Calvin Robertson

🌟 Exciting News from The Symbol Group! 🌟 We’re thrilled to announce our upcoming symposium, a melting pot for creative minds and forward-thinkers in the world of design, educators, researchers and communication. This is more than just an event—it's a movement! 🔗 Join us as we delve into the future of design, with an emphasis on how symbols shape our daily lives and our understanding of the world. Whether you’re a designer, educator, strategist, or simply someone who's passionate about the impact of visual communication, we want you to be part of this transformative experience. 🗣️ Why attend? Here’s why: Engage with a diverse community of thought leaders and innovators. Explore the evolving role of symbols in digital and physical realms. Share your voice and ideas in discussions that could define the next wave of communication strategies. 🌍 We're dedicated to fostering a truly international dialogue, because understanding symbols is universal, transcending borders and cultures. Let’s come together to craft the future of our visual language. 💬 We invite YOU to be an integral part of this journey. What symbols have captured your imagination recently? How do you see them evolving in the next decade? 👉 Reserve your spot now! symbol-24.org Join: thesymbolgroup (thank you to those that have already joined us) Let’s make waves. Let’s redefine design. Together. #SymbolSymposium #DesignTheFuture #VisualCommunication

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The fundamentals of prototyping haven’t gone anywhere. Whether it’s sketching ideas on paper or creating interactive flows in Keynote, the core principles remain the same: clarity, iteration, and user validation. In today's world of high-tech design tools, it’s easy to get caught up in the bells and whistles. But sometimes, the most effective solutions come from simply going back to the basics—mapping out ideas with whatever tools are most accessible. Low fidelity = high creativity. Prototyping isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep iterating. #designthinking #prototyping #uxdesign #productdesign #beginnersmindset #innovation

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Imagine using an #ATM, getting your cash, and heading home only to discover you left your card behind. Frustrating, right? Many ATMs make this mistake from a #userexperience (UX) standpoint. Some dispense the card before the cash, acting as a helpful reminder. But others prioritize giving you the money first. This can trick you into leaving your card behind, since getting cash is likely your main goal. #UXUI #userbehaviour

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Interesting article from the Shutterstock blog on the topic of color accessibility. Helpful reminders abound. https://lnkd.in/evC2SfhH #design #designthinking #designbuild #designstrategy #product #producctdesign #productmanagement #productstrategy #designprinciples #innovation #designers #digitaltransformation #ux #uxdesign #uiux #uidesign #designinnovation #application #software #softwaredesign #usability #userresearch #research #usercentereddesign #productleadership #uxwriting #designsystems #empathy #interfacedesign #usabilitytesting #userexperience #productdesign #accessibility #ui #ai #genai 

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🚨Stop by the Adobe Lightroom booth at #AdobeMAX and gives us your feature requests Or comment below and I’ll add them for you!! Maybe your feature will be in the Keynote next year! #adobe #adobemax #lightroom #maxreporter

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Config last week was packed with amazing sessions. Here are 5 of my favorite quotes and takeaways 👇🏻 🎙️ Pitching Accessibility like a Pro “Designers aren’t as empathetic as we say we are. If we were, our products would be accessible.” - Tregg Frank Tregg challenged us to empathize with our entire user base, as well as our stakeholders and teams, to promote value and adoption of accessibility best practices within our organizations. 🎙️ A new opportunity to make great software “All around you there are things that may feel solved, but could you do it better if you did it differently today? - Henry Modisett Henry called us to view AI not just as an add-on to top off your processes, but as a reset button to reevaluate the foundation of your processes. 🎙️ How pigeons led to emergency room optimizations “Who do we prioritize - the happiness of our supply or doing what’s best for the citizens? We do what’s best for the citizens.” - Zulhilmi Icksan Zulhilmi inspired us to radically design our products, especially government products, for the public good to impact lives. 🎙️ Unlocking opportunities: building your brand with side projects “The value of side projects doesn’t often come immediately, but in the opportunities that it creates and the personal growth that it ignites.” - Matt D. Smith Matt encouraged creatives to pursue passionate side projects for both the foreseen and unforeseen outcomes they lead to. 🎙️ Defining the relationship (between humans and AI) “The future and things we can create [with AI] is still up for grabs. We can think of something perhaps even better than what we’ve seen in media.” - Sam Whitmore, Jason Yuan Sam and Jason gave us hope that thoughtfully designed AI products can preserve and empower our humanity. You can watch all the Config sessions online here → https://lnkd.in/gXdWy-Ch What were some of your favorite learnings from Config? - - - - - I’m Brendan, and I talk about what it means to be a UX designer, in and out of the 9-5. Follow to join the conversation! #uxdesign #uxui #productdesign #design #figma #config2024

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In the digital world, it seems a frustrating pattern has emerged—a cycle that starts with promise, slides into mediocrity, and leaves users and businesses disillusioned. This is 'enshittification' (shoutout to Kouch Culture friends David Bloom, and Ben Dietz), the decline of once-unstoppable platforms. Enshittification isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a warning. We should stay mindful of where they invest our time, exploring new platforms that put us first. For businesses, it’s about diversifying, don’t rely on one platform to define your brand. Ultimately, success comes from making a living, not a killing. The platforms that survive will be those that balance user satisfaction with growth. For more, head to Unorthodox Blend on Substack.

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"Use Case 7" is an idea that I've covered in depth in my blog articles:https://lnkd.in/dJhW-tfY. A simple illustration is still needed to convey the benefits of this design improvement method. Identifying the extreme usage conditions & designing the product to withstand it will increase its robustness. This proven design can open up new markets (example: commercial-off-the-shelf electronics were so reliable, they found usage in military applications) & protect you from legal claims (example: listing max. operating temperature of battery). Take the first step in improving your product's reliability by defining its use cases.

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🔊 Design Leadership at Scale has a lot happening in August and beyond. Read on for all the info on Design Leadership at Scale: Operations, plus: ⚡️ Three FREE DLS Lightning Lesson + Team sessions ⚡️ Newly added course dates ⚡️ 20% discount code Design Leadership at Scale: Operations I'm busy putting the final touches on the August course modules, lessons, and projects, but you can expect to dive deep on the following: Module 1: Build and activate high-impact teams Module 2: Define and optimize your operating system Module 3: Identify and address common challenges I'm including many real-world scenarios, and will try to answer pretty much every question you might have during our seven live sessions together. We'll also be joined by special guests with extensive industry experience. If you are still deciding about enrolling in Design Leadership at Scale: Operations, consider joining one of the upcoming free Lightning Lessons or watch my recent Designing your Design Team 30-minute Lightning Lesson to get a better sense for how I teach. And if the August dates don't work with your schedule, I've opened up another cohort October 1-10, 2024. If you have any questions about whether this course will be a good fit for you, let me know, and together we can figure out. Free Lightning Lessons on Maven In August there are three Lightning Lessons from Design Leadership at Scale. All are free to attend. Join live or view the recordings after the session dates. ⚡️ Org Design For Your Design Org – Aug 7, 8-9am PT, with me ⚡️ Team Tactics For Increasing Influence + Impact – Aug 8, 1-1:30pm PT, with Doug Powell ⚡️ How Top Design Leaders Influence At Scale – Aug 16, 2-2:45pm PT, hosted by Rachel Kobetz with Doug Powell, Bob Baxley, and me Grab your spot then spread the word! (links to register in comments) Quick reference: https://bit.ly/4c3UgNA to sign up for the August 19-28 cohort with a 20% discount code https://bit.ly/4cZcf9d to sign up for the October 1-10 cohort with a 20% discount code If your company offers an L&D or education budget, here's a reimbursement template you can leverage https://bit.ly/4fmDhcs

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Yesterday, I had the pleasure of chatting with Nesrine Changuel, PhD about the often-overlooked yet vital role of delight in tech products. Too often, this concept is dismissed as mere eye candy—a superficial layer tacked onto the core functionality of an app or website. But if we look closer, creating an emotional connection with users and customers might just be the key to true success. Borrowing her brilliant neologism, it’s not about B2C or B2B anymore—it’s all about B2H: Business-to-Humans. There’s so much more to explore on this topic! #emotionaldesign #delight #whatpeoplelove

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How can artists show their work online and protect it against pervasive AI looking to learn? Poison? https://lnkd.in/gd3DJY2D #AI #Design #DesignEnds #CX #UX #Endings #Security #Data #CustomerExperience #Services #products #sunsetting #ChatGPT 

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Tomorrow I'll give a presentation on design quality at Front-end Conf here in Florida. This is the first time I've spoken on such a topic in a live, public format. Here at the event I've been humbled to hear several people say "I'm excited for your talk." Quietly in my head I'm replying "Me too. I have no idea how this will turn out!" Par for the course with new material. 😎 I've said before that my benchmark is 1 hour of prep time per 1 minute of speaking time for a new talk. This is a 45-min talk and I'm on pace for ~45 hrs of prep time. I won't have all the answers tomorrow but we'll explore: – What is design quality anyway? – Why is it so hard to achieve? – Where do we go from here? This is dialog I hope to see more of in the industry. It's long overdue. I'm holding myself accountable to share more, too. Let's see how tomorrow goes first. #frontendconf

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For an organization committed to the practice of user experience design, the Interaction Design Foundation doesn’t seem to value their own ideology. I’ve been a member for years and recently served as a local leader (of which I resigned a year ago and they have yet to remove me from the role). I’m finding their billing processes to be on the verge of questionable UX practices: ·     My membership increased 31% with no notification before billing. I was told that a single notification had been sent a year ago buried in an email with a subject line of “We have updated our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Pricing Structure.” Do they not realize that subject lines such as this are white noise in people’s inboxes and begs to be deleted without reading? ·     To prevent the upcoming charge, the user must contact the main office and have them remove the store payment details. There is no ability for the user to do this themselves. ·     There is also no option to opt out of recurring charges. This is akin the dark practice of subscription services that lure users with trial period in hopes the user will forget to cancel before the period expires.   ·     The user can cancel their membership. However, the user loses access to all materials, content, and account details even though the user has prepaid for the upcoming year. This entices the user to delay cancelling only to encounter the same pain points the following year. ·     User is sent an invoice AFTER the charge has been applied. No notification of upcoming billings. ·     When asked to refund the membership charge, the admin basically responded with “The reason we’re unable to offer a refund guarantee on the renewal of memberships is that we already have a money-back guarantee after sign-up . . . we’d have to charge higher prices if we offered unlimited refunds and that’s why we make our policies crystal-clear, doing everything in our power to ensure members understand our fair terms.” This statement basically has the overtone of: It’s not that our communication and user experience is insufficient, it’s the user’s fault. IDF needs to reassess their membership and billing practices if they want to maintain any integrity in the field. As a hiring manager, I do not look at organizational memberships as having any influence in hiring decisions.  My advice for those wanting to increase their knowledge and break into design, rather than pay a yearly $264 membership fee, there are many free resources, podcasts, and articles that will help you achieve the same results. Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

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#BadassBookAlert Jeremy Miller’s Beyond UX is a compelling guide that transcends the surface-level practices of user experience (UX) design and dives into the deeper strategies that shape impactful, human-centered solutions. Miller positions UX as more than a set of tools or methods—he frames it as a strategic discipline that can drive organizational change and innovation when implemented effectively. The book is rich with actionable insights, blending theory with real-world examples that resonate across industries. Miller emphasizes the importance of aligning design practices with business goals, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and embedding UX thinking into organizational culture. His writing strikes a balance between accessible advice for beginners and nuanced strategies for seasoned professionals. One of the standout aspects of Beyond UX is its practical approach. The frameworks and methodologies outlined are not only clear but adaptable to varying levels of organizational maturity. Miller’s focus on metrics and outcomes ensures that readers understand how to measure the impact of their UX efforts—a critical skill for gaining executive buy-in. Jeremy also delves into the often-overlooked dynamics of team collaboration, highlighting how empathy and communication can break down silos and enhance the effectiveness of design processes. His emphasis on storytelling and advocacy equips UX practitioners to champion their work within the complexities of corporate environments. Overall, Beyond UX is an essential read for UX professionals looking to level up their strategic impact. By addressing the "why" and "how" behind effective UX, Miller provides a roadmap for moving beyond the tactical execution of design work into the realm of business and organizational transformation. "Great UX isn't just about pleasing interfaces—it's about aligning design with purpose, bridging silos, and proving that empathy is a business strategy, not just a buzzword." —Jeremy. Ah, you're speaking my love language sir. Don't just take my word for it Tom Greever did the forward and says nice things too. And Jeremy didn't even pay either of us. But he did let me write a little bit about Power Mapping and Stakeholder management in it. Buy it now and Krampus won't come get you. It's the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who cares about experiences. In case you're too cheap to buy it, you can sample my bit in the comments. #UX #Innovation #Design #Craft

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Here are the Final 6 icons we did for @dYdX 2 weeks of feedback, AI concepts, Light and texture matching. Designed W/ @DacoitDesign

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AI avatars continue to improve and I'm already seeing some in use for advertisement https://lnkd.in/eubexfw3 HeyGen broke the mold a couple of years back, Synthesia as improved the cloning pieces. Exciting times as I get ideas for learning designs. #learninganddevelopment #elearning #instructionaldesign #edtech

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