NN/g UX Podcast Nielsen Norman Group

The UX industry has recently seen what some call "unprecedented" shifts with layoffs and generative artificial intelligence rapidly changing how UX work is done. However, there have been similarly turbulent periods in tech, decades before. Dr. Jakob Nielsen reflects on the changes that have taken place over the near 25 years Nielsen Norman Group has been around, and discusses whether or not generative AI is just a phase or truly the next chapter of UX work.

Learn more about Dr. Jakob Nielsen

Past keynote speeches by Dr. Jakob Nielsen

Topics Covered:


1:45 - Dr. Jakob Nielsen's "origin story"
3:46 - What UX was like during the "dot-com boom"
6:30 - How the UX profession has changed since the "dot-com boom"
8:21 - Generative AI - a phase or the next chapter of UX work?
13:26 - How AI will shift the labor of UX away from pixel-pushing and toward orchestration/editorializing
16:58 - The future of UX: what keeps Dr. Jakob Nielsen inspired
19:34 - Balancing the pressure to build new features vs. fixing existing infrastructures (UX debt)
23:00 - Foundational UX ideologies: who is responsible for a good experience; matching how people actually behave
25:17 - Advice for people new to UX 
27:40 - Advice for experienced UX professionals in preparing for a future with AI

With the recent surge in tech layoffs, a downsizing of UX labor means UX research is harder to do, meaning: research needs to be prioritized in really intentional ways. Discount inspection methods like expert reviews and heuristic evaluations can help identify high-priority design issues that need further research and design effort. In this episode, Evan Sunwall offers some insight into how to facilitate and communicate the results of these inspection methods. 

Connect with Evan Sunwall on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/esunwall/

Evan's Recommended Further Reading on NN/g:


Jakob Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics (article)
The classic heuristics for effective interaction design used by many UX professionals to evaluate digital experiences.
Heuristic Evaluation of User Interface (video)
How to Conduct a Heuristic Evaluation (article) 
How to Conduct an Expert Review (article)


Other Books:


Don't Make Me Think (book) - a very short and easy-to-read primer on usability and its role in creating successful products.

The term artificial intelligence, AI, is having a bit of a boom, with the explosion in popularity of tools like ChatGPT, Lensa, DALL•E 2, and many others. The praises of AI have been equally met with skepticism and criticism, with cautionary tales about AI information quality, plagiarism, and other risks. Susan Farrell, the Principal UX Researcher at mmhmm, shares a bit about her experiences in researching chatbots and AI driven tools, and defines what AI is, what it isn’t, and what teams should consider when implementing AI systems.

Susan Farrell's social media: LinkedIn; Mastodon
What Susan is working on: mmhmm.app

NN/g courses referenced in this episode: 


Design Tradeoffs & UX Decision Making (full-day and 2-day course) 
Emerging Patterns in Interface Design (full-day and 2-day course) 

Recommended Reading to deep dive into artificial intelligence & machine learning: 


Age of Invisible Machines - Robb Wilson 
The Promise and Terror of Artificial Intelligence - Os Keyes 
Becoming a chatbot: my life as a real estate AI’s human backup
The Invisible Workforce that Makes AI Possible
For Humans Learning Machine Learning 
What are large language models (LLMs), why have they become controversial? 
On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big? 

Interested in working for us? Check out our job posting and apply by Jan. 30, 2023.

Building exceptional experiences usable by all is no easy feat. Focusing on what can be influenced and accepting what cannot be changed are two critical steps to crafting better products... and careers. We spoke with Ryan Hudson-Peralta, a principal experience designer at Rocket Homes, who often introduces himself as a "father, husband, international speaker, and designer... who just happens to be born without hands." Ryan shares a bit about his journey into the UX field, and how his mindset of curiosity and positivity allows him to create meaningful experiences with his designs and with his career.

Learn more about Ryan Hudson-Peralta: lookmomnohands.com

If you would like to learn about UX design, we have thousands of articles and videos at our website www.nngroup.com. 

Full-Day Design Courses (also available in 2 half-day formats)


UX Basic Training
Web Page UX Design
Application Design
Mobile User Experience
Designing Complex Apps for Specialized Domains

How has the UX field changed over the years? What does the future of UX work look like if scope is wildly expanding? Will we be automated out of a job? What should teams do to ensure they’re not misinterpreting data? Kenya Oduor shares her thoughts on these questions and more, offering suggestions for UX professionals wishing to set themselves up for success in a future of coexistence with artificial intelligence systems and automation. (Surprisingly, these tips are quite helpful for planning and analyzing quantitative user research as well.)

Learn more about Kenya Oduor, Ph.D. and Lean Geeks: Bio, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, LeanGeeks.net

Related NN/g Articles & Videos:

The Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and User Experience (4 min video)

AI & Machine Learning Will Change UX Research & Design (11 min video)

10 Usability Heuristics in Interface Design (article)

Visibility of System Status (Usability Heuristic #1) (article)

Hierarchy of Trust: The 5 Experiential Levels of Commitment (article)

Related NN/g Course: Emerging Patterns in Interface Design (UXC course - full day or 2 half-days)

Visual design takes a lot more work than just making things look pretty, and is a fundamental part of many user's experiences. Our digital design lead, Kelley Gordon, shares some practical tips for both designers and "non-designers" alike to strengthen visual designs and improve working relationships. 

Read more about Kelley Gordon here

Follow us on Instagram @nngux

Full-day courses and 1-Hour Talks referenced in this episode:


Design Critiques: What, How, and When (1-Hour Talk)
Web Page UX Design (UXC Course)
Visual Design Fundamentals (UXC Course)