What is XR Design and Why Should Product Designers Care?
XR is moving fast. I remember seeing IKEA’s ‘Space’ product years ago and it made total sense. Cut to today and there are tons of great XR design examples - all designed to enhance our experience in what problem is being solved. Product design is constantly evolving,...
Tech Layoffs – Lessons and Building Resiliance
Every so often I find myself coaching people I’ve worked with in the past or those recommended to have a chat with me about their careers, goals, aspirations or even just a sense check on any number of items. Over the past year or two I have noticed that many (both...
Design Smarter: AI Tools to help your Product Design and Ideation
AI and LLMs like ChatGPT are revolutionising the world of product design (Amongst other things!). Whether you’re sketching wireframes, crafting user journeys, or iterating prototypes, these tools can really help for speed, creativity, and efficiency. Here are just...
Dark Patterns and the Ethics of Persuasion in UX: Where To Draw the Line?
In 2010, designer Harry Brignull coined the term dark patterns to describe user interface (UI) designs that deliberately manipulate users into taking actions they might not otherwise choose. Over a decade later, dark patterns are widespread in product design...
Hands on: Building Your Product Roadmap
As a product person with over two decades of experience, I’ve witnessed product roadmaps evolve from static plans to dynamic tools for alignment, prioritisation, and storytelling. I've also seen insanely detailed and unrealistic roadmaps with ludicrous stretch goals...
Minimalism vs Engagement: Finding the Right Balance in Great Product Design
I love minimalism, I hate clutter. I love the gov.uk website for example - it really IS the best place to find government services and information. I find the design beautiful. It is so simple but the UX and UI work well together to create the path of least resistance...
Forging new Design Paths: Moving away from Set UX Frameworks
I guess it had to happen in the design world at some point. Much in the same way that tech teams have moved away from hardcore Scrum, the one size fits all approach to development in the design world is also undergoing something of a renaissance. Frameworks are great...
The Importance of Accessibility Standards in Mobile App Development – Lessons from Real-World Examples
Amazingly I see product teams continue to ignore or pretend accessibility standards don’t exist when building mobile applications. One of the most important foundations of any product team should be diversity, inclusion and a deep understand of accessibility...
Storytelling – The Secret Weapon in Product Leadership
When I started out as a product designer many years ago I never imagined that one of the most wonderful aspects of the world of product management and leadership would be storytelling. It became apparent to me that the glue that helps teams work wonderfully together...
Building a Strong Foundation: How to Set Up a Design System in Figma and Why It’s Crucial for Modern Product Design
I remember the transition to Figma a few years ago. Facilitated and encouraged almost by remote working, COVID and a need for better online collaboration, Figma is now the go-to for so many design practitioners. Design systems have become a critical part of modern...