Spotify Since the NCAA lifted restrictions on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation, college athletes have entered an unfamiliar arena, personal branding. For many, this shift is both daunting and exciting. While raw talent might get them on the field, building a marketable identity off the field takes a different skill set altogether. That’s...
Continue readingRethinking Design Tools: What Replaces Figma Is Simplicity, Speed—and Smart AI
Spotify When Figma first launched, it didn’t win users with a flood of features. It won with clarity. It wasn’t just cloud-based or collaborative, it was clean, responsive, and felt like it was designed for you. It quietly redefined the designer’s workflow, unchained teams from files and folders, and set a new bar for...
Continue readingRedesigning for Growth: How Reddit Can Broaden Its Reach Without Losing Its Core
Spotify As designers and strategists, one of the most interesting challenges we face is helping platforms evolve beyond their niche without alienating the people who built them. That starts with understanding the demographics behind the experience, who is using the product, who is not, and why. Take a look at the numbers: I zeroed...
Continue readingThe Art of the Alert: Perfecting the Push Notification User Journey
Spotify Push notifications are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they’re direct lines to a user’s attention, offering immediacy and relevance. On the other hand, they’re intrusive, demanding consideration in an already attention-saturated world. For a platform like Facebook, where notifications range from friend requests to event invites to specific mentions of friends, optimizing...
Continue readingDesigning a Compelling News Site for Today’s Generation
Spotify Understanding How Millennials (and Gen Z) Consume and Share News In a world of headlines competing for swipes, taps, and fleeting attention spans, designing a modern news experience isn’t just about content; it’s about culture. Today’s consumers don’t just read the news; they react to it, share it, comment on it, and remix...
Continue readingGoPro Needs a New iPhone App: Why UX is Holding Back the Experience
Spotify GoPro has built a brand around adventure. It’s the go-to camera for athletes, travelers, and creators who want to capture the moment in all its high-octane glory. But for a product that lives at the bleeding edge of action, the iPhone app experience feels… stuck. The GoPro hardware is incredible. The footage is...
Continue readingTacking Toward Excellence: What Sailboat Racing Teaches Us About UX
Spotify I was sailing in the annual Red Grant Regatta when I made two epic mistakes. The kind that don’t just slow you down — they potentially cost us second place. We were on track to take second place overall. But a bad tack and an override that trumps all overrides turned a strong...
Continue readingRunning a Research and UX Department: Making It Hum
Spotify Leading a Research and UX department is a lot like conducting an orchestra. Each section, user research, UX design, UI design, content strategy, and accessibility, plays a vital role. When every player is tuned, in sync, and working with clear direction, the result isn’t just output; it’s synergy. It’s harmony. It’s momentum. It’s...
Continue readingThe Unsung Hero: Why Empathy is the Cornerstone of Great UX
Spotify In the bustling world of product development, where deadlines loom and features multiply, it’s easy to get lost in the technicalities. We talk about wireframes, prototypes, analytics, and agile sprints. Yet, amidst the jargon and methodologies, one fundamental principle often gets overlooked, despite being the bedrock of truly exceptional user experiences: empathy. Empathy...
Continue readingThe Unsung Heroes of Patagonia: A Buttoned-Up Tale of Textile Triumph and UX Nirvana
Spotify Ah, the humble button. Often overlooked, frequently frustrating, yet utterly essential. But what if I told you there’s a company out there that has elevated the button, not just to a functional fastener, but to an art form? A company whose meticulous approach to securing a tiny disc of shell or metal to...
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