UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
December//3//2021
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.
A Conversation with Michelle Aaron. Another interesting article hailing from the Marvel Design Blog. This particular article is part of a series of interviews the Blog has been crafting, this time around under the tutelage of author Rory McCormick. One of the most interesting aspects to this series of articles, is understanding how different Design professionals have their own career paths, their insights into what crafting resonating Product Design solutions are all about, and how they’ve been able to merge their ongoing efforts with those of the teams they’re collaborating with. In this case, Ms. Aaron focuses on her experience in FinnTech, and the products she has been crafting with Moneybox. Well worth the read. Highlight of the article includes:
“It’s all about the detail, and understanding all aspects. You have to be able to hold lots of things in mind as a design leader, whether that’s helping your team with their personal development or with their design work. While also making sure that the work meets all of the requirements from a user perspective, and from a business objective perspective as well. I think that’s always the biggest challenge: finding a way to balance the business goals with the user goals, which can sometimes be very, very different. Knowing when to put the user first, and when the business goal has to come first. Being able to get into the detail of what backs each of those options, and figuring out the trade offs.”
2.
Obsessing about the Future. The ongoing shifts in how teams work, has forced leaders to adjust how they simultaneously define their overall business strategy and also, how they can keep their team members engaged and hopefully, without much continued stress. This article from The Fast Company pontificates that instead of leaders focusing so heavily on what lies ahead, that they should in fact build the grounds for a successful future, by establishing a solid present tense. Paying close attention to factors such as Fostering Opportunities for Growth, relying on Empathetic Communication, and realizing not all Answers are readily available, are some of the considerations the article offers. It’s an interesting reflection, worth reading, since in times of unease, we tend to look ahead, and sometimes forget that creating a stable environment in the present alleviates many concerns. Highlight of the article includes:
“Keep in mind that people are still struggling with the instability and trauma of the past 17 months. How you communicate can make the difference between a tense atmosphere or one that fosters a sense of familiarity and reassurance. Consulting firm, McKinsey and Company puts it well: “The workplace provides a relevant and powerful source to help people put traumatic situations into a more motivational perspective,” they write. “Clear and inspiring communication is central to making this next unsteady phase a success.” McKinsey recommends focusing your communication on the well-being of your employees, not work. “Leaders need to invest time in cultivating open, compassionate conversations about what has been lost in the pandemic,” McKinsey adds. “They should validate that there is an emotional impact and that it can be a topic of discussion in the workplace.””
3.
Leadership Lessons. While this is indeed somewhat of a topical article, based on a high profile event that just took place, in this case, the resignation of Twitter’s CEO, Mr. Jack Dorsey, the article provides some interesting reflections to ponder, namely on the nature of leadership, evolution of organizations and the journeys leaders and their own companies actually take. While the article doesn’t go into great depths on the analysis of this topic, it does raise a few pertinent questions in terms of how leaders are at times at odds with the pacing and goals of their organizations, their investors and even their own teams. Worth reading. Highlight of the article includes:
“In most cases, the thing that makes a great entrepreneur is different from what it takes to run a large, mature company. Founding a company requires dreaming up crazy ideas, taking risks, and pouring all of your energy and passion into something that may never work. The problem is that once you’ve done that, it’s pretty hard to be objective about what you built. It’s even harder to let go when you’ve grown something beyond what you’re capable of leading. Sometimes, however, the thing your company needs most is for you to get out of the way.”
