NN/g UX Podcast

49. Design Leadership & Org Design (feat. Peter Merholz, co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs) Apr 18, 2025

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: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/scaling-ux-design-and-user-research/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

Product and UX: Building Partnerships for Better Outcomes: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/product-and-ux/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

Leading Highly Effective UX Teams: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/leading-ux-teams/?lm=pm-ux-different-views-of-responsibilities&pt=article&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

UX Leader: Essential Skills for Any UX Practitioner: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/ux-leadership-skills-for-all/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

New UX Managers: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/new-manager/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

Related Free NN/g Articles:

DesignOps: Study Guide: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/design-ops-study-guide/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

Product & UX: Study Guide: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/product-and-ux-study-guide/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

PM and UX Have Markedly Different Views of Their Job Responsibilities: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/pm-ux-different-views-of-responsibilities/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

48. What is Object-Oriented UX (feat. Sophia Prater, Rewired UX) Mar 21, 2025

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)

47. Designing AI Experiences: What to Consider (feat. Caleb Sponheim PhD, NN/g) Feb 21, 2025

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:

46. Getting Strategic About Research (feat. Kate Towsey, author of Research that Scales) Jan 24, 2025

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

45. Choosing Better User Impact Metrics (feat. Connor Joyce, Author & Behavioral Scientist) Dec 20, 2024

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

44. AI & UX Research (feat. Savina Hawkins & Caleb Sponheim) Nov 26, 2024

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

Bonus: Journey-Centric Design: The Evolution of UX Design Operations (feat. Kim Flaherty, NN/g) Oct 25, 2024

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)⁠

43. Responsible AI (feat. Paige Lord, Sr. Product Marketing Manager at GitHub) Oct 11, 2024

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 Articles:

41. UX Accessibility and Designing for Neurodiversity (feat. Stéphanie Walter) Aug 23, 2024

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)

40. Managing Priorities (feat. Harry Max, author and managing partner at Peak Priorities LLC) Jul 19, 2024

“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

39. Cross-Cultural UX Research (feat. Feifei Liu, International UX Researcher) May 10, 2024

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 cross-cultural UX research

(09:46) Factors designers and researchers need to consider when creating cross-cultural designs

(13:07) Example of a localized design (Australian pharmacy website)

(15:34) Developing a cultural lens

(18:42) Facilitating cross-cultural UX research

(25:19) Keeping up with cultural trends

38. User Interviews (feat. Steve Portigal, Research Consultant and Author) Apr 11, 2024

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

Bonus Episode: Design’s Role as AI Expands (Feat. Don Norman and Sarah Gibbons, VP at NN/g) Mar 28, 2024

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 the same as AI expands?

23:16-end - Rapid Fire Questions

37. XR: Improving Learning Outcomes Mar 01, 2024

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 3:13-5:35 - What is XR? 5:35-8:54 - XR as a Learning Opportunity 8:54-12:19 - Examples of XR for learning 12:19-15:30 - Evidence of Learning with VR Technology 15:30-18.51 - Can VR features Induce Emotions and Result in Better Learning Outcomes? 18:51-23.45 - Comparing UX in 2D and 3D spaces? 23:45-27:41 - Accessibility and Inclusivity in XR 27:41 - XR Development: The Role of Affordances

36. AI & UX: Innovations, Challenges, and Impact Feb 16, 2024

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 course) CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:43 Perplexity AI: History & Value Proposition 10:30 Perplexity AI: Next Steps & Future Developments 15:04 Making AI User Friendly: Generative Interfaces 24:33 Understanding AI as a Consumer Product 28:28 Mental Models for AI 30:41 An Outlook for AI 35:51 NN/g’s Role in the AI Movement 37:34 Anthropomorphism of AI 40:07 Dealing with the Fear of AI

35. Wireframing & Prototyping (feat. Leon Barnard, Content Manager, Balsamiq) Feb 02, 2024

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)

34. Data-Driven Decision-Making and Intranet Design (feat. Christian Knoebel and Charlie Kreitzberg, Princeton University) Jan 05, 2024

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)

33. Tracking UX Progress with Metrics (feat. Dr. John Pagonis, UXMC, Qualitative and Quantitative Researcher) Dec 04, 2023

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 onLinkedIn
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 Reaction Words⁠ (free article)

Jeff Sauro, PhD on UX-Lite, UMUX-Lite, SUS, SEQ

(an aside: his website, MeasuringU.com, is an excellent resource)

Quick Update: Episodes Now On YouTube! Oct 13, 2023

(But don't worry, we will still continue publishing future episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms!)

Check out our YouTube Channel here

Go to our YouTube Podcast playlist

32. Conducting Research with Employees (feat. Angie Li, UXMC, Senior Manager of Product Design at Asurion) Sep 08, 2023

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)

31. Service Design 101 (feat. Thomas Wilson, UXMC, Senior Principal Service Designer & Strategist) Aug 11, 2023

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:

30. Stakeholder Relationships (feat. Sarah Gibbons, Vice President at NN/g) Jul 07, 2023

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

29. UX Mentorship (feat. Tim Neusesser, UX Specialist at NN/g, and Travis Grawey, Director of Product Design at OfficeSpace) Jun 02, 2023

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)

28. Games User Research (feat. Steve Bromley, author and games user researcher) May 05, 2023

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)

27. Customer Journey Management (feat. Kim Salazar, Sr. UX Specialist at NN/g and Jochem van der Veer, CEO/Co-Founder of TheyDo) Apr 08, 2023

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:

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)

26. The Evolution of UX (feat. Dr. Jakob Nielsen, Co-Founder & Principal, NN/g) Mar 03, 2023

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 infrastructures (UX debt)
23:00 - Foundational UX ideologies: who is responsible for a good experience; matching how people actually behave
25:17 - Advice for people new to UX
27:40 - Advice for experienced UX professionals in preparing for a future with AI

25. Discount Usability: Expert Reviews and Heuristic Evaluations (feat. Evan Sunwall, UX Specialist, NNg) Feb 03, 2023

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 products.

24. Artificial Intelligence: What Is It? What Is It Not? (feat. Susan Farrell, Principal UX Researcher at mmhmm.app) Jan 06, 2023

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:

Interested in working for us? Check out our job posting and apply by Jan. 30, 2023.

23. Building Better Products with a Better Mindset (feat. Ryan Hudson-Peralta, Principal Experience Designer at Rocket Homes) Sep 30, 2022

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)

22. UX, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence (feat. Kenya Oduor, Ph.D., founder of Lean Geeks) Aug 12, 2022

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)

Related NN/g Course: Emerging Patterns in Interface Design (UXC course - full day or 2 half-days)

21. Making Your Visual Designs Work Harder For You (feat. Kelley Gordon, Digital Design Lead at NN/g) Jun 03, 2022

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.

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