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

UX of Everyday Things

From 2015 to 2024: how real estate websites have evolved

From 2015 to 2024: how real estate websites have evolved

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.

Drunk Kayla & Uber UX

I had a few after-work drinks last Friday and caught an Uber home — this was always the plan, although I probably had one (or three) too many drinks on an empty stomach and was a little drunk (not part of the original intention). I lost my phone and this is a story of that UX. 

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Bad Error Messages Are Harming Your Users - The UX of Error Messages

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Bad Error Messages Are Harming Your Users - The UX of Error Messages

Research shows error messages increase cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in individuals when they were interacting with computers that faced a system breakdown. Our error messages are physically harming individuals; we have a responsibility to consider the UX as to not affect our users health.

UX of Everyday Things Series

Just a quick note to formally acknowledge my "UX of Everyday Devices/Things" themed posts are, of course, inspirited by the great Donald (Don) Norman and his influential book published in 1988: The Design of Everyday Things (DOET) (then the Psychology of Everyday Things POET). 

This book is the cornerstone of my UX journey; it was this that sparked my passion and made me realise other people were not only frustrated by the design of every day things, but were working to understand and change the way that people interact with technology and objects.

These posts are my experience, interpretation and observations of the UX of Everyday Things (UETS) and will be an ongoing theme I write about.  

My much loved copy of DOET

My much loved copy of DOET