UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
February//7//2025
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the past week!
1.
Knowing Less About AI Opens More Acceptance in its Utilization. Great article from The Next Web authored by the collective The Conversation, which much like the title indicates, leverages a study that was performed, to come to the conclusion that people with less knowledge about AI, are more likely to adopt and use it. This study which was performed across 27 countries, highlights that “The reason behind this link lies in how AI now performs tasks we once thought only humans could do. When AI creates a piece of art, writes a heartfelt response or plays a musical instrument, it can feel almost magical — like it’s crossing into human territory.” Even if AI isn’t of course human, it’s interesting how this study illustrates the perception that is created by its abilities in those who know little of what makes AI actually work. Highlight of the article includes:
“On the other hand, those with less understanding may see AI as magical and awe inspiring. We suggest this sense of magic makes them more open to using AI tools. Our studies show this lower literacy-higher receptivity link is strongest for using AI tools in areas people associate with human traits, like providing emotional support or counselling. When it comes to tasks that don’t evoke the same sense of human-like qualities — such as analysing test results — the pattern flips. People with higher AI literacy are more receptive to these uses because they focus on AI’s efficiency, rather than any “magical” qualities.”
2.
The Digital Playbook. Interesting article from Paul Boag for “The Smashing Magazine” on the topic of creating Digital Playbooks, and how they serve as a solid companion to Design Systems. As someone who has worked on Innovation Playbooks, and even Digital Design ones, I can attest indeed these are an interesting tool which can support the Design momentum or reinforce the maturity strategy a Designer is planning for a certain Organization. However, it is also a tool whose efficiency will highly depend on the willingness of an organization to have an intention, comprehension, and acceptance of its message. Highlight of the article includes:
“A digital playbook is essentially your organization’s handbook for navigating the complexities of digital work. As a user experience consultant, I often help organizations create tools like this to streamline their processes and improve outcomes. It’s a collection of strategies, principles, and processes that provide clarity on how to handle everything from website creation to content management and beyond. Think of it as a how-to guide for all things digital.”
3.
AI and Emotional Intelligence. Very interesting article from Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic for The Fast Company, focused on how AI can teach us a thing or two on the topic of EQ, Emotional Intelligence. The author highlights 4 distinct aspects, including real-time sentiment analysis, employee mood and engagement monitoring, diversity and inclusion insights, and finally role-playing and virtual EQ training. It’s fascinating how the parsing of data and pattern recognition allows for these algorithms to assist humans in developing their skills and ultimately have more insight. Highlight of the article includes:
“While it seems counterintuitive to think of AI as capable of displaying EQ, a simple examination of any generative AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude) will show that AI is already better than many humans at both managing itself and others, which includes the ability to understand humans, and help us boost our own EQ.”
