“Design thinking” and “the double diamond” are perhaps some of the most abused terms in tech today. While exploring more than one solution is a step in the right direction, design thinking without design research is only a quarter of the way there…
Where are the ethics in design ethics?
So often when we state “this is unethical” we really aren’t applying ethics at all. At best we are saying “I think this is wrong, so doing this is against my ethics”. In my latest post I give an overview of ethical theories and apply these theories to some “unethical tech” scenarios. I show most of them can be argued as ethical by applying these theories. I end with what is, I hope, a better frame to have these discussions going forward.
Yes, UX research is valid: How to handle assertions it’s not real research
It’s only 5 people. That’s an assumption. It's just opinions. UX research isn't _real_ research. Sound familiar? Yeah, us too. That's why Caylie Panuccio and I wrote this post. If you’re a UX Researcher this article will help you fight some battles. If you’re not, it will help you understand the validity of qualitative research methods a little better.
Who treats their users better — tech or drug dealers?
Skeuomorphic design is dead, long live skeuomorphism
I know, I know — skeuomorphism ? What is it, 2012?
But, I’m not talking about Skeuomorphic design (where digital things look like real-world things e.g. your bin icon looking like a ... well… bin), I’m talking about skeuomorphism in the way users think about your product in relation to other products in the marketplace.
Iconography. Good or bad? As always, it depends
Does the NPS tell us what users really mean?
Design is as good (or as flawed) as the people who make it
gave a talk at UX Australia 2016 in Melbourne (August 25–26) . No one sets out to intentionally design a system that is hard to use for — or worse, excludes or discriminates against — some users. Designers are trying their best. You’re probably a good person, but a human nonetheless, therefore not perfect. Design can only be as good as the people who make it. Conversely, design is as flawed as the people who make it.