📰 3 THINGS TO CHECK OUT
Why Tech Leaders Are Doubling Down On Craft
- Designlab CEO, Harish Venkatesan, writes how with AI transforming the design landscape, craft is becoming increasingly vital in shaping AI outputs into meaningful and impactful user experiences.
- This is precisely the reason Designlab developed its new UI Mastery Certification program, which helps experienced designers sharpen their UI craft through a studio-style format.
- "When everyone can generate a decent layout in seconds, the organizations (and designers) who stand out will be the ones who can make the right calls regarding the details, the polish, the hierarchy, the feel."
Why Gemini's Reassurances Fail Users
- UX strategist Bernard Fitzgerald critiques Google's Gemini AI models for offering comforting assurances about their ability to learn and self-correct, when existing versions have exhibited a pattern of repeated errors.
- Arguing that Gemini’s training favors emotional appeal over accuracy, the piece highlights how this leads to false reassurances and erodes trust, raising important questions about ethics and accountability.
- “Users frequently receive reassuring claims about AI models’ capacity to learn, adapt, and self-correct. These claims promise meticulous attention and iterative improvement, yet consistently fail to translate into genuine performance improvements.”
UX Case Study: How Substack's Deceptive Design Fuels Their Growth
- UX consultant Peter Ramsey analyzes how Substack's UX design leverages psychological tactics and potentially deceptive patterns to drive user engagement and platform growth.
- Delving into the platform’s UX, Ramsey argues that—intentional or not—its design reflects a growth above all mindset that risks undermining user experience and trust.
- “There is a possibility that none of these techniques were intentionally deceptive, but instead simply the result of poorly designed tests. This doesn't mean that the product teams at Substack are intentionally trying to deceive users, but it's plausible that they're so driven by metric optimisation that they didn't notice.”
💜 PORTFOLIO INSPIRATION
Mia Galloro, a UX Academy graduate, creates a vibrant, community-focused product in her end-to-end design for Mile 20, an app that helps distance runners connect with others for support and motivation. Through accessible interfaces and a fun, welcoming brand identity, she thoughtfully integrates user preferences to deliver an engaging experience. With her responsive redesign for Tziki Souvlaki, a local Greek restaurant, Mia addresses key customer pain points—such as confusing online ordering and unclear pricing—resulting in a significantly improved user experience.
Got a portfolio you love that you’d like to share with our audience? Email your suggestions to hello@designlab.com.
💡 INTERESTING STUFF...
- How to Escape Burnout
- Campaigns Say Things, But Culture Proves Them
- You’re Either In, or You’re Out
- You Don't Need Loads of Cash to Be a Great Creative
It’s not ‘us versus them’ or even ‘us on behalf of them.’ For a design thinker it has to be ‘us with them’. — Tim Brown, CEO and President of IDEO
🧪 FROM THE LAB
💡 Upskill Your Design Craft With Our UI Mastery Certification
Applications are now open for our UI Mastery Certification, an immersive, studio-style experience built for experienced designers seeking to sharpen their UI craft with hands-on projects and expert feedback.The UI Mastery Certification program kicks off on September 12th—but don’t miss your chance to save $500 with early bird pricing, available for just two more weeks. Submit your application today.
🚨 UX Academy Foundations Starts Soon
Our next cohort of UX Academy Foundations launches in just over a week, on Monday, July 7th. Learn foundational design skills through hands-on projects, work 1:1 with an industry expert mentor, and join our supportive community. Gain proficiency with Figma, begin to integrate AI into your workflow, and understand how to start thinking like a designer.
Learn more at our live upcoming webinar or enroll today to reserve your spot.
🚀 Learn More About Our Upcoming Courses
We have a slate of live informational webinars next week. Join one (or more!) to learn about upcoming course launches:
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