The Feed & The Thread

The Feed & The Thread - Sunday, January 25, 2026

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This episode covers predictions for experience design trends by 2026, including designing for user intent and integrating Machine Experience (MX). It also delves into how designers are adapting to collaborate with AI models and the benefits of using AI-readable design systems. The thread segment highlights challenges in job hunting, branding a subreddit, and finding real users for UX research. Additionally, it announces UX Camp Winter, an online event on February 21st, featuring presentations accessible worldwide.

Show Notes
In This Episode
  • Experience Design Trends of 2026: Joe Smiley discusses how designing for user intent and integrating Machine Experience (MX) will shape the future of UX design.
  • The Rise of the Model Designer: Robert Tanislav explores the shift in designers' roles as they collaborate more with AI models rather than traditional software tools.
  • Community Challenges: Practitioners share their struggles and lighter moments on various subreddits, touching on job hunts, user branding issues, finding genuine research participants, and enjoying quirky designs.
    • Articles Mentioned
    • "The most popular experience design trends of 2026" by Joe Smiley (UX Design.cc)
    • "The Rise of the Model Designer" by Robert Tanislav (Web Designer News)
    • "Designing with AI-readable design systems in Cursor" by Robert Tanislav (Publication not specified)
      • Community Discussions
      • r/UX_Design - Job hunt frustrations and demotivation after a year-long search
      • r/design_critiques - Challenges in branding a subreddit, expressing user frustrations
      • r/ux_research - Struggles with finding real users through paid interview platforms for meaningful research
      • r/design - Light-hearted posts on bird table concepts and tote bag designs gaining upvotes
        • Announcement

        Chicago Camps is hosting UX Camp Winter

        Date: Saturday, February 21st
        Location: Online (Join from anywhere in the world)
        Tickets: $13.50
        Complimentary passes available thanks to community generosity
        Get tickets now at ChicagoCamps.org
        Still accepting additional speaker submissions!

        About The Feed & The Thread

        The Feed & The Thread is a daily summary of UX articles found in the industry and some light-touch updates from the UX Community found in online forums. It’s brief, and meant as a light-touch overview of what’s happening across UX.

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        The Feed & The ThreadBy Chicago Camps