Elizabeth Bott

Content standards in design systems support a holistically consistent user experience. They also build collaboration between writers, designers and engineers. https://lnkd.in/gVRepdfi Nielsen Norman Group #contentdesign #designsystems #contentstrategy

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How do service designers do service design without partnering with user research? In the absence of UR, we’re just left with service maps that look nice. How are decisions made off the back of that? And when debating don’t talk about democratisation of UR, because that is just people marking their own homework and breaching research codes of conduct if not experienced and trained appropriately to mitigate aspects such as bias, quality of research as well as participant care. I’m proud to be a dedicated user researcher why do people sell out on our discipline? Don’t conflate democratisation with UR as a team sport. Why this constant need to debase user research by promoting that UR can be done by anybody? Now off to learn how to code and tomorrow I will be developer. #evidenceleddecisionmaking #userresearch

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Another great Macquarie Design Blog post by Leah Ochroch went live this morning. Insightful, practical tips to ensure your design is accessible for all. #design #experiencedesign #uxdesign #accessibility

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I wrote a blog post: How Design System Day makes our community stronger 💪 It’s a #DesignSystemDay write up and a little bit on how it fits with our community strategy. ⏱️Take a read if you have 4 mins spare: https://lnkd.in/efMFPsvq #DSDay24 #community #DesignSystem

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🚨 A recent study found that 91% of Australian teens have a smartphone... yet many are unknowingly exposing their identity and location! We’re not just facing a tech issue here, it’s a literacy gap. Teens aren't fully grasping the privacy risks tied to location sharing and digital footprints. The "privacy paradox” is real, where individuals prioritise convenience over security, even when aware of the risks. Like climate change, it's not just down to the individual changing their habits but other somewhat "bigger" players in the game also contributing. Parents – are you guiding your kids on safe phone use? Schools and tech companies, where’s your role in fostering safer digital habits? The time for proactive education and collaboration is now. Let’s secure the future of our digitally connected youth! 🔐📱 #DigitalSafety #ParentingInTheDigitalAge #DigitalWellbeing #YoungLivesMatter #DigitalLiteracy https://lnkd.in/gNCkkZxp

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Thanks Steve. It's a noble quest, for sure. An effective answer should be one that will unlock someone's understanding of design, and cause them to act differently as a result. I think you are close. To me, a definition using design as a strategic capability should include the things you've mentioned. I feel it should also include bringing the ambitions to life (eg a future state experience vision of sorts). As you know, strategy is also as much about what you say no to as what you say yes to, and being very clear about the path you take to get there. Those decisions could be made with any number of customer insights or lack thereof, and therefore I would include the fact that design can play a part in prioritising, defining horizons and also de-risking the big bets.

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I've been mulling on the question: Are design systems too slow? So much so, I've written a blog post about it. SPOILER ALERT: We have a problem with our design system. It's too slow! A link to the blog post is in the comments. Let me know what you think.

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Design Systems doing less. What’s that all about? Has anyone read anything compelling about the trend for design systems that I’m seeing which is to “do less”, “make less”, and even go as far as “we’re not making anything new”? I don’t currently understand it. If there’s a need for a thing, why not make it/centralise it. I’d like to understand it.

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This article from Vision Australia shares five simple tips for designing accessible web forms. #Accessibility

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Over time our remit as designers has grown. As a result, the old frameworks aren't relevant and many different people and organisations are tackling this in different ways. The responsible innovation framework is a response to this. It builds on the traditional venn diagram for desirability, feasibility and viability to make explicit other areas we need to consider and bake them into how we work as part of standard good practice. The magic happens when we can include all six lenses so our work is not only desirable, feasible and viable but also sustainable, inclusive and just. It's always evolving and I'm excited to see where it goes. I introduce it here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e97KhHC5

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The article showcases the importance of understanding the problem space more than finding the solution. Explains why our default mode is to think of a solution and what happens when we spend time thinking about the problem. Enjoy! And feel free to leave me your thoughts on it.

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On #BraveUX this week, Dr. Ari Zelmanow shares insight into his life as a police detective 🕵️‍♂️, how he transformed into a PhD and then UX researcher 😎, and how researchers can become strategic partners ♟️. Highlights include: ⭐ What insight did your time as a detective give you into your fellow humans? ⭐ How do you communicate the value of research to the business? ⭐ What is the most impactful way to present research findings? ⭐ Why is it important to associate a level of certainty with research findings? ⭐ What is the most important thing for researchers to focus on right now? Plus much more! - - - - - 📺 Want to watch or listen 🎧 to the episode? 👉 Find the links in the comments, or search for Brave UX with Brendan Jarvis 🇺🇦 on YouTube or on your favourite podcast platform. - - - - - Who is Ari Zelmanow? Ari is he Head of UX Research at Twilio, where he leads the ‘small but mighty’ research and research ops teams for the industry-leading platform that efficiently powers customer engagement, marketing and innovation 💪. He is also the Managing Director of Customer Forensics, where he helps companies to capture and keep more customers - informed by his time in the research field, and former life as a metropolitan police detective 🕵️‍♂️. Ari has also held a number of senior research roles, including as vice president of analytics, research and insight at Gtmhub, As a UX research manager at Indeed, a director of analytics, research, and insights at Panasonic, and as a UX and Market Research Lead at Twitter 🦤. Complementing Ari’s decade of experience as a police detective and years in the field as an applied researcher and research manager, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, and a PhD in Cognitive Psychology 🧠. - - - - - Don’t forget to check out the show notes on YouTube for quick-access to interview chapters, as well as where to find Ari. #UX #UXR #UXResearch #UserResearch #DesignLeadership

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"Austerity service design has been going on for so long, and has crept up on us so slowly that it isn't something that we notice now" We reflect on a career of designing under austerity and how this has shaped the field of service design over the last 14 years since the 'Big Society' term was introduced Can we end austerity-era service design? https://lnkd.in/eUCP5jX6

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The Note Taker - Unsung hero in user research 💥 💡 🔥 Over 15 years in UX research, the work I’m most proud of—and that’s had the greatest impact— involved the support of a note taker ... whose regular role ranged from BAs and engineers to designers, fellow URs, PMs, DMs, and engagement leads... you name it! But sometimes I still get asked: ❓“Why do you need a note taker?” ❓“Can’t you just take notes yourself?” ❓“Aren’t automated transcripts enough?” Here’s the truth ... 👉 a good note taker is so much more than just someone who jots down notes. 👉 In fact, the term ‘note taker’ seriously undersells the value they bring. 👉 Their true impact? Better research, better business outcomes, and stronger teams—ultimately benefiting the users who rely on the products and services we create in tech and beyond. Why a note taker is good for business 🔹 Higher quality insights leading to more informed decisions. 🔹 Faster turnarounds, keeping projects on track. 🔹 Mitigating risks of delays by avoiding single points of failure, especially during research-heavy phases like discovery. Why a note taker is good for morale 🔹 Prevents burnout by supporting the researchers’ wellbeing 🔹 Encourages collaboration and shared understanding 🔹 Provides support and camaraderie that can be more impactful than any team-building exercise. Why a note taker is good for quality 🔹 Reduces biases from only one person being familiar with the research data e.g. sunk cost fallacy, availability heuristic, recency bias, attentional bias, and more! 🔹 Prevents siloed work by opening up the research process to others on the team 🔹 Research knowledge continuity, speeding up onboarding and reducing ramp-up time on follow-up projects. 🔹 Ensures richer insights and stronger recommendations. Two heads are indeed better than one. So... is a note taker always needed when doing research? No, not always, but here's when I think it's particularly beneficial to bring in a note taker: ⚡ The phase of the work is generative/discovery research. ⚡ Timelines are ambitious, quick research turnaround is needed, single points of failure are high risk. ⚡ High-quality insights are a top priority ⚡ The researcher is new to the project and/or domain, a note taker who helps sense-make adds perspective and value. ✨ User research is a team sport, and note takers are star players. Thank you to all the note takers everywhere! We see you and appreciate you 👏 🏅 ❓Have you worked with an exceptional note taker who elevated your research process? Or maybe you’ve taken on the role yourself? Share your experiences or thoughts below—let’s celebrate the unsung heroes of UX together! 👇 #UXResearch #Collaboration #Teamwork #Wellbeing #UserExperience #BusinessNeed Image by Ash Lamb ---- 💬 Want a friendly chat about all things UX or how I might help you in your career? ➡ DM me or book an intro chat here: https://lnkd.in/erzqHcX8

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This month on the Macquarie Design Blog, Leah Ochroch, User Experience Engineer, discusses the world of accessibility and how designers can take practical steps to include accessible practices into their designs. In a diverse world, it’s important to make sure that design is accessible to all, and design can only be made better by doing so. Learn more about how you can incorporate accessibility into your design practice here: https://lnkd.in/gm7uQbrE

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Legislating how kids use social media is one thing, but it feels we're missing the bigger picture. Here's my How Might We... How might we inspire families and tech companies to co-create safer digital spaces where children thrive, not just survive? Prime Minister Albanese's promise to set a minimum age for kids' access to social media sounds like a step in the right direction. But here’s the thing: laws alone won’t protect our children in the digital age. Yes, it’s the responsibility of tech companies to ensure their platforms are safe for kids, preventing their services from violating children’s rights or exposing them to harm. But we can’t stop there. It’s on the rest of us – parents, educators, communities – to step up and equip ourselves and our kids with the skills to navigate the digital world safely and confidently. Instead of just policing them, we should be active participants in their online lives, teaching them how to engage meaningfully and responsibly. And let’s not forget the most important voices in this discussion: the kids themselves. If we’re shaping their digital world, we must listen to their needs, concerns and ideas. It can't be us 'adults' dictating and tell them what they need simply to alleviate our own fears. My concern is that banning social media won't actually solve the issue and in effect could be a step back for children's rights. Let’s empower families to understand the risks, the rewards and how to engage meaningfully online. A 'safe digital environment' isn't built with just laws and restrictions. It’s built through awareness, education and shared experiences. #DigitalWellbeing #DigitalSafety #DigitalLiteracy #ChildSafety #ParentingInTheDigitalAge #ChildRights

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Very useful animation showing automation of Figma designs based on a PRD. The thread talks about the development process from ChatGPT 3.5 to ChatGPT 4o, with visuals that highlight the results. Imagine what will be possible with ChatGPT 5 this summer. https://lnkd.in/dDqj2Dke

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