Welcome to another packed episode! This week, we're diving into three topics we think you'll find fascinating. First up, we're exploring why face-to-face meetings still matter in our digital world. Then, we'll share our favorite A/B testing tools (since Google Optimize is no longer with us), and finally, we'll look at how AI is reshaping UX with some eye-opening insights from Nielsen Norman Group.

With Google Optimize's departure, many of you have been asking what tools we're using now for AB testing. Let's break down our top three picks that we've thoroughly tested:

We love VWO's generous free tier - you get 50,000 test sessions without spending a penny. Perfect if you're running a smaller site or just getting started with testing.

Here's a tool that keeps things simple but powerful. Beyond basic A/B testing, you get heat maps and scroll tracking to really understand how your users behave. It won't break the bank either.

Looking for something focused purely on A/B testing? Check Mango might be your answer. It's lean, cost-effective, and does one thing really well - no fancy extras to distract you.

We've found each of these tools reliable for improving conversion rates and user experience. The key is picking the one that matches your needs and budget.

Let's talk about something Marcus is passionate about - the power of in-person connections. Yes, we're living in a digital world, but there's something special about being in the same room with colleagues and clients that Zoom just can't replicate.

Back in November 2019, when Marcus moved to his current location, having a direct train to London was a huge draw. Regular business trips were just part of life. Then everything changed. Suddenly, those London trips became rare, replaced by meetings with American clients. This shift taught him something important - while digital tools are brilliant for staying connected, they can't fully replace those in-person moments.

Marcus shares something from his experience at Headscape. Their office used to buzz with energy - spontaneous chats, brainstorming sessions, and that special camaraderie you only get from sharing a physical space. When they went remote during the pandemic (mainly for practical reasons), something changed. The friendly vibe started to fade. Sure, their Zoom meetings were productive, but that magic of face-to-face connection? It was missing.

So what did they do? They started scheduling regular meetups. Last November's two-day retreat in Bath was a game-changer. Not only did they nail their strategic planning (something that never quite works over Slack), but they rekindled those genuine connections that make their team special. Those coffee break chats, the shared laughs during brainstorming - you just can't get that through a screen.

Marcus even asked AI about the benefits of meeting in person. It highlighted things like non-verbal cues, stronger relationships, and better focus. While good video calls can tick some of these boxes, they often miss that deeper emotional connection that comes from being together.

For those of us in UX and conversion optimization, this isn't just theory - it affects how we work. When you're designing experiences that connect with users, you need to understand human interaction at its core. Being in the same room lets you pick up on those subtle cues - a raised eyebrow, a slight hesitation - that often lead to our best insights.

As remote work grows, we need to be intentional about bringing people together. Even occasional face-to-face events can help fight the isolation that comes with too much digital communication. While technology keeps us connected, nothing beats a real handshake or sharing a meal with colleagues.

Feeling the digital burnout? Try organizing an in-person meetup. Whether it's coffee with your team or a proper retreat, these real-world connections can spark the creativity and warmth that virtual meetings sometimes lack. Remember - while digital tools are essential, real relationships need real interaction.

Want to understand how AI is changing our field? Here are three must-read pieces from Nielsen Norman Group:

• Redefine Your Design Skills to Prepare for AI. A practical guide to evolving your design skills for the AI era.
• A Shift From Command-Based Interactions to Outcome-Based Interactions. Jakob Nielsen explores how we're moving from traditional interfaces to more outcome-focused systems. It's fascinating stuff that might change how you think about user interactions.
• We Must Embrace AI and Shift to a More Strategic Role. A compelling look at how AI is pushing us to become more strategic in our UX roles.

These articles offer practical insights for staying ahead in our rapidly evolving industry.

Paul Edwards asked us something interesting in the Agency Academy:

"I would love to hear about what automations people have set up. I'm going down that road and need some inspiration."

Let's share how we've streamlined our daily work:

We use Clean.Email to keep our inboxes tidy by automatically unsubscribing from newsletters we don't need. For regular responses, Spark helps us set up template replies—a real time-saver.

Ever catch yourself typing the same things repeatedly? TextExpander and TypeText are lifesavers, letting us insert common content with just a few keystrokes. No more copy-paste errors!

Buffer and CoSchedule handle our social media scheduling, while Klaviyo and Mailchimp manage our email sequences. Post once, reach everywhere—that's the dream, right?

Zapier is our secret weapon. When someone signs up for a workshop through Stripe, it automatically triggers a thank-you email. And Notion? It keeps our podcast production flowing smoothly, notifying me as soon as Marcus uploads the edited audio.

We even automate image compression with TinyPNG and use smart templates for proposals. It's all about finding those repetitive tasks that slow you down and asking, "Could a computer do this for me?"

If you have any other tools or resources you'd like to link, feel free to let me know!

Here's Marcus's dubious contribution this week:

"I'm a member of a golfing WhatsApp group. One day, a husband asks his wife, 'If I died, would you date another man?' She replies, 'Of course I would.' He continues, 'Would you let him move into our house?''Yeah, of course I would.' 'Would you let him sleep in our bed?' 'Yeah, of course.'Then he asks, 'Would you let him use my golf clubs?'She answers, 'Definitely not.' He asks, 'Is that because they're personal to you?' And she replies, 'No, it's because he's left-handed.'"

Thanks for joining us! Whether you're exploring A/B testing tools, planning your next team meetup, or looking to automate your workflow, we hope today's show gave you some practical ideas to try. See you next time!

Find The Latest Show Notes

In today's episode, we dive deep into how UX professionals can effectively demonstrate their value within organizations, especially during challenging times when the shine has come off UX and attention has shifted to AI.

We kick off by exploring some exciting form analysis tools that can revolutionize how we optimize web forms. Tools like MouseFlow, Zuko, and EXATOM offer powerful insights into form performance, helping identify where users struggle and drop off.

Zuko particularly caught our attention with its focused approach and reasonable pricing, making it an attractive option for teams looking to improve their form conversion rates.

The main segment focuses on practical strategies for UX professionals to demonstrate their value within organizations. We explore several key approaches:

• Show, Don't Tell: Create tangible assets like prototypes and user journey visualizations rather than getting bogged down in documentation. This could include creating proofs of concept under the radar to excite senior stakeholders and help remove roadblocks.
• User Exposure: Get stakeholders in front of users through open usability sessions and compelling "horror videos" of user testing. Consider making session attendance mandatory for project stakeholders, like gov.uk does.
• Collaborative Workshops: Engage stakeholders through exercises like customer journey mapping and the "user attention points" exercise. The latter helps stakeholders understand the importance of prioritization by giving them limited "attention points" to allocate across page elements.
• Internal Education: Become an educator through newsletters, lunch-and-learn sessions, and guerrilla marketing tactics like creating mouse mats with personas or mugs with design principles.
• Data-Driven Approach: Establish meaningful KPIs and consistently encourage testing. Start by simply suggesting "Why don't we test that?" whenever there's disagreement in meetings - over time, this mindset can become part of the organizational culture.

From our Agency Academy discussion, we tackle the thorny issue of when and how to offer discounts as an agency or freelancer. We explore the importance of having clear policies around discounting and ensuring any discounts come with reciprocal benefits.

We wrap up with a look at a guide to efficient web design workflow, published on the Wix blog, which introduces an interesting approach to breaking down complex fixed-price projects into more manageable sub-projects.

To end on a lighter note, here's this week's joke (courtesy of Marcus):

A Roman soldier walks into a bar and holds two fingers up. He says "five beers, please."

Find The Latest Show Notes

I've watched with fascination how AI is reshaping the design landscape. While we've made incredible strides in using AI to enhance our design processes, I believe we're overlooking something crucial: the human experience of interacting with AI itself.

You might wonder why this matters. Well, as AI becomes more deeply woven into our daily lives, the way we interact with these systems shapes their value. It's not enough that AI can perform amazing feats - these capabilities need to feel natural and accessible to everyone.

When I look at today's AI interfaces, I see familiar frustrations: clunky search functions, disorganized content, and confusing customization options. These aren't just minor annoyances - they're barriers that stand between users and AI's full potential.

But here's the real challenge that has begun to obsess me: AI systems often struggle to truly understand us - our context, preferences, and what we're trying to achieve. This gap creates an exciting opportunity for UX professionals to shape the future of human-AI interaction.

Would you like to learn the secrets of encouraging users to take action on your websites? Whether it is signing up for a newsletter, getting in touch, or purchasing a product, we all want users to do something.

Well, there are still 2 early bird tickets left for my upcoming workshop, and one of them has your name on it.

Let me share something interesting about how technologies evolve. I've noticed three distinct phases that most innovations go through:

1. Amazement Phase: Remember that magical moment when you first used a mobile phone away from home? That's what happens when new tech first appears - we're simply amazed it works at all.
2. Feature Expansion: Then comes the avalanche of features. Just as phones gained cameras and apps, becoming our digital Swiss Army knives, AI tools are rapidly expanding their capabilities.
3. Usability Focus: Finally, we reach the phase where ease of use becomes paramount. The goal shifts to making interactions feel natural and enjoyable.

Right now, I see AI straddling the second and third phases. ChatGPT initially wowed us with its conversational abilities. Then came the exciting additions - it could handle images, audio, and more. But now we're facing the real test.

You've probably experienced some of these growing pains yourself - conversations that feel disconnected, interfaces that don't remember your preferences, AI that misses the point of your request. These aren't just technical challenges - they're signs that AI needs to evolve beyond raw capability to truly understand and serve user needs.

In my experience, improving AI's user experience involves tackling two distinct but connected challenges:

Let's start with familiar territory: the interface. Despite AI's sophisticated capabilities, the way we interact with these systems often feels stuck in the past. When I use platforms like ChatGPT, I encounter:

• Limited search functionality within conversations.
• The inability to pin or organize discussions for future reference.
• Confusing interfaces for customization of different workflows.

While these issues can be frustrating, they're the kind of design challenges we've successfully tackled before. With thoughtful UX investment, we can overcome these obstacles.

Here's where things get really interesting. Traditional UI design principles alone won't solve our core challenges with AI interaction. Instead, I see AI pushing us toward something more ambitious: goal-driven interaction.

This shift in human-computer interaction has caught the attention of industry leaders. Jakob Nielsen recently explored this idea in a LinkedIn post, while Golden Krishna's book The Best Interface is No Interface advocates for moving beyond traditional interfaces altogether. To realize this vision, we need to fundamentally rethink how humans and machines work together.

Think about how we typically interact with technology today. Planning a holiday means jumping between websites, comparing flights and hotels, and managing multiple bookings. It's a command-driven process that feels increasingly outdated.

AI offers something fundamentally different: goal-driven interaction. Imagine simply telling your AI assistant, "Book me a holiday in Greece within a £2,000 budget," and watching it handle the details autonomously.

While we're not quite there yet, 2025 looks promising. Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, recently discussed the imminent arrival of advanced AI agents in a blog post on eWeek. These developments could revolutionize how we interact with technology.

But this evolution brings new challenges:

• Understanding Intent: AI needs to grasp the nuances of our goals, even when they're not perfectly articulated.
• Balancing Autonomy and User Control: Finding the sweet spot between AI independence and user oversight is crucial.
• Trust and Transparency: Users need confidence that AI is acting in their best interest, with clear reasoning behind its decisions.

At the heart of these challenges lies context. For AI to truly enhance our lives, it needs to understand the full picture of each interaction. I see this playing out across three key dimensions:

When I think about AI understanding personal preferences, I'm not just talking about remembering your personal likes and dislikes. It's about grasping the importance of a decision to the user - knowing when to ask for clarification and when to make an educated guess.

Consider my interactions with my wife around shopping. When she asks me to pick up bread, I know from experience to seek clarification first - she has strong preferences about the type she enjoys. Yet if she asks me to purchase a keyboard, she'd rather skip the detailed questions, despite my deep interest in computer peripherals. This perfectly illustrates the contextual awareness that AI systems must develop.

Different tasks demand different levels of involvement from the user, not just because of personal preference, but because of the level of commitment the task involves. Booking a holiday requires more oversight than ordering office supplies. AI needs to recognize these distinctions and adjust its approach accordingly.

AI also needs to understand the world around it and the unique characteristics of the things it is interacting with. Consider a smart fridge managing your groceries. It needs to understand real-world nuances - like how quickly lettuce spoils or how long that jar of Marmite typically lasts. Without this awareness, automation can create more headaches than convenience.

We've all experienced what happens when AI misses the context mark. Take Amazon's recommendation system:

• Buy knitting supplies as a gift, and suddenly your feed is flooded with yarn and needles, completely missing that it was a one-off gift.
• Purchase a camera, and instead of suggesting useful accessories like tripods, you're shown more cameras - as if most people need multiple cameras.

These missteps do more than annoy - they erode our trust in AI's ability to truly understand and serve our needs.

As I navigate this emerging field, I've found that improving AI experiences requires a delicate balance of innovation and caution. There's no established playbook, which makes experimentation and sensitivity essential.

Creating comprehensive user profiles isn't just about collecting data - it's about understanding the intricate ways people approach tasks and make decisions. We need models that can capture these subtle human behaviors.

Ethics must guide every step of this journey. Different users have varying comfort levels with AI involvement. Our systems need the flexibility to accommodate these preferences while maintaining privacy and autonomy.

Through my work as a user experience consultant, I've seen how crucial it is to embed user-centric thinking in emerging technologies. This isn't just about improving algorithms - it's about understanding human psychology and behavior.

This challenge demands a nuanced touch that can't be left to AI developers alone. UX professionals bring vital insights about human behavior and user-centered design. Their involvement ensures these technologies truly serve user needs.

That's why I'm convinced that collaboration between AI developers and UX professionals is crucial. Together, we can create solutions that balance technological advancement with human needs.

The future of AI extends beyond feature lists and accuracy metrics - it's about creating experiences that feel natural and supportive. By focusing on the interplay between context, user intent, and AI capabilities, we can build truly transformative tools.

UX professionals possess the perfect blend of skills, insight, and empathy to lead this transformation. In the years ahead, our role will be ensuring that AI doesn't just work - it works for users.

Find The Latest Show Notes

In this episode of the Boagworld Podcast, we delve into the transformative role of AI in UX and web design. From cutting-edge Figma plugins to tools that revolutionize SEO, Paul Boag and Marcus Lillington share insights, tools, and strategies that can elevate your workflow. Whether you're a seasoned designer or new to the field, there's something here to enhance your productivity and effectiveness.

Paul kicks things off with a good old moan about his broadband woes, lamenting his epic quest for faster internet speeds. It’s the kind of saga every techie can relate to, complete with bureaucratic bungling and dashed hopes. Meanwhile, Marcus jumps in with his usual dose of cheeky humor, poking fun at Paul’s plight while reminding us all to roll with the punches in our ever-evolving digital lives.

Bluesky, a decentralized social platform, captures Paul's attention. Unlike traditional platforms, it allows users to choose algorithms that align with their preferences while maintaining their profiles. This adaptability is akin to email protocols where different clients coexist, offering flexibility and control. Paul’s enthusiasm highlights the importance of platforms designed with user autonomy at their core. Follow Paul on Bluesky to stay updated and chat.

Pathway is a user research platform offering robust features such as:

• Card sorting
• Prototype testing
• Surveys
• Five-second tests

Its generous free tier makes it a valuable resource for freelancers and small teams, allowing up to three projects and 250 responses per month.

Baymard’s free plugin brings data-driven insights directly into your Figma designs. Use it to:

• Justify design decisions with evidence-based reasoning.
• Include client-facing explanations for features like carousels or negative space.

This tool bridges the gap between design intuition and client buy-in, making it indispensable for designers.

Paul reflects on his evolving perspective on SEO, a topic he once viewed with strong skepticism. In fact, he even wrote a post on Smashing Magazine that captured his cynicism about the field at the time. While that article highlights why many designers have been wary of SEO, Paul’s perspective has evolved significantly. With guidance from Paul Edwards, he’s embraced modern SEO strategies that align with user experience, including:

1. Language Optimization: Crafting content with the phrases users actually search for.
2. User Journey Focus: Understanding informational, navigational, comparative, and transactional keywords.
3. Technical Improvements: Enhancing site performance, fixing broken links, and ensuring accessibility.

The synergy between SEO and UX is undeniable. When done right, SEO not only improves search rankings but also creates a more user-friendly experience.

AI is redefining how designers approach their work. Paul shares some standout tools:

Figma’s AI features include:

• Renaming layers for clarity
• Pre-populating content fields
• Auto-generating layouts

While its design-from-scratch capabilities remain underwhelming, these quality-of-life features can save designers significant time.

Perfect for rapid wireframing, Relume allows designers to quickly assemble block-based layouts. While its full designs need refinement, its speed and ease make it ideal for client presentations.

From generative fills to intuitive image redirection, Adobe is leveraging AI in groundbreaking ways. The Adobe Max conference showcased features that simplify complex design tasks, pushing the boundaries of creative possibilities.

AI isn’t just for design; it’s transforming UX research and analysis as well. Here are three standout tools making waves in the UX world:

Microsoft Clarity offers free heatmaps, session recordings, and AI-driven data queries, providing valuable insights into user behavior.

Attention Insight predicts where users will focus on a page with 96% accuracy, helping designers make informed layout decisions.

Strella automates user interviews and analyzes themes, creating highlight reels to showcase key findings. These tools empower UX professionals to make data-driven decisions while saving time.

Hemingway Editor optimizes web copy for clarity and conciseness. Its AI tools streamline edits, making content more scannable.

Notion AI integrates ChatGPT-like capabilities with context awareness, helping users craft tailored content with ease.

FixKey rewrites text with custom prompts for improved grammar and style. It’s a flexible tool for refining and enhancing written content, from casual emails to polished presentations.

Spark is an AI-powered email client that simplifies email management. It can summarize threads, draft replies, and even customize templates for individual conversations.

The key to leveraging AI lies in breaking out of old routines and exploring new possibilities. Paul urges listeners to pause before starting tasks and ask: Could AI make this faster or better?

By integrating these tools into your workflow, you’ll not only stay ahead of the competition but also unlock new levels of creativity and efficiency.

To wrap things up, Marcus shared his customary "dad joke" with this gem:

Why don’t skeletons fight each other? Because they don’t have the guts.

Dive deeper into these topics and join the conversation in our Slack channel.

We’ll see you next time, where we’ll continue exploring the ever-evolving landscape of web design and UX!

Find The Latest Show Notes

As we approach the new year, it's time to reflect on the state of user experience design and look ahead to what 2025 might bring. In this episode of the Boagworld Podcast, Marcus and I dive into the trends, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead. Here are the key takeaways from our discussion.

2024 marked a pivotal year for artificial intelligence, with tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney, and Claude reshaping workflows across industries. However, much of the focus has been on the technology itself, often at the expense of usability. In 2025, we predict a shift toward creating seamless, user-friendly AI interfaces that integrate into our daily workflows.

As designers, we need to think beyond basic AI chat interfaces and envision ways to incorporate AI into broader user experiences. Imagine:

• Dynamic image generation: Tools like KREA allow precise control over visuals, ensuring images guide users' attention effectively.
• Smart predictive features: AI can dynamically generate personalized content, such as personalized imagery or auto-generated text tailored to user needs.

The challenge for designers in 2025 is to make AI feel invisible, integrated, and intuitive—a natural extension of existing user flows.

AI agents, capable of executing multi-step tasks autonomously, represent another exciting frontier. Whether it’s arranging interviews, conducting user research, or booking reservations, these agents promise to save time and reduce manual effort.

While tools like Claude and specialized platforms like Strella are beginning to showcase AI agents’ potential, challenges remain:

• Accuracy: Like interns, AI agents sometimes need oversight to ensure quality.
• Ethical considerations: As automation expands, it’s essential to maintain a human touch where it’s most impactful.

Expect to see AI agents integrated into UX processes like user interviews, research synthesis, and even persona creation—but always with a human in the loop.

The launch of Apple Vision Pro and advancements in Meta’s AR/VR hardware hint at a maturing market. However, widespread adoption hinges on two key factors:

• Price reduction: Current high costs remain a barrier for most users.
• Practical applications: Beyond gaming and niche professional uses, AR/VR needs broader, everyday applications to succeed.

While lightweight AR glasses with basic functionality (like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses) might gain traction, fully immersive AR/VR experiences will likely remain out of reach for the average consumer in 2025.

UX designers should monitor AR/VR developments but focus on creating experiences that enhance usability without requiring users to adopt expensive new hardware.

The past year has been turbulent for UX professionals, with layoffs and hiring freezes creating uncertainty. However, there are signs of recovery on the horizon.

Many companies are reevaluating how they implement UX, moving away from isolated roles and toward more robustly supported in-house teams. This shift offers:

• Stability: Internal teams are less vulnerable to external budget cuts.
• Opportunities for collaboration: Agencies and freelancers can play a consultative role, supporting these teams with specialized expertise.

The second half of 2025 could bring renewed investment in UX, especially for in-house teams. Freelancers and agencies should position themselves as strategic partners to these growing teams.

Personalization has been a buzzword for years, but 2025 might finally be the year it becomes accessible to more businesses. With AI’s help, personalization can:

• Dynamically adapt landing pages based on user referrals.
• Tailor headlines and content to individual preferences.

Advancements in AI-driven personalization tools will allow designers to create more relevant, impactful user experiences—without the high cost or complexity of traditional methods.

For designers focused on precision, KREA leverages generative AI to create dynamic and highly customizable images. Whether you need visuals to guide user attention or adhere strictly to prompts, this tool is invaluable.

UI Design Tips offers a curated collection of best practices for specific UI elements. Whether you’re designing menus, modals, or login screens, this site ensures your designs follow established guidelines.

For developers or designers seeking ready-made UI elements, UIverse provides a vast repository of open-source designs that can be easily integrated into your projects.

This balanced article examines both the potential and the pitfalls of incorporating generative AI into UX workflows. A must-read for staying ahead in 2025.

An insightful piece discussing the importance of creating AI tools that address genuine user needs rather than serving as mere technological showcases.

Explore the difference between critiquing and reviewing designs, and why the former can be a powerful tool for improving creative processes and fostering collaboration.

Find The Latest Show Notes

In this episode, we dive into the frustrating world of Invitations to Tender (ITTs), explore why Notion might be the only app you need, and discuss treating AI like your newest intern. We also share our thoughts on Adobe's latest AI innovations and why UX seems to have lost its shine.

Our main topic for this show is Invitations to Tenders (ITTs). We've spent years dealing with ITTs, and frankly, we're tired of a system that doesn't serve anyone well. For agencies, they're incredibly time-consuming and costly to complete, often with no guarantee of success. What's worse, sometimes you're just there to make up the numbers because procurement needs three quotes.

The limited information provided in ITTs makes accurate pricing challenging, and their rigid specifications leave little room for the flexibility digital projects need. When usability testing suggests a major change in direction, you're stuck navigating complex change control procedures instead of doing what's best for the project.

From the client perspective, you're inadvertently paying for every failed proposal agencies have ever written - those costs have to be recovered somehow. The focus on lowest price often leads to subpar outcomes, and the whole process tends to favor agencies that are good at writing proposals rather than delivering projects.

We believe there's a better way. Start by having meaningful conversations with potential agencies before writing anything down. Evaluate their track record and capabilities through discussion rather than form-filling exercises.

Consider breaking larger projects into smaller, more manageable phases. Begin with a paid discovery phase, using a small percentage of the overall budget to properly scope the work. This approach helps mitigate risk and allows for the flexibility digital projects need.

Invitations to Tender: A Flawed System in Need of Change

In this show Paul also obsesses over Notion. If he could only keep one app, it would be Notion. It's become his go-to tool for everything from client project management to content creation. With its recent addition of automation and form builders, it's becoming even more powerful.

For agencies, it's particularly valuable for managing client communication, tracking projects, and storing best practices. The built-in AI functionality, combining ChatGPT and Claude, makes it even more versatile.

We also discuss a Nielsen Norman Group's article that suggests thinking of AI as an intern - a perspective we find particularly helpful. Like an intern, AI needs clear instructions and its work needs to be double-checked, but it can handle many routine tasks effectively.

This mental model helps frame how to integrate AI into your workflow without over-relying on it or dismissing its capabilities entirely.

Meanwhile, Adobe's latest AI developments, showcased at Adobe Max, are remarkable. In Illustrator, AI can now redraw characters from different angles while preserving style and detail. In Photoshop, it automatically matches lighting across composite images.

Rather than creating standalone tools, Adobe integrates AI directly into existing products, transforming hours-long tasks into instant operations.

We wrap up with a discussion about why UX seems to have lost its shine. While some blame UX professionals for overselling its benefits, we see this as part of a broader pattern where organizations half-heartedly implement new approaches without fully committing to them.

Whether it's UX, digital transformation, or AI, success requires more than just hiring one person or implementing one tool - it needs genuine organizational commitment and understanding.

How We Designers Destroyed UX (and Why No One Talks About It Anymore)

Find The Latest Show Notes

Hello and welcome to the Boagworld Show, the longest-running web design podcast where we look at user experience design, conversion optimization, and working in the web. This week, we've got quite the lineup for you.

We kick things off with a look at the recent controversy between WP Engine and WordPress. It's a bit of a mess, to be honest. WordPress.org has banned WP Engine from accessing its resources, including plugin and theme updates. This has left a lot of WP Engine-hosted sites in a bit of a pickle.

The whole debacle seems to stem from an attempt by WordPress to extract money from WP Engine. It's a stark reminder of the dangers of building your business on someone else's platform. We've seen this happen before with companies like Tweetbot and various Amazon sellers. It's a risk that many businesses take, often without fully considering the potential consequences.

While we hope this situation resolves quickly, it's a valuable lesson for all of us in the web industry. It's crucial to have a strategy that doesn't rely entirely on a single platform or service that you don't control.

Next up, we introduce our new concept: Strategic User-Driven Project Assessment, or SUPA for short. Now, Marcus isn't a fan of the acronym, but hear us out on this one.

SUPA is essentially a rebranding of the discovery phase, aimed at making it more appealing and understandable to senior management. Let's face it, "discovery phase" doesn't exactly set executives' hearts racing. But when you start talking about resource optimization, increased chances of success, and risk mitigation - well, now you're speaking their language.

The idea behind SUPA is to bring UX considerations to the table earlier in the project lifecycle. It's about validating ideas against real user needs and market demands before significant resources are invested. This approach can help prevent wasted time and money on projects that users won't embrace.

We dive into the key questions SUPA addresses, the activities involved, and how it differs from traditional market research. Whether you love or hate the acronym, we think this approach could be a game-changer for UX professionals looking to have a more strategic impact on projects.

You can learn more about SUPA here.

Our app of the week is Wevo Pulse, an AI tool that provides real-time feedback and analysis on websites, prototypes, and messaging. Paul's a bit conflicted about this one - it's impressive, but also a bit unsettling for those of us who do UX reviews for a living.

Wevo Pulse uses data from over a million user research participants to produce insights in minutes. It can analyze live websites, mobile apps, prototypes, and more. The tool provides a detailed assessment of what users are likely to like and dislike about a digital asset, and even generates a list of the most likely personas to gain value from the website or prototype being analyzed.

While it's not perfect and can't replace human expertise entirely, it's a powerful tool that could be particularly useful for quick initial assessments or as a way to convince management that changes are needed. It's definitely worth checking out, even if just to see how it evaluates your own website.

We wrap up the show with a bit of fun, debating some popular UX quotes. From "A problem well stated is a problem half solved" to "Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it's really how it works," we give our honest opinions on these industry soundbites.

Spoiler alert: we don't agree with all of them! It's a great reminder that even widely accepted wisdom in our field should be questioned and critically examined.

That's all for this week's episode. We hope you found it informative and maybe even a bit entertaining.

Find The Latest Show Notes

We kick off this episode by delving into the current state of the tech industry, particularly focusing on the widespread budget cuts we're witnessing. What's driving these cuts? Is it the rise of AI, economic uncertainties, or perhaps a tech bubble bursting? We explore these possibilities and ponder whether UX might be falling out of fashion.

See Also: The Shifting Landscape of UX: What’s Really Happening?

Speaking of AI, we couldn't resist discussing a fascinating conversation between Cleo Abram and Mark Zuckerberg. It's a prime example of how some tech leaders are approaching innovation - starting with what's technologically possible rather than addressing actual user needs. This approach raises important questions about the direction of tech development and its impact on user experience.

This week, we're shining a spotlight on Framer. While it positions itself as a website builder, we've found it to be an incredibly useful prototyping tool. Figma users, before you roll your eyes, hear us out. Framer offers some key features that Figma's prototyping tools lack, such as breakpoints and interactive forms.

If you're looking to create high-fidelity prototypes of interactive experiences, Framer might just be the tool you've been searching for. It's especially handy when Figma's prototyping capabilities fall short.

As a bonus, we also briefly mention two other apps that caught our attention: FixKey.ai and ChatGPT Advanced Voice. The latter ties into an interesting AI customer support experience we've had recently - but you'll have to tune in to hear more about that!

In this segment, we tackle a crucial issue in the UX world: the challenges faced by design leaders. We argue that many UX leaders are being set up to fail, often not given the resources they need to address UX problems at scale. As discussed in the podcast, companies might have 200 developers but only 5 UX people, which is far from ideal.

We discuss how the role of a UX leader requires a different skill set compared to that of a UX designer. These skills include:

• making business cases,
• reporting successes,
  championing your team's value,
• developing strategies,
• navigating politics,
• dealing with clashing priorities,
• and running a team.

Yet, many organizations promote designers into leadership roles without providing the necessary training or support.

See Also: Design Leadership Masterclass

We offer advice for those finding themselves in this position, including:

• Setting your own agenda and direction rather than accepting how others define your role. As a UX leader, it's crucial to take control of your role and not let others dictate your responsibilities. This means proactively defining your priorities and how you can best contribute to the organization's goals.
• Working strategically by focusing on setting standards and creating resources. Instead of getting bogged down in day-to-day tasks, concentrate on developing UX guidelines, best practices, and tools that can be used across the organization. This strategic approach helps scale your impact.
• Acting as an internal consultant and training teams on UX practices. Position yourself as a UX expert within the organization. Offer guidance and education to other teams, helping them incorporate UX principles into their work. This approach helps spread UX knowledge throughout the company.
• Being assertive about your role and responsibilities. Don't be afraid to speak up about what you and your team should be doing. Clearly communicate your role, its importance, and how it contributes to the organization's success.
• Making strategic allies within the organization. Identify and build relationships with key stakeholders who understand and value UX. As Paul suggests, "make a point of going out and finding people in the organization that get UX and appreciate UX" and "really lean into those relationships."
• Investing significant energy in promoting your team's impact. Actively showcase the value your UX team brings to the organization. As mentioned in the show, "invest significant energy in not only doing work, but in actively promoting your impact in the organization." This could involve creating case studies, presenting success stories, or demonstrating how UX improvements have positively affected key business metrics.

We also stress the importance of finding external support through coaching, training, or joining a community of design leaders. This can help combat the isolation often felt in leadership roles and provide valuable outside perspectives.

We wrap up with a few interesting articles that caught our attention:

• Workshops aren't always necessary: A thought-provoking article challenges the notion that every problem needs a workshop solution. It emphasizes the importance of using discretion when deciding whether to conduct a workshop. Sometimes, other approaches might be more effective and efficient, depending on the specific situation and goals.
• The "hot potato process" for designer-developer collaboration: Dan Mall proposes a dynamic approach to designer-developer collaboration called the "hot potato process." This method involves frequent back-and-forth interactions between designers and developers throughout the project, rather than a linear handoff. This continuous collaboration can lead to more innovative solutions and helps address potential issues early in the development process.
• Content readability impacts conversion rates: Unbounce's conversion benchmark report reveals fascinating insights about attention spans and the impact of content readability on conversion rates. The report suggests that simplifying content to a more accessible reading level can significantly improve conversion rates. This underscores the importance of clear, concise, and easy-to-understand content in digital marketing and user experience design.

Join us as we unpack these topics and more in this week's episode of the Boagworld Podcast. Whether you're a UX professional, a design leader, or just interested in the evolving tech landscape, there's something here for you!

Find The Latest Show Notes

In this episode, we explore how UX teams can evolve from firefighters to strategic leaders, revolutionizing their impact on organizations. We also review Maze, a versatile UX testing platform, and share insightful reads of the week.

In today's episode, we delve into the evolving role of UX teams within large organizations. We've noticed a recurring issue: UX teams are often understaffed and overwhelmed, struggling to keep up with the demands of multiple projects and numerous developers. This situation leads to a reactive approach, where UX professionals find themselves constantly putting out fires rather than driving strategic initiatives.

We propose a shift in thinking about UX teams. Instead of viewing them as implementers who should be involved in every project, we suggest repositioning them as leaders, educators, and enablers of UX practices across the organization. This approach allows a small UX team to have a much broader impact.

Based on our experience, including recent work with Oxford University, we've identified four key areas where UX teams can focus to maximize their impact:

1. Creating Shared Resources: Develop design systems, UX playbooks, and design principles that can be used across the organization.
2. Providing Training: Offer workshops, presentations, and self-learning materials to empower others in the organization to incorporate UX practices into their work.
3. Offering Consultative Services: Provide strategic UX support through reviews, discovery sessions, and advisory roles without getting bogged down in execution.
4. Building a UX Community: Foster a network of UX advocates across the organization to share best practices and promote user-centered thinking.

We discuss the challenges of implementing this approach, including varying levels of acceptance across different departments. Our advice? Start with the enthusiastic early adopters, demonstrate success, and use these wins to encourage broader adoption.

By repositioning UX teams as strategic leaders rather than just implementers, organizations can:

• Increase the reach and impact of UX practices across the organization
• Empower more team members to consider user needs in their work
• Reduce bottlenecks in the development process
• Foster a more user-centered culture throughout the company

We believe it's time for UX teams to evolve beyond their traditional roles. By focusing on leadership, education, and enablement, these teams can drive significant improvements in user experience across entire organizations, even with limited resources.

See Also: Paul’s Design Leadership Masterclass

In our "App of the Week" segment, we spotlight Maze, a comprehensive UX testing platform that's been gaining traction in the design community. Maze offers a range of features that make it a valuable tool for UX professionals and teams of all sizes.

• Interview Studies: Conduct and analyze user interviews efficiently.
• Prototype Testing: Test your designs before development to catch issues early.
• Surveys: Gather quantitative data from your users.
• Card Sorting: Understand how users categorize and prioritize information.
• Tree Testing: Evaluate the effectiveness of your information architecture.
• Live Website Testing: Get feedback on existing websites.

Maze offers a free tier for those looking to try it out, with paid plans starting at $99 per month. This pricing structure makes it accessible for both individual designers and larger teams.

We've found Maze particularly useful for its ability to provide quick, data-driven insights. The platform's automated analysis features, such as success rates and heatmaps, can save significant time in interpreting test results. However, we caution against relying solely on these metrics without diving deeper into the qualitative data.

• Carefully craft your test scenarios to avoid ambiguity.
• Pilot your tests before sending them out to catch any issues with instructions or tasks.
• Look beyond the surface-level metrics to understand the full user journey.
• Use Maze in conjunction with other research methods for a well-rounded understanding of your users.

Whether you're a seasoned UX professional or just starting out, Maze offers a robust set of tools to enhance your user research and testing capabilities. Give it a try and let us know how it works for you!

We've come across some thought-provoking articles this week that we'd like to share with you. Each of these pieces offers valuable insights for web professionals, from sales processes to design tools and user experience best practices.

An article detailing a structured approach to web design sales caught our attention. While we appreciate the attempt to provide a clear framework, especially for newcomers to the industry, we caution against a one-size-fits-all approach. Every client and project is unique, and flexibility is key in building successful relationships.

That said, we did find value in the concept of the "magic email" for following up on leads. This technique, involving a direct but polite message assuming the lead has gone cold, can be effective in eliciting responses and clarifying the status of potential projects.

With the release of Figma's latest update, designers are exploring new features and capabilities. One aspect we're particularly passionate about is the proper use of Auto Layout. This feature, when used correctly, can significantly improve the handoff process between designers and developers.

We encourage designers, especially those early in their careers, to invest time in mastering Auto Layout. Understanding how it mirrors the CSS box model can lead to more efficient workflows and better collaboration with development teams.

An article from the Nielsen Norman Group reminds us of a fundamental principle in UX design: clarity is key. The piece emphasizes the importance of explicitly stating differences between options presented to users, no matter how obvious they may seem to the designer.

This advice resonates strongly with our experiences. We've seen numerous instances where assumptions about user knowledge led to confusion and poor user experiences. Remember, users are often distracted or multitasking, so it's crucial to make information as clear and accessible as possible.

As we wrap up this episode, we want to remind you that we're excited to start a new segment: the Boagworld Agony Aunt! We're inviting you, our listeners, to send in your web design and development dilemmas. Whether you're struggling with a difficult client, wrestling with a technical challenge, or facing a career crossroads, we want to hear from you.

Send your questions to [email protected], and we'll do our best to offer advice, share our experiences, and maybe even have a laugh or two along the way. Don't be shy – your question might just help fellow listeners facing similar challenges!

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Boagworld Show. We hope you found our discussions on UX team roles, Maze, and the latest industry articles helpful and thought-provoking. Remember to check out the Agency Academy if you're looking to connect with fellow agency owners and freelancers.

We'll be back in two weeks with more insights, tips, and perhaps a groan-worthy joke or two. Take care!

Find The Latest Show Notes

This week on the Boagworld Show, we’re diving deep into user-focused content creation, leveraging AI, optimizing web copy for better UX and conversions, and discussing the importance of community and balancing work-life commitments. Get ready for some insightful tips and strategies!

In this episode, we break down how to transform user questions into actionable, engaging web content. By focusing on the needs of your audience, you can ensure your content is both relevant and effective.

Creating content that truly resonates with your audience can be challenging, especially when you're starting from a blank page. That's where AI comes in. We explore how AI tools like ChatGPT can help you streamline content creation and make the process more efficient, ultimately resulting in higher quality and more engaging web copy.

Here’s how we approach content with AI:

We begin by gathering the most pressing questions that users have. This approach keeps our content user-focused from the outset, ensuring we are addressing real concerns rather than guessing what information users might need. These questions can come from surveys, sales team insights, or even customer support tickets.

Once we have a list of key questions, we feed this information into ChatGPT. The AI uses these prompts to generate an initial draft of the content, aiming to create clear, informative answers that directly address user concerns. This draft can include everything from landing pages to blog post content, tailored around user needs.

The advantage here is that AI eliminates the intimidation factor of starting with a blank page. It gives you a solid foundation, which is especially helpful for clients or teams who may not be experienced copywriters. This step makes the entire content creation process faster and ensures that all essential information is covered.

After creating the draft, it’s time to refine. This is where the magic happens. We often take the AI-generated content and run it through additional prompts to adjust the tone, make it skimmable, or ensure it aligns with the brand’s voice. For instance, we might ask the AI to “make the content more concise” or “make it friendlier.” Tools like Hemingway can also help simplify sentences, ensuring the final product is easy to read and accessible to a wider audience.

AI also has the power to break down content into bite-sized, skimmable blocks. This step is crucial for web content where users typically scan rather than read in depth. We instruct the AI to organize the content into digestible sections with appropriate headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs that make the content easier to navigate.

Finally, we use AI to add a bit of polish. If the project requires SEO considerations, we prompt the AI to include specific keywords strategically throughout the copy. AI can also adjust the tone to match the brand—whether the client wants a formal, professional voice or a more casual, conversational approach. The result is content that’s not only user-friendly but also aligned with strategic goals like SEO and brand consistency.

With the refined content draft ready, we present it to the client for feedback. Since the content is already in a solid state, clients don’t have to start from scratch. Instead, they can focus on tweaking and tailoring the copy to match their unique insights or adding details we may have missed. This collaborative process helps ensure the content reflects both user needs and business goals without the burden of starting from a blank page.

AI-powered content drafting transforms a daunting process into an efficient, collaborative, and user-centric approach. Whether you're a designer, marketer, or client, leveraging AI for initial content drafts can significantly enhance the quality and relevance of the web copy, while saving time and effort.

Our app of the week is Hemingway, an editing tool that simplifies your content by keeping it concise and readable. Ideal for web copy, it encourages shorter sentences, simpler language, and a lower reading level—perfect for making your site more skimmable and user-friendly.

We share a few content tips specifically for landing pages:

• Write content that answers user questions directly: Start by identifying the key questions your target audience has and make sure your content provides clear, concise answers. Addressing user concerns directly helps build trust and relevance.
• Break up text into content blocks for readability: Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make your content easy to scan. Most users don’t read web content word for word, so structuring it into digestible pieces ensures key points stand out.
• Use AI and tools like Hemingway to speed up the process: Leverage AI tools to generate initial drafts quickly, and use editing apps like Hemingway to refine the readability of your content. AI can help overcome writer’s block and create a strong starting point, while Hemingway ensures your content is concise and accessible.
• Incorporate visuals to enhance engagement: Adding images, diagrams, or icons can break up text-heavy pages and make content more visually appealing. Visuals help convey information more effectively and keep users engaged.
• Iterate and test your content: Don’t settle for the first draft. Use tools like A/B testing to determine which content formats and approaches resonate most with your audience. Continuous iteration will help you refine your content strategy for better results.

This episode also featured some insights into work-life balance, especially when working remotely. Paul shared his experience traveling in an RV, using Starlink to stay connected while driving through Canada. It’s a reminder that remote work opens up opportunities for adventure, but also comes with challenges like managing meetings in different time zones.

We also touched on the importance of community in the digital and agency space. Marcus and Paul discussed how initiatives like the Agency Academy have been invaluable, not just for sharing knowledge but also for feeling part of a supportive network. Being able to share frustrations, learnings, and successes helps combat the isolation that can come with freelancing or running a small agency.

We also introduced Rory Sutherland, Vice Chair of Ogilvy, and discussed some of his fascinating ideas about creativity and human behavior. Rory challenges conventional thinking by emphasizing the importance of psychological insights in problem-solving and marketing. One of his key points is that the opposite of a good idea isn't necessarily a bad idea—it could be another good idea.

Rory's perspective on advertising and user experience highlights the value of making creative, sometimes non-obvious decisions that resonate on a deeper psychological level. For example, he argues that creating an enjoyable experience can be more impactful than simply making a service faster or cheaper. He also points out that sometimes the best way to chane behavior isn't through logical arguments but by tapping into human emotions and habits.

His unique take on solving problems with creativity instead of just relying on data challenges us to think beyond A/B testing and analytics. Rory's approach inspires us to consider how we can incorporate more creative, psychological-driven ideas into our UX and content strategies to create more engaging and memorable experiences for users.

That’s a wrap for this episode! If you want to transform how you approach web content and streamline your copywriting process with AI, or if you're seeking inspiration for balancing work and personal adventures, this one’s for you.

We love hearing from you! Send us your thoughts and questions at [email protected] or [email protected].

Find The Latest Show Notes