In this special Halloween episode, we follow Evelyn—a weary UX researcher trapped in a testing loop that refuses to end. Each new participant looks strangely familiar. Each test begins the same way. And no matter what she changes, they all say the same thing: “I can’t find the button.”

The real horror? It’s not the prototype that’s broken… It’s her process.

Today, we’re trading our usual interviews for a Halloween story straight out of every designer’s worst nightmare: The Infinite Usability Test.

Meet Evelyn—a mid-level UX researcher running a morning of user tests that won’t quit. Every time she adjusts the design, another “Alex” walks in and repeats the same fateful words: “I can’t find the button.”

As the day unravels, Evelyn realizes she’s stuck in more than a bad sprint—she’s caught in a validation loop. Each fix only pulls her deeper into the same mistakes, and each round of testing brings her face-to-face with the one insight she’s been avoiding all along.

Because sometimes, the scariest thing in UX isn’t user feedback…

It’s hearing something you didn’t expect.

Join us for a hauntingly familiar tale about deadlines, doubt, and the difference between proving you’re right and learning that you’re not.

Will Evelyn escape the room—or will she keep testing until the end of time?

Tune in to find out… if you dare.

---

Featuring Actress and UX Designer extraordinaire, Stephanie Terrero

If you enjoyed this spooky UX Design scary story, check out our previous episodes:

• The Stakeholder from Hell

• The Tale of the Cursed Prototype

• A Cautionary Tale of Deceptive UX Patterns

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If you’ve ever wondered why you’re still “senior” after years of great work, this episode is for you. Catt Small joins me to unpack what it actually takes to step into a staff designer role—the skills, mindset shifts, and invisible work no one tells you about.

You’ve nailed the craft, shipped great work, and mentored others. So why are you still stuck at senior?

Getting promoted isn’t always about skill gaps. Sometimes it’s about visibility, influence, and how you show up. In this episode, I sit down with Catt Small, Staff Product Designer, developer, and author of The Staff Designer, to explore what separates a strong senior designer from a true staff-level one.

Catt shares the lessons that inspired her book: the moments of frustration, the confusion around “influence,” and the realization that being good at your craft isn’t enough. We talk about the transition from execution to strategy, how to set a vision, navigate organizational politics, and build the kind of social capital that makes people listen when you speak.

If you’re wondering what’s next after senior, or how to stop spinning your wheels, this episode breaks down the hidden skills that actually move your career forward. It’s a candid look at how to lead without managing, earn trust across disciplines, and find meaning in the messy middle of your career.

Topics:

• 04:19 - Cat Small's Journey in Design

• 09:39 - Understanding the Transition from Senior to Staff

• 12:02 - The Role of Influence in Career Growth

• 14:14 - Navigating Titles and Organizational Structures

• 30:31 - The Importance of Vision in Design

• 36:22 - Enhancing User Experience with Prototypes

• 38:01 - Inspiring Vision and Influence

• 39:12 - Negotiating and Planning for Vision Execution

• 41:55 - Building Cross-Functional Collaboration

• 46:41 - Balancing Craft and Soft Skills

• 50:57 - Delegation and Accountability in Design

• 57:34 - Promoting Your Work and Final Thoughts

Helpful Links:

• Connect with Catt on LinkedIn

• The Staff Product Designer

• Staff Designer: Influence & Lead as an Individual Contributor

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Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.

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Naive cynicism makes collaboration feel like competition. In this episode, we unpack the subtle bias that convinces us we’re objective while hidden motives drive everyone else, and explore how that thinking slowly erodes trust and teamwork.

What happens when you stop seeing your teammates as collaborators and start seeing them as competitors with hidden motives?

Ever had a PM question your design and immediately thought, “They just care about their roadmap”? That instinctive thought isn’t insight, it’s naive cynicism, the quiet bias that makes us assume we’re objective while everyone else is playing politics.

In this episode, we dig into the research from Lee Ross, Emily Pronin, Justin Krueger, and Thomas Gilovich to uncover how this bias takes root in teams. From design critiques and sprint reviews to roadmap discussions and leadership dynamics, naive cynicism distorts collaboration by replacing curiosity with suspicion.

You’ll learn how this bias shows up in everyday team interactions and what you can do to stop it. We’ll explore how to recognize your own illusion of objectivity, make reasoning visible, and rebuild trust through transparency and generosity. Because collaboration only works when we give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Topics:

• 01:48 - Recognizing Naive Cynicism in Teams

• 03:01 - Understanding the Roots of Naive Cynicism

• 04:45 - Impact of Naive Cynicism on Team Dynamics

• 07:11 - Strategies to Counter Naive Cynicism

To explore more about the Naive Cynicism, don’t miss the full article @ cognitioncatalog.com

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We underestimate how long projects will take—even when experience tells us otherwise. In this episode, I break down the planning fallacy: why it happens, how it derails projects, and what you can do to protect your team from unrealistic deadlines.

Why do we keep convincing ourselves that this time the project will be different, when it almost never is?

Every designer has been there: a bold timeline handed down from leadership, optimism in the air, and a quiet voice inside whispering, there’s no way this is going to happen. That voice is usually right, and it’s the planning fallacy at work.

In this episode, I share a real-world story of a global team tasked with rebuilding a massive legacy app on an impossible one-year deadline. The result? Chaos, delays, and missed expectations—classic symptoms of the planning fallacy. Along the way, I connect this to famous examples like the Sydney Opera House project and explain why even seasoned experts fall into the same trap.

Most importantly, I walk through practical strategies for beating the bias: using reference class forecasting, building in buffers, involving cross-functional teams in estimation, and learning from past outcomes. Because if we can see the planning fallacy for what it is, we can start making more realistic commitments—and protect our teams from burnout and broken trust.

Want to keep exploring cognitive biases that impact design teams? Subscribe to the Cognition Catalog newsletter and get a new bias in your inbox every week.

Topics:

• 01:57 The Planning Fallacy in Action

• 03:54 Understanding the Planning Fallacy

• 05:50 Consequences of the Planning Fallacy• 07:30 Strategies to Combat the Planning Fallacy

To explore more about the Bike-Shedding Effect, don’t miss the full article @ cognitioncatalog.com

What if the most powerful skill you could develop as a designer has nothing to do with Figma or AI? In this episode, we explore why writing is the ultimate meta-skill—sharpening your thinking, influencing decisions, and accelerating your career in unexpected ways.

Is writing the most underrated design skill of all time?

We spend a lot of time talking about design skills like prototyping, facilitation, and AI tools. But what if the skill that strengthens all of those is the one designers most often ignore?

In this episode, I sit down with Thijs Kraan, a designer-turned-growth partner, who makes the case that writing is the ultimate meta-skill. For Thijs, writing every day didn’t just sharpen his thinking; it multiplied his impact. From running a 30-day challenge to publishing daily posts, writing became the catalyst for everything else in his career.

We talk about the difference between business writing, expert writing, and copywriting, why clear writing equals clear thinking, and how documentation can protect your career when tough decisions come back months later. We also tackle the elephant in the room: AI. Should you let ChatGPT do your writing, or will that shortcut make you worse in the long run?

Whether you’re trying to influence stakeholders, sharpen your thinking, or just get better at your day-to-day communication, this conversation will show you why writing might just be the most important design skill you haven’t been practicing.

Tune in and see why it’s time to pick up the pen (or keyboard).

Topics:
• 02:45 – The Importance of Writing in UX Design
• 04:19 – Thijs Kron’s Journey: From Web Development to Writing
• 06:05 – The Power of Writing in Design Thinking
• 06:31 – Building a Writing Habit
• 15:06 – Writing as a Meta Skill
• 20:55 – Different Types of Writing for Designers
• 22:33 – The Role of Copywriting in Design
• 24:36 – Writing as a Career Multiplier
• 28:38 – The Impact of AI on Writing
• 30:19 – Balancing AI and Human Thinking
• 31:35 – Personal Experience with AI in Writing
• 32:43 – Effective Uses of AI for Writing
• 34:54 – The Risks of Over-Reliance on AI
• 36:13 – Practical Tips for Writing and Thinking

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Thijs on LinkedIn

—

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Too many designers wait for their companies to approve conferences or courses before investing in themselves. This week, we unpack why that’s a career-limiting mistake and how taking ownership of your education builds leadership, confidence, and community.

What if the biggest career mistake you’re making is waiting for your company to invest in you?

This week, I sit down with Yao Adantor, a UX professional, educator, founder of UX Con and User Experience University. Yao has built a career across Fortune 500s, startups, and government, while also teaching at Johns Hopkins and MICA. At the heart of his story is one simple belief: don’t wait for permission to grow.

In our conversation, Yao shares why investing in your own education is less about buying a certificate and more about building confidence, networks, and opportunities that pay dividends for years. We talk about the “entrepreneurial mindset” of learning—how approaching your growth like a founder changes the way you show up in your job.

We also dig into the hidden ROI of conferences, courses, and communities. Beyond the talks, it’s the connections, the ideas, and the confidence you bring back to your team that make the investment worth it. Whether you’re a junior designer or a seasoned leader, this episode will challenge how you think about your growth.

If you’ve ever hesitated to spend your own money or time on learning, this conversation is for you. Give it a listen and rethink how you approach your education and career.

Topics:
• 03:04 – Investing in Your Own Education
• 03:39 – Guest Introduction: Yao Anor
• 05:15 – Yao’s Journey into UX
• 08:23 – The Importance of Networking and Conferences
• 15:39 – Leadership and the Entrepreneurial Mindset
• 25:52 – Defining Education and Personal Growth
• 31:09 – Community and Fulfillment Through Education
• 32:57 – Maximizing Education for Personal Growth
• 34:09 – Balancing Family and Professional Development
• 35:09 – The Sacrifices of Pursuing Education
• 40:06 – The Importance of Leading by Example

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Yao on LinkedIn
• UXCon 2025

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Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.

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Design isn’t a straight road. It’s more like a maze with moving walls. In this episode, strategist Jen Briselli shows us why learning, relationships, and hidden networks matter more than best practices when navigating complex organizations.

How do you thrive as a designer when the org around you is unpredictable, political, and constantly changing?

Most designers hit a wall at some point in their career: their skills are strong, but the system they’re working in feels impossible to navigate. Best practices don’t seem to work, processes break down, and “design maturity” feels like a buzzword no one can actually define.

That’s where Jen Briselli comes in. With a background in physics, teaching, and design strategy, Jen helps teams understand what complexity really means and why learning is the only way through it. In our conversation, she explains how complicated and complex are not the same thing, how informal networks drive influence more than org charts, and why the real work of design is creating the conditions for growth rather than forcing outcomes.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a low-maturity team, frustrated by org politics, or burned out by chasing “best practices,” this episode will reframe how you see your role. Thriving in complexity and ambiguity is not about having all the answers. Instead, it’s about learning how to sense, adapt, and build the great relationships that make great software possible.

Take a listen to learn how to stop fighting complexity and start working with it.

Topics:• 02:41 – Understanding Complexity in Product Design• 04:06 – Jen Belli’s Journey into Complexity Science• 04:41 – Exploring Complexity Science in Design• 11:55 – The Difference Between Complex and Complicated Systems• 16:56 – Navigating Complex Systems in UX Design• 30:56 – The Role of Learning in Complex Systems• 34:58 – Formal and Informal Networks in Organizations• 40:57 – Understanding the Metaphor of Soil, Seeds, and Sunlight• 41:54 – Exploring Design Maturity and Emergent Properties• 43:33 – Creating Conditions for Psychological Safety and Design Maturity• 44:46 – The Role of Affordances in Design Maturity• 45:06 – Nurturing Growth in Unpredictable Environments• 50:00 – Balancing Work and Mental Health• 54:18 – The Importance of Identity and Letting Go• 57:33 – Final Thoughts on Complexity and Learning

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Jen on LinkedIn
• Learning is the Engine // Jen’s Rosenfeld Talk
• Jen’s YouTube channel

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Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.

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Designers are told to climb ladders and fight for influence, but what’s the cost? Rashmi Lopez shares why she walked away from the corporate chase, how burnout stole her joy, and why community, creativity, and mental health are better markers of success than any leadership title.

What if climbing the ladder to a “seat at the table” comes at the expense of your health, joy, and sense of purpose? Would you still want it?

Corporate design culture pushes us toward one version of success: titles, promotions, and that coveted “seat at the table.” But for many, that seat comes with exhaustion, burnout, and a nagging question—why doesn’t this feel like success?

In this episode, I talk with Rashmi Lopez, a designer who hit that wall, realized the cost, and chose another path. After years of grinding in tech and reaching leadership roles, Rashmi found herself drained and disconnected. A layoff became her turning point, leading her to step back, heal, and refocus on helping small businesses tell their stories with design.

We explore how to rethink career success beyond titles, why boundaries and mental health are non-negotiable, and how community can give you more influence and fulfillment than any corporate ladder. If you’ve ever felt trapped in the cycle of overwork and chasing validation, this conversation will give you permission to define success on your own terms.

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Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.

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Estimating design work in hours sets teams up to fail. But story points help designers earn trust, align with product managers, and keep creative space intact. This week, we unpack how adopting story points can shift the way your team plans and communicates.

What if the secret to better collaboration wasn’t a new tool or process, but a number?

For years, UX teams have struggled with estimation. Say something will take ten hours, and suddenly you’re locked into a number that doesn’t account for iteration, alignment, or even creativity. The result? Broken trust and unrealistic expectations.

This week, I chat with Naresh Shan, a design leader who’s built global UX teams and proven that story points, not hours, are the secret to bridging the gap between design, engineering, and product management. By shifting estimation from time to effort, Naresh shows how design teams can protect creativity while building credibility with stakeholders.

We explore what story points are, what it looks like when designers adopt them, why this shared language breaks down silos, and how it transforms team dynamics.

If you’ve ever felt sidelined in sprint planning or struggled to explain your workload, this episode will give you practical ways to earn trust and plan smarter.

Topics:
• 03:02 Understanding Story Points in Agile Teams
• 03:33 Interview with Nhan: The Power of Story Points
• 08:24 The Fibonacci Sequence and Story Points
• 13:20 Challenges and Solutions in Estimating Design Work
• 22:24 Decentralized vs. Centralized Teams
• 32:04 Maintaining Momentum and Team Cohesion
• 35:27 Building Team Unity Through Gratitude
• 35:58 Embracing Change and Leadership
• 36:36 Benefits of Story Points in Design
• 41:22 Implementing Story Points: A Practical Guide
• 46:32 Balancing Design and Management Roles

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Naresh on LinkedIn
• Value UX Conference
• Aligned Podcast
• Aligned Consulting

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Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.

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AI isn’t killing design. It’s reminding us what design really is. In this episode, we talk about the illusion of control, why designers often feel powerless, and how the real work has always been about making meaning and managing systems, not just making screens.

What if AI isn’t changing design at all, but finally showing us what design has really been about this whole time?

It’s tempting to think AI is rewriting the rules of design. But maybe the truth is simpler: it’s exposing what design was always about.

In this conversation with Dennis Lenard, founder of Creative Navy, we explore how AI is pushing designers to confront the illusion of control, the limits of pixel pushing, and the bigger role of meaning-making. Dennis brings over 20 years of experience working in UX, teaching design, and writing on interface design for high-stakes industries like healthcare. His perspective? The anxieties we’re feeling aren’t new; they’re just harder to ignore now.

We cover why prioritization matters more than production, why empathy should extend to your team as much as your users, and how to reframe design as managing the system, not just the interface. If you’ve ever felt like AI is destabilizing your role, this episode will help you see it as a mirror, not a threat.

Topics:
• 04:16 – The Impact of AI on Design
• 08:11 – Navigating Control and Anxiety in Design
• 15:13 – Redefining Design Roles and Responsibilities
• 31:44 – Building Relationships and Empathy in Teams
• 37:21 – Leveraging AI for Designer’s Advantage
• 38:10 – The Double Diamond Model in Design
• 38:27 – The Importance of Designing the Right Thing
• 38:36 – AI’s Role in Design and Prioritization
• 40:29 – Human Empathy vs. AI in User Experience
• 42:27 – The Impact of Design in High-Stakes Industries
• 43:32 – Adapting Design Processes for Different Industries
• 44:30 – The Importance of Research and Critical Thinking
• 47:16 – Navigating Ambiguity and Focusing on Controllable Elements
• 47:50 – Practical Advice for Designers
• 58:07 – The Value of Attention and Continuous Improvement

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Dennis on LinkedIn

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