UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
July//21//2023
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
AI and Product Managers. Very interesting article hailing from Pendo’s Design Blog and author Christine Itwaru, on the topic of how AI can be leveraged to improved Product Managers workflow. The author details how Pendo itself is leveraging AI, including learning experiences from their customers. Towards the end of the article, Ms. Itwaru mentions there’s two PM pillars AI will never replace: Building Responsibly and Communicating Effectively. While some of these actions can be automated, knowing what to build and how to communicate, require a thorough understanding of clients’ needs, expectations and journeys. Well worth reading through this brief take on AI. Highlight of the article includes:
“Here I’m not talking about auto-generated status reports. I mean truly being present and communicative with customers, engineers, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams. This is what helps us understand if we’re solving the right problems, whether we’re providing enough details for others to do their jobs well, and helps us articulate value. Alignment and transparency are critical to the success of any team, and with product managers sitting in the middle of organizations, communication during this wave of change is the most important thing to focus on. Let’s not distill its value.”
2.
VR Therapy Helping Schizophrenia Patients. Very interesting article hailing from The Next Web and author Ioanna Lykiardopoulou, detailing a case study of where VR technology has had a significant impact in treating schizophrenic patients. Scientists have developed “Virtual-Reality based Theory of Mind Intervention in Schizophrenia”, which aims to enhance the patient’s mentalisation. The article details what the treatment entails, and also showcases metrics representing its success rate. Professionals in the field are being trained on how to use this method, and this an apt case study representative of how VR can in reality transcend gamification scenarios to other applicable ones that also have a profound impact on people’s lives. Well worth reading through. Highlight of the article includes:
“The testing phase of the VR-ToMIS method concluded in 2022, involving 43 patients. The researchers observed significant improvements in both the cognitive and negative symptoms of the participants. These include coherent thinking, social cognitive deficit, Theory of Mind, emotional bluntness, decreasing facial expressions, and apathy. The patients’ feedback was also very positive. 93.3% of the participants found the method entertaining and 78% considered it an important part of their rehabilitation.”
3.
Design Risks. Great article from Therese Fessenden published on The Nielsen Norman Group’s website, focused on the topic of Design Risks and the mitigation of those risks. The author defines Design Risk as the likelihood of a new or existing design negatively impact the business or its customers. The article has a list of 6 risk management actions, including Organizational Objectives, Identifying Hazzards, Assessing Hazzards, Developing Risk-Reduction Controls, Implementing Controls, and finally Evaluating and Monitoring Controls. Ms. Fessenden also leverages a pertinent example to clearly illustrate how Design Risks play a part in the overall strategy organizations need to take into consideration as they continue to invest in new and existing product solutions. Fascinating read. Highlight of the article includes:
“Risk-mitigation strategies come with their own implementation costs. Teams need to analyze the costs of these strategies and much like a team might prioritize designs by their user impact and feasibility, controls should be pursued by weighing their relative feasibility & overall risk impact. Often, these controls come in the form of adjustments or specifications for both new and existing designs, but they may also be changes in workflows, processes, and business models. Regardless what types of controls you’re considering, some well-distributed (and more importantly, well-written) documentation will ensure that the controls are implemented consistently across the organization.”
