As AI continues to evolve, designers are increasingly finding themselves tasked with creating AI-powered experiences—often without prior experience in the space. In this episode, NN/g UX Specialist Caleb Sponheim discusses the current state of AI tools, what’s working (and what’s not), and how designers can position themselves to navigate this shift. We also explore what it really means to develop AI safely and how designers can play a role in ensuring ethical, user-friendly AI experiences.

About the speaker: Bio | LinkedIn

Full-Day Course: Designing AI Experiences(also available in half-day formats)

Related NN/g Articles:

• Artificial Intelligence Glossary
• How Do Generative AI Systems Work?
• Redefine Your Design Skills to Prepare for AI
• AI Features Must Solve Real Problems
• More Free Articles on AI

As tech layoffs and budget cuts dominate the start of the year, UX teams are navigating a critical challenge: proving the value of research while doing more with less. In this episode, NN/g Director of Research Maria Rosala sits down with ResearchOps pioneer Kate Towsey to explore how ResearchOps can help teams think strategically about the impact and efficiency of their research.

Most experienced professionals in the industry will tell you that the best designs don't operate in a vacuum. Yet, most of our measurement approaches do. How do you know you're actually making a measurable impact toward users' long-term goals? Connor Joyce, author of the book, Bridging Intention to Impact, shares his thoughts on how to create and evaluate products that center on meaningful user outcomes.

Connect with Connor Joyce

Order the book

Related NN/g Resources & Courses:

To explore how is AI shaping UX research and analysis, host Therese Fessenden shares two interviews on the topic; one with Savina Hawkins, Co-founder of Altis, and one with Caleb Sponheim, UX Specialist at NN/g. In this episode we explore the opportunities AI presents for enhancing productivity and innovation in UX work, alongside the risks and challenges it brings. Savina & Caleb offer practical advice on how UX professionals can leverage AI tools effectively and remain competitive in their field.

Product-centric design can be an efficient way to design interfaces, but it can often lead to disjointed and poorly optimized customer journey experiences. Kim Flaherty shares her recent research into journey-centric design, and insights on how a journey-centric design practice can help organizations overcome product-centric challenges.

Report:

Learn more about Kim:

⁠Bio⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠

NN/g Resources about Journey Management:

⁠The 3 Competencies of Journey Management (5-min video)⁠

⁠Journey Management vs. Service Design (4-min video)⁠

⁠The Practice of Customer-Journey Management (free article)⁠

⁠Customer Journeys and Omnichannel UX (free article)⁠

⁠Journey Mapping to Understand Customer Needs (UX Certification course)⁠

⁠Customer-Journey Management (UX Certification course)⁠

With AI developing rapidly, and AI policy often lagging behind, calls for responsible tech design and development are louder and more public than ever. In this episode, Paige Lord offers some insight into ways UX professionals can play a role in creating ethical AI products and services.

Learn more about Paige Lord:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepaigelord/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiethicswithpaige

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aiethicswithpaige

Substack: https://thepaigelord.substack.com/

Other related content:

Responsible AI Institute: https://www.responsible.ai/

Icons are popular components to incorporate into digital designs that can help simplify user experiences. But, not every icon is created equal. In this episode, Kate Kaplan shares the latest insights from her research on digital iconography which can be found in her new book, Digital Icons that Work.

Learn more about Kate Kaplan: Bio | LinkedIn

Her book: Digital Icons That Work (nngroup.com)

Accessibility isn’t a novel concept, but in the realm of digital design, it's rare to find a product or service that's truly accessible to a broad audience with many needs. In this episode, Stéphanie Walter shares a bit about what got her interested in accessibility to begin with, what accessibility truly means in UX, some common misconceptions, and how designers can create more inclusive experiences.

Learn more about Stéphanie Walter: LinkedIn | stephaniewalter.design

WCAG Standards

Related NN/g Resources:

Accessibility and Inclusivity Study Guide (free article)

How to Conduct Usability Studies with Accessibility Report (free report)

Usability Guidelines for Accessible Web Design Report (free report)

Accessibility Articles and Videos

Emerging Patterns in Interface Design Course (NN/g UX Certification-eligible course)

“If you squint hard enough, every problem is a prioritization problem.” -Harry Max

UX professionals are often faced with the challenge of managing backlogged work and doing so with limited time, budget, and resources. In this episode, we chat with Harry Max about the common misconceptions with prioritization and how to get better at it over time.

⁠Learn more about Harry Max

NN/g Articles & Training Courses

Related Courses

Expanding into global markets is a key priority for companies in today's interconnected world. While many companies rely on translations for their digital platforms, this is just one aspect of effective global expansion. In this episode, we're joined by Feifei Liu, International UX Researcher at NN/g. She discusses the importance of cross-cultural research and its role in helping organizations effectively expand into international markets while honoring cultural values and practices.

⁠Learn more about Feifei Liu⁠

NN/g Articles & Training Courses

Modify Your Design For Global Audiences: Cross Cultural UX Design 

International Usability Testing: Why You Need It?

Cultural Differences in User Research Facilitation 

Translate User-Generated Content For Global Audiences 

4 Ways to Support International Purchasers 

6 Tips for Improving Language Switchers on Ecommerce Sites

Other Resources

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory

Chapters

(0:00) Intro

(01:15) Cross-cultural UX research: What is it?

(06:57) Importance of cross-cultural UX research

(09:46) Factors designers and researchers need to consider when creating cross-cultural designs

(13:07) Example of a localized design (Australian pharmacy website)

(15:34) Developing a cultural lens

(18:42) Facilitating cross-cultural UX research

(25:19) Keeping up with cultural trends