NN/G UX Podcast

Your team runs workshops, builds personas, and talks about users constantly… so why isn't UX making a difference? It might be UX Theatre: the act of performing what looks like user-centered design, without the substance. In this episode, Therese Fessenden sits down with Tanya Snook, the designer who coined the term, to discuss how teams slip into performative UX and the one change that makes the biggest difference: real cross-functional collaboration.🔗 About Tanya: LinkedIn | spydergrrl consulting The Workshop Workshop (half-day online workshop - Nov 24) Workshop Alchemy (weekly newsletter on workshop design) Tanya's Fast Company article on UX Theatre 💬 Mentioned in this episode Natasha Jen on design thinking (It's Nice That) Indi Young: Mental Models 📚 Related NN/g Courses & Articles Course: Facilitating UX Workshops Course: Design Thinking Essentials Design Thinking: Study Guide The 6 Levels of UX Maturity Synthetic Users vs. Human Respondents: Same Conclusion, Less Variation How to Build a Participant…

AI has made building software easy. Deciding what to build is another story. When founders and product teams can vibe-code a working product in a weekend, where does design add value? In this episode, Therese Fessenden welcomes back design psychologist Thomas Watkins, founder of 3Leaf and NN/G guest instructor, to talk about why the bottleneck in product development has shifted from building to deciding, how specs are becoming the source of truth for AI-built products, and why taste and research matter more than ever. About Thomas & 3Leaf: LinkedIn | 3Leaf The Design Psychologist Podcast: https://designpsychologist.buzzsprout.com/2395044 Thomas's Previous Episode: 57. The Next Decade of UX: Why Psychology Matters More Than Ever Thomas's Course with NN/g: Writing Specs for AI-Built Products Other Related NN/g Articles & Courses: UX-Context Design: Using UX Knowledge to Inform AI-Generated Design Prompt to Design Interfaces: Why Vague Prompts Fail and How to Fix Them GenUI vs. Vibe Coding: Who's Designing?…

If you've ever wrapped up a great research study, delivered the readout, and then watched the insights vanish into a folder no one opens again, this one's for you. Laura Klein talks with Jake Burghardt, author of Stop Wasting Research, about why a repository alone never gets research used, how to treat insights as durable business assets instead of one-time reports, and where generative AI genuinely helps — and where it doesn't — when it comes to getting more value out of research your organization already has. About Jake Burghardt & Integrating Research: LinkedIn | Medium | Integrating Research Jake's book: Stop Wasting Research: Maximize the Product Impact of Your Organization's Customer Insights (Rosenfeld Media) — get 20% off with code: swr-pod Related NN/G Articles & Courses: Why Research Repositories Fail and How to Get Them Right Research Repositories for Tracking UX Research and Growing Your ResearchOps ResearchOps 101 Accelerating Research with AI Course: Usability Testing TYXU5WMUAXAS8GTC

Job searching has always been harder than it looks, and if you've been searching for a while without much traction, there's a good chance your strategy is working against you. Guest host Laura Klein sits down with Sarah Doody, founder of the Career Strategy Lab, to talk about what UX practitioners get wrong when searching for work. They cover: Why the DIY approach tanks your confidence over time How to treat yourself as a candidate-product — complete with features, benefits, and a roadmap The role of community in the job search what your LinkedIn is actually signaling to recruiters Why some of the best UX opportunities are hiding in industries you've never considered. About Sarah Doody | Bio | LinkedIn Career Strategy Lab (Website) Career Strategy Lab Podcast Follow Sarah on Instagram Related NN/G Articles & Episodes: EP 59 | Getting Hired in UX: What to Do When Apply-and-Wait Isn't Enough (with Evan Sunwall) EP 53 | Why You’re Not Getting Job Interviews (with Hang Xu) Ep 19 | Designing a UX Career (with…

OKRs are a popular choice to communicate team goals… but most teams do them wrong. In this episode, Laura Klein talks with Christina Wodtke, author of Radical Focus, about what actually makes objectives and key results work: the weekly and quarterly rituals that keep goals alive, why psychological safety matters more than making perfect predictions, and how strategy and vision have to exist before you can even set an OKR in the first place. About Christina Wodtke: LinkedIn | Eleganthack (blog) | Books by Christina Wodtke Other Related NN/g Articles & Courses: Aligning UX Metrics with Organizational Goals: A Workshop Guide Crossfunctional Collaboration: Challenges and Strategies for Success Project Postmortems for UX Teams: Learning from Success and Failure Lean UX & Agile: Study Guide Psychology for UX: Study Guide Course: Lean UX and Agile Course: Leading Highly Effective UX Teams

Most UX practitioners have spent their careers fighting for the user — pushing back against dark patterns, advocating for quality, and insisting that making things better for people is also better for the business. Eric Ries would say that instinct is exactly right. And that it's not enough. In this episode, host Laura Klein talks with Eric Ries — New York Times Best Selling Author of The Lean Startup and founder of the Long Term Stock Exchange — about his new book, Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad...and How Great Companies Stay Great. Eric makes the case that most of today's business best practices are actively value-destroying, and that the builders, designers, and makers who already believe product quality matters are more revolutionary than they realize — they just lack the tools to protect that belief inside their organizations. They dig into the history of shareholder primacy, why corporate governance is something every practitioner should understand, and the very specific questions you can ask…

What does it actually mean to design conversationally? Not "add a chatbot" — but genuinely apply the principles of human conversation to the systems we build? In this episode, host Laura Klein sits down with Erika Hall, author of Conversational Design and Just Enough Research, to re-visit a topic that's only gotten more relevant since her book came out in 2018. They dig into why language has always been an important part of any interface, what the cooperative principle of conversation can teach us about interaction design, and how the current AI moment is muddying what "conversational" even means. Erika also makes a sharp distinction between AI that solves real problems and AI that performs work — and offers a theory about why so many people are reaching for answer machines right now. Plus: why the best consulting advice is often just "you have to talk to each other," the role of domain expertise in getting anything useful out of an LLM, and what painting chickens has to do with learning to see. About Erika…

Navigating the UX job market has always had its ups and downs, especially with AI reshaping the industry. In this episode, host Laura Klein sits down with Evan Sunwall, NN/G's Director of Self-Paced Training, to share candid advice for UX practitioners trying to actively job search or level up in today's competitive market. With nearly 19 years in the field as both a designer and a hiring manager, he has a lot to say about where the field is headed — no matter what stage you're at in your career. That experience is also what shaped Evan's self-paced course on getting a job in UX, part of NN/G's new and growing library of practical, pre-recorded courses built around real skill gaps. Evan was one of the first to help develop the format — running experiments and prototypes to figure out what actually works for self-directed learners. Evan also previews a companion course aimed at hiring managers and shares that he's looking for sharp instructors to help expand the library into new topics across research,…

If you work in UX, you’ve probably heard the terms lean, Agile, and MVP more times than you can count. But knowing the terms doesn’t mean knowing how to make them work. In this episode, Laura Klein, Principal Experience Specialist at NN/G, joins Therese Fessenden to talk about what Lean UX was really meant to accomplish — and how teams today can apply its principles without falling into common traps. Listen as they discuss how Lean UX came about, the skill of zooming between product vision and interaction details, and why growing companies struggle to balance speed and consistency. Whether you’re working at a startup or inside a large enterprise, this episode offers a grounded look at how to design thoughtfully in fast-moving environments. We’re also excited to have Laura join as the newest co-host of the NN/G UX Podcast. And many congratulations to the Fessenden family as they welcome a new addition to their family. About Laura Klein | Bio | Linkedin | Bluesky | Usersknow.com What is Wrong With UX (Podcast)…

Therese Fessenden talks with design psychologist and product strategist Thomas Watkins (host of The Design Psychologist and Product-Led Growth Leaders) about why understanding the human mind is still a true superpower for designers, researchers, and product teams. They explore how products subtly shape our behavior and identity, why over-relying on templates and patterns can flatten experiences instead of differentiating them, the risks of personifying AI tools, and the practical ways practitioners can use psychology and AI together to automate the tedious parts of work while staying human-centered and creating products that truly fit into people’s lives. About Thomas Watkins: Bio | LinkedIn The Design Psychologist Podcast Product-Led Growth Leaders Podcast 3Leaf Consulting (Thomas’ Design Team) Related Live Online Training: The Human Mind & Usability Free NN/g Study Guides & Articles: Psychology Study Guide Humanizing AI Is a Trap The ELIZA Effect: Why We Love AI The 4 Degrees of Anthropomorphism of…

As AI-powered tools flood the market promising quick evaluations and audits, the conversation zeroes in on a critical issue: the reliability of these tools. In this episode, co-hosts Therese Fessenden and NN/G VP Kate Moran sit down with Jamie Holst and Christian Holst, the co-founders of Baymard Institute, to examine the growing role of AI in UX analysis. The group discusses the risks of over-relying on AI—particularly for junior UX practitioners—and the deeper implications for professionalism in the field. About the speakers: Christian Holst (Co-founder & Research Director, Baymard Institute) Jamie Holst (Co-founder & CTO, Baymard Institute) Kate Moran (VP, NN/G) Links Referenced in the Episode: Try UX Ray for Free: https://baymard.com/product/ux-ray Read their article on AI accuracy: https://baymard.com/blog/ai-heuristic-evaluations Related NN/G Courses: Accelerating Research with AI AI for Design Workflows Designing AI Experiences AI Product Strategy Check out ALL of our courses at nngroup.com/learning…

The interest in “customer insights” is higher than ever, and more people are interested in both research insights and carrying out research on their own. But, who’s making sure research is done well? Therese sits down with Ned Dwyer, CEO and co-founder of Great Question, to talk about the balance between access and rigor in UX research. They discuss the need for democratization charters, how AI is reshaping research roles, and why enabling good research at scale is as much a cultural challenge as it is a technical one. Connect with Ned Dwyer: LinkedIn Learn more about Great Question Subscribe to Great Question’s Newsletter Learn about UX: nngroup.com/learning Related NN/g Courses & Articles: ResearchOps: Scaling User Research (UX Certification course) Democratize Research in 5 Steps (free article) Democratization of UX (13-min video)

In this episode, Therese interviews Jay Dutta—Global Head of UX at Deutsche Bank about how designing at scale isn’t just about reaching millions, but about preserving depth: of empathy, culture, and context. With a career spanning Adobe, Flipkart, and MakeMyTrip, Jay reflects on why he’s drawn to complex, broken systems and how those environments offer the richest opportunities for impact. He discusses the importance of designing for the individual within vast systems, and how storytelling, risk-taking, and honoring human experiences can lead to more meaningful and scalable design solutions. About the speaker: JayDutta.com | LinkedIn DesignUp Conference (Bangalore, India - Nov 3-5, 2025 ): https://designup.io/ Related NN/G Course: Global UX: Designing and Leading Across Cultures (full-day & half-day courses) Related Free NN/G Articles: ‘Our Users Are Everyone’: Designing Mass-Market Products for Large User Audiences (free article) Modify Your Design for Global Audiences: Crosscultural UX Design (free…

What does it really take to get hired in design today? In this episode, design recruiter and former product designer Hang Xu shares hard truths about what’s changed in hiring, why portfolios miss the mark, and how candidates can better align with what employers actually want. He also talks about his bold new project, OnlyFAANGs.design, where he documents his journey back into design from the recruiter’s seat. About Hang Xu: LinkedIn | OnlyFAANGs.design Level Up Your UX Career with UX Certification: nngroup.com/learning Related Free NN/G Resources: Templates and Tools for UX Job Seekers (article) How to Apply & Secure a UX Job (article) The Return of the UX Generalist (article) How to Get UX Experience Without a Job (video) User Experience Careers Report (free report) More articles & videos about UX careers

Who do we really mean when we say “the user”? And who gets left out? In this episode, Therese Fessenden chats with cultural anthropologists Mike Youngblood and Ben Chesluk, who are challenging overly narrow definitions of users in UX. They explore how systems thinking and anthropology can deepen our understanding of complex user ecosystems — and why rethinking “the user” is more important than ever. About the speakers: Mike Youngblood (LinkedIn) Ben Chesluk (LinkedIn) About Rethinking Users, including some helpful resources and a link to purchase the book: https://www.rethinkingusers.com Article about User Ecosystem Thinking: https://www.epicpeople.org/toward-ethnography-of-friction-and-ease-in-complex-systems Mike & Ben’s other books: The Routledge Companion to Practicing Anthropology and Design, which includes Mike & Ben’s chapter on systems thinking in design anthropology, as well as many other chapters/contributors exploring the role of anthropology in design: Ben’s book Money Jungle is an…

What does it mean to design experiences in a world where pixels are no longer the focus? In this episode, service design thought-leader and author Erika Flowers shares her thoughts on how designers must evolve as AI transforms the tools, processes, and expectations of our work. Erika shares lessons from her journey—spanning early web design, pioneering service blueprinting at Intuit, and orchestrating experiences at NASA—and offers a forward-looking take on why skills like facilitation, systems thinking, and storytelling will define the future of design. About Erika Flowers: helloerikaflowers.com | LinkedIn Related NN/g Courses Service Blueprinting Accelerating Research with AI AI for Design Workflows Related Free NN/g Articles: How Service Design Will Evolve with AI Agents The Future-Proof Designer Why I’m Not Worried About My UX Job in the Era of AI More Free Articles on AI

AI can do more than it’s ever done… but there’s a lot of unfounded hype, especially when it comes to user research. When should you delegate tasks to AI? And when should you insist on keeping the human in the loop? In this episode, Therese Fessenden sits down with Alexander Knoll, co-founder of Condens, to discuss the strengths and limitations of AI tools for research, and the evolving role of the user researcher. About Alexander & Condens: LinkedIn | Condens.io Research Repository Guide: https://condens.io/guides/research-repository-guide/ On-Demand Recording of Condens Event: Making an Impact with User Research: How to Drive Change and Get Noticed Alex’s Article with NN/g: Common-Sense AI Integration: Lessons from the Cofounder of Condens Other Related NN/g Articles & Courses: Free Articles about AI & UX Course: UX Basic Training Course: Accelerating Research with AI Course: AI for Design Workflows Course: Designing AI Experiences

In this episode, Peter Merholz—co-founder of Adaptive Path and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs—joins us to talk about what it really takes to build and scale effective design teams. We explore the systems, structures, and leadership mindsets that shape successful organizations, the relationships between product and design teams, and how design leaders can foster clarity, consistency, and impact as their teams grow. Whether you’re managing a team or aspiring to, this conversation is packed with insights on navigating the evolving role of design in today’s organizations. Learn More About Peter: Website: https://petermerholz.com/ Newsletter: https://petermerholz.com/newsletter/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/petermerholz Podcast: https://findingourway.design/ Book: https://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com/ Full-Day Courses (also available in half-day formats): DesignOps: Scaling UX Design:…

UX practitioners often struggle with shifting requirements and increasing product complexity, making it difficult to design intuitive experiences. Object-Oriented UX (OOUX) offers a structured approach to simplify digital products by focusing on core objects rather than pages or screens. Sophia Prater explains how this method improves usability, reduces inconsistencies, and streamlines collaboration across teams. About Sophia Prater: Bio (via RewiredUX.com) | LinkedIn | Instagram Learn more about Object-Oriented UX: Upcoming Free UX Level-Up Training Sign up for the newsletter OOUX Podcast OOUX for AI & AI for OOUX (course) Related NN/g Courses & Resources: UX Basic Training (full-day or 2 half-day course) What is Object-Oriented UX? (3-min video)

As AI continues to evolve, designers are increasingly finding themselves tasked with creating AI-powered experiences—often without prior experience in the space. In this episode, NN/g UX Specialist Caleb Sponheim discusses the current state of AI tools, what’s working (and what’s not), and how designers can position themselves to navigate this shift. We also explore what it really means to develop AI safely and how designers can play a role in ensuring ethical, user-friendly AI experiences. About the speaker: Bio | LinkedIn Full-Day Course: Designing AI Experiences(also available in half-day formats) Related NN/g Articles: Artificial Intelligence Glossary How Do Generative AI Systems Work? Redefine Your Design Skills to Prepare for AI AI Features Must Solve Real Problems More Free Articles on AI

As tech layoffs and budget cuts dominate the start of the year, UX teams are navigating a critical challenge: proving the value of research while doing more with less. In this episode, NN/g Director of Research Maria Rosala sits down with ResearchOps pioneer Kate Towsey to explore how ResearchOps can help teams think strategically about the impact and efficiency of their research. Learn more about Kate Towsey Kate’s Book: Research That Scales: The Research Operations Handbook Kate's Substack: Scaling and Systematising Research Kate’s Masterclasses in Australia and Europe: Defining a ResearchOps Strategy, 2025 Kate's ChaCha Club - a member's club for ResearchOps professionals: https://chacha.club/ NN/g Courses and Content on ResearchOps Full-Day Course: ResearchOps Free Article: Research Ops 101 4-min Video: Strategic vs Reactionary Research 4-min Video: Research Repositories 101 3-min Video: Research Participant Database

Most experienced professionals in the industry will tell you that the best designs don't operate in a vacuum. Yet, most of our measurement approaches do. How do you know you're actually making a measurable impact toward users' long-term goals? Connor Joyce, author of the book, Bridging Intention to Impact, shares his thoughts on how to create and evaluate products that center on meaningful user outcomes. Connect with Connor Joyce Order the book Related NN/g Resources & Courses: Free Articles on Analytics & Metrics Report on UX Metrics & ROI Full-Day or 2 Half-Day Course on Measuring UX and ROI

To explore how is AI shaping UX research and analysis, host Therese Fessenden shares two interviews on the topic; one with Savina Hawkins, Co-founder of Altis, and one with Caleb Sponheim, UX Specialist at NN/g. In this episode we explore the opportunities AI presents for enhancing productivity and innovation in UX work, alongside the risks and challenges it brings. Savina & Caleb offer practical advice on how UX professionals can leverage AI tools effectively and remain competitive in their field. Learn more about Altis Learn more about Caleb Sponheim, PhD Get trained on using AI for UX work: Practical AI for UX Professionals Course NN/g Articles on Artificial Intelligence Caleb’s Favorite Resources: Optimistic Perspective: Ethan Mollick’s One Useful Thing. Skeptical Perspective: Ed Zitron’s Where’s Your Ed At. Weekly Newsletter

Product-centric design can be an efficient way to design interfaces, but it can often lead to disjointed and poorly optimized customer journey experiences. Kim Flaherty shares her recent research into journey-centric design, and insights on how a journey-centric design practice can help organizations overcome product-centric challenges. Report: Architecting a Journey Management Practice Learn more about Kim: ⁠Bio⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ NN/g Resources about Journey Management: ⁠The 3 Competencies of Journey Management (5-min video)⁠ ⁠Journey Management vs. Service Design (4-min video)⁠ ⁠The Practice of Customer-Journey Management (free article)⁠ ⁠Customer Journeys and Omnichannel UX (free article)⁠ ⁠Journey Mapping to Understand Customer Needs (UX Certification course)⁠ ⁠Customer-Journey Management (UX Certification course)⁠

With AI developing rapidly, and AI policy often lagging behind, calls for responsible tech design and development are louder and more public than ever. In this episode, Paige Lord offers some insight into ways UX professionals can play a role in creating ethical AI products and services. Learn more about Paige Lord: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepaigelord/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiethicswithpaige YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aiethicswithpaige Substack: https://thepaigelord.substack.com/ Other related content: Design Risk Assessment (free article) NN/g Articles & Videos about AI Practical AI for UX Professionals Course Emerging Patterns in Interface Design Course Responsible AI Institute: https://www.responsible.ai/

Icons are popular components to incorporate into digital designs that can help simplify user experiences. But, not every icon is created equal. In this episode, Kate Kaplan shares the latest insights from her research on digital iconography which can be found in her new book, Digital Icons that Work. Learn more about Kate Kaplan: Bio | LinkedIn Her book: Digital Icons That Work (nngroup.com) Other Related Articles: Imagery in Visual Design Article Digital Icons UX Quiz

Accessibility isn’t a novel concept, but in the realm of digital design, it's rare to find a product or service that's truly accessible to a broad audience with many needs. In this episode, Stéphanie Walter shares a bit about what got her interested in accessibility to begin with, what accessibility truly means in UX, some common misconceptions, and how designers can create more inclusive experiences. Learn more about Stéphanie Walter: LinkedIn | stephaniewalter.design WCAG Standards Related NN/g Resources: Accessibility and Inclusivity Study Guide (free article) How to Conduct Usability Studies with Accessibility Report (free report) Usability Guidelines for Accessible Web Design Report (free report) Accessibility Articles and Videos Emerging Patterns in Interface Design Course (NN/g UX Certification-eligible course)

“If you squint hard enough, every problem is a prioritization problem.” -Harry Max UX professionals are often faced with the challenge of managing backlogged work and doing so with limited time, budget, and resources. In this episode, we chat with Harry Max about the common misconceptions with prioritization and how to get better at it over time. ⁠Learn more about Harry Max NN/g Articles & Training Courses 5 Prioritization Methods in UX Roadmapping (free article) Using Prioritization Matrices to Inform UX Decisions (free article) Using Trade-Off Scales for Prioritization in UX Design Projects (2 min video) Incorporating UX Work into Your Agile Backlog (free article) Related Courses UX Roadmaps Design Tradeoffs and UX Decision-Making Generating Big Ideas with Design Thinking

Expanding into global markets is a key priority for companies in today's interconnected world. While many companies rely on translations for their digital platforms, this is just one aspect of effective global expansion. In this episode, we're joined by Feifei Liu, International UX Researcher at NN/g. She discusses the importance of cross-cultural research and its role in helping organizations effectively expand into international markets while honoring cultural values and practices. ⁠Learn more about Feifei Liu⁠ NN/g Articles & Training Courses Modify Your Design For Global Audiences: Cross Cultural UX Design International Usability Testing: Why You Need It? Cultural Differences in User Research Facilitation Translate User-Generated Content For Global Audiences 4 Ways to Support International Purchasers 6 Tips for Improving Language Switchers on Ecommerce Sites Other Resources Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory Chapters (0:00) Intro (01:15) Cross-cultural UX research: What is it? (06:57) Importance of…

In this episode, we dive into User Interviews with Steve Portigal, discussing their critical role in product development and design research. User interviews, a qualitative method, involve conversations with users to gather insights about their experiences, behaviors, and needs. We discuss the benefits of this approach, such as deep user empathy and informed decision making, alongside common challenges like bias and recruitment. Join us in understanding when to use user interviews and how to get the most out of them. NN/g Articles & Training Courses User Interviews (full-day/2 half-day UXC course) User Interviews 101 (free article) The 3 Types of User Interviews: Structured, Semi-Structured, and Unstructured (free video) When to Use Which User-Experience Research Methods (free article) 5 Facilitation Mistakes to Avoid During User Interviews (free article) ⁠Learn more about Steve Portigal Interviewing Users (2nd Edition) 20% discount code: interviewing

AI is changing faster than we can sometimes process and will likely do so for a while. The recent tech layoffs have also not spared UX professionals, adding to the uncertainty about our future roles in this rapidly changing environment. While there is still much we don't know about AI, Don Norman, co-founder of NN/g, and Sarah Gibbons, VP at NN/g, share their insights on the future roles of designers, encouraging professionals to think big in the wake of AI's advancements. Related NN/g Articles & Training Courses Generative UI and Outcome-Oriented Design AI as a UX Assistant The 4 Degrees of Anthropomorphism of Generative AI AI Chat Is Not (Always) the Answer AI-Powered Tools for UX Research: Issues and Limitations Prompt Structure in Conversations with Generative AI Sycophancy in Generative-AI Chatbots New Course: Practical AI for UX Professionals Other Related Content ⁠Don Norman’s Website⁠ Chapters 0:00-1:12 - Intro 1:13-18:18 - What will design’s role be as AI expands? 18:18-23:15 - What is going to stay…

Extended reality (XR) experiences hold the potential to transform the way we learn, work, and collaborate. Specifically, it can make educational experiences more interactive, engaging and ultimately drive higher learning outcomes. In this episode, we feature Jan Plass, who discusses the affordances of XR technology, provides examples of XR learning experiences and shares his expectations for its impact on the education landscape. Jan Plass is a Professor at New York University, Paulette Goddard Chair, and Director of CREATE. Learn more about Jan Plass: CREATE Lab Looking Inside Cells On the Morning You Wake Verizon AR/VR Learning Apps (i.e. Visceral Science, Mapper's Delight, UNSUNG, Looking Inside Cells etc.) NN/g ARTICLES & TRAINING COURSES Augmented/Virtual Reality vs. Computer Screens 10 Usability Heuristics Applied to Virtual Reality Virtual Reality and User Experience Emerging Patterns in Interface Design ⁠ (full-day/2 half-day UXC course) The Design of Everyday Things CHAPTERS: 0:00-3:13 - Intro…

The surge of AI is currently changing the way we work and live. To avoid feeling left behind, it is important to engage with and understand these tools. This is true for UX designers just as much as almost everybody else. In this episode, we feature Henry Modisett from Perplexity AI and Kate Moran to get two insightful perspectives on the current state of AI and its connection to UX. Learn more about Henry Modisett Learn more about Kate Moran Perplexity.AI NN/g ARTICLES & TRAINING COURSES AI for UX: Getting Started (free article) AI & Machine Learning Will Change UX Research & Design (free video) AI Improves Employee Productivity by 66% (free article) AI-Powered Tools for UX Research: Issues and Limitations (free article) AI: First New UI Paradigm in 60 Years (free article) Sycophancy in Generative-AI Chatbots (free article) Information Foraging with Generative AI: A Study of 3 Chatbots (free article) The ELIZA Effect: Why We Love AI (free article) Practical AI for UX Professionals (full-day/2 half-day UXC…

Wireframing is an incredibly useful design technique to flesh out conceptual ideas and communicate them to others. However, with the advent of powerful prototyping tools, some designers may think of these as irrelevant or outdated practices. Leon Barnard, Content Manager at Balsamiq and co-author of the book Wireframing for Everyone, discusses why he thinks wireframing is not only still relevant, but essential for maximizing creativity and innovative thinking. Connect with Leon Barnard Balsamiq Wireframing AcademyWireframing for Everyone (book) by Michael Angeles, Leon Barnard, & Billy Carlson Related NN/g Articles & Training Courses How to Draw a Wireframe (Even if You Can’t Draw) (free article) UX Basics: Study Guide (collection of free articles) UX Basic Training (UX certification course) UX Deliverables (UX certification course) Visual Design Fundamentals (UX certification course)

We often talk about measuring progress, but it can sometimes be harder to do in practice than in theory, especially when you’re combining mixed research methods. However, some teams have managed to not only make sense of the data, but use it to make award-winning designs. In this episode we feature two members of Princeton University’s award-winning intranet team: Charlie Kreitzberg, Senior UX Advisor, and Christian Knoebel, Director Digital Strategy, and how they combined two frameworks: the 5D Rubric and pairLab, to bridge the gap between UX and product design. Learn about the 5-D Rubric Learn about pairLab Related NN/g resources: 10 Best Intranets of 2022 (the year Princeton University won) (free article) Intranet & Enterprise Design Study Guide (free article) Past Intranet Design Annual: 2022 (the year Princeton University won) (534-page report) Intranet Design Annual: 2023 (most recent awards) (483-page report)

Measuring a user experience can be intimidating at first, but it's an essential part of determining whether your work is moving in the right direction (and by how much). UX Master Certified Dr. John Pagonis shares his experiences from working with other organizations on measuring UX improvements and interpreting quantitative data. Learn more about John Pagonis: Connect on LinkedIn Watch a past keynote talk: Usefulness measurement: A practical guide for all UXers (37 min video)⁠ NN/g Resources about Usability and UX Metrics: Usefulness, Utility, and Usability by Jakob Nielsen, PhD (2-min video) The UX Unicorn Myth (decathlon analogy, explained, 2-min video) Usability 101 by Jakob Nielsen, PhD (free article) Measuring UX and ROI (full-day course for UX certification) ⁠UX Metrics and ROI by Kate Moran⁠⁠ (297-page report) NN/g Articles about Microsoft's Desirability Toolkit and Adjectives List ⁠Using the Microsoft Desirability Toolkit to Test Visual Appeal⁠ (free article) ⁠Microsoft Desirability Toolkit Product…

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Research with employees might sound easy in theory: you work in the same company as the people you need to observe or interview, and you might not even need to pay them for input. However, there's a bit more to it than meets the eye. In this episode, we feature UX Master Certified Angie Li, and she discusses what has helped her organize and run successful research with internal team members. Learn more about Angie Li NN/g Articles & Training Courses Employees as Usability-Test Participants (free article) Structuring Intranet Discovery & Design Research (free article) Ethnographic User Research (full-day/2 half-day UXC course) User Interviews (full-day/2 half-day UXC course) Usability Testing (full-day/2 half-day UXC course)

Members of our UX Master Certified community are applying UX principles to their work in a range of different ways. In this episode, we interview Thomas Wilson, Senior Principal Service Designer at United Healthcare and discuss what service design is and what makes it challenging and rewarding. Learn more about Thomas Wilson: LinkedIn NN/g Service Design Resources: Service Blueprinting (full-day or half-day formats) Service Design Study Guide (free article with links to many more) Learn more about UX Master Certification Some of the (many) people and organizations Thomas mentioned: Don Norman Service Design Network Erika Hall Adam St. John Lawrence Marc Stickdorn Anthony Ulwick Bob Moesta

Building stakeholder relationships is no easy task but it is crucial for getting buy-in, aligning expectations and ultimately building trust. But, what even is a "stakeholder" and how do you know if you have good relationships built? In this episode, we feature a conversation between Samhita Tankala and Sarah Gibbons who discuss the challenges that come with stakeholder management and how to build successful relationships. Learn more about Sarah Gibbons Related NN/g articles, videos, and courses: Successful Stakeholder Relationships (UX Certification course) How to Sell UX: Translating UX to Business Value (Video) How to Collaborate with Stakeholders in UX Research (Article) UX Stories Communicate Designs (Article) Making a Case for UX in 3 Steps (Video) Stakeholder Analysis for UX Projects (Article) UX Stakeholders: Study Guide Other sources Sarah mentioned: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

The importance of mentorship for personal and professional development is an often-discussed topic, yet it can be challenging to find a mentor or become a mentor yourself. In this episode, we feature a conversation between a mentee, NN/g’s Tim Neusesser, and his mentor, Travis Grawey. In this episode they discuss how mentorship has impacted both of their careers. Learn more about Tim Neusesser Learn more about Travis Grawey (who mentors along with many others at ADPList) Related NN/g articles & videos: Why You Need UX Mentoring (video) ⁠The C's of Great UX Mentorship⁠ (video) Finding UX Mentors (video) UX Careers Report (free report)

Have you ever wondered what it's like to usability test a video game? Or what goes on behind the scenes of gaming studios as they prepare for big release dates? In this episode, games user researcher Steve Bromley shares how he got into the field, and what makes games different from traditional user experiences. Steve's Website: gamesuserresearch.com; Steve's Book: ⁠How To Be A Games User Researcher Other websites Steve Mentioned A Theory Of Fun For Game Design (Raph Koster) A Playful Production Process Game Developer Conference Videos NN/g's Free Articles and Videos on Games & Gamification: 10 Usability Heuristics Applied to Video Games (article) Games User Research (article) Video Game Design and UX (video) Gamification in the User Experience (video) Psychology & UX Study Guide (free study guide) NN/g UX Certification Courses (full-day or half-day formats) Persuasive & Emotional Design The Human Mind and Usability

If you ask experienced UX practitioners how to stay user-centric, you’ll inevitably hear something about the importance of customer journeys. However, as teams become more mature in their UX practices, the number of journeys being tracked and analyzed has been growing, sometimes faster than teams can manage, leading to scattered and uncoordinated redesign efforts. In this episode, we hear some tips about customer journey management from Kim Salazar of NN/g and Jochem van der Veer of TheyDo, a customer journey management platform. Learn more about the episode guests: Kim Salazar, Senior UX Specialist at NN/g Jochem van der Veer, Co-Founder & CEO, TheyDo / TheyDo.com Related NN/g courses & reports: Customer-Journey Management (full-day / 2 half-days course) Operationalizing CX: Organizational Strategies for Delivering Superior Omnichannel Experiences (142-page report) Related NN/g articles & videos: The Practice of Customer-Journey Mangement (free article) What is Journey Management? (3 min video)

The UX industry has recently seen what some call "unprecedented" shifts with layoffs and generative artificial intelligence rapidly changing how UX work is done. However, there have been similarly turbulent periods in tech, decades before. Dr. Jakob Nielsen reflects on the changes that have taken place over the near 25 years Nielsen Norman Group has been around, and discusses whether or not generative AI is just a phase or truly the next chapter of UX work. Learn more about Dr. Jakob Nielsen Past keynote speeches by Dr. Jakob Nielsen Topics Covered: 1:45 - Dr. Jakob Nielsen's "origin story" 3:46 - What UX was like during the "dot-com boom" 6:30 - How the UX profession has changed since the "dot-com boom" 8:21 - Generative AI - a phase or the next chapter of UX work? 13:26 - How AI will shift the labor of UX away from pixel-pushing and toward orchestration/editorializing 16:58 - The future of UX: what keeps Dr. Jakob Nielsen inspired 19:34 - Balancing the pressure to build new features vs. fixing existing…

With the recent surge in tech layoffs, a downsizing of UX labor means UX research is harder to do, meaning: research needs to be prioritized in really intentional ways. Discount inspection methods like expert reviews and heuristic evaluations can help identify high-priority design issues that need further research and design effort. In this episode, Evan Sunwall offers some insight into how to facilitate and communicate the results of these inspection methods. Connect with Evan Sunwall on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/esunwall/ Evan's Recommended Further Reading on NN/g: Jakob Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics (article) The classic heuristics for effective interaction design used by many UX professionals to evaluate digital experiences. Heuristic Evaluation of User Interface (video) How to Conduct a Heuristic Evaluation (article) How to Conduct an Expert Review (article) Other Books: Don't Make Me Think (book) - a very short and easy-to-read primer on usability and its role in creating successful…

The term artificial intelligence, AI, is having a bit of a boom, with the explosion in popularity of tools like ChatGPT, Lensa, DALL•E 2, and many others. The praises of AI have been equally met with skepticism and criticism, with cautionary tales about AI information quality, plagiarism, and other risks. Susan Farrell, the Principal UX Researcher at mmhmm, shares a bit about her experiences in researching chatbots and AI driven tools, and defines what AI is, what it isn’t, and what teams should consider when implementing AI systems. Susan Farrell's social media: LinkedIn; Mastodon What Susan is working on: mmhmm.app NN/g courses referenced in this episode: Design Tradeoffs & UX Decision Making (full-day and 2-day course) Emerging Patterns in Interface Design (full-day and 2-day course) Recommended Reading to deep dive into artificial intelligence & machine learning: Age of Invisible Machines - Robb Wilson The Promise and Terror of Artificial Intelligence - Os Keyes Becoming a chatbot: my life as a real…

Building exceptional experiences usable by all is no easy feat. Focusing on what can be influenced and accepting what cannot be changed are two critical steps to crafting better products... and careers. We spoke with Ryan Hudson-Peralta, a principal experience designer at Rocket Homes, who often introduces himself as a "father, husband, international speaker, and designer... who just happens to be born without hands." Ryan shares a bit about his journey into the UX field, and how his mindset of curiosity and positivity allows him to create meaningful experiences with his designs and with his career. Learn more about Ryan Hudson-Peralta: lookmomnohands.com If you would like to learn about UX design, we have thousands of articles and videos at our website www.nngroup.com. Full-Day Design Courses (also available in 2 half-day formats) UX Basic Training Web Page UX Design Application Design Mobile User Experience Designing Complex Apps for Specialized Domains

How has the UX field changed over the years? What does the future of UX work look like if scope is wildly expanding? Will we be automated out of a job? What should teams do to ensure they’re not misinterpreting data? Kenya Oduor shares her thoughts on these questions and more, offering suggestions for UX professionals wishing to set themselves up for success in a future of coexistence with artificial intelligence systems and automation. (Surprisingly, these tips are quite helpful for planning and analyzing quantitative user research as well.) Learn more about Kenya Oduor, Ph.D. and Lean Geeks: Bio, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, LeanGeeks.net Related NN/g Articles & Videos: The Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and User Experience (4 min video) AI & Machine Learning Will Change UX Research & Design (11 min video) 10 Usability Heuristics in Interface Design (article) Visibility of System Status (Usability Heuristic #1) (article) Hierarchy of Trust: The 5 Experiential Levels of Commitment (article)…

Visual design takes a lot more work than just making things look pretty, and is a fundamental part of many user's experiences. Our digital design lead, Kelley Gordon, shares some practical tips for both designers and "non-designers" alike to strengthen visual designs and improve working relationships. Read more about Kelley Gordon here Follow us on Instagram @nngux Full-day courses and 1-Hour Talks referenced in this episode: Design Critiques: What, How, and When (1-Hour Talk) Web Page UX Design (UXC Course) Visual Design Fundamentals (UXC Course)

What does it take to be successful in the field of user experience? There isn't a single, clear-cut answer, but there are a number of different skills, traits, and perspectives that foster better workplace relationships and strengthen creative problem-solving. Anna Kaley and other fellow NN/g UX Specialists offer their insights on the commonalities that highly effective UX professionals seem to share, and how they can enable more human-centered outcomes. In this episode... Anna Kaley proposes "6 C's" list of characteristics that enable UX practitioners to succeed in the workplace. Maria Rosala shares some findings from our UX careers research, which prove have some timeless advice, despite frequent changes in the industry. Tanner Kohler highlights the importance of human-centered research versus feature-focused research in creating human-centered designs. Rachel Krause offers recommendations on how to evolve from being a designer in isolation into a designer with influence. Kim Salazar discusses the…