Summary
- Chris Chandler, Director of Product Strategy, Philosophie - Kim Gausepohl, UX Designer, Rackspace - Brianna Koch, User Experience Designer, AppFolio - Patrick Leahy, Senior Designer, DesignMap - Jesse Livingston, User Experience Researcher, LinkedIn - Jana Sedivy, Founder and Principal, Authentic Insight - Kit Unger, Director of User Experience, Smartsheet
Key Insights
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Design principles can often be overcomplicated; simplifying them makes them more actionable.
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User experience is not just about tools and tasks, but also about understanding human emotions and their implications.
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Effective collaboration with clients and teams can transform challenges into opportunities for innovation.
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Understanding emotions behind user experiences can lead to building more trust and effective products.
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Communicating design rationale is crucial for buy-in from technical teams; transparency is key.
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Mentoring new designers requires empathy and understanding of their insecurities, given that imposter syndrome is common in the field.
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Building trust with engineers involves showing respect for their craft and admitting mistakes.
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Focusing on empowering team members leads to better project outcomes and reduces panic during crises.
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Estimates in projects should be seen as guesses rather than commitments, and revisiting estimates is essential for project accuracy.
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Regular communication and embracing basic principles like show-don't-tell encourages collaboration and trust.
Notable Quotes
"My North Star for design is simply to design things that are truly valuable to people that improve their lives in some way."
"We UXers tend to make things sound a lot more complicated than they really are."
"In spite of the differences between consumer and enterprise, at the end of the day, people are just people."
"You know, we're in a hole, we've got to start building a ladder. Here's this ladder, and you guys get to finish it."
"Being consciously incompetent is not a bad thing; it's the first step to learning."
"Admitting you're wrong is the most efficient way I know of building trust."
"When we focused on empowering the team instead, we got better results."
"Our clients were right there with us, and they were every bit as terrified as we were."
"Estimates are just guesses; focus on the riskiest parts of the project instead."
"Doing simple, basic things over time consistently gives big results."
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