📰 3 DESIGN ARTICLES
The Paradox of UX Personalization
- Designer Michael Buckley explores the paradox of discovery in the age of AI-driven personalization, considering how algorithms that rely on existing preferences can limit exposure to new things.
- The author argues that while AI enhances convenience, excessive personalization stifles growth, making it crucial for designers to balance efficiency with the unpredictability that fosters new interests when developing product experiences.
- “By leveraging AI without sacrificing spontaneity, we can preserve the magic of discovery. If UX is to remain truly user-centric, it must not only serve who users are today but also create opportunities for who they might become.”
The UX Techniques That Make You Settle for Higher-Priced Flights
- UX consultant Peter Ramsey explores how certain UX techniques utilized by flight booking sites can use deceptive design techniques to make buyers think they’re getting the best bang for their buck when in fact, that’s not the case.
- One prime example is a tool by Expedia where ChatGPT will source flights for you—but upon investigation, the selected flights may not actually be the most convenient or cost-effective options that are available.
- “Something to consider today is how valuable showmanship can be to driving action… You might literally be able to ask an AI Agent to find and book you a flight, but for now, the small gain in convenience would require a high tolerance to being overcharged.”
Using Data-Driven Storytelling to Shape Product Strategy
- Jane Hext, UX researcher at Adobe, discusses a framework for transforming complex UX research into compelling narratives that inform product strategy, a process that can be especially helpful when trying to determine the most important data to share.
- Hext advises aligning key insights to a primary audience or framework, such as the user journey, to create a cohesive story, while ensuring these insights are then actionable for the design team.
- “When we share research in a way that maximizes knowledge for a primary stakeholder, with a single point of view, not only are we more effective in sharing it, we’re also more likely to make a significant impact on product strategy."
💜 PORTFOLIO INSPIRATION
Idy Akpan, a UX Academy graduate, creates an engaging end-to-end project in Workvana, allowing professionals in the same industries to connect, mentor, and support one another. Through strong research and iterative work, the project understands what working professionals want most from a networking-based app. With the design work for Vacay Fairy, Akpan integrates AI functionality to help take the apprehension and stress out of vacation planning. Clear and accessible UI helps tie the finished product together.
![GIF of a UX design portfolio.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/65130e79c72ae8812db3412e/67a64b24cc0a67f74de8d3fb_idy.gif)
Got a portfolio you love that you’d like to share with our audience? Email your suggestions to hello@designlab.com.
💡 INTERESTING STUFF...
- Can I Handle This?
- Case Study: Explore Sons & Daughters, a Road Trip Across Canada
- Cadbury's Reimagined Creative Campaign
- Meta AI Now Has Memory
Design can help to improve our lives in the present. Design thinking can help us chart a path into the future. — Tim Brown (CEO of IDEO)
🧪 FROM THE LAB
🚀 UX Academy Foundations Launching Monday
Our next cohort of UX Academy Foundations launches this coming Monday, February 10th. Don’t miss this opportunity to take the first step towards a new creative career!
You’ll learn visual and UI design skills and gain proficiency in Figma in this flexible, beginner-friendly, and fully online course. Receive expert, 1:1 feedback from an industry mentor and tap into our supportive student community—all at a low financial commitment. Complete Foundations and be fully ready to step into our career accelerator UX Academy.
⭐ Recent Student Features
Whether it’s making a career change through UX Academy or upskilling through one of our Advanced Courses, our students are doing great things. Check out some of our most recent student stories to see for yourself!
- Case Study: Elevating Generative AI Skills Through AI for Visual Design
- Designing a New Creative Career: From Marketing to UX
- Case Study: Leveling Up with Advanced Figma
- From Medicine to UX at Pinterest: Leveraging Existing Skills in a New Design Career
🚨 Attention Experienced Designers: We Need Your Help
The effect AI is having on UX/product design continues to be a hot topic. We’re working hard at Designlab to bring new programming and courses to our community related to AI tools and workflows.
To better understand how our awesome design community is utilizing AI in their workflows, we're asking experienced designers (those with 2+ years of experience working as a UX or product designer) to take our survey on their AI usage for UX and product design.
It only takes ~5 minutes to complete and all participants will be sent our report distilling and analyzing the survey results. We appreciate your participation!