Writing

Articles

Notes on how I design: the process I run, the systems I lean on, and the research behind both.

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AI Design

Ten Rules for Intelligent Design

Ten principles I rely on for designing AI systems that serve human needs: transparent reasoning, explicit roles, restraint, accessibility, and graceful failure among them.

7 min read

Abstract illustration of three connected stages, research, measurement and iteration, in magenta and turquoise on a dark ground.

Process

The Three Steps of the UCD Process

Three techniques run through my user-centered design work: an early focus on users and tasks, empirical measurement of product usage, and iterative design.

3 min read

Abstract illustration of a staircase of four ascending planes, the third lit in magenta and the fourth in turquoise, on a dark ground.

Design Leadership

Moving a UX Organization from Stage Three to Stage Four

Emerging UX practices in large organizations stall on adoption, headcount and process. The way up is process first: design systems, open research, and collaboration with a measurable vision.

5 min read

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Design Systems

A systematic approach to design: why I have leaned on design systems from Exponential to Oracle Redwood, what they buy a team, and where they push back.

4 min read

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Design Leadership

Optimize the Structure of Your Design Team

Three ways to organize a design squad, centralized, decentralized and hybrid, with the trade-offs I have seen leading each, and the staffing question that decides between them.

5 min read

Abstract illustration of scattered dots and broken arcs that the eye reads as a single circle and two groups, in magenta and turquoise on a dark ground.

Visual Design

The 7 Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception

The Gestalt principles explain how our vision perceives shapes, figures, and objects. Part one covers proximity, similarity and continuity, and how each guides my UX and UI work.

3 min read

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Visual Design

The 7 Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception, Part Two

Part two covers the remaining four Gestalt principles, closure, symmetry, figure and ground, and common fate, and how each guides my UX and UI work.

4 min read

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Process

Maximize Your UX Process

Waterfall and agile each have a place in design work. The key is knowing when to use which: long cycles for generative research and design systems, short sprints for shipping and learning.

6 min read

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User Research

Measuring Design

How I measure the user experience across the product life cycle: heuristic evaluations with a scoring frame at the start, usability tests and surveys later, and how I turn open-ended answers into numbers.

7 min read