To be a designer is to be a facilitator

Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.

Sep 02, 2024

“A community, often an underserved one, is struggling with a problem. A designer sees this, observes them for a short period, comes up with an idea in the studio, and then comes back with a solution to the bewilderment and excitement of the community. The problem that no one has been able to figure out before now is solved! All thanks to the designer!

Ok, this story might seem a little exaggerated, but it has long been a documented one.

Projects like these often do little to help the communities they target, but instead raise the profile of the designer(s)/agency(ies) that made them. And years later, when the projects go inevitably wrong, the publicity has already been gained, and communities are left with little resources to hold them accountable.”

To be a designer is to be a facilitator →

Slow Research is dead 🪦🪦🪦 →
[Sponsored] Painful, Slow Research was passionate about slowing down product development, hiding in fragmented tools, hoarding knowledge in silos, and causing unnecessary friction for teams. They’re survived by Dovetail, the leading AI-powered customer insights hub that gives everyone on the product team instant access to customer insights, at any time. RIP Painful, Slow Research. Long live shared customer understanding.

Editor picks

Are design systems just a bandaid? →
When organizational problems cut a little deeper.
Should technology teams sell products? →
As owners of product creation, are we accountable for how products are sold?
You really like this, don’t you? →
Avoiding leading questions in user research.

The UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices and helps designers think more critically about their work.

Discover what designers are listening to while they design →

Make me think

Things to do before asking “Is this accessible?” →
“It is not uncommon for someone to message, call, email, or carrier pigeon me to ask if something is accessible. They almost invariably want a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ However, I need to understand what the heck they mean and what the other-heck prompted them to ask.”
iOS18 Photos: tab bar to single scroll view →
“The most significant user interface change from iOS 17 to iOS 18 are the navigation differences in Apple's Photos app. The ubiquitous tab bar that's became the default navigation model in mobile apps is gone and in its place is one long scrolling page. So how does it work and why?”
Screen apnea: What happens to our breath when we type, tap, scroll →
“In 2007, former Microsoft executive Linda Stone noticed something strange happening every time she'd sit down to answer emails. She was holding her breath. Stone wondered how common this was and set out to investigate using ‘kitchen table science,’ as she called it.”

Little gems this week

Why AI’s lack of direction is perfect for CX’s loss of direction →

What’s happened to Spotify? →

Stuck in the design process? →

Tools and resources

The 80/20 rule in design job interviews →
Why you rarely make it past the case study presentation.
8 Figma tips for UI3 →
Figma’s new UI3 brings change, but also brings new tools to try out.
Building better logins →
A UX and accessibility guide for developers.
An introduction to Generative UIs →
Using AI to make user interfaces better, faster, and simpler.
Navigating O1 visa as a designer →
Working through the complexities of the application process.