Why everyone’s talking about ‘taste’ as the next differentiator
Human expertise and judgment is making a comeback.
Latest
An AI prompt for creating discussion guides
If you’re thinking about how you can integrate AI into your research process, writing a first draft of a discussion guide is surely one of the most obvious places to start. * Writing a discussion guide usually takes several hours. * They follow a standard structure and set of guidelines. * AI
Stop asking “can you give me an example of when you…” in job interviews
Why this type of question is flawed and what to ask instead.
A practical introduction to market research, for UX researchers
It’s time to find out what those other researchers do.
Why researchers love writing reports
We all want to create things that feel 'heavy'.
The 10 habits of highly productive people
I wrote the first version of this a decade ago, but it’s something I keep referring back to when I’m coaching people on productivity and time management. Personal productivity is a skill, not a personality trait Work throws a lot of stuff at us. Tasks, meetings, emails, Slack
Critiquing design is a researcher’s job
Years of observing real users give researchers a sixth sense for what will (and won’t) work.
Getting the most out of ChatGPT deep research
ChatGPT deep research has been out for a couple of months now. What is it good for and what are its limitations? What is deep research? As the OpenAI website explains: Deep research is OpenAI's next agent that can do work for you independently—you give it a
The case for designing in mid-fidelity
In a world with design systems and AI that can create fully-functioning apps in minutes, why would anyone bother with mid-fidelity design? I argue that mid-fidelity is too easily overlooked. For certain stages of the design process, it offers a sweet spot between low and high-fidelity which allows you to
Focus on what causes success, not the success itself
I went on a leadership training course a few years ago and in the breaks, they taught us to juggle. At first, I thought it was just a bit of fun, but it turned out to be one of the best demonstrations of how people learn that I’ve seen.
Why your research isn't landing (and how to fix it)
The most common blindspot that UX researchers have is how they’re communicating the insights they’ve discovered. Too many people struggle to present their findings in a compelling way. They write reports that lack impact because they: * Don’t link what has been found back to the business challenge.
How AI coding is reshaping product teams
Coding is the area in which AI is having the biggest immediate impact. 63% of professional developers use it (and that’s data from May 2024). There are two types of tools emerging: 1. AI coding assistants Tools like GitHub Copilot, Cline and Cursor support developers in their day-to-day work,
AI
AI won’t make you an expert, but it will make experts better
Imagine you’re working on a project with two colleagues. One is a seasoned expert, the other is just starting out. Both have access to the same AI tools. Who do you think would benefit more? A couple of articles I’ve read recently suggest that it’s the more
AI
Using AI to write more realistic prototype copy
I recently finished a project where I used AI to write 90% of the copy for my mid-fidelity concepts and prototype. In the ‘olden days’ of 2 years ago, you’d have to write all of the copy in your designs yourself, or resort to lorem ipsum. But what if
UX research
You should probably be doing more research with couples
The vast majority of qual UX research is one-to-one. But in reality, many products and services aren’t bought or used by just one person: it’s a couple making the decision. Just consider the data: * 71% of holiday bookings are made by couple or families * Partner influence is the
Welcome to Desk Notes!
Welcome to my new website and the very first issue of Desk Notes! I’ve been writing on LinkedIn for the past few years, sharing thoughts on research, design, leadership and career development. But LinkedIn has its limitations - posts disappear over time and while brevity is great, sometimes you