Ewa D.

Great writeup on the value design can bring to product organisations irrespective of technoöogical shifts such as AI.

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Highlighting my new article on the timeliness of the Design Process and the standards that drive its evaluation. https://lnkd.in/ee_X-kqP #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 

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This episode of the Finding Our Way podcast articulates, with such clarity, what’s been on my mind about the value proposition of design as a function. A business could leverage creating a stellar user experience as a strategic lever to succeed in the market, or NOT. The latter is totally acceptable where designers primarily focus on production tasks (like UI designs) in an org that prioritizes churning out features. Yet, it’s a bitter pill to swallow for many designers. They feel disgruntled and get exhausted speaking to the deaf ears about how great an outcome design can bring to the table and how influential they could be outside of Figma. This podcast talks about how many designer leaders are struggling to deal with this reality. As someone who is not in a leadership position, I feel the struggle too. But if I were to stay positive and constructive while prioritizing my mental sanity, these would be some options to consider. - Get hired by a company that REALLY values design (think Airbnb, Linear) - Be extremely good at your craft and find fulfillment in it, regardless of its direct impact on the bottom line—as long as you remain employed 🤷🏻‍♀️ - Elbow your way into cross-functional discussions as much as possible, at least within your team, to find opportunities to demonstrate what you can do outside of Figma. You can help expand the perspective on design that your cross-functional partners have, one person at a time. https://lnkd.in/gjheYY_f

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Join me and my guest, Sarah Doody, for Episode 137 of the #DesignThinking 101 #Podcast: Designing Your Career + UX for Small Business. Listen to it here: https://bit.ly/45lUCgN #CareerPlanning #UX #UserExperience

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1 Comment

📻 New podcast episode alert: Mastering Intentional Prioritization for Complex Organizations 🔊 We all say we have our priorities straight right? But if we don't prioritize at all or without intention -- how can that be true? In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, host I speak with Harry Max, author of the book "Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions". The discussion centers around the importance of intentional prioritization, particularly in complex organizational settings. Harry explains that while many people think they are good at prioritizing, most struggle when faced with dynamic and adaptive environments. He introduces his DEGAP process model (Decide, Engage, Gather, Arrange, Prioritize), which offers a structured approach to prioritization, ensuring that decisions are made based on the best possible options. The conversation also touches on the challenges of gaining team and organizational alignment and the significance of making prioritization a deliberate and strategic activity. !20% Discount Code! Purchase Harry's book "Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions". Use Code "UXLBD" during checkout at: https://lnkd.in/dzVjGmqH Episode Takeaways: Prioritization Needs Intentionality: Successful prioritization requires a structured approach, especially in complex organizational settings. Importance of Strategic Alignment: Aligning teams and gaining executive support are crucial for the success of any prioritization effort. Recognizing the Need to Prioritize: The first step is deciding whether prioritization is necessary in a given situation, considering the potential benefits and risks. Prioritization as a Skill: While people may be good at prioritization in simple environments, complex settings require more refined methods and tools. Avoiding Pitfalls: Without intentional prioritization, organizations risk making decisions that do not align with their strategic goals, leading to inefficiencies. Building Consensus: Engaging all relevant stakeholders in the prioritization process ensures that the outcomes are understood and supported across the organization. ____________________________________ Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/d_WmUKyD UX Leadership by Design Podcast: https://lnkd.in/dEgPJpUn Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/df_5Rxgv Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dydB4CTH #Prioritization, #Leadership, #TeamAlignment, #OrganizationalSuccess, #UXLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #DecisionMaking, #ComplexEnvironments, #ExecutiveAlignment, #PrioritizationProcess,

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1 Comment

Unique opportunity for design leaders and innovators to learn from the amazingly talented designer and author Kevin Bethune: figure out ways to break through the glass ceiling of misunderstandings and friction when collaborating with tech and business peers. Learn ways to build stakeholder empathy, strategic influence and a renewed sense of optimism that you can translate diverse insights and inspiration into meaningful innovation.

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1 Comment

When the custom GPT store launched earlier this year, I created Design Critique GPT 🌟 and was amazed by the positive feedback it received. It’s resonating with designers at all levels, becoming a valuable resource for both newcomers and seasoned professionals alike. Though it’s not the end-all-be-all, it’s a great starting point to refine your ideas. And don’t hesitate to use it 🤖 for writing copy—the context you give helps deepen product understanding, improves content, and sparks valuable squad conversations, ultimately enhancing the overall UX ✨ Start incorporating AI into your design process today 🎯 https://lnkd.in/gVKvH7Vx

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The simple shift from weakness-based product strategy to strengths-based can be a game changer for the trajectory of your product.

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🚀 The Future of User Interface Design: Personalized and Predictive with Generative UI In the evolving landscape of digital design, the concept of generative user interfaces (GenUI) stands poised to revolutionize how we interact with technology. Moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions, GenUI promises a future where every digital experience is tailored uniquely to the user’s needs. 👤 Imagine This: A frequent flyer, Alex, uses her airline app tailored to her specific needs, including accommodations for her dyslexia. The app not only presents flight options that prioritize her preferences like cost and travel time but also integrates real-time adjustments based on external factors such as events impacting her travel dates. This is the power of GenUI – a dynamic, intuitive interface that changes in real-time to create a deeply personalized user experience. 📈 Why It Matters: Today, designers focus on creating universal solutions that cater to broad user bases. Tomorrow, with GenUI, the shift will be towards intent-based outcome-oriented design. This means prioritizing user goals and crafting experiences that dynamically meet those needs without the user having to navigate unnecessary complexity. 🔧 The Designer's Evolving Role: As we embrace GenUI, designers will transition from crafting detailed interactions to setting strategic parameters that guide AI in creating these bespoke experiences. This doesn’t diminish the designer's role but rather elevates it to orchestrate user interactions at a macro level. 🔄 Challenges Ahead: Despite its potential, GenUI introduces complexities. From increased demands on processing power to potential privacy concerns and the fundamental shift in user experience due to ever-changing interfaces, the road ahead is paved with both innovation and obstacles. 🌟 What’s Next? As we look towards a future dominated by AI-driven customizations, embracing GenUI could significantly enhance how we design for accessibility and inclusivity. However, the journey will require us to rethink design principles and adapt to new tools that can handle the dynamism and complexity of user-centric, personalized interfaces. 💬 Let's Discuss: What are your thoughts on the shift towards personalized digital experiences through GenUI? How do you see it impacting your industry or field? Read more about it in this Nielsen/Norman article: https://lnkd.in/enPhQjq4 #UserExperience #UX #UI #UserInterface #DigitalDesign #GenUI #AI #GenAI #GenerativeAI #Innovation #TechTrends

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I love the points this piece makes about gen AI and design. It's awesome that more people can flex their skills and experiment. But the world has had the quality/quantity argument since the dawn of time. Legendary designers possess a unique set of skills that enable them to create extraordinary design outputs. In the context of this article, these skills are a blend of selection, taste, and discernment. (Three qualities that gen AI, for all its advancements, still can't replicate.) #Design #UXDesign #GenAI #FutureOfDesign

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2 Comments

I ❤️ designing controlled experiments. But while the A/B tests are quietly running, I also ❤️ experimenting with electronic music (call them time-series experiments to be fair). Latest signal-noise exploration here: https://lnkd.in/geaPXtfu #elektron #melodic #electronicmusic #synths

4

I've worked with enough engineer-designed interfaces to value design highly at even early stage startups ... but, man, they can be a pain in the ass sometimes. I mean that in a truly affectionate way, because I've realized over the years the context many of my favorite design-minded folks are coming from - a demanding world of perfection-seeking where critique is a core competency. While most of my engineering colleagues are coming from a world where nothing is finished, nothing is perfect, and everything is slightly broken everywhere. Shipped can be better than perfect. Until you get both sides aligned to the same goal, you'll find these two world views butting into each other in fun and exciting ways ... But once aligned, it's off to the races. https://lnkd.in/gVzDZaaY

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2 Comments

I don't know when or how it happened, but Config has become one of the major yearly conferences in our industry. Given how much Figma plays a role in the practice, it's common for design system teams to watch with anticipation/excitement/dread for what's coming. In our latest episode, Davy Fung and I discuss the reveals from Config and what that may mean for folks in the design systems practice moving forward. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gRMBzfbJ #designsystems #figma #congfig #podcast

58

1 Comment

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.

5

Since this is the last month of the year, here's a retrospective I did for 2016, right as I had just started writing more frequently on Design topics. https://lnkd.in/g5GMztrM #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 

5

One of the most important aspects of UX design is affordances and signifiers. It helps users know what they can interact with and how. Sriharinath GP has a great overview on this: https://lnkd.in/gUH5uicV

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🎙️ New Episode Alert: The Future of UX Research: AI, Advanced Methods & Jobs 🚀 Today, I’m chatting with Lawton Pybus and Thomas Stokes, UX Research veterans and founders of Drill Bit Labs, a research strategy consultancy. They have also researched and authored several UX industry meta-reports and educational articles that can help UX researchers, designers, and UCD leaders stand out from the crowd. In this riveting episode, we explore: 💼 The evolving UX industry job market: insights into the skills, roles, and opportunities defining the next generation of UX researchers. 🤖 AI's growing role in UX Research: how artificial intelligence is reshaping our methodologies and deliverables. 🔬 Essential and more advanced research methods: tried and tested, and innovative techniques that are pushing the boundaries of marrying user needs with tech advancements. And much more. You can find this conversation on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, any other major podcasting platform (search “experience designed”) and of course via this link on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gbcxwTKh If you’ve enjoyed this conversation, don't forget to share this episode with your friends and colleagues—it's a conversation worth spreading! #ux #uxresearch #userresearch #podcast #uxstrategy #designresearch #productdesign

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5 Comments

Jessica Dubin is spot on! I've told several people recently that as much as I love designing and building digital products and businesses, I truly love bringing together collaborative cross-functional teams. This is where I find my passion. A connective tissue of transparency, relationships, roles, and teams. A culture of effective feedback. The status quo will not get you through the challenges that lay ahead. You should listen to this entire episode!

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