Keila Fairbanks

I love thinking through how things work, and I love games. For fun, I've written an article documenting my lightweight process for thinking through how an existing application is defined and built, and I've done it with one of my favorite NYT daily games – Connections! I tear down the UI, think through scope, and then build it! It's a quick exercise to flex my background as designer, PM, and engineer. Admittedly, it took me longer to create the write-up than it did to build the app 😅. I used Figjam for my initial heuristic, built the app using React and deployed it on Vercel, and used Notion to document the process and share it here. I gotta say, the integrations between all these services really made it fun and easy. You can check out my write-up here: https://lnkd.in/grW446uE What should I build next? Happy Friday!

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I have an important workflow problem that needs solving, so I got to thinking! If you read my last article, you know I'm big a fan of playing NYT word games and completing other puzzles on a daily basis. But that adds up to a lot of time sharing those scores with all the friends and family groups that also play those games. In this article from my new series "Over-Engineered" 😅 , I use my workflow problem to think through all the components of building a hypothetical application called "Daily Dispatch" to solve this problem from start to finish. Take a look at my write-up on Notion:

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Remember when the biggest tech challenge was figuring out how to burn a CD with all the songs you illegally downloaded from Napster or Limewire? (Yes, I’m looking at you)… Fast forward to now, and technology is evolving faster than your TikTok feed (or Instagram if, like me, you’re too cool for TikTok). This demands that we prioritise reskilling in our everyday lives. Whether it’s using ChatGPT to jazz-up your CV, ordering your food shopping via Alexa, or paying for your coffee on your phone, we adapt to new tools and skills outside of work, seemingly, with ease. Yet, when it comes to organisations, there’s often a challenge with finding the the same level of adaptability. The environment around us is changing more rapidly than it is at home, and skills/capabilities that make an organisation successful today, will not be the same in 18 months time. New skills will be required, some skills will become redundant, and age will matter a whole lot less. The reskilling imperative is upon us, and it should be dominating the discussion in your board rooms. Reskilling in the professional world, like at home, is not an option; it is a necessity. #learninganddevelopment #reskilling #ai

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Here's my first story on the medium where I express how and what motivated me to implement the skeumorphism in my coming portfolio project next year.

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If you're looking to move into design systems leadership, the number one skill I'd recommend focusing on is facilitative leadership. In my experience, leading design systems is much different than building them. When you build design systems, you focus on things like component architecture, design + dev alignment, and producing scalable, repeatable choices. When you make the move to leading design systems, you need to participate in a very different game. You move from software systems to people systems. Here's what facilitative leadership looks like: - Creating a non-judgmental space for conversation, input, and feedback. - Connecting the dots between various organizations and priorities. - Providing teams with a framework to debate difficult decisions and then crafting diplomatic solutions. - Building bridges between cross-functional leaders. - Decreasing your own presence, so others can increase theirs. - Giving others the chance to do things they want to do, even if they haven't done it before. - Managing up. Setting realistic expectations with your leaders about what the Design System can feasibly achieve. These lessons could perhaps be applied to any move into leadership, but I've found them to be particularly important for Design Systems.

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Attention Colorado UXers: We are getting together next Wednesday afternoon (9/11) at Pikes Peak Brewing company near Monument (north of Colorado Springs) for a UX happy hour (4:00-6:00ish). We'll tell UX jokes and share stories about our work. I'll sign copies of my book, if you're interested in buying one. Mostly though, I just want to meet some of the local UX folks. Add your punchline to this joke setup in the comments: How many users does a PM need to interview to get statistically significant user needs data?

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This is going to be a most interesting and relevant topic to watch.

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I usually channel Ted Lasso's "Be a goldfish." Today I'm channeling something a little different: "Be a plant. Relocate, find the sunshine, and grow." 🌻 🌾 To my colleagues and friends, we've got this. We're in this together, and together we will t h r i v e . #opentowork #contentdesign #ukglayoffs #instructionaldesign #digitaldesign

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Sensing another Airbounce private beta release this week! 🔥 You can now cancel the “Press to leave Zoom meeting” action by releasing Shift+CapsLock. The animation will reverse to visually support the cancellation. Also, added a transition that makes the Zoom window look like it’s imploding as it closes, etc. What do you think? Let me know if you’d like to try it out—I’d love your feedback! airbounce.co

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The full conversation I had with Contra's Ben Huffman is now available. We covered a ton of ground including my career journey, how to make the most of your creative career, and thoughts on AI. Here's a link to the full video: https://lnkd.in/gcRk7dZY

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The design job market is tough right now (for new and experienced folks alike). I've had many people reach out to me for advice to whom I've always replied that my journey has been far from perfect. I've had my fair share of failures (& some successes) as a designer and I'm happy to share the lessons I've learned along the way. If you or someone you know wants to talk about anything design (portfolio, interviews, layoffs, team fit, rejections, product feedback, etc.), I'm happy to chat. :) #productdesign #adplist #mentorship

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I've spent the majority of my career as the only designer on an isolated team—or the only designer at the entire company. This experience has been invaluable, allowing me to take ownership of countless projects and rapidly gain expertise in various aspects of design. But there’s a flip side. Without a team, there’s no clear career path, no organic mentorship, no healthy peer competition… It’s easy to feel like you’re in a bubble, unsure of how you stack up against the wider design world or what you need to improve to reach the next level. To be honest, I’ve felt lost at times. Recently, my manager gifted me a book that has been a game-changer: The Path to Senior Product Designer by Artiom Dashinsky. If you’ve ever felt lost in your career, want to advance, or simply feel like you’re not doing enough, I can’t recommend this book enough. It provides clear guidance on how the industry grades and evaluates designers at all levels, with practical exercises to help you map out your journey to the next stage. Read it, follow the exercises, and you’ll know where you stand and where you need to go.

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Hearing about all the designers impacted by Intuit’s layoffs - many were friends, colleagues, solid leaders. All incredibly smart, hard working folks who made their customers happy by making Intuit’s products amazing. I’ve been on both sides of these decisions. If leaders are struggling with how to regroup with a smaller team tasked with doing more, happy to listen. If newly unemployed designers need some help rallying for the job hunt - HMU. Love you guys. When one door closes, many will open. 🤙 QUICK UPDATE: Several design leaders have reached out already because they are hiring and because Intuit has such a stellar reputation, externally, for great design talent. I am confident these folks will all have soft landings because they are so qualified and in demand. There’s particular interest for folks on the East Coast. HMU if this is you!

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Big is overrated. The more experience I have in this industry, the more I like to keep teams nice and cozy. Not understaffed. But also not sprawling. In our latest episode, we discuss the dynamic of medium-ish design system teams. We cover their pros and cons as well as why I'd prefer to work on a medium-sized team than a big ol' honkin' one. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gcRbSX6u #designsystems #podcast

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Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day! My #a11y engineering teammate Steven Bassett shared Airbnb's work to make larger fonts more beautiful and readable on the web so hosting and traveling can be even more inclusive. #GAAD #WCAG #ResizeText "This post takes an in-depth look at: 1) The problems encountered on mobile web when relying solely on browser zoom. 2) The challenges of introducing changes that would impact the workflow of all frontend engineers. 3) The benefits seen since launching these accessibility improvements." https://lnkd.in/gCYXiaac

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This resonates with my thoughts and the current job landscape in the game industry.

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