Published in UX Collective·Mar 20Tips for onboarding new designers & researchersProduct designers and researchers tend to think a lot about the onboarding experience for new users. How can we help new users quickly get up and running? How can a product or service provide value as early as possible? …Onboarding7 min readOnboarding7 min read
Published in UX Collective·Dec 23, 2022A growth mindset — The best New Year’s resolution you can makeWith 2023 rapidly approaching, are you starting to think about what New Year’s resolutions you’d like to make? Perhaps 2023 is the year that you finally get fit. …Growth Mindset8 min readGrowth Mindset8 min read
Published in UX Collective·Dec 12, 2022How to improve your UX hiring processA number of years ago I used to be part of the UX team at AstraZeneca, the global pharmaceutical company. We had a programme of in-house UX training sessions we would run, including a 1-day introduction to design thinking. As it’s always best to learn by doing, we used to…Hiring9 min readHiring9 min read
Nov 7, 2022Why Agile teams shouldn’t be speaking to users every weekWhat are some of the things you do on a weekly basis at work? Attend a weekly planning meeting? 1–2–1 with the boss? Lunch with the team? How about speak to your users? …Agile3 min readAgile3 min read
Oct 10, 2022How to work with difficult stakeholdersOn this blog I describe myself as, “a former techy turned UX Jedi”. Alas us UX Jedis aren’t as powerful as those in the Star Wars universe. Whilst Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi can bend the will of others by using the mystical power of the force, we’re stuck…Stakeholder Management9 min readStakeholder Management9 min read
Sep 11, 2022Why you should think twice before arranging yet another workshopAs a product designer I obviously love a good workshop. Give me some Sharpie pens, some post-it notes and some paper and I’m like a pig in mud. I even enjoy a good remote workshop. …Workshop4 min readWorkshop4 min read
Aug 28, 202210 ways to top up your resilience at workDr Hayley Lewis, a psychologist and executive coach has likened resilience, the ability to cope mentally and emotionally after something difficult has happened as being like a reservoir. Why so? …Wellbeing8 min readWellbeing8 min read
May 2, 20225 common design portfolio mistakes to avoidI’ve been doing a lot of hiring recently. This has meant lots of interviews, lots of CVs to sift and lots of design portfolios to review. Boy, have I seen a lot of portfolios in the last few months. I’ve seen great portfolios, I’ve seen so-so portfolios and I’ve seen…Portfolio5 min readPortfolio5 min read
Published in UX Collective·Jan 31, 2022Let’s give junior product designers a chanceIn 1992 the Premier League, the top division of the English football league system and now most watched sports league in the world was formed. The new league brought in new fans, new sponsors and most importantly new money in the form of a lucrative television rights deal with Sky…Product Design7 min readProduct Design7 min read
Jan 17, 2022The importance of product first impressions“Two things remain irretrievable: time and a first impression.” Cynthia Ozick (Author) Think of someone you recently met for the very first time. What was your first impression of them? Was it good, bad, indifferent? Was the first impression memorable, or quickly forgotten? First impressions are important. They’re important for…Product Design8 min readProduct Design8 min read
