Yesterday I attended UX Open in Stockholm. This was the second year in a row the unconference about UX was hosted by Martin Christensen (@m8rt). I missed last year’s event so I was really eager to go!

The unconference consisted of lots of ten minute lightning talks, followed by open group discussions about topics that were decided on the spot.

I enjoyed all talks, but here’s a summary of the ones I found most interesting.

I’ve been a huge fan of swedish rock star Dregen (@DregenOfficial) ever since I heard the classic Backyard Babies track Brand New Hate twelve years ago.

By pure coincidence when I started working at HiQ (@hiqinternat) in 2011 Dregen had already done company related events with us for about half a year. This collaboration reached new heights when the former guitarist of The Hellacopters shot the video for his first single, Just Like That, of his self titled solo album at our office one sunny Monday in August.

I “happened” to be at our office the same day and got the new Michael Monroe (@michaelmonroe) album Horns and Halos signed by Dregen and his band colleague Karl Rockfist, who both have been touring with the Hanoi Rocks front man for a couple of years. The album was released in Sweden on the same day as the video shoot. Incredible timing!

Dregen’s solo album can be listened to below.

What du you think? Post it in the comment section below.

/Alex

One of the most popular navigation patterns for apps and responsive websites is broken. I’m talking about the left navigation fly out, which was made popular by Facebook a year or two ago and since then has spread like wildfire.

Don’t get me wrong. This navigation pattern has many pros. For example:

• It can hold lots of content
• It doesn’t take up much space when closed
• It’s very common

But it it has one major flaw. The toggle button is placed in the most hard to reach area on a smartphone screen – the upper left corner.

Why not the upper left corner?

Sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated with your studies or your job. You’ve lost your spark and you don’t know how to get it back.

This has happened to me once or twice. I don’t mean short periods of time like an anxious weekend before an exam or a stress filled week before a release. I’m talking months on end of frustration that kill your motivation and pollute your social life.

Luckily, I’ve always managed to pull through and learned a lot about myself in the process. So here’s 10 tips for getting and keeping yourself motivated and happy.

1. Exercise

I run or go to the gym four to five times per week. It clears my head and keeps me energized, fit and pleased with myself. Getting a rush of endorphins feels like having superpowers.

2. Use Trello

Trello is without a doubt my favorite service all categories! I use it for every project I’m involved in, even if I’m working alone. Externalizing discussions, decisions, ideas and thoughts has saved me so much energy I’d normally waste keeping it all in my head.

Trello is without a doubt my favorite service all categories!

3. Do projects on your spare time

Working more when you don’t feel like working at all might sound like fighting fire with fire, but it worked for me! When I created a portfolio website for a friend it got my creative juices flowing again. It reminded me that what I do is fun.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or been without Internet access) for the past four years you’ve probably visited The Oatmeal – the article and comics website created by Matthew Inman (@Oatmeal).

I cannot articulate my love for Inman’s fantastic, weird, smart, thoughtful, provoking, geeky and just plain awesome content he has put out throughout the years. However, one piece that has stood out for me is his poster How A Web Design Goes Straight To Hell.

“Well, isn’t it a bit exaggerated?”, you might think. It’s not. It’s the hard truth! You’re not a true web designer unless you’ve experienced a design process like this.

I have.

Once.