Leadership, Thought leadership
Kayla Heffernan
Supporting people and building capacity

Whether I’m coaching an associate designer or managing an experienced team, my role is to build trust and psychological safety and help people thrive. The same curiosity I bring to understanding users is the mindset I bring to understanding the people I lead.

I’ve collected tactics over many years through self-directed learning (talks, readings, podcasts), structured professional development (conferences, courses, Melbourne Business School) and from other leaders.

You’ll notice a pattern in every tactic. None of them involves guessing.

They also aren’t forms to complete or assessments to run. They’re structured conversations to have with your team members, individually, early in your journey together

Supporting people and building capacity
Leadership, Thought leadership, Work example
Kayla Heffernan
How to set up a design practice from scratch

Design hire number one and don't know what to do? Read about the 6 steps I used to set up a design practice from scratch

How to set up a design practice from scratch
Work example
Kayla Heffernan
Why no one is following your instructions (and ...

If no one is listening, it's probably a design problem. The tips in the article will help you craft messages people can actually understand and act on.

Why no one is following your instructions (and how to fix it)
Work example
Kayla Heffernan
Consistency isn’t optional — it’s core to ...

Is your style guide being ignored? It’s not just a branding issue — it’s a usability problem. Learn why consistency is core, not optional — and how to get teams on board.

Consistency isn’t optional — it’s core to usability
Thought leadership
Kayla Heffernan
From 2015 to 2024: how real estate websites ...

In 2015, I embarked on the journey of buying my first home. At that time, I wrote a blog post critiquing the UX of real estate websites through a, somewhat sarcastic, persona named ‘Kayla’ and listed out ‘her’ (my) user needs and how they weren’t being met. Discover how real estate websites have evolved from 2015 to 2024 through a personal lens. Spoiler alert – it still sucks, but it sucks a little less.

In this blog post, I evaluate how current real estate platforms address user needs such as viewing new properties, staying within budget, accessing accurate information, and managing inspection schedules. It suggests key improvements and practical recommendations for improving real estate website UX.

From 2015 to 2024: how real estate websites have evolved

Work example

Consistency isn’t optional — it’s core to usability

Consistency isn’t optional — it’s core to usability

Is your style guide being ignored? It’s not just a branding issue — it’s a usability problem. Learn why consistency is core, not optional — and how to get teams on board.

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Accessibility affects us all: Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day

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Accessibility affects us all: Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Discover why digital accessibility matters for everyone — not just a few — and how small design changes can make a big impact this Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

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Triangulating user insights: A mixed methods approach for reliable research

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Triangulating user insights: A mixed methods approach for reliable research

More strategic or risky projects often require more evidence to back them up. Traingulating your insights gives stakeholders more confidence to make decisions and to make decisions that they feel more sure of.

It’s not a bug, it’s a feature… no really

It’s not a bug, it’s a feature… no really

Bugs, put simply, are errors or defects in a software system. If you work in tech, you’ve probably heard someone say the half-joke, half-truth line “it’s not a bug, it’s a feature”. Often this is used in jest or to justify not wanting to fix a particularly difficult bug. But when is a bug really a feature? And what does this mean for your users?

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Why you need to observe your users

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Why you need to observe your users

Sometimes it feels that UX Research has become synonymous with surveys. They’re cheap, easy & can reach large amounts of users. Sounds great, right? Wrong. Surveys are not enough

Communicating a Rebrand to Your Users

Communicating a Rebrand to Your Users

Rebranding? There’s a lot online about why to rebrand, how to decide new colours, how to get people on board etc. But how should we alert users to the change? These 4 principles should help you guide your choices

https://medium.com/seer-medical/communicating-a-rebrand-to-your-users-eba127a19e0e