NN/g UX Podcast 4r2218

(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

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 . 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 Research (full-day/2 half-day UXC course) Interviews (full-day/2 half-day UXC course) Usability Testing (full-day/2 half-day UXC course)

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 researcher Steve Bromley shares how he got into the field, and what makes games different from traditional experiences. Steve's Website: gamesresearch.com; Steve's Book: ⁠How To Be A Games 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 Research (article) Video Game Design and UX (video) Gamification in the 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 -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 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

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 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.

The term artificial intelligence, AI, is having a bit of a boom, with the explosion in popularity of tools like ChatGPT, Lensa, Dall-e 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 estate AI’s human backup The Invisible Workforce that Makes AI Possible For Humans Learning Machine Learning What are large language models (LLMs), why have they become controversial? On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big? Interested in working for us? Check out our job posting and apply by Jan. 30, 2023.

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 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 Experience Deg 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 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 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)

Visual design takes a lot more work than just making things look pretty, and is a fundamental part of many '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 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 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 necessity to see ambiguity not as something to be feared, but as something to be explored. Finally, a featured clip from UX Certified community member, Katherine Joyce which celebrates habits and mindsets to which we all can aspire.

Have you thought about your career lately? Chances are, you have - given the buzz around the record high voluntary resignation rates during this “Great Resignation.” In this episode, Sarah Doody, UX Researcher, Experience Designer, and Founder of the Career Strategy Lab, shares her thoughts on how UX professionals can design their ideal careers, whether they’re in the market for a new role or not. Read more about Sarah Doody:  Website (sarahdoody.com) Twitter (@sarahdoody) LinkedIn (/in/sarahdoody) Instagram (@sarahdoodyux) NN/g Resources on UX Careers: Jakob Nielsen: How to Start A New Career in UX (2-min video) UX Careers (free 90-page report) Growing in your UX Career: A Study Guide (article) Portfolios for UX Researchers (article) Interested in working with us? Apply to this posting by April 4th

UX professionals often find themselves saddled with the burden of convincing others to value UX work. David Glazier, Sr. Staff UX Lead of Digital Experience at Illumina tells his story about how effective communication helped him get buy-in with stakeholders and key decision-makers. Read more about David Glazier on LinkedIn Courses & Talks mentioned in this episode: Storytelling to Present UX Work (live, full-day UX Certification course) VR & Research (1-hour recorded talk by David Glazier) Presenting to Stakeholders (1-hour recorded talk, related More articles, videos, and training can be found at www.nngroup.com

There is no question that research has changed over the last two years, but how significant are those changes? The answer is complex, but Interviews' Erin May (VP Growth & Marketing) and JH Forster (VP Product) demystify these trends and share their observations and hopes for the years to come. Check out the Awkward Silences podcast by Interviews Erin May: Twitter (@erinhmay), LinkedIn John-Henry (JH) Forster: Twitter (@jhforster), LinkedIn Interviews: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Related NN/g Articles & Videos: Recruiting and Screening Candidate for Research Studies (article) Qualitative Research Study Guide (article) Quantitative Research Study Guide (article) Related 1-Hour Talks: Remote Research Trends (1-Hour Talk) How Inclusive Design Expands Business Value (1-Hour Talk) Training Events: Virtual UX Conference January 8-21  (2 half-day format) Qualitative Research Series April 4-8 (5-day training event) Interviews Links: The State of Research 2021 Report Research Field Guides Recruit 3 research participants for free on Interviews.com

As design teams mature in size and scope, the importance of intentionally deg and systematizing processes, approaches, and tools becomes increasingly difficult to ignore. Kate Kaplan shares insights from her research studying design teams and offers tips for those seeking to initiate and lead DesignOps efforts as a way to make design more impactful at their organizations. Learn more about Kate Kaplan on LinkedIn and nngroup.com NN/g Resources Mentioned: DesignOps 101 (free article)  DesignOps Maturity (free article) 6 Levels of UX Maturity (free article)  UX Maturity Stage 3: Emergent (free article)  DesignOps: DesignOps: Scaling UX Design and Research (UXC course) Other Links Mentioned: Rosenfeld Media’s DesignOps Summit: ​​https://rosenfeldmedia.com/designopssummit2021/ A note on companies to follow, from Kate: "There are so many teams at different organizations publicly sharing and publishing their DesignOps journeys and experiments, and I think that willingness to share is amazing and points to the greater community being built around DesignOps. Some that come top of mind to follow are Salesforce, Cisco, IBM, AirBnB, Pinterest, Athena Health, Atlassian. Most of these companies have internal design blogs or medium channels where they share their approaches."

A two-part podcast episode discussing the implications of decentralized computing and mixed reality on the future of UX work. Geoff's Website: geoffrobertson.me 1-Hour Talks discussed in the episode: Blockchain 101 Blockchain & UX Related courses: Emerging Patterns in Interface Design (UX Certification eligible course) online events: Intranet and Employee Experience Symposium: Nov 9-10 Qualitative Research Series (5-Days): Nov 15-19

A two-part podcast episode discussing the implications of decentralized computing and mixed reality on the future of UX work. Geoff's Website: geoffrobertson.me 1-Hour Talks discussed in the episode: Blockchain 101 Blockchain & UX Related courses: Emerging Patterns in Interface Design (UX Certification eligible course) online events: Intranet and Employee Experience Symposium: Nov 9-10 Qualitative Research Series (5-Days): Nov 15-19