Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.
“Globally, Figma has created a “love brand,” particularly among younger designers and those who focus primarily on UI design.
Its savvy community engagement, strong brand equity, and initially user-friendly approaches made it easy to forget that, at the end of the day, Figma is still a business.
And businesses need to grow, especially when they’ve raised a significant amount of venture capital and are operating in a post-zero interest rate era. This is where, it seems, the current friction begins.”
The story of Figma: long enough of a hero to become a villain? →
By Jan Takacs
Dovetail’s biggest launch is coming in October — and you’re invited! →
[Sponsored] Get ready for the next generation of customer insights. Dovetail is launching tons of new features and THREE new products that each leverage AI to its cutting-edge capacity. To celebrate this momentous milestone, you’re invited to:
Exclusive in-person and online launch eventsSneak peeks and early access to the new productsQ&As with our product team and founderPlus special promotions and premium content. If you want to know what the future of AI-powered customer insights looks like — sign up to our waitlist and we’ll keep you in the loop.
Editor picks
Minimum Viable Softness →
Colonialism under the cloak of newness.
By Flavio MassonAre you gathering knowledge or simply performing it? →
Creating truly user-centric products.
By Meltem (UX Career Coach)How to brand science? →
What branding can teach us about making science captivating.
By Louis CharronNo, Elon, you can’t make a “WeChat of the West” →
Can Twitter ever become an everything app?
By Daley WilhelmWhy great products fail without human-centered sales strategies →
Should a designer’s role be integrated into the sales process?
By Himanshu Bharadwaj
The UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices and helps designers think more critically about their work.
Departure Mono is a monospaced pixel font with a lo-fi technical vibe →
Make me think
The home as a place of production →
“We are allowing tech to colonise every single facet of our lives. This hyper-digital life takes us further away from ourselves and the embodied experience. (…) To create environments in which humans can truly thrive, we need to be guided by different principles than just comfort and ease.”The marginalization of touch in a digital world →
“The sheer number of tools and toys that have been replaced by an app on my phone is mind blowing. Pen, paper, calculator, notebook, novel, telephone, wall clock, wallet, credit cards, photos, maps, video games. Sure, it’s convenient, cost-efficient, and space-saving, but it’s thrown me into a serious case of texture withdrawal.”Spotify has a fake-band problem. It’s a sign of things to come. →
“Covers of popular songs were being inserted into large, publicly available playlists, hidden among dozens of other covers by real artists while racking up millions of listens and getting paid.”
Little gems this week
How Robinhood gamified investing and exploited users →
By Elvis Hsiao
Decentralizing UX with ML & GenAI →
By Deniz Can Demir
Turning opportunities into real innovation–with a twist →
By Nicole Gallardo
Tools and resources
Knowing when to workshop →
Is as important as knowing how to run a workshop.
By Jemma FrostCreating psychological safety in the workplace →
Eliminating fear of punishment or humiliation.
By Christina Lai 賴浩賢Reducing UX debt (or die trying) →
Poor, unresolved design is what drives customers away.
By Karine Sabatier
Support the newsletter
If you find our content helpful, here’s how you can support us:
Check out this week’s sponsor to support their work tooForward this email to a friend and invite them to subscribeShare open positions on our job boardSponsor an edition
Figma the villain, why great products fail, decentralizing UX with GenAI was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.