkthrough they blew it This makes a lot of sense: UI shouldn't need explaining. But it does put pressure on designers who are trying innovate around exciting new experiences. I think we also need to remember that many new uses of interface elements can become familiar reasonably quickly, and initial confusion quickly forgotten. The author of this post does mention that he prefers "progressive disclosure with slight visual cues and subtle animations" rather than walkthroughs or popups, but also goes onto clarify his initial thoughts in a post update. Worth a read if you're looking to push the envelop a little in the interfaces you're creating.

2. Redesigning Google: how Larry Page engineered a beautiful revolution Google's internal efforts to find consistency of experience across a variety of applications and mediums, makes compelling reading. 'Project Kennedy' is all the more ambitious when you consider that the company doesn't have a centralised design team, but rather a stealth (oohhh) tem called UXA that move (silently) throughout the whole organisation. The results speak for themselves: Googles iOs apps, for example, are light and speedy and increasingly accepted as a helping define a new design language for information. It's also obviously pretty interesting to see how Larry Page has taken on the role of doyen of UX versus how Steve Jobs always held the mantle of head of product. A unified vision coming from the very, very top.

3. Utility vs. Beauty This is simple a gentle reminder to show restraint and to also try and remember to value beauty and usefulness (this is just one of the author's 52 Weeks of UX. Have a poke around.)