UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
August//8//2025
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the past week!
1.
Skeleton Screens. This article from the prolific Noah Davis for the Web Designer Depot is a good reminder of what are skeleton screens, when should they be used, and even more so, the reason why performance is a top concern for any type of digital product that is placed in front of customers. Skeleton Screens were used as a cue for elements on the screen of an application or web product that were still loading. These have been used quite frequently, but according to the author, quite abused and have drained the good will of most users. Personally, in all the products that I’ve designed and launched to market, skeleton screens haven’t been that common, but they do have a place in the strategy of an application, particularly when there are loading issues at stake. If that is indeed the case, leveraging this tactic, should be aligned with a deliberate effort to address performance issues (and as the Quality Assurance on the Web pontificates, “Technical” aspects are to be addressed). Worth reading. Highlight of the article includes:
“A good skeleton screen in 2025 needs to match the real UI exactly. Font size, padding, layout density — if your skeleton boxes don’t look like the real thing, it breaks the illusion. And there’s no excuse for showing a massive rectangle that says “image loading” if the actual image is a tiny thumbnail. Or showing five lines of shimmering “text” when the content turns out to be a single emoji. That kind of mismatch destroys user trust.”
2.
Are AI Agents Actually Helping. This article from the Pendo Blog is a pitch for one of their current platform offerings, focused on Agent Analytics, which for all intended purposes means, tracking and providing deeper understanding on what Agentic AI is delivering to its users. How are users tracking that the AI engine, the LLMs they’re interacting with is indeed providing the information they need, or how effective is it being leveraged for task accomplishment. Though it is an article focused on what Pendo’s solution does, I like this article in particular for the questions it poses, and for the fact that it asks of these tools as much responsibility and accountability as we have come to expect from its Human users. Highlight of the article includes:
“For decades, digitization meant taking physical, manual processes and figuring out how to recreate them in software. Now, we’re entering an era where you can simply tell a conversational agent what you want done, and it will go off, complete those tasks, and return with results. This is a fundamental change in how people interact with software. Instead of clicking through workflows, users are having conversations. Instead of navigating complex interfaces, they’re expressing intent in natural language.”
3.
AI and Job Hunting. Very pertinent article from Leslie Stevens-Huffman for the Dice Blog, focusing on how AI has permeated across the recruitment process, with both applicants and recruiting/hiring managers leveraging these tools. While applicants are leveraging AI to tailor their applications to what the job descriptions are itemizing and requesting, losing in the process authenticity and the specificity of their point of view, hiring managers/recruiters are leveraging it to detect that same artificiality or lack of a distinct point of view. What the author and the article suggest, is essentially leveraging AI as a tool for refinement, and not to replace your unique view point or perspective. Ultimately never lose sight of who you are as a professional in detriment of a trend or a tool that brushes up your accomplishments with buzzwords that remove meaning from what someone has done. Insightful article worth reading through. Highlight of the article includes:
“The proliferation of AI tools is creating an applicant tsunami. To keep pace, recruiters often use AI detection software to flag resumes that rely too heavily on AI. Eliminating these applications helps recruiters focus on candidates who demonstrate initiative, align with the role and company culture, and truly stand out. AI-generated resumes often contain too many buzzwords, lack context for accomplishments, and fail to convey your unique impact. “The buzzwords it generates may or may not make sense,” Fryer said. “And it absolutely cannot nail soft skills or attributes that demonstrate alignment with the company’s mission and culture.” Sometimes resumes created from the same source or prompt share similar language patterns, odd formatting, or even plagiarized content. They can also include incorrect or irrelevant information.”
