The Nielsen Norman Group (NNg) UX Podcast is a podcast on user experience research, design, strategy, and professions, hosted by Senior User Experience Specialist Therese Fessenden. Join us every month as she interviews industry experts, covering common questions, hot takes on pressing UX topics, and tips for building truly great user experiences. For free UX resources, references, and information on UX Certification opportunities, go to: www.nngroup.com
36. AI & UX: Innovations, Challenges, and Impact
The surge of AI is currently changing the way we work and live. To avoid feeling left behind, it is important to engage with and understand these tools. This is true for UX designers just as much as almost everybody else. In this episode, we feature Henry Modisett from Perplexity AI and Kate Moran to get two insightful perspectives on the current state of AI and its connection to UX.
Learn more about Henry Modisett:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrymodisett/
Learn more about Kate Moran:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-m-moran/
Perplexity.AI:
https://www.perplexity.ai/
NN/g ARTICLES & TRAINING COURSES
AI for UX: Getting Started (free article):
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-ux-getting-started/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
AI & Machine Learning Will Change UX Research & Design (free video):
https://www.nngroup.com/videos/machine-learning-ux-research-design/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
AI Improves Employee Productivity by 66% (free article):
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-tools-productivity-gains/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
AI-Powered Tools for UX Research: Issues and Limitations (free article):
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-powered-tools-limitations/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
AI: First New UI Paradigm in 60 Years (free article):
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-paradigm/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
Sycophancy in Generative-AI Chatbots (free article):
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/sycophancy-generative-ai-chatbots/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
Information Foraging with Generative AI: A Study of 3 Chatbots (free article):
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/generative-ai-diary/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
The ELIZA Effect: Why We Love AI (free article):
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/eliza-effect-ai/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
Practical AI for UX Professionals (full-day/2 half-day UXC course):
https://www.nngroup.com/courses/practical-ai-for-ux-professionals/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep36
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:43 Perplexity AI: History & Value Proposition
10:30 Perplexity AI: Next Steps & Future Developments
15:04 Making AI User Friendly: Generative Interfaces
24:33 Understanding AI as a Consumer Product
28:28 Mental Models for AI
30:41 An Outlook for AI
35:51 NN/g’s Role in the AI Movement
37:34 Anthropomorphism of AI
40:07 Dealing with the Fear of AI
2/16/2024 • 45 minutes, 22 seconds
35. Wireframing & Prototyping (feat. Leon Barnard, Content Manager, Balsamiq)
Wireframing is an incredibly useful design technique to flesh out conceptual ideas and communicate them to others. However, with the advent of powerful prototyping tools, some designers may think of these as irrelevant or outdated practices. Leon Barnard, Content Manager at Balsamiq and co-author of the book Wireframing for Everyone, discusses why he thinks wireframing is not only still relevant, but essential for maximizing creativity and innovative thinking.
Connect with Leon Barnard
Balsamiq Wireframing AcademyWireframing for Everyone (book) by Michael Angeles, Leon Barnard, & Billy Carlson
Related NN/g Articles & Training Courses
How to Draw a Wireframe (Even if You Can’t Draw) (free article)
UX Basics: Study Guide (collection of free articles)
UX Basic Training (UX certification course)
UX Deliverables (UX certification course)
Visual Design Fundamentals (UX certification course)
2/2/2024 • 37 minutes, 11 seconds
34. Data-Driven Decision-Making and Intranet Design (feat. Christian Knoebel and Charlie Kreitzberg, Princeton University)
We often talk about measuring progress, but it can sometimes be harder to do in practice than in theory, especially when you’re combining mixed research methods. However, some teams have managed to not only make sense of the data, but use it to make award-winning designs. In this episode we feature two members of Princeton University’s award-winning intranet team: Charlie Kreitzberg, Senior UX Advisor, and Christian Knoebel, Director Digital Strategy, and how they combined two frameworks: the 5D Rubric and pairLab, to bridge the gap between UX and product design.
Learn about the 5-D Rubric
Learn about pairLab
Related NN/g resources:
10 Best Intranets of 2022 (the year Princeton University won) (free article)
Intranet & Enterprise Design Study Guide (free article)
Past Intranet Design Annual: 2022 (the year Princeton University won) (534-page report)
Intranet Design Annual: 2023 (most recent awards) (483-page report)
1/5/2024 • 43 minutes, 24 seconds
33. Tracking UX Progress with Metrics (feat. Dr. John Pagonis, UXMC, Qualitative and Quantitative Researcher)
Measuring a user experience can be intimidating at first, but it's an essential part of determining whether your work is moving in the right direction (and by how much). UX Master Certified Dr. John Pagonis shares his experiences from working with other organizations on measuring UX improvements and interpreting quantitative data.
Learn more about John Pagonis:
Connect with him on LinkedIn
Watch a past keynote talk: Usefulness measurement: A practical guide for all UXers (37 min video)
NN/g Articles, Videos, and Reports about Usability and UX Metrics:
Usefulness, Utility, and Usability by Jakob Nielsen, PhD (2-min video)
Usability 101 by Jakob Nielsen, PhD (free article)
UX Metrics and ROI by Kate Moran (297-page report)
NN/g Articles about Microsoft's Desirability Toolkit and Adjectives List
Using the Microsoft Desirability Toolkit to Test Visual Appeal (free article)
Microsoft Desirability Toolkit Product Reaction Words (free article)
Jeff Sauro, PhD on UX-Lite, UMUX-Lite, SUS, SEQ
(an aside: his website, MeasuringU.com, is an excellent resource)
10 Things To Know About The Single Ease Question (SEQ)
Measuring Usability with the System Usability Scale (SUS)
5 Ways to Interpret a SUS Score
Measuring Usability: From the SUS to the UMUX-Lite
Evolution of the UX-Lite
12/1/2023 • 44 minutes, 6 seconds
Quick Update: Episodes Now On YouTube!
(But don't worry, we will still continue publishing future episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms!)
Check out our YouTube Channel here
Go to our YouTube Podcast playlist
10/13/2023 • 2 minutes, 6 seconds
32. Conducting Research with Employees (feat. Angie Li, UXMC, Senior Manager of Product Design at Asurion)
Research with employees might sound easy in theory: you work in the same company as the people you need to observe or interview, and you might not even need to pay them for input. However, there's a bit more to it than meets the eye. In this episode, we feature UX Master Certified Angie Li, and she discusses what has helped her organize and run successful research with internal team members.
Learn more about Angie Li
NN/g Articles & Training Courses
Employees as Usability-Test Participants (free article)
Structuring Intranet Discovery & Design Research (free article)
Ethnographic User Research (full-day/2 half-day UXC course)
User Interviews (full-day/2 half-day UXC course)
Usability Testing (full-day/2 half-day UXC course)
9/8/2023 • 43 minutes, 15 seconds
31. Service Design 101 (feat. Thomas Wilson, UXMC, Senior Principal Service Designer & Strategist)
Members of our UX Master Certified community are applying UX principles to their work in a range of different ways. In this episode, we interview Thomas Wilson, Senior Principal Service Designer at United Healthcare and discuss what service design is and what makes it challenging and rewarding.
Learn more about Thomas Wilson: LinkedIn
NN/g Service Design Resources:
Service Blueprinting (full-day or half-day formats)
Service Design Study Guide (free article with links to many more)
Learn more about UX Master Certification
Some of the (many) people and organizations Thomas mentioned:
Don Norman
Service Design Network
Erika Hall
Adam St. John Lawrence
Marc Stickdorn
Anthony Ulwick
Bob Moesta
8/11/2023 • 37 minutes, 18 seconds
30. Stakeholder Relationships (feat. Sarah Gibbons, Vice President at NN/g)
Building stakeholder relationships is no easy task but it is crucial for getting buy-in, aligning expectations and ultimately building trust. But, what even is a "stakeholder" and how do you know if you have good relationships built? In this episode, we feature a conversation between Samhita Tankala and Sarah Gibbons who discuss the challenges that come with stakeholder management and how to build successful relationships.
Learn more about Sarah Gibbons
Related NN/g articles, videos, and courses:
Successful Stakeholder Relationships (UX Certification course)
How to Sell UX: Translating UX to Business Value (Video)
How to Collaborate with Stakeholders in UX Research (Article)
UX Stories Communicate Designs (Article)
Making a Case for UX in 3 Steps (Video)
Stakeholder Analysis for UX Projects (Article)
UX Stakeholders: Study Guide
Other sources Sarah mentioned:
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
7/7/2023 • 32 minutes, 8 seconds
29. UX Mentorship (feat. Tim Neusesser, UX Specialist at NN/g, and Travis Grawey, Director of Product Design at OfficeSpace)
The importance of mentorship for personal and professional development is an often-discussed topic, yet it can be challenging to find a mentor or become a mentor yourself. In this episode, we feature a conversation between a mentee, NN/g’s Tim Neusesser, and his mentor, Travis Grawey. In this episode they discuss how mentorship has impacted both of their careers.
Learn more about Tim Neusesser
Learn more about Travis Grawey (who mentors along with many others at ADPList)
Related NN/g articles & videos:
Why You Need UX Mentoring (video)
The C's of Great UX Mentorship (video)
Finding UX Mentors (video)
UX Careers Report (free report)
6/2/2023 • 36 minutes, 21 seconds
23. Building Better Products with a Better Mindset (feat. Ryan Hudson-Peralta, Principal Experience Designer at Rocket Homes)
Building exceptional experiences usable by all is no easy feat. Focusing on what can be influenced and accepting what cannot be changed are two critical steps to crafting better products... and careers. We spoke with Ryan Hudson-Peralta, a principal experience designer at Rocket Homes, who often introduces himself as a "father, husband, international speaker, and designer... who just happens to be born without hands." Ryan shares a bit about his journey into the UX field, and how his mindset of curiosity and positivity allows him to create meaningful experiences with his designs and with his career.
Learn more about Ryan Hudson-Peralta: lookmomnohands.com
If you would like to learn about UX design, we have thousands of articles and videos at our website www.nngroup.com.
Full-Day Design Courses (also available in 2 half-day formats)
UX Basic Training
Web Page UX Design
Application Design
Mobile User Experience
Designing Complex Apps for Specialized Domains
9/30/2022 • 27 minutes, 2 seconds
19. Designing a UX Career (feat. Sarah Doody, Founder of the Career Strategy Lab)
Have you thought about your career lately? Chances are, you have - given the buzz around the record high voluntary resignation rates during this “Great Resignation.” In this episode, Sarah Doody, UX Researcher, Experience Designer, and Founder of the Career Strategy Lab, shares her thoughts on how UX professionals can design their ideal careers, whether they’re in the market for a new role or not.
Read more about Sarah Doody:
Website (sarahdoody.com)
Twitter (@sarahdoody)
LinkedIn (/in/sarahdoody)
Instagram (@sarahdoodyux)
NN/g Resources on UX Careers:
Jakob Nielsen: How to Start A New Career in UX (2-min video)
UX Careers (free 90-page report)
Growing in your UX Career: A Study Guide (article)
Portfolios for UX Researchers (article)
Interested in working with us? Apply to this posting by April 4th