Episodes
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Importance of Prioritization:
Prioritization is straightforward in simple, static environments but complex in dynamic, large-scale settings.Under stress, people revert to familiar but outdated methods.A consistent methodology, using tools and frameworks, is essential for effective prioritization.Prioritization is often confused with time management or productivity but encompasses much more.Common Organizational Challenges:
Many individuals are unaware of how prioritization happens within their organizations.Effective organizations have clear visions and mature operating models that guide prioritization.Learning and recognizing prioritization patterns at different levels (individual, team, organizational) is crucial.DEGAP Strategy:
DEGAP stands for Decide, Engage, Gather, Arrange, Prioritize.It helps close the gap between current and desired states.Harry uses examples, like his experience at AllClear ID, to illustrate the practical application of DEGAP in high-pressure scenarios.Balancing Personal and Team Priorities:
Recognize false urgency and assess the cost of delay.Focus on personal priorities first, then align with team and organizational goals.Addressing avoidance and high-cost delays can improve individual and team performance.Advice for New Leaders:
Make prioritizing prioritization a daily habit.Start the day by identifying and addressing avoidance.Develop a routine that includes focusing on high-impact tasks before tackling less urgent ones.Notable Quotes
"Prioritization is deceptively tricky because as you move into larger, more complex environments, we rely on outdated methods.""It's not just the fact of prioritizing, but the process involves multiple critical stages.""Start with self-prioritization to enhance your team's and organization's performance.""The false sense of urgency often drives poor prioritization decisions."Reference Materials
Harry Max's book: "Managing Priorities"Luke Holman's "Speed Boat" visual frameworkScaled Agile community concepts on cost of delayAbout Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Session Overview
In this Tent Talks session, Meghan Casey delves into her journey from her early career to establishing Do Better Content Consulting, emphasizing the importance of content strategy and modeling. She shares insights on how content modeling enhances content consistency and efficiency, and discusses common challenges and effective collaborative strategies for implementation.
Content Strategy Journey:
Meghan's career began in roles such as Communications Manager, Website Editor, and Marketing Manager.She often asked strategic questions about audience, goals, and key messages, leading her to content strategy.Joined Brain Traffic in 2008, transitioning from web writer to content strategist.Authored "The Content Strategy Toolkit," which boosted her career and reputation.Founded Do Better Content Consulting six years ago, working with clients to solve various content-related problems.Explaining Content Modeling:
Content model bridges the front-end experience and back-end content management systems.Helps determine what content to display and how it relates together.Important for resource efficiency, consistent information delivery, and confidence in content creation.Examples include creating multiple versions of a CEO's bio for different contexts while maintaining a centralized source of truth.Enhancing Audience and Team Experience:
Ensures consistent, accurate, and relevant content, preventing conflicting information.Example: A medical facility had differing post-surgery instructions on their website and physical handouts.Helps place content where it is most relevant and useful for users, like serving up specific parts of a product page in various contexts.Challenges in Implementing Content Modeling:
Enormity of the task and lack of time or leadership support.Solution: Start with small pilots to demonstrate efficiency and benefits.Changing content creation mindset to think in structured chunks rather than linear pages.Disconnect between content creation and visual/UX design needs.Collaborative Strategies for Content Modeling:
Workshops and collaborative sessions with diverse teams (product owners, marketers, developers, designers, content creators).Mapping out all necessary information about a product across its lifecycle.Using tools like Airtable to prototype content structures and having iterative discussions with developers.Important to involve legal, innovation, and product development teams for future-proofing content models.Notable Quotes"Content is a key part of solving all manner of problems from business issues to people and process problems.""The content model helps figure out what to display and how it all relates together.""It's crucial to provide consistent, accurate, and relevant content to prevent conflicting information.""AI reminds me of the early 2000s when everyone wanted an app. It's important to ask what problems AI can solve for you, rather than just jumping on the trend.""Helping people think about content in a more chunked-out way can start the process of effective content modeling.""Collaborative working sessions and conversations are key to successful content modeling and ensuring everyone is on the same page."Reference Materials"The Content Strategy Toolkit" by Meghan Casey"Content Strategy for the Web" by Kristina Halvorson and Melissa RachAbout Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Missing episodes?
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Common pitfalls leaders face when creating alignment:
Definition of alignment: Varies among individuals based on their experiences.Strategic understanding: Importance of knowing why a task is strategically important.Role clarity: Everyone should understand their contribution to the desired outcomes.Key barriers: Misalignment in vision and strategy, shaky planning, misaligned incentives, and emotional challenges in decision-making.Balancing diverse viewpoints and common goals:
Shared understanding: Ensuring everyone understands the outcomes and actions agreed upon.Healthy discourse: Encouraging evidence-based discussions without fear of social pressure.Psychological safety: Creating a safe environment for proposing ideas and viewpoints.Learning culture: Emphasizing learning from failures and supporting open communication.Simplifying complex messages:
Repetition: Necessary for messages to sink in, especially in larger organizations.Cartoon clarity: Boiling messages down to simple, clear points that can be quickly understood.Multi-channel communication: Using various mediums to reinforce messages.Written comms plan: Ensuring clarity and thoroughness in messaging through written plans.Achieving alignment in challenging situations:
Case study: Building a new product with high technical and regulatory complexity.Design sprint: Using system maps and OOUX activities to align teams on a shared model.Rapid testing: Iterative testing with customers to refine and validate plans.Micro shareouts: Regular updates to keep stakeholders informed and involved.Signs of losing alignment and steps to realign:
Indicators: Vague reporting, stalled progress, tensions, and finger-pointing.Diagnostics: Speaking with ICs, maintaining cross-functional relationships, and understanding different perspectives.Timeline creation: Tracking changes and decisions to identify points of misalignment.Role clarity: Using frameworks like DACI for decision-making and accountability.Celebration and recognition: Acknowledging achievements to boost morale and reinforce positive culture.Notable Quotes"Healthy alignment means you've built a shared understanding of the problem to be solved and people know the desired outcomes.""Teams should have flexibility on how to achieve outcomes, rather than being given prescriptive plans.""Psychological safety is crucial for healthy dialogue and team identity.""Leaders owe teams clarity on decision-making processes and expectations.""A lot of companies will say something like it is our strategy to increase sales by 40 percent, and that is a goal that is a desired outcome, but it is not exactly a strategy.""Alignment does not mean that everyone does something the same way.""It's okay to have an idea that turns out to fail or to be wrong as long as you learn from it.""You can always tell comms went well if you get back, 'Okay, cool. That makes sense.'""Help your team understand how to bring rationale and really help people see what you see.""At the end of the day, alignment health comes down to strategic clarity."Reference MaterialsBooks:"Good Strategy, Bad Strategy" by Richard Rumelt"Turning People Into Teams" by David and Mary SherwinPodcasts:Amy Edmondson’s podcast on psychological safety (Harvard Business Review)Articles:Christine Perfetti’s Tent Talks episode on strategic rallyingAbout Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Background on the CIA and Patel's Role
The CIA's core missions include foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, all-source analysis, and covert action.The agency is organized into directorates and mission centers, integrating different functions for regional or functional focus.Patel's Transnational and Technology Mission Center (T2MC) synchronizes with the private sector and addresses global strategic technology issues.User Experience in the Intelligence Cycle
UX plays a critical role in presenting intelligence to policymakers in a digestible and usable format.Key elements of effective intelligence presentation include:Bottom-line upfront: presenting the most crucial information first.Conciseness: limiting reports to one or two pages.Structured storytelling: ensuring a clear narrative with a story arc and relevance to national security.Visualization: using maps, charts, and graphics to aid memory retention.Accessible formatting: maintaining white space and larger fonts to enhance readability.Evolution of Technology in the CIA
Technological advancements have significantly impacted intelligence operations, with ubiquitous technical surveillance becoming a norm.The PRC's rise as a tech competitor and the shift of innovation from government to the private sector and academia have influenced CIA's approach.Collaboration with private sector and academic entities is increasingly critical for staying abreast of technological developments.Challenges in Applying UX and HCD in Intelligence
Predominantly paper-based dissemination requires maintaining effective traditional methods while exploring interactive products.Policymakers' varying levels of expertise necessitate adaptable presentation formats, balancing detailed technical information with simplicity.Opportunities for Transforming Intelligence Gathering and Analysis
Tailoring information to user needs is crucial, distinguishing between detailed technical explanations and concise summaries.Understanding what level of detail is necessary for users to grasp the significance of intelligence findings.Advice for UX and HCD Professionals Interested in National Security
The CIA seeks a broad range of expertise, welcoming applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds.Opportunities for contributing to national security extend beyond employment, with the agency open to external insights on technological trends.Notable Quotes"Your bottom line is up front. Your first sentence of your paragraphs, your first sentence of your briefing is going to tell a policymaker literally what the bottom line is.""Visualization comes in, maps, charts, graphics, however it is possible to get that information in a format that is not only quickly digested, but remembered.""Since World War II, a lot of the tech innovation was happening in government. And what has happened in the last decade, 15, 20 years, I think, there has been a shift.""You don't want to lose the audience before the message has been downloaded."Reference MaterialsCIA's official website: CIA.govAbout Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Common Misconception About Form Design:
Forms are often undervalued despite their crucial role in user interactions.Many UX professionals and budget holders fail to see the value in investing in form improvements.Poorly designed forms can lead to high error rates, inefficiency, and user frustration.Digitizing a bad form doesn't fix its inherent issues; it just transfers them to a new medium.Impact of AI and Modern Technologies:
AI and machine learning have been integrated into form design since the early '90s, with technologies like OCR.These technologies have improved but still face significant limitations, especially in understanding context.AI should assist rather than replace human judgment in form design, ensuring critical nuances are captured.The balance between automation and human intervention is crucial for effective form design.Strategies for Ensuring User-Friendly Forms:
Conduct usability testing by observing users in real-time as they fill out forms.Focus on where users direct their attention and identify points of confusion or difficulty.Avoid placing labels inside form fields, as they disappear when users start typing, causing confusion.Consider the various contexts in which users might fill out forms, such as poor internet connections or different accessibility needs.Challenges in Form Design Projects:
Creating design systems that not only include effective components but also guide their appropriate use.Encouraging designers and developers to consider the broader context and usability, even under tight deadlines.Developing guidance and materials that balance the need for quick implementation with thoughtful, user-centered design.Emerging Trends in Forms and Surveys:
The overuse of surveys has led to user fatigue and decreased response rates, undermining their effectiveness.AI-driven form filling by browsers can introduce new errors and reduce data accuracy.Enhancing user control over browser autofill features to prevent incorrect data entries and improve reliability.Adding Helpful Friction to Forms:
For serious forms, like living wills, incorporate steps that require users to reflect and have necessary conversations.Use signing ceremonies to create a formal pause, ensuring users consider their decisions carefully.Recognize and design for scenarios where multiple people are involved in completing a form, adding layers of complexity and consideration.Difference Between Forms and Surveys:
Forms are designed to collect individual responses for specific actions.Surveys aggregate data for broader analysis and insights.The distinction lies in the intended use of the responses, though the tools and formats can overlap.Notable Quotes:
"Your people will hate you if the forms are difficult, and yet everything we do is mediated through forms.""AI is basically a giant autocorrect that works on paragraphs, not words.""The reading pattern for forms is very different from other materials. It's a laser beam to the input box.""Poor form design can lead to error rates over 100%, where forms are repeatedly returned for corrections.""We often overlook the importance of forms, even though they are essential to effective business processes.""AI technology has advanced, but it still can't replace the nuanced understanding a human brings to form design.""Usability testing is vital. Watching real users interact with your forms reveals insights you can't get any other way.""The overuse of surveys has led to user fatigue; we need to be more thoughtful about when and how we ask for feedback.""Creating a good form is not just about the design but understanding the user's context and needs.""Adding friction to forms thoughtfully can ensure users reflect on their answers, especially for serious matters like living wills."Reference Materials:
"Surveys That Work: A Practical Guide for Designing and Running Better Surveys" by Caroline Jarrett"Forms That Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability" by Caroline Jarrett"User Interface Design and Evaluation" by Caroline JarrettAbout Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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How is AI reshaping the future of UX design, particularly for newcomers?
AI advancements are rapid, with new updates and integrations across various tools and environments.New designers may feel overwhelmed by the abundance of tools and the rapid pace of technological change.Despite economic instability and layoffs, integrating AI into workflows can enhance competitiveness.Jakob Nielsen's concept of "pancaking" in UX design emphasizes the evolution rather than the replacement of core UX principles.AI helps lower skill gaps, promotes a wider range of skills, and leads to more agile, less hierarchical teams.Smaller teams can achieve more with AI, as demonstrated by successful startups with minimal staff.Kai Tran's journey from print design to AI product design: Key lessons and influences
Transitioned from film and gaming cinematics to merchandising design for retail, gaining a holistic understanding of user experience.Emphasized the importance of understanding end-to-end user journeys and strategic thinking in AI product design.Highlighted the need for immersive, multimodal user experiences that go beyond the screen.Encouraged designers to think strategically and anticipate future AI experiences.Effective strategies for incorporating AI in design sprints at Sprintfolio
Hands-on, project-driven learning is essential for gaining practical experience with AI.Encouraged designers to engage with AI projects to stand out in interviews and gain firsthand experience.Integrated an AI UX mentor, Leo, to guide designers through thoughtful questioning and problem-solving.Highlighted the importance of prompt engineering and understanding the technical aspects of AI models.Emphasized continuous learning, collaborative projects, and addressing ethical considerations in AI.Advice for transitioning into UX design with AI projects in portfolios
Start with real projects to gain practical experience and stand out to employers.Leverage pre-existing expertise to add value to AI projects and solve specific design problems.Showcase data-driven decisions and highlight experience with AI tools and technologies.Demonstrate continuous learning and involvement in collaborative, cross-functional projects.Address ethical implications and show awareness of data privacy, bias, and human oversight.Challenges and rewards of mentoring new talents in leveraging AI
Balancing the demands of running a business while guiding new designers was challenging.Mentoring provided valuable insights and reinforced the importance of resilience and iterative improvement.Witnessing the transformation and confidence growth in designers as they master AI tools was highly rewarding.Fostered meaningful professional relationships and saw impactful career advancements among mentored designers.Notable Quotes"The pace of AI advancements is staggering... This impacts our tools, our work environment, significantly.""Understanding how to incorporate AI into their workflows enhances their competitiveness.""AI lowers skill gaps and boosts seniority, providing everyone with a broader range of good enough skills.""Designing for AI is like a delicate puzzle... designers need to practice their strategic skills.""Our extensive experience distilling complex user requirements and clearly communicating needs is a strength."Reference MaterialsJakob Nielsen's writings and research on AI in UX design.UX Design Institute statistics on UX job market trends.Theory Ventures projections on AI software company growth.About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Overview of the Inclusive Tech Lab:
The lab is located on Microsoft's campus and serves as a space to engage with the disability community.The lab has hosted over 16,000 visitors and focuses on including people with disabilities in the design process.The facility includes a sensory room designed to meet the needs of the neurodiverse community.The lab's primary goal is to involve the disabled community directly in the design process to create more inclusive technology.It emphasizes the principle of "nothing about us without us," ensuring that designs are made with input from those who will use them.Most Impactful Project – Xbox Adaptive Controller:
The adaptive controller, introduced with a prominent Super Bowl ad in 2019, began as a project to include veterans who were gamers.The design addressed the limitations of the traditional Xbox controller, which required the use of two hands and dexterity.The project was driven by the need to support veterans' mental health and social integration.The adaptive controller helps veterans and others with disabilities maintain social connections through gaming.The project involved extensive collaboration with the disabled community to ensure the controller met their needs.Challenges in Designing Inclusive Technology:
Awareness and stigma around assistive technology are significant challenges.Functional fixedness, where people find it hard to see new uses for existing objects, is a barrier.The lab focuses on creating devices that are familiar yet optimized for specific disabilities.There is often a lack of understanding about the importance of assistive technology in mainstream society.Overcoming preconceptions and educating both the public and other designers is an ongoing effort.Future of Inclusive Technology and AI:
Inclusive design is about personalization and accommodating human diversity.AI can help create interfaces that adapt to individual needs, enhancing accessibility.Future interfaces might be multimodal, adjusting to different input and output methods based on the user's environment and abilities.The potential of AI to transform user experiences by providing tailored interactions is immense.Multimodal input and output can make technology more accessible for various disabilities.Advice for Designing Inclusive Technology:
Engage with the disabled community directly; design with them, not for them.Embrace the principle of "nothing about us without us" to ensure designs meet real needs.Involve users early and often in the design process to gather authentic insights.Understand that true inclusivity requires ongoing learning and adaptation.Foster a culture of inclusivity within the design team to ensure diverse perspectives are considered.Notable Quotes"Nothing about us without us.""If people couldn’t use [the traditional controller], they couldn’t play Xbox.""All accessibility is personalization that takes into account human diversity.""We need to remind people that you can do anything in Windows with a mouse.""Our inclusive design methodology strives to design with and not for.""I don’t want to tell people to go read these books or watch these YouTube videos. All of that is decent advice but it never takes the place of actually engaging with the disabled community.""The adaptive controller wasn’t just about making a controller for disabled kids; it was about including everyone, including veterans, who grew up playing games.""We have a responsibility to make sure that we're including people with disabilities in the products that we create.""When I think about the evolution of computing devices, I ask what if the objects that are with me all the time could do more for my sensory needs?""Assistive technology should be familiar yet optimized for specific disabilities.""I think one of the challenges in assistive technology is when things get unfamiliar, it becomes hard for people to understand and use them.""The lab prioritizes people with disabilities; we told Walmart they couldn’t come in because we had a transition program for the disabled community.""Functional fixedness is a challenge; we need people to see beyond the traditional uses of objects.""Awareness and stigma are significant barriers to the adoption of assistive technology.""We need to get to a place where the whole way people interact with computers can be different for everybody.""All the input all the time can be overwhelming; we need to be thoughtful about how we design for accessibility.""One of my favorite examples is a woman in the military who needs context and narratives rather than tabular data and bullet points.""We need to ensure that the way we design interfaces allows for flexibility and personalization."Reference MaterialsXbox Adaptive ControllerMicrosoft's Inclusive Tech LabInclusive Design Methodology at MicrosoftXbox Accessibility GuidelinesAbout Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Navigating Varied Tech Environments:
Cassidy emphasizes the importance of self-audits to determine personal and professional likes and dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses.She mentions that these audits help her decide when it's time for a change, ensuring she's always aligned with her interests and skills.Side Projects and Balance:
Discusses the genesis and development timeline of her side projects, such as W9 Crafter and Jumbly.com.Highlights the use of the Obsidian app to organize ideas and manage time efficiently, especially around her responsibilities as a new mother.Passion for Education:
Cassidy shares her drive to provide learning resources she wished she had when starting in tech.She recounts impactful moments in education, like helping friends secure jobs through her guidance and resources.Organizational Techniques and Productivity Tools:
Describes her reliance on digital tools like Obsidian, Brainstory, and others for productivity and organization.Cassidy values scheduled planning and strategic use of apps to manage her diverse commitments.Adapting to Technological Changes:
Cassidy uses her newsletter as a tool to stay updated with new technologies, ensuring she reads the materials she recommends to her audience.She explores building projects from scratch to deepen her understanding of new technologies without relying on libraries.Notable Quotes:
"Do a life audit regularly to figure out if you are where you want to be.""I want people to have the resources I didn’t have when starting out in tech.""Using a calendar and obeying it helps me stay organized amidst my busy schedule.""Having a baby has made me very efficient with my time.""Seeing people succeed as a result of my help is immensely gratifying.""It's fun to build something from scratch, to be close to the metal with the browser.""Paying it forward and lifting as you climb benefits everyone."Reference Materials:
Obsidian: A versatile note-taking application that allows users to create a linked network of notes. Cassidy uses it extensively for organizing project ideas, writing newsletters, blog posts, and general note-taking.Brainstory: Described as "rubber duck debugging as a service," this tool helps users articulate and refine their thoughts through Socratic questioning. It was developed to facilitate deeper thinking about projects or problems, simulating a conversation with a bot instead of a human.W9 Crafter and Jumblie.com: These are examples of Cassidy's side projects. W9 Crafter was developed over a few years and aims to simplify tax-related processes, while Jumblie.com is a fun word game created in just a week to accompany a video project.Raindrop: A bookmarking app that Cassidy utilizes to save and organize web resources effectively. This tool is handy for keeping important links accessible and categorized.Sukha: An app that combines Pomodoro-style timers with focus music, helping to enhance productivity through structured work and rest periods.Dabble.me: A journaling app that Cassidy tries to use daily. It helps her keep a personal log of her thoughts and activities, which is beneficial for reflection and mental organization.todometer: Another one of Cassidy's creations, this app is essentially a glorified to-do list with a progress bar feature. It visually represents task completion and allows for task pausing, enhancing the satisfaction of seeing tasks completed.About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Design Leadership and Mental Health:
Tanya underscores the importance of designing the team member experience, advocating for personalized approaches to feedback and recognition.She suggests practical strategies such as setting clear boundaries, creating a code of conduct, and establishing fixed times for team accessibility to improve mental well-being in the workplace.Emphasizes the necessity of leaders being proactive and mindful about the mental health of their team members, rather than just offering standard support programs.Signs of UX Theatre in Companies:
Tanya defines UX theatre as the adoption of UX terminology and superficial processes without substantive user-centered methodologies.Critiques the misuse of design thinking as a replacement for comprehensive UX strategies and the tendency of some organizations to test UX concepts with executives rather than actual users.She warns about the dangers of UX theatre in diluting the effectiveness of UX practices and misleading stakeholders about the maturity of UX integration within the company.UX Theatre in AI Integration:
Discusses the potential for AI to contribute to UX theatre, particularly when AI solutions are oversold as replacements for comprehensive design processes.Highlights risks such as executive misunderstanding of AI capabilities leading to reduced support for UX teams.Advocates for informed executive decision-making on AI integrations to genuinely support UX outcomes rather than just cutting costs or replacing human insight.Supporting Mental Health in High-Stress Situations:
Tanya provides strategies for design leaders to support their teams during high-stress situations, such as performance reviews.Discusses the importance of leaders being transparent about their own mental health challenges and setting an example of self-care and boundary-setting.AI and Genuine User-Centric UX Design:
Emphasizes the need for AI in design to be deeply integrated in ways that truly enhance user experience rather than just automate existing processes.Shares examples of successful AI applications in government services that improve efficiency and user satisfaction.Suggests focusing AI development on user needs to prevent it from being another form of UX theatre.Notable Quotes
"Leaders need to actually design the workplace experience with the same care we design user interfaces.""UX theatre often happens when companies talk about user-centered design but don't walk the walk.""AI should be a tool that enhances, not replaces, the human elements of UX design."Reference Materials
Tanya Snook's articles and presentations on LinkedIn about UX design, leadership, and workplace mental health.Recommended readings include studies on AI integration in UX processes and critiques of UX theatre practices.About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Shift in Researcher Activities:
Researchers are becoming more involved at the executive level, driven by organizational changes and the impact of new technologies like AI.Effective communication and business understanding are crucial for researchers to influence executive decisions and strategies.Impact of AI on Research:
AI and large language models are expected to become essential tools for researchers, enhancing their productivity and expanding their capabilities.These technologies will likely lead to a significant transformation in research practices, making them more efficient and less labor-intensive.Centralized Research Functions:
There is a growing trend towards integrating research functions more deeply within the product development process.Empowering non-researchers with research skills can reduce communication overhead and lead to more insightful and effective product strategies.Role of Learners Platform:
Learners is designed to support ongoing professional development and community engagement among researchers.The platform adapts to the changing educational needs of the research community, emphasizing practical, community-driven learning experiences.Future Technologies in Research:
Emerging technologies, especially AI, are poised to dramatically impact user research by enabling more dynamic and comprehensive analysis of data.Researchers and organizations need to embrace these tools to stay competitive and maximize the value of their research efforts.Notable Quotes
"Research is the only function that creates value indirectly, by enabling others to make better decisions.""The reality is that it's not just all these super wealthy people who are invested in these companies. It's your grandma's mutual fund too.""AI will not only automate some of the research tasks but will also enable a broader participation in the research process across different roles within the organization."Reference Materials
Mention of AI and its impact on various sectors like Getty images, which suggests a look into how AI is transforming industries.Discussion of Slack's research-driven approach to expansion in Japan, highlighting the nuances of adapting products for different cultural contexts.Alec's emphasis on the evolving educational and community-building roles through platforms like Learners and events like UXRConf.About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Integrating AI into Design Workflow:
LLMs have significantly shifted Colin's approach to design, especially in the ideation phase, by accelerating the move from idea generation to discernment and filtering.AI's capacity for generating diverse ideas helps bypass the initial, often time-consuming, brainstorming stage.Despite AI's assistance, the importance of human judgment, discernment, and taste remains undiminished.Challenges in Designing for LLM-Based Products:
The unpredictability and non-deterministic nature of LLMs pose unique challenges, diverging from traditional design principles that emphasize predictability.Designers are tasked with navigating these challenges by guiding users through the unpredictability of LLM outputs and equipping them with tools to manipulate and utilize these outputs effectively.Role of Human Creativity:
The conversation highlighted a broader, more nuanced understanding of creativity, suggesting that while AI can take over repetitive aspects of creative work, elements like discernment and intuition become even more crucial.Creativity within design is seen as evolving towards leveraging intuition and discernment over mere idea generation.Ethical Considerations and Design Principles:
Ethical considerations remain paramount, with a focus on preventing, reducing, and reversing harm.The unpredictability of LLM outputs necessitates a nuanced approach to design, focusing on outcomes rather than just technical performance.Changes in Design Education:
Despite AI's integration into design, fundamental design and research processes remain critical.Emphasis is placed on hands-on experience with LLMs, accountability for outcomes, and the development of a nuanced understanding of when and how to trust AI tools in the design process.Notable Quotes"LLMs... have encouraged me to shift my method of work in some real ways.""Discernment and taste remain really important.""Predictability is the hallmark of good design.""Our work should prevent, reduce, and reverse harm in our societies."Reference MaterialsNielsen's Usability HeuristicsInterface design principles for LLM-based productsEthical guidelines for technology development and applicationAbout Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Critical Processes in Design Systems:
Emphasis on building from a library of UI components and visual language.Importance of collaboration between designers and developers.The notion of a design system as a product serving products, requiring evolution, roadmap, support, and marketing.Strategic Planning for Design Systems:
Life cycles of design systems as generations, each with its focus and operational mode.The necessity of strategic periods, production processes, and shifts to business-as-usual modes.Prioritization of initiatives and the balance between major investments and ongoing feature development.Contributions to Design Systems:
Challenges with the conventional approach to contributions.Advocating for a shift from central governance to facilitating direct sharing and reuse among teams.Success stories of changing perspectives on contributions leading to more effective collaboration and system growth.Evolution of Design Systems:
Higher levels of rigor and formality in design system teams compared to product teams.The influence of design systems on establishing effective work practices and fostering cultures of critique.The importance of adaptability, experimentation, and less formal rigor in design systems.Emerging Trends and Technologies:
The imminent impact of AI and automation on design systems.The future emphasis on composition skills and the importance of understanding nested structures and layouts.The need for design professionals to adapt to tools that automate previously manual tasks.Notable Quotes
"A design system is a product serving products.""Contributions is a bit of a bad word in design systems.""The best design systems are the ones that know how to change and evolve.""AI is right around the corner, impacting design systems significantly."Reference Materials
Blog post by Nathan Curtis titled "A Design System is a Product Serving Products" (2016).About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Session Overview
Christine Perfetti dives into the concept of "Strategic Rallying" as a team-based, collaborative approach aimed at setting and executing a strategy and product vision with a focus on understanding and involving both external users/customers and internal team members of an organization. She shares insights from her experience, particularly a successful implementation at Aquia, where a one-day workshop with cross-functional teams led to significant alignment on product vision and strategy. Perfetti emphasizes the importance of involving the team in the process to foster ownership and execution on the vision. Additionally, she provides steps for organizations to shift towards a problem-space ideation culture and highlights the role of Strategic Rallying in bridging the gap between research insights and actionable outcomes. Moreover, she discusses recalibrating organizational culture to celebrate team success beyond traditional metrics and addresses how her approach tackles team chemistry within product development.
Strategic Rallying Defined:
Emphasizes a collaborative approach for setting and executing strategy and vision.Involves internal teams in the process, fostering a sense of ownership.Utilizes workshops to gather and prioritize ideas towards a long-term product direction.Shifting Towards Problem-Space Ideation:
Recommends a preparatory process involving stakeholder engagement, user research, and strategic planning.Advocates for involving cross-functional teams early and throughout the process.Bridging Research and Action Gaps:
Identifies common gaps where research insights do not lead to actionable outcomes.Suggests that involving stakeholders in the research and visioning process increases investment in and execution on insights.Fostering Collaborative Culture:
Advises on shifting focus from solely measurable outcomes to also valuing relationships and team successes.Emphasizes the importance of prioritizing relationships and celebrating collective achievements to foster a collaborative culture.Tackling Team Chemistry:
Outlines four internal pillars essential for product success, including team chemistry.Discusses how Strategic Rallying can improve team chemistry by promoting partnership and collaboration.Notable Quotes"Involving your teams in setting the vision and strategy for your company and product is crucial.""Strategic Rallying is about bringing together cross-functional teams to collect their brilliant ideas.""It's not enough for your team to understand the vision; they need to contribute to it and evangelize around it.""Shifting from a solution-focused mindset to a problem space ideation culture involves preparing through stakeholder engagement and user research.""The key to bridging research and action gaps is to involve stakeholders in the process, making them more invested in the outcomes."Reference MaterialsJared Spool's articles on connecting research to actionable outcomes and celebrating team wins.Todd Zaki Warfel's work on the design studio method for ideation and convergence.About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Finding Your Voice:
Danielle is still on a journey to discover what she wants to share with the world, using her experiences with Women Talk Design and the process of writing "Present Yourself."She aims to empower others to amplify their impact, believing in supporting others to do their best work and share their ideas.Unfinished Stories in Presentations:
Unfinished stories can make audiences feel less alone, invite collaboration, and allow speakers to outline potential outcomes.Sharing unfinished work can be intimidating, but it fosters connection, collaboration, and opens up discussions.Five Beliefs in Public Speaking:
Public speaking has no one right way; diversity in presentation styles enriches the field.New voices are crucial for industry and societal evolution.Acknowledging that public speaking is not a level playing field is vital for inclusivity.Improvement in public speaking comes with practice.Community support is essential for resilience and effectiveness in public speaking.Lessons from Self-Publishing:
Building a supportive team early and considering a book coach are critical steps.Understanding the timeline and process intricacies is necessary for a smooth publication.Setting clear processes and boundaries helps manage collaborations and version control effectively.Recognizing the various editing stages and maintaining control over content changes is important.Notable Quotes:"Empowering others amplifies impact beyond individual efforts.""Unfinished stories connect, collaborate, and create opportunities for dialogue.""Diverse voices and approaches enrich public speaking and thought leadership.""Self-publishing is a journey of learning, adaptation, and community support."Reference Materials:"Present Yourself" Book:
Authors: Danielle Barnes and Christina Wodtke.Focus: A comprehensive guide to public speaking, aimed at empowering readers to find and amplify their voices. The book distills insights from the authors' experiences and lessons learned through their professional journeys and work at Women Talk Design. It includes practical advice, exercises ("now try" sections), and strategies for improving public speaking skills. The book emphasizes the importance of practice, inclusivity, and adapting one's approach over time.Kat Vellos' "Designer to Author" Course:
Creator: Kat Vellos, a designer and author known for her self-published works and educational initiatives.Content: This course is designed for designers and other creatives who are interested in writing and publishing their own books. It covers the end-to-end process of book creation, from ideation and writing to publishing and marketing. Vellos shares her own experiences and lessons learned, providing a roadmap for others to follow in her footsteps. The course is valuable for anyone considering self-publishing, offering insights into overcoming common challenges and making informed decisions throughout the publishing journey.Women Talk Design Events and Workshops:
Organization: Women Talk Design is dedicated to increasing the visibility and influence of women and non-binary individuals in design and technology through public speaking.Offerings: The organization hosts a variety of events, workshops, and training programs focused on public speaking, leadership, and career development. These initiatives are designed to help participants develop their speaking skills, discover their unique voices, and gain the confidence to present their ideas effectively. Women Talk Design's programs are characterized by a supportive community atmosphere, practical learning experiences, and a commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech and design fields.These materials and initiatives collectively support individuals in their journeys to become more effective communicators and leaders, emphasizing the value of diverse perspectives, continuous learning, and community engagement in professional growth.
About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Session Overview
In this episode of Tent Talks, Christine McGlade, a sessional lecturer on digital futures at OCAD University, shares her insights on designing tomorrow with a focus on ethics and AI. Christine discusses the importance of futures thinking as a design discipline akin to systems thinking, emphasizing the need for ongoing engagement with the world to anticipate changes. She highlights the challenges of finding trusted primary sources in an era where AI-generated content is becoming increasingly prevalent, leading to a potential "model collapse." Christine also delves into the ethical dilemmas faced by designers in creating AI-driven solutions and the importance of incorporating ethical considerations into the design process. Additionally, she shares her thoughts on the intersection of humor and AI, suggesting that while AI struggles with creating humor, it can be a powerful tool to address ethical issues in AI.
Approaching Futures Thinking in AI:
Futures thinking is likened to a design discipline, stressing the importance of scanning for signals of change.Challenges in finding trusted primary sources due to the proliferation of AI-generated content.The importance of using tools like Perplexity.ai and Google Scholar to access primary sources.Model Collapse and AI:
Model collapse results from an increase in AI-generated training data, leading to a decrease in the quality of AI outputs.Concerns about data pollution and the echoing of mediocrity in AI-generated content.The introduction of artist-developed countermeasures like Nightshade to protect their work from being used as AI training data.Ethical Considerations in AI-Driven Design:
The need for designers to focus on the process rather than the outcomes when using AI to generate designs.Encouraging students to demonstrate their problem-solving process, emphasizing that the journey is as important as the destination.The limitations of AI in fully capturing the creative and design process, particularly in art and design.Humor as a Tool in Addressing AI Ethics:
AI's inability to create humor effectively, especially in sensitive or nuanced topics.The potential for humor to address and highlight ethical issues in AI, despite AI's limitations in understanding or generating humor.Notable Quotes:"Futures thinking... is helping students to foster... a kind of ongoing engagement with the world.""It's actually pretty difficult to find trusted primary sources.""We're not getting innovation, right? And that's the bottom line.""The outcome is not the thing. The road that you travel to get there, that's the thing."Reference Materials:Jeremy Rifkin's "The Empathic Civilization": This book is widely available and can be found on major book retailer websites, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookstore's online platform. Additionally, it may be available in digital format through platforms like Kindle or Audible for audiobooks.TechTarget Article on Model Collapse: Model collapse in the context of AI refers to a situation where a machine learning model fails to generalize from its training data, often due to overfitting on synthetic or unrepresentative training data, resulting in the model producing increasingly homogenous or inaccurate outputs. This issue underscores the importance of using diverse and representative data in training AI models to ensure they perform reliably in real-world applications.Nielsen Norman's Publications on Working with AI as Designers: The Nielsen Norman Group is renowned for its research and publications on user experience (UX) design.Nightshade: Nightshade is a tool designed to protect artists' copyrights by transforming images into "poison" samples that disrupt AI model training. It aims to deter the use of unlicensed data by introducing unpredictable behaviors in models trained on such data, making licensing a more appealing option. Nightshade and Glaze serve complementary roles: Glaze protects individual artworks from style mimicry, while Nightshade offers a collective defense against unauthorized scraping, with both aiming to support artists and encourage responsible data use in AI development.About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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In this insightful Tent Talks episode, Alison Gretz, a seasoned leader in the design industry, shares her unique leadership philosophy and how it has positively impacted her team dynamics and conflict resolution. Alison emphasizes the importance of viewing leadership roles as partnerships and coaching opportunities rather than positions of command and control. She discusses the application of Radical Candor, a concept by Kim Scott, in her leadership approach, highlighting the balance between honesty and sensitivity in team communications. Alison also explores strategies for fostering open communication and encouraging team members to engage in difficult conversations.
Leadership Philosophy and Conflict Resolution:
Leadership as partnership and coaching, rather than command and control.Importance of facilitation and understanding team dynamics.Encouragement of dissenting opinions and open communication.Navigating personal styles and conflicts for team betterment.Applying Radical Candor:
Foundation of trust and caring for successful application.Four communication styles: obnoxious aggression, ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, and radical candor.Emphasis on caring genuinely and addressing issues directly.Personal growth through feedback and clear, kind communication.Balance in High Stakes Situations:
Foundation of trust and caring is crucial.Importance of considering the receiver's perspective and readiness.Direct and clear communication for effective understanding.Strategies for feedback and creating a supportive environment.Adapting Leadership in Diverse Teams:
Application of design skills to stakeholder relationships.Importance of aligning goals and building trusting relationships.Strategies for dealing with tough relationships and disagreements.Emphasis on inclusivity and understanding different perspectives.Encouraging Open Communication:
Creating safe and approachable spaces for team members.Importance of facilitation across different work environments.Strategies for anonymous feedback and enforcing a no-asshole policy.Support for team members in preparing for and debriefing after difficult conversations.Notable Quotes:"Leadership is about partnership and coaching, not command and control.""Radical Candor requires a foundation of trust and caring.""Navigating team dynamics demands honesty, sensitivity, and a strong foundation of trust.""Encouraging open communication involves creating safe spaces and supporting team members through challenges."About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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In this episode of Tent Talks, Sunni Brown and Liya James share their insights on the creation of a virtual community centered around contemplative practices at the Center for Deep Self Design. They emphasize the impact these practices have had on their lives, enabling them to live more authentically and utilize their full potential. The conversation delves into the method behind Deep Self Design, highlighting its focus on exploring the inner world with benevolence and compassion rather than avoidance. They share personal and professional experiences to illustrate the transformative power of engaging with one's inner world, underscoring the method's effectiveness in fostering personal growth, overcoming internal obstacles, and enhancing relational dynamics.
Deep Self Design Virtual Community:
Creating a community for people interested in contemplative practices.Focus on personal growth, leadership, and becoming better at life and work.Transitioning to a virtual community to reach more people.Deep Self Design Method:
Emphasizes engaging with the inner world for personal insight and growth.Different from other methods by encouraging exploration and benevolence.Particularly beneficial for designers and creative professionals facing obstacles.Challenges Addressed by Deep Self Design:
Suitable for personal risk-taking, career changes, and overcoming internal obstacles.Helps with achieving personal and professional goals through inner exploration.Personal Benefits from Applying Deep Self Design:
Provides a pathway to peace, inner stability, and resilience in the face of challenges.Has been a transformative and healing process for both Sunni and Liya.Notable Quotes:"Engage with the inner world because there's data in there to help you get to where you need to go.""Real courage comes from working with self-talk in a compassionate way.""Deep Self Design is well suited for taking the meaning out of it's not just about you.""Exploring thoughts and being curious about them can open up a whole world that helps you understand why you behave a certain way.""Peace and inner stability... that's the thing we both return to again and again in the face of chaos and adversity."About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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Session Overview
In this enlightening Tent Talks session with Yaddy Arroyo, we dove into the intricate world of AI UX design leadership. Yaddy shared valuable insights on the differences between traditional UX design leadership and AI UX design leadership, emphasizing the importance of a diverse skill set, adaptability, and ethical considerations in AI projects. She highlighted the necessity of leaders to have hands-on experience in AI product design and development, along with the crucial role of natural language understanding in AI UX design. Yaddy also addressed the special UX considerations for digital human design and offered advice for companies looking to build a competent AI UX practice.
Key Differences in AI UX Design Leadership:
Importance of being a good human and caring about others.AI UX leaders need AI experience to attract high-caliber talent.AI leadership involves abstract thinking and a respect for content design.AI leaders must be adaptable, open, and able to handle ambiguity.Ethical considerations, like diversity and user privacy, are crucial in AI UX.Ethical Implications in AI Product Design:
Necessity of diverse teams to reduce algorithmic bias.Importance of user privacy and data protection.Ethical considerations extend beyond UX to sourcing and handling of data.AI leaders must advocate for ethical practices and understand the broader impact of their decisions.Importance of Hands-On Experience:
Leaders with AI experience are crucial for guiding teams effectively.Leaders must understand AI intricacies to make informed decisions.Hands-on experience helps leaders mentor and elevate their teams.Building a Competent AI UX Practice:
Emphasize hiring leaders who are teachable and can nurture talent.Focus on upskilling existing workforce with a mindset for learning and adaptability.Encourage a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.Role of Natural Language Understanding (NLU):
NLU is foundational to AI UX design, especially in crafting user interactions.Understanding user communication and processing is key to effective AI UX design.Content design closely aligns with NLU and is critical in AI UX.UX Considerations for Digital Human Design:
Focus on human factors and understanding user mindsets in various scenarios.Design must account for different user needs and urgency levels.Continuous Learning in AI for Leadership:
Learn from industry professionals and hands-on experience.Engage in professional communities, attend conferences, and follow AI thought leaders.Understand AI technology fundamentals and stay updated with evolving trends.Notable Quotes:"AI UX leaders need to be adaptable, open, and able to handle ambiguity.""Diversity in teams is key to creating ethical AI products.""Hands-on AI experience is crucial for effective leadership.""Continuous learning and adaptability are essential in AI UX practice.""NLU is foundational to AI UX, shaping user interactions and content design."About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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The session with Jane Ruffino explored the often overlooked yet crucial role of content in technology and design. Jane, a content strategist, discussed how content acts as a foundational infrastructure in digital products and services, likening it to the integral but usually invisible components of physical infrastructure. She shared her experiences in various projects, highlighting the importance of integrating content design from the onset rather than treating it as an afterthought. Jane also touched on the challenges of advocating for the value of content in tech environments and the importance of building alliances and educating colleagues about the vital role of content.
Content as Infrastructure
Content is a foundational element in products and services, akin to infrastructure in its essential yet often invisible role.Jane shared a project experience where content design was initially sidelined but later recognized as critical in structuring user interactions and decision paths.The project highlighted the importance of considering content early in the design process and integrating it with other aspects of product development.Value of Content in Tech Environments
Convincing others of the importance of content is challenging; success often lies in working with those who already acknowledge its value.Jane emphasized the importance of making informed decisions about content and helping others understand these choices.She noted similarities between the challenges faced by content strategists and engineers, suggesting potential alliances.Educating on Technical Concepts
Jane's approach to teaching complex subjects involves meeting people where they are and focusing on their goals rather than overwhelming them with jargon.She shared her experience teaching archaeology to school kids, using relatable scenarios to make the subject engaging and accessible.Advocacy for Content
Advocacy in content strategy is about forming alliances and understanding the type of gap (awareness, knowledge, value) you're trying to close.Measuring the impact of advocacy and content work can be difficult; success often lies in prevention of problems rather than easily quantifiable metrics.Notable Quotes
"Content is not an afterthought; it's the structure we build everything else around.""In content design, success is often about making informed decisions and helping others see the value in those choices.""Teaching is about helping people see the world through a new lens, not just imparting knowledge.""Advocacy for content isn't just about promoting its importance; it's about forming strategic alliances and being recognized for your expertise."About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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In this episode of Tent Talks, Tim Frick delves into the evolving landscape of digital sustainability, a topic that's gaining traction but still relatively niche. Tim discusses recent regulatory changes, like the EU's Climate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Biden's executive order on AI, highlighting their impact on sustainability. He envisions a future where sustainable practices in digital product design and development become the norm, driven by a growing awareness and desire for change.
Tim also touches on the significant environmental impact of the internet and data centers, a revelation from his journey as a B Corp advocate. The discussion also covers the Web Sustainability Guidelines (WSGs) and their potential to shape web development and design. Tim acknowledges challenges like lack of awareness, technical debt, data accessibility, and legislative incentives in adopting sustainable practices. Lastly, he emphasizes the importance of inclusive economic practices and regenerative design in the digital product lifecycle and advises on measuring and communicating the impact of sustainability initiatives, drawing on his experiences with MightyBytes and B Corp certification.
Digital Sustainability's Future:
Digital sustainability is an emerging, niche topic.Growing awareness in both technology and sustainability sectors.Hope for sustainability to become a default in digital product design in the next decade.Significant environmental impact of internet and data centers highlighted.Web Sustainability Guidelines:
WSGs developed to provide guidance in digital sustainability.A multidisciplinary approach covering business, UX design, web development, and more.Aimed at making sustainable practices more accessible and actionable.Barriers to Sustainable Practices:
Challenges include lack of awareness and understanding, technical debt, data accessibility, and lack of legislative incentives.Emphasis on the need for sustainable data strategies and supporting right-to-repair policies.Regenerative Design and Inclusive Economic Practices:
Focus on systemic thinking and sustainability in all decisions.Importance of powering digital products with renewable energy and responsible data strategies.Inclusion entails personal wellbeing, equitable hiring, and sharing economic benefits.Measuring and Communicating Sustainability Initiatives:
The B Impact Assessment as a valuable tool for measuring sustainability.Importance of collective action and making sustainability a journey rather than a switch to flip.Notable Quotes:
"Digital sustainability...is growing rapidly. As technology advances, the intersection between digital innovation and sustainability becomes more crucial.""My hope is that 10 years from now, [sustainability] is just a default way that people design and develop digital products.""The internet is a big machine...the true environmental impact of the internet [is significant].""We need a set of guidelines to govern sustainable digital practices...and [the Web Sustainability Guidelines] aim to provide that.""Lack of awareness, technical debt, and data gaps are significant barriers in sustainable digital product development.""Sustainability is not a switch you flip. It's a journey. It's about continuous improvement and collective action towards a more sustainable future."About Tent Talks
Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!
What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.
Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.
You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!
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