End of year epiphanies, the “faces” of AI, and more…

📰 3 DESIGN ARTICLES

DESIGN EPIPHANIES THAT HAVE LED TO SUCCESS

• In this reflective article, designer Guarav Nikam recounts realizations about their design process that have helped create a template for success in their career.
• Nikam highlights how breaking the norm of UX rules, such as traditional grid alignment, could, in certain cases, enhance a product, making the design more exciting and dynamic.
• “The key lies in discerning when to defy convention to elevate the overall impact and user experience…these epiphanies have been instrumental in shaping my perspective and fueling successful outcomes.”

ANTHROPOMORPHISM IN AI

• This research study examines how and why users project humanistic qualities onto AI-based exchanges, ranging from extending the habitual courtesy to seeking genuine companionship.
• Some users were simply kind to their chatbot, adding a polite but largely pointless “please” or “well done” to their requests; others, however, looked to form a deeper, more human-like connection.
• “Users of AI base their tactics on personal experience. They experience the AI as a black box… and form hypotheses around what made a particular interaction successful.”

UXERS AS HEROES… AND VILLAINS

• Product designer Randeep Sidhu uses a familiar trope, heroes and villains, as a metaphor for cultivating introspection, empathy, and self-awareness as a UX designer.
• Sidhu encourages designers to think of everyone in the room, whether it be your team or your users, as positive pieces of the design puzzle, rather than a problem to overcome.
• “I walked in thinking I was some sort of superhero… that people around me weren’t capable of seeing the insight I was going to deliver. I was treating them as obstacles… there’s a dangerous thing that happens with product thinking… we think we’re the best people in the room and no one else has good ideas.”

PORTFOLIO INSPIRATION 💜

Airi Ham, a UX Academy graduate, creates a comprehensive portfolio through insightful questions that lead to strong user research. An attention to detail and brand identity round out visually compelling case studies.

Got a portfolio you love that you’d like to share with our audience? Email your suggestions to hello@designlab.com.

INTERESTING STUFF...

• A Manifesto for Creativity
• Bringing AI to Market
• Portfolio Building: A Guide
• AI Inflation: Is More Always Better?
• Opinion vs. Expertise: A Duel!

“It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” - Scott Belsky

FROM THE LAB

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