The UX of leftovers.
One of the few disagreements my wife and I regularly have (well, one of many if you’re my wife) is around leftovers. I grew up in a family where leftovers were a part of life. And a welcome one at … Continued
You don’t have to be a designer to think like a designer. But it helps.
Title: In Defense of Design Thinking, Which Is Terrible Context: I could tell you all the secrets of being a designer, but then I’d have to kill you. Just kidding. Or am I? Synopsis: We designers are a misunderstood lot. … Continued
“Designer” is a gender neutral noun. It’s about time we started acting like it.
Title: What Would a World Designed by Women Look Like? Context: Diversity of thought and experience is the most effective way to address the problems impacting a world forged within a historically narrow set of perspectives. Synopsis: As I read … Continued
The hottest business accessory for 2018? Chief Design Officer.
Title: What Design Chiefs At Uber, IBM, And Microsoft Care About In 2018–And Why Context: Suddenly big business can’t get enough of design. Took them long enough. Synopsis: More good news for us designers straight from the halls of Corporate … Continued
In principle design principles should simply be simple principles about design simplicity.
Title: In the future, design principles won’t be about design Context: Everybody has got design principles, but how many really live by them? Synopsis: Design principles are the new hotness. Can you even claim to be a design thinking company … Continued
It’s not what you know, it’s what you can convince people to think you know that makes a great designer.
Title: How to pretend you’re a great designer Context: If you can’t BE a great designer, just PRETEND that you are. Really, who’ll know the difference? Synopsis: We are all design disruptors bringing holistic user-centric methodologies to the table in … Continued
You are a brilliantly creative problem solver…which is exactly why we will never promote you to a leadership role.
Title: The Bias Against Creatives as Leaders Context: “The creative can’t lead and those who lead can’t be creative.” Hogwash, balderdash, and flimflammery are but 3 creative words that can be used to disagree with such stupidity. Synopsis: The creative … Continued
Is it possible to be both nice and professionally successful? Not just possible, but mandatory.
Title: After years of intensive analysis, Google discovers the key to good teamwork is being nice Context: Everything you need to know about being a good teammate you learned in kindergarten. Synopsis: So what’s the secret to highly productive teams? … Continued
You can lead your company to design, but that probably won’t make it make products that don’t suck.
Title: Why Airbnb’s New Head of Design Believes ‘Design-Led’ Companies Don’t Work Context: It’s not who’s leading the culture of your organization that matters, it’s who is being led that makes the difference. Synopsis: The engineers have had their shot … Continued
If your designers ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy (particularly your customers).
Title: UX Is a Canary in a Coal Mine Context: Happy designers = better products. So make sure your designers are happy dammit! Synopsis: Are you happy? Not always an easy question to answer I know. Happiness comes and goes, … Continued
“You are a designing machine!” is not a compliment.
Title: Design machines: How to survive the digital apocalypse. Context: The era of digital production has standardized creativity. Synopsis: Man has always feared his own obsolescence. Since the dawn of the industrial age our bogeyman has invariably been the machine. … Continued
“Do you want a career in business or a career in design?” Yes.
Title: How Designers Are Building Careers in Silicon Valley Context: Designers aren’t just designers anymore. Synopsis: (Ignore the navel gazing “Silicon Valley” qualifier in the title of this post because it adds nothing to the dialog which, make no mistake … Continued
Quick: what company is designing the best software right now? Everyone who said “Apple” go and Google “shame”.
Title: How Google Finally Got Design Context: If Google can achieve design superiority, anyone can. I hope. Synopsis: Remember how the minimal, search-box-only approach to “design” that Google built its empire upon was viewed as a success in spite of … Continued
Either lead, follow, or stop doing UX.
Title: UX Leadership, Part 1: The Nature of Great Leaders & UX Leadership, Part 2: What Great Leaders Must Do Context: Leadership is not just for people leaders. Leaders change the status quo. The smart ones follow these people of … Continued
“Yes…it is true…this man has a dick for a head…” and other team building rules to live by.
Title: NO DICKHEADS! A Guide To Building Happy, Healthy, and Creative Teams. Context: It’s easy to call yourselves a team. However, actually being a team takes a lot of hard work. Synopsis: Tolstoy famously said that “All happy families are … Continued