AroundYu is a unique service that no other Indian phone maker has even attempted. AroundYu comes bundled with the Yu phone’s Cyanogen CM12 operating system. The YU exclusivity is perhaps accentuated that such a feature isn’t available with other Cyanogen devices like OnePlus One and cannot be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Design For Use (DFU), a small global UX firm, collaborated with Micromax to take the idea from conception to reality. AroundYu is intended to be an always-on launcher that opens by a left swiping from the home screen,...

It's 2014, and that means big changes - not just for Elon Musk, but for small UX consulting firms too! To shake things up a bit, Design For Use has recently overhauled our process from a longish-term Waterfall methodology to the very sexy newish Lean design and testing approach. After attending numerous UX conferences and networking meetups, we were inspired by the iterative and revelatory nature of Agile and Lean methodologies - and, of course, the major perk: less time spent on creating those beautiful deliverables. Armed with guidance from books like Lean UX...

It’s been a few weeks since I returned from the Digital Project Management summit in Philly, and despite the fact that I was prodded to write this blog post by Valle Hansen (our regular blogger and wordsmith extraordinaire), I think I’ve reflected on the experience thoroughly. At previous conferences I’ve attended, it’s been easy to get caught up in the new ideas being shared, climb out of my head, and come back to the office buzzing with optimism. For that reason, the DPM summit was similar to other experiences I’ve...

We always envisioned Design For Use as a geographically distributed design firm. We started our Austin, Texas (USA) and Delhi (India) offices only months apart. Our structure was born more out of a subconscious shrug of the shoulders that this is the only way to go, rather than a conscious strategic decision about “cost arbitrage” or “market opportunities.” As we’ve grown, we have stuck with our global perspective and continued to execute our projects using our internal teams and a network of freelance and contract partners from many different areas...

As Design For Use celebrates its 5th birthday, we have decided to share our hard-earned wisdom by distilling what we feel are the 10 most important lessons to help build a lasting client relationship. Enjoy! 1. Above all, be honest Good relationships are built on honesty, trust and integrity. Be transparent about your pricing, capabilities and ability to deliver. Usually, the first "deliverable" our prospective clients see is our proposal and statement of work. This document should reflect the quality of your work, your understanding of the project scope, detailed plan for...