Jonty Sharples, FRSA

Interesting article on rethinking the role of UX Teams. https://lnkd.in/eN7SQHEm #design #designthinking #designbuild #designstrategy #product #producctdesign #productmanagement #productstrategy #designprinciples #innovation #designers #digitaltransformation #ux #uxdesign #uiux #uidesign #designinnovation #application #software #softwaredesign #usability #userresearch #research #usercentereddesign #productleadership #uxwriting #designsystems #empathy #interfacedesign #usabilitytesting #userexperience #productdesign #accessibility #ui

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If this too close to the truth to be funny, you might want to check out my design leadership masterclass that I am running in October. https://lnkd.in/eWHsAXie #designleadership #design #leadership #ux

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🎥 I bought a new TV - a UX exploration - Andy Curry, Strategy Director LION+MASON View Andy's talk from UX Leeds 2024 and if you saw it live it's the one about the cat! Describing a real user case scenario Andy expresses the importance of research and insight into genuine user needs. #ux #ui #dx #userneeds #insight #userresearch #usercase https://lnkd.in/eRMa-sq2

6

Introverts vs extroverts and then all the nuance and folk who sit in between those two ends of the scale. To be a good design leader (or a leader more generally) do you need to be one or the other? Both have different strengths, values and likely different ways of approaching things. I think the two ends of that scale will likely have quite different styles but I would argue that there is no one size fits all approach. Interested to see what folk think. #design #leadership #people

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A user interview starts well before anyone starts talking. Earlier this week, a friend—customer of a big UK fintech—told me about a UX research session where she was the participant. Let's just say it wasn’t great. She logged into the video call to face 15 silent observers. Not exactly the setup for an honest chat about money. The weary researcher admitted it was his 12th call that day. He kicked off with generic questions she’d already answered on the screener: “What does your business do? How long have you been doing that?” Unsurprisingly, she didn't reveal any deep insights about herself on that call. I get that we’re all pushing for stakeholder buy-in, but don’t treat participants like lab rats. To me, every choice leading up to an interview shapes its success. I’m hands-on with every touchpoint. Here’s how I put that into practice: ✉️ The invite email Craft it yourself—it’s part of the conversation. Make it feel personal (no excuses with CRM/AI tools), introduce yourself, explain why they’re well-positioned to help, and recognise the value of their time. If it reads like a marketing template, expect a low conversion and quality of participant. 📋 The screener Ask a reasonable number of relevant questions (don’t be cheeky and turn it into a survey). DO NOT repeat the same questions in the interview—if you couldn’t be bothered to read their answers, what does that signal? Refer back, show interest, and make them feel like they’re not just one of 35 participants this week. ✅ The consent form/info pack This is a trust-building opportunity, not just a data protection formality. Use it to set expectations—who’ll be on the call, what you’ll be covering, and, if it’s a sensitive topic like money or health, let them know upfront. They should feel fully assured their data will be secure. 🖥️ Arrival on the call Imagine how it feels to dial in and see multiple faces already on screen, with recording or AI transcription already on. I insist on one observer max. If more people want to watch, gather them in a room or pay £30 for a broadcast tool (letting participants know, of course). At the very least, bring in observers after the participant’s had a warm welcome. I’ll stop here! In the past, we’ve written guides on opening a research call and making participants comfortable, you can find these over on Muir Wood & Co: Research and Strategy company page. I’d love to hear from other researchers—where do you go the extra mile to put participants at ease before the interview? And get in touch if you’d like feedback on your pre-interview process and materials. (Cartoon by Dall-E because my iPad battery was flat!)

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Wondering why startups should invest in UX design and why the current UX hiring market sucks? Wonder no more: https://lnkd.in/eeJzmrNH Genuinely let me know what you think, I'm trying to improve my writing constantly, as well as my understanding of why UX matters :)

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Personas - a guaranteed way to generate a lively discussion in the UX world. In her latest post for #ResearchOps - Why do Personas underdeliver to design teams? - Irith Williams goes beyond the initial love/hate response to understand their uses, misuses and misunderstandings of Design Personas. "The first task for a design practitioner is to understand what makes a Design Persona work, and what makes a Design Persona fail. This is key to recognising the ‘threats’ to a Persona’s reliability." https://lnkd.in/eS4RtPTJ • Not a member of ResearchOps Community Slack? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gRj9tvct • Want to write an article for ResearchOps? Submit ideas and drafts: https://lnkd.in/gmzthmCg #UX #UXResearch #Democratization #Training #Operations #ProductDevelopment #ProductManagement

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'Chief Design Officer needs to influence design outside 
of the design organisation.' 🟡 Chief Design Officer Series 🟡 This week, we had a very insightful conversation with Mark Kawano, the first Chief Design Officer at Zoom. Watch the full interview in our blog to hear more about: 👉 When the titles are unimportant, and when do companies really need ‘C’ in the Design role 👉 What do you need to focus on while developing your team 👉 Why you should be open for feedback on design from the non-design members of your team Learn more: https://fla.wiki/3CZjL6U #interview #design #designtips #designleadership #leadingdesign

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Having spent time in a really wide of range of company sizes, I decided to capture my reflections on the varied nature of being a design leader in a SAAS start-up versus a scale-up versus an Enterprise business👇 Not an exhaustive list by any means but it's a close snapshot of how the role can change dramatically with prolonged periods of high growth. Thoughts? If you're a design leader how has your experience been different? #design #designleadership #startup #scaleup #enterprise

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How would you like to be a Senior UX Researcher at Estée Lauder? Or a Senior UX Researcher at Microsoft? Maybe SurveyMonkey's next VP of Design & Research? Or a Senior UX Researcher for D&D Beyond at Hasbro? There are 39 freshly-reviewed, up-to-date, legitimately-available, hand-selected, Senior, Remote, UX Research positions on the List, including more from Google, Adobe, Figma, Gametime, Meta and Stripe As of today (May 31st, 2024), all of them are still open and accepting applications. A few things I've noticed over the past few months: 👉 More senior positions are opening at a faster rate 👉 Positions seem to stay open and accepting applications for about 30 days, so check the list often (or sign up for instant updates) 👉 About 15 positions have closed in the last month or so 👉 Remote work at a *senior* level is alive and well Go get 'em! https://lnkd.in/eJkpDx7J

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The Jobs to Be Done framework is crucial for product designers, especially as the line between product managers and designers continues to blur. This article can revolutionize how we approach problem discovery and opportunity identification, offering deeper insights during the design phase. It's a must-read for anyone looking to elevate their design process and deliver exceptional results.

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Time for some brutal honesty: are you sabotaging your design success? 🎙️ In today’s episode (113) of the Design Business Freedom podcast, we’re diving into some hidden ways you are unknowingly holding yourself back. These insights come straight from practical, real-world conversations I’ve had with designers over the past 30 days—so it’s fresh, relevant, and essential. 🔎 One surprising truth: Advertising isn’t the magic bullet you might think. 👉The most powerful client connections? They’re happening offline, at events, hobbies, and gatherings. And here’s the kicker: while processes are vital, they don’t mean much without quality leads. It’s time to refocus on connecting with clients who align with your vision—and grow your business with confidence. Tune in now and get one step closer to claiming the success you deserve! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gbCmQqeY . . . #clientconnections #interiordesignerslifestyle #interiordesignercommunity

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On #BraveUX this week - a special bonus episode! Nitzan Shaer speaks candidly about the future of UX research 💡, why simulated audiences are a step beyond synthetic 🦾, and how UX professionals can leverage them effectively 💪. Highlights include: ⭐ What’s the vision you’re building towards with WEVO? ⭐ How can simulated audiences help accelerate innovation? ⭐ What does the near future hold for UX research with AI advancements? ⭐ Could simulated research eventually surpass human research in accuracy? ⭐ How would you define the difference between synthetic and simulated research? Plus much more! - - - - - 📺 Watch the episode here - https://lnkd.in/gu4NbCkZ Subscribe and listen to Brave UX on... 🎧 Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3rzixVc 🎧 Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3q47pPA 🎧 iHeart Radio - https://lnkd.in/g5X5zs_i 🎧 TuneIn + Alexa - https://bit.ly/3jAVkz7 🎧 Stitcher - https://bit.ly/3ezPSw0 - - - - - Who is Nitzan Shaer? Nitzan is the CEO and co-founder of WEVO, a user research platform that leverages AI to deliver reliable insights to designers, marketers, and product managers—in a fraction of the time that traditional research requires 😳. Before co-founding WEVO, Nitzan was the co-founder and managing partner of High Start Group, an innovation consulting firm dedicated to helping companies create and launch breakthrough products 🚀. He also led product management, partner relationships, and defined Skype’s strategy for mobile phones as head of the Mobile Phones and Product Group 📱, where the challenges of working with customers across 150+ countries sparked his vision for WEVO. Complementing his hands-on experience in building and scaling products, Nitzan holds an MBA from Harvard Business School 🏫 and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology. An active contributor to the broader product and business community, Nitzan has shared his insights on stages such as The Product Podcast, Product-Led Summit New York, and at Harvard Business School 🎙️. - - - - - Don’t forget to check out the show notes on YouTube for quick-access to interview chapters, as well as where to find Nitzan. #UX #AI #UXAI #UXR #UXResearch #UserResearch #MarketResearch #AIResearch #UXAItools

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Sorry to break it to you, but you’re NOT a product designer (or industrial designer for that matter). Read on to see what you actually are, or at least what you should aspire to become. 🎙️ 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧 The Design Journeys Podcast 𝐢𝐬 William Gordon, 𝐕𝐏 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐚𝐭 BlendJet®. 🎙️ Amongst other things, we discussed why product designers should embrace story telling and how relationship building can propel your career. William’s design journey has taken him from designing sanitary ware at Kohler Co., FMCG at SC Johnson to leading design at BlendJet®. Our conversation goes beyond design—it’s about the 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 in building a successful career. We talk about: 🔗 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, even in difficult times. Your journey is shaped by more than just the projects you take on; it’s deeply influenced by the connections you nurture along the way. William also shares some memorable experiences from his time at SC Johnson and CamelBak, including a funny and revealing story about how Herb Kohler, the CEO of Kohler, would test toilet seats. 🚽 Key takeaways from this episode include: ✔️ Handling challenging work environments  ✔️ Storytelling’s role in design  ✔️ Understanding how design impacts people and society Whether you're just starting out or have many years of experience, this episode provides valuable insights that can help you grow both personally and professionally. 🎧 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰 on all major podcasting platforms including Spotify, Apple, Google Play, and Amazon Music.

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Very interesting article on the process of showcasing the results of research to stakeholders. https://lnkd.in/eyzx_4Sg #design #designthinking #designbuild #designstrategy #product #producctdesign #productmanagement #productstrategy #designprinciples #innovation #designers #digitaltransformation #ux #uxdesign #uiux #uidesign #designinnovation #application #software #softwaredesign #usability #userresearch #research #usercentereddesign #productleadership #uxwriting #designsystems #empathy #interfacedesign #usabilitytesting #userexperience #productdesign #accessibility #ui

4

Another interesting article on the topic of User Research, and the relationships to establish with Stakeholders which further propel both its applicability and reach. https://lnkd.in/eQETRC9T #design #designthinking #designbuild #designstrategy #product #producctdesign #productmanagement #productstrategy #designprinciples #innovation #designers #digitaltransformation #ux #uxdesign #uiux #uidesign #designinnovation #application #software #softwaredesign #usability #userresearch #research #usercentereddesign #productleadership #uxwriting #designsystems #empathy #interfacedesign #usabilitytesting #userexperience #productdesign #accessibility #ui #ai #genai 

4

How do you incorporate user feedback in the design process? Various perspectives including my own in this article from UX Design: https://lnkd.in/ezDFtRSJ #uxdesign #uxstrategy #Userresearch

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On #BraveUX this week, Jakob Nielsen addresses some of the criticism he’s faced 🎤, calls on UXers to urgently adopt AI 🐛, and shares why he believes the commoditisation of UX is a good thing 📈. Highlights include: ⭐ Are you surprised by how much you’ve offended some people? ⭐ Why do UXers need a greater sense of urgency about adopting AI? ⭐ Were the hiring practices at your previous company elitist? ⭐ What is the state of UX today and where is the growth potential? ⭐ Will AI impede our ability to develop our professional judgement? 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 Jakob Nielsen, PhD? Jakob is the founder of UX Tigers 🐯, the website and associated substack he uses to bring his 41 years of UX knowledge and experience to the world, in what he has described as a plainspoken, hard-hitting and not bowing to orthodoxy kind-of-way. Before founding UX Tigers, Jakob was the co-founder and principal - for 25 years - of a rather well known UX consultancy, the Nielsen Norman Group 📜. His other notable roles include being a distinguished engineer at Sun Microsystems, and a member of the research staff at Bell Communications Research 🔔 - one of the world’s top three HCI labs in the 1990s. Jakob is known for many other things, among which are being the founder of the discount usability movement, the foundational 10 usability heuristics for user interface design, and the eponymously named Jakob’s Law of Internet User Experience 🏛️. He is the holder of no less than 79 United States patents and the author of 8 books, including the best-selling “Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity”, “Usability Engineering”, and the pioneering “Hypertext and Hypermedia” 📚. In 2013, Jakob received the Lifetime Achievement Award for HCI Practice from ACM SIGCHI and in 2024 he was named a “Titan of Human Factors” by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 🏆. - - - - - Don’t forget to check out the show notes on YouTube for quick-access to interview chapters, as well as where to find Jakob. #UX #UXDesign #UXAI #UXR #UXResearch #UserResearch #DesignLeadership #UXTigers

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In his latest blog, Service Designer Liam Beattie, talks about the importance of developing in-depth user personas when conducting user-centred research. He also discusses his approach to crafting user personas, exploring how they inform every aspect of the design process and support with visual storytelling. To find out more about identifying user needs and refining user journeys, follow this link: https://lnkd.in/eJ9ej-Rw

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