NN/g UX Podcast Nielsen Norman Group

In this episode, we dive into User Interviews with Steve Portigal, discussing their critical role in product development and design research. User interviews, a qualitative method, involve conversations with users to gather insights about their experiences, behaviors, and needs. We discuss the benefits of this approach, such as deep user empathy and informed decision making, alongside common challenges like bias and recruitment. Join us in understanding when to use user interviews and how to get the most out of them.

NN/g Articles & Training Courses

User Interviews (full-day/2 half-day UXC course)

User Interviews 101 (free article)

The 3 Types of User Interviews: Structured, Semi-Structured, and Unstructured (free video)

When to Use Which User-Experience Research Methods (free article)

5 Facilitation Mistakes to Avoid During User Interviews (free article)



⁠Learn more about Steve Portigal

Interviewing Users (2nd Edition)  20% discount code: interviewing

AI is changing faster than we can sometimes process and will likely do so for a while. The recent tech layoffs have also not spared UX professionals, adding to the uncertainty about our future roles in this rapidly changing environment. While there is still much we don't know about AI, Don Norman, co-founder of NN/g, and Sarah Gibbons, VP at NN/g, share their insights on the future roles of designers, encouraging professionals to think big in the wake of AI's advancements.

Related NN/g Articles & Training Courses


Generative UI and Outcome-Oriented Design


AI as a UX Assistant


The 4 Degrees of Anthropomorphism of Generative AI
AI Chat Is Not (Always) the Answer


AI-Powered Tools for UX Research: Issues and Limitations
Prompt Structure in Conversations with Generative AI
Sycophancy in Generative-AI Chatbots 


New Course: Practical AI for UX Professionals





Other Related Content


⁠Don Norman’s Website⁠

Chapters


0:00-1:12 - Intro


1:13-18:18 - What will design’s role be as AI expands?


18:18-23:15 - What is going to stay the same as AI expands?


23:16-end - Rapid Fire Questions 

Extended reality (XR) experiences hold the potential to transform the way we learn, work, and collaborate. Specifically, it can make educational experiences more interactive, engaging and ultimately drive higher learning outcomes. In this episode, we feature Jan Plass, who discusses the affordances of XR technology, provides examples of XR learning experiences and shares his expectations for its impact on the education landscape. Jan Plass is a Professor at New York University, Paulette Goddard Chair, and Director of CREATE.

Learn more about Jan Plass:

CREATE Lab
Looking Inside Cells
On the Morning You Wake
Verizon AR/VR Learning Apps (i.e. Visceral Science, Mapper's Delight, UNSUNG, Looking Inside Cells etc.)


NN/g ARTICLES & TRAINING COURSES
Augmented/Virtual Reality vs. Computer Screens
10 Usability Heuristics Applied to Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality and User Experience
Emerging Patterns in Interface Design ⁠ (full-day/2 half-day UXC course)

The Design of Everyday Things


CHAPTERS:
0:00-3:13 - Intro
3:13-5:35 - What is XR?
5:35-8:54 - XR as a Learning Opportunity
8:54-12:19 - Examples of XR for learning
12:19-15:30 - Evidence of Learning with VR Technology
15:30-18.51 - Can VR features Induce Emotions and Result in Better Learning Outcomes?
18:51-23.45 - Comparing UX in 2D and 3D spaces?
23:45-27:41 - Accessibility and Inclusivity in XR
27:41 - XR Development: The Role of Affordances

The surge of AI is currently changing the way we work and live. To avoid feeling left behind, it is important to engage with and understand these tools. This is true for UX designers just as much as almost everybody else. In this episode, we feature Henry Modisett from Perplexity AI and Kate Moran to get two insightful perspectives on the current state of AI and its connection to UX.

Learn more about Henry Modisett
Learn more about Kate Moran

Perplexity.AI

NN/g ARTICLES & TRAINING COURSES

AI for UX: Getting Started (free article)
AI & Machine Learning Will Change UX Research & Design (free video)
AI Improves Employee Productivity by 66% (free article)
AI-Powered Tools for UX Research: Issues and Limitations (free article)
AI: First New UI Paradigm in 60 Years (free article)
Sycophancy in Generative-AI Chatbots (free article)
Information Foraging with Generative AI: A Study of 3 Chatbots (free article)
The ELIZA Effect: Why We Love AI (free article)
Practical AI for UX Professionals (full-day/2 half-day UXC course)


CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:43 Perplexity AI: History & Value Proposition
10:30 Perplexity AI: Next Steps & Future Developments
15:04 Making AI User Friendly: Generative Interfaces
24:33 Understanding AI as a Consumer Product
28:28 Mental Models for AI
30:41 An Outlook for AI
35:51 NN/g’s Role in the AI Movement
37:34 Anthropomorphism of AI
40:07 Dealing with the Fear of AI

Wireframing is an incredibly useful design technique to flesh out conceptual ideas and communicate them to others. However, with the advent of powerful prototyping tools, some designers may think of these as irrelevant or outdated practices. Leon Barnard, Content Manager at Balsamiq and co-author of the book Wireframing for Everyone, discusses why he thinks wireframing is not only still relevant, but essential for maximizing creativity and innovative thinking.


Connect with Leon Barnard
Balsamiq Wireframing AcademyWireframing for Everyone (book) by Michael Angeles, Leon Barnard, & Billy Carlson

Related NN/g Articles & Training Courses


How to Draw a Wireframe (Even if You Can’t Draw) (free article)


UX Basics: Study Guide (collection of free articles)


UX Basic Training (UX certification course)


UX Deliverables (UX certification course)


Visual Design Fundamentals (UX certification course)

We often talk about measuring progress, but it can sometimes be harder to do in practice than in theory, especially when you’re combining mixed research methods. However, some teams have managed to not only make sense of the data, but use it to make award-winning designs. In this episode we feature two members of Princeton University’s award-winning intranet team: Charlie Kreitzberg, Senior UX Advisor, and Christian Knoebel, Director Digital Strategy, and how they combined two frameworks: the 5D Rubric and pairLab, to bridge the gap between UX and product design.

Learn about the 5-D Rubric

Learn about pairLab

Related NN/g resources:


10 Best Intranets of 2022 (the year Princeton University won) (free article)
Intranet & Enterprise Design Study Guide (free article)
Past Intranet Design Annual: 2022 (the year Princeton University won) (534-page report)
Intranet Design Annual: 2023 (most recent awards) (483-page report)