The most punishing part of being unemployed isn’t the lack of steady income, it’s navigating all the job applications. — It’s not a great time to be trying to break into the field of user experience according to article after article. Nevertheless, I and many other hopefuls, have been persisting. We have polished our resumes and CVs to a high shine, tackled projects to populate our portfolio sites with promise…

Dungeons and dragons and details, details, details — Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most anticipated role-playing games of the decade, and a clear contender for Game of the Year. For the uninitiated (roll for initiative!), this massive but well-polished game produced by Larian Studios is essentially a complete Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Players are thrust into…

When accessibility practices become standard, everyone benefits. — Do you watch movies with subtitles on? In a Preply survey of 1,260 Americans, 50% said that they use subtitles most of the time. This goes for more than just movies: most social media feeds that feature videos have features that allow for automated or manual subtitles. …

How even well-established, familiar user interfaces like Twitter can’t make up for lack of user trust. — Do you still trust Twitter? Do you feel like it is “the world’s most accurate, real-time information source and a global town square for communication?” …

In the case of the Netflix password crackdown, did ease of use win over user outrage? — In February, I wrote about the upset caused by Netflix’s announcement that they would be cracking down on password sharing, a practice that was previously encouraged. I thought that it was short-sighted by Netflix to presume that all users on a single account we’re part of a single, fixed location…

The latest Legend of Zelda title has both pleased and pissed off gamers when addressing certain user interface issues. — This article started as, and could easily end up, as a love letter to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Its legendary predecessor, Breath of the Wild, started a kind of video game renaissance in my life. …

Is endless scrolling evil? How can we balance ease-of-use with what’s best for humanity? — Scrolling without end has become standard in most social media feeds. On TikTok, there is no natural stopping point to a morning scroll other than the oft-ignored and strangely annoying “Tired Thumbs” promoted content encouraging users to take a break. But does TikTok really want you to put down your…

Inconvenience is the mother of invention. — We all know that AI is the new hotness, so it was only a matter of time before Google made strides in this new, and lucrative, space. On May 10th at Google’s annual I/O conference, Search Labs was announced. …

Hosting TTRPGs could help you become a better designer, researcher, and writer. — It should come as no surprise that there is a significant overlap between user research nerds and fantasy nerds. UX is a nerdy profession that requires in depth research, stepping into the shoes of users and personas, improvising interviews, and thinking outside of the box. …