NN/g UX Podcast 4r2218

AI can do more than it’s ever done… but there’s a lot of unfounded hype, especially when it comes to 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 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 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: Deg AI Experiences

In this episode, Peter Merholz—co-founder of Adaptive Path and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs—s 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--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

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: 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, -friendly AI experiences. About the speaker: Bio | LinkedIn Full-Day Course: Deg 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: katetowsey.com Kate’s Book: Research That Scales: The Research Operations Handbook Kate's Substack: Scaling and Systematising Research Kate’s Masterclasses in Australia and Europe: https://katetowsey.com/masterclasses The ResearchOps Community 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 s' 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 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 disted 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 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 Roapping (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 Roaps 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 ed 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 Research Facilitation  Translate -Generated Content For Global Audiences  4 Ways to 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

In this episode, we dive into Interviews with Steve Portigal, discussing their critical role in product development and design research. interviews, a qualitative method, involve conversations with s to gather insights about their experiences, behaviors, and needs. We discuss the benefits of this approach, such as deep empathy and informed decision making, alongside common challenges like bias and recruitment. us in understanding when to use interviews and how to get the most out of them. NN/g Articles & Training Courses Interviews (full-day/2 half-day UXC course) Interviews 101 (free article) The 3 Types of Interviews: Structured, Semi-Structured, and Unstructured (free video) When to Use Which -Experience Research Methods (free article) 5 Facilitation Mistakes to Avoid During Interviews (free article) ⁠Learn more about Steve Portigal Interviewing s (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 the same as AI expands? 23:16-end - Rapid Fire Questions 

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 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

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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrymodisett/ Learn more about Kate Moran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-m-moran/ Perplexity.AI: https://www.perplexity.ai/ NN/g ARTICLES & TRAINING COURSES AI for UX: Getting Started (free article): https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-ux-getting-started/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 AI & Machine Learning Will Change UX Research & Design (free video): https://www.nngroup.com/videos/machine-learning-ux-research-design/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 AI Improves Employee Productivity by 66% (free article): https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-tools-productivity-gains/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 AI-Powered Tools for UX Research: Issues and Limitations (free article): https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-powered-tools-limitations/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 AI: First New UI Paradigm in 60 Years (free article): https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-paradigm/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 Sycophancy in Generative-AI Chatbots (free article): https://www.nngroup.com/articles/sycophancy-generative-ai-chatbots/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 Information Foraging with Generative AI: A Study of 3 Chatbots (free article): https://www.nngroup.com/articles/generative-ai-diary/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 The ELIZA Effect: Why We Love AI (free article): https://www.nngroup.com/articles/eliza-effect-ai/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 Practical AI for UX Professionals (full-day/2 half-day UXC course): https://www.nngroup.com/courses/practical-ai-for-ux-professionals/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36 CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:43 Perplexity AI: History & Value Proposition 10:30 Perplexity AI: Next Steps & Future Developments 15:04 Making AI 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

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 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 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 with him on LinkedIn Watch a past keynote talk: Usefulness measurement: A practical guide for all UXers (37 min video)⁠ NN/g Articles, Videos, and Reports ability and UX Metrics: Usefulness, Utility, and Usability by Jakob Nielsen, PhD (2-min video) Usability 101 by Jakob Nielsen, PhD (free article) ⁠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) 10 Things To Know About The Single Ease Question (SEQ) Measuring Usability with the System Usability Scale (SUS) 5 Ways to Interpret a SUS Score Measuring Usability: From the SUS to the UMUX-Lite ⁠Evolution of the UX-Lite⁠