Jess Sanson

When it comes to user research, we can’t just provide a long laundry list of pain points and tiny fixes. 📝 That’s not enough. 👇 Researchers so often get stuck in the hamster wheel of incremental product improvement that we aren’t actually spending enough time with our research (synthesizing it using design thinking) to provide true innovative solutions. (As you know, providing innovative solutions is the KEY to creating real impact.) Instead, what usually happens is that stakeholders receive these research reports with a big long list of basic, surface-level pain points to address at the end (🥱), along with some basic recommendations, and they get added to some product/feature roadmap, prioritized, and implemented in a routine life cycle. 🤷 This is great, to an extent! BUT, hello!!… DESIGN (the bigger umbrella of design) is NOT about identifying a million pain points and painfully fixing each one. Design is about creating experiences and things that delight ✨ and excite 🤸people, while being functional. User research should support that. 👉 Try not to get stuck in this trap when you’re working on your next project.  Next time, when you’re looking at a fresh set of raw research data: 🧩 Strategize: Employ frameworks to start processing the themes and repeating ideas in your data. 🧘‍♂️ Marinate: Let these themes and ideas wash over your subconscious again and again, even while you sleep! 🌀Bend and push your creative mind: Work hard at putting those ideas together in new and exciting ways. 💥 Don’t stop until you get to the magic: You will find those “aha” moments waiting underneath it all. 🎯 Communicate and sell that magic in your reporting: Showcase opportunities that will actually get at the deep-rooted design problem and elevate your organization into a trendsetting power player. The way we do this for our clients is through Action Plans. Yes, we still provide the laundry list of pains — because it IS still useful. BUT, the genius 🧠 we deliver is in translating these larger themes into ACTIONABLE and INNOVATIVE solutions that will literally transform the way those businesses deliver their products and services, and propel them ahead of the industry. This is how you get noticed in your UX career — bringing these types of solutions to the table!! #UserResearch #UXResearch #DesignInnovation #UXCareer #DigitalTransformation

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The main objections I hear about hiring UX contractors: “The ramp-up will be too slow,” “They’re too pricey,” and, “They won’t know our culture, or how we work.” Let’s unpack that. 👇 With recent UX downsizing, companies might have smaller permanent design teams — but trust me, demand for design work is still there, because stellar contractors are building that demand.🌟 I’ve watched it firsthand as I oversee staffing at Outwitly Inc. By utilizing contractors to augment their teams at specific points in the design lifecycle, organizations can still get the work done — without burning out their internal team with millions of feature requests on top of their usual load. It can be a win-win that keeps businesses healthy. 🌱 Back to those objections. Like many UX-related objections, they’re generally founded on shortsightedness: 🏁 Ramping Up vs Acting Now: 🏁Bringing on a contractor can actually add velocity, especially with longer projects that promise big impact but get pushed out or deprioritized because of the sheer amount of work. If you need something done and no one else has the capacity now, you can bring on a specialist for six months, instead of waiting. (^You can also make use of contractors to lay the foundation for upcoming work, like specialists in design ops, research ops, design systems, etc., while others focus on immediate deadlines. ) 💰Up-front Cost vs ROI: 💰Contractors often have higher rates because they take on higher risk, but when you consider the cost of slow internal hiring, employee turnover, long-term overhead, employee benefits, etc., contractors can be a lower-risk option. Specialized contractors can also pull research initiatives out of holding patterns and uncover opportunities for innovation with major ROI potential. 🧩 Like-Minded vs New Perspectives: 🧩New personalities aren’t scary! Blended teams are amazing for bringing in fresh perspectives and diverse skillsets that your internal team members can learn from and adopt, to the long-term benefit of their organizations. (^ Plus, the beautiful thing about the people who tend to go into contracting is that they’re often senior practitioners, willing to bet on themselves because they know they’re experienced enough to consistently win contracts, and they HAVE to be that good to find work.🔥) 👉 So, in reality, you get the "cream of the crop," new perspectives and more speed/flexibility. You get to skip over red tape and get straight to work. (Especially if you have support with choosing the right candidates.) If you’re considering this hiring move, OR you’re trying to convince your supervisor to consider it, give this blog post another look: https://lnkd.in/gRP-V3JS We posted it a while ago, but it’s still a good resource. I’d be interested to hear about other experiences with blended teams. What’s your favourite part?  What’s working best? #UXDesign #StaffAugmentation #UXContractors #BlendedTeams #DesignOps

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Know when to take UX debt and when to invest. We love the way Mehekk Bassi breaks down the tradeoff between quick delivery and long-term UX value. She encourages designers to treat these choices like financial decisions by being intentional about when to borrow and when to invest. UX debt means taking shortcuts to deliver quickly, knowing there will be fixes later. It helps speed things up but can hurt the experience over time. UX investments take more effort upfront but lead to better long-term outcomes. Her advice is not to avoid UX debt entirely but to use it wisely and always have a plan to pay it back. Check out her article: https://lnkd.in/gCRqva3z Here are five big ideas: 1. UX debt is a strategic tool, not just a shortcut Taking on UX debt can be useful if done intentionally and with a plan to fix it later. 2. Design decisions mirror financial decisions Just like borrowing or investing money, designers must weigh short-term gains against long-term value. 3. Not all UX debt is bad It can help you move quickly in early stages, especially when validating ideas or meeting tight deadlines. 4. UX investments pay off over time Slower, thoughtful design improvements lead to better user experiences and fewer problems later. 5. Be deliberate about when and why you choose each Teams should track their UX debt, understand the cost, and know when to prioritize paying it down. 💬 We asked Mehekk why she wrote the post: “So, my thought behind writing this story was to highlight the fact that many design decisions are often taken without considering future implications of the product. Unknowingly many teams accumulate UX debt and by the time they realize the issues, it's often too late and the experience gets compromised. For us, as designers, thinking about debt becomes a non-negotiable while crafting any experience for the product, that's why the title says - financial mindset of a designer." This is prudent advice! Helio helps you spot when UX debt is slowing users down by measuring things like clarity, completion rates, and confidence. With quick tests using UX metrics, you can decide when to fix issues or move fast with purpose. #uxresearch #productdiscovery #marketresearch #productdesign

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The Communication Tax As designers, every time we define design in our own terms, we introduce a tax on the listener. When we adapt to the listener’s language, we remove tax. For example, presenting flows in Google Slides, simplifying jargon for engineers, or framing pixels in terms of outcome, we eliminate the tax. Good design speaks; great design leadership bridges. We're not only designing experiences for users, we're also designing how design is understood throughout the organisation. #DesignLeadership #UXStrategy #Communication #DesignThinking #Collaboration #ProductDesign

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Hey designers. Ever feel like you’re working through a design problem where you’ve applied what you can regarding #accessibility, but your gut tells you it’s just not quite enough, like you’re missing something, and you just don’t know what that gap might be? Well, I wanted to find a way to help designers bridge that gap. Over the years, I’ve worked on and refined my personal process for tackling any design problem with accessibility in mind. I’ve now molded that process into a framework that others can use to apply accessible design thinking to anything they’re working on. I call it the Accessible Design Framework. To learn more, check out my article on the Level Access website: https://lnkd.in/gmmAJiSe And be sure to check out the the demonstration videos too, where I show how to put the framework into action on a practical, everyday design task: https://lnkd.in/gNMxHqbf #a11y #AccessibleDesign

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3+ million people use Wealthsimple today. And UX keeps being one of the biggest reasons they love our app. After 3 years here, these are 5 design learnings I keep coming back to: 1️⃣ Focus on one action at a time Every screen should have one clear priority. Once you think your design is simple, simplify it more. Then do it again. Making complex finances feel easy has taught me that clarity always wins. 2️⃣ Use people’s language Our voice & tone is a fundamental part of the brand. Clear content guidelines keep us consistent while building an approachable, fun personality in both English and French. Great content paired with great UX builds meaningful relationships with clients. 3️⃣ Systemize, then stretch Design systems are a great source of truth and a strong starting point. But they’re not the ceiling. The best work comes when you respect the system while still pushing patterns forward and raising the bar. 4️⃣ Prototype to persuade Wireframe-y prototypes open more doors than static decks. Record a walkthrough, share it widely, post it in channels with lots of eyeballs. You’ll be surprised who rallies behind new ideas. 5️⃣ Learn from the best around you Pick a skill you want to grow in the next 6 months and find the people who excel at it. Ask for jam sessions and review work together. Most people will say yes if you ask and you will learn sooo much. That has been my biggest growth hack. These lessons came from building, shipping, failing, and learning alongside some of the best designers I have ever worked with. To many more! 🥂 #uxdesign #productdesign #careerlessons #growth #wealthsimple

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Yesterday, I went to UX+ 2025 event and learned a lot from the speakers. I love seeing how big companies and agencies navigate the AI landscape while staying true to their visions and goals. They are using AI to accelerate their workflow while also keeping their own identity and purpose. Here are all my takeaways from the speakers during the event. 1. Michelle Fernandez - Castillo from GCash Data plays a huge role in every design and business decision, even if you like it or not. A design that's driven by meaningful data is a product that serves its purpose with intent. It's about creating a product that actually solves user problems and meets their needs. 2. Clarence Cedric L. from Deloitte By learning how to use "First Principles," you can always adapt to changes. If you know the foundations, you can co-create products with AI, from designing to building, with confidence. As designers and creators, we are also responsible for how we handle and produce data using AI. 3. Muhammed Rajeef M K form Google Aside from learning that "sinigang" is his favorite food, it's amazing how he uses AI to accelerate the prototyping process—from simple sketches to fully functional user experiences. 4. Sheryl Cababa from Optimistic Design I love her approach to design. By looking at products and designs with systems in mind, you create a product that scales. A product interacts at different contexts and levels, and it influences everything around it, making for a cohesive experience. So, always see the bigger picture. 5. Jon Howell from Dropbox It's amazing how simple motion, audio feedback, haptics, and micro-interactions give products a whole different meaning and experience. They make the product interaction a delightful experience for the user, resulting in a memorable interaction that drives results. 6. Katrina Lachica from Cebu Pacific Air A design system is an invaluable asset for both design and business. It makes the entire experience cohesive and consistent, regardless of a product's maturity level. With a solid design system, products can be shipped to market faster, designers and developers can work more efficiently with less back and forth, and the entire shipping process becomes more predictable. 7. Gian Paulo dela Rama from Sprout Solutions I really enjoyed how AI is pushing the boundaries for teams and companies. It's also great how they used AI to connect designers and developers by showing the pros and cons of AI usage within teams and products. Thank you for the eye-opening experience (literally). 8. Jezreel Cerbito from Canva It's eye-opening to see how a product can evolve and adapt by simply looking at unintended user experiences—from frustration to creative hacks and solutions. By observing how users interact with and use your product in entirely different ways, you can unlock an infinite number of possibilities for its evolution. This event was an inspiring look into the future of design.

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By 2030 Designer jobs will end and here is what I am doing about it (and you should too). For many of us, AI is already indirect competition. For me, it will soon be direct. Tools like Lovable are still laggy. I haven’t seen truly compelling examples of sites built with Mixo alone. And yes - they lack the flair, restraint, and human judgement that good design demands. But let’s be honest. Most budget-constrained founders - and plenty of less design-aware clients - will choose "fast and cheap" over "crafted and considered". Not because it’s better, but because it’s easier. That shift is coming whether we like it or not. So this isn’t a doom post. It’s an invitation to pivot. Designers in London are already under pressure — rising costs, shrinking budgets, fewer retainers. AI doesn’t end the profession, but it ends the old version of it. The opportunity now is to: - relearn - reskill - move upstream Because those who don’t adapt won’t be “disrupted” - they’ll simply be priced out, likely surviving on some form of universal income while tools do the execution work. Designers 2030 are thinkers. New roles will emerge, only few will remain. I can already see some likely ones: - Content Curator - Decision Maker - AI-Assisted Designer (Graphic / Video / Web) - Product Developer - Vision Leader - Empathy & Ethics Guide - Experience Designer - Craftsmen Recruiter - Prompt Engineer - Question Designer - Emotional Support Officer Personally, I’m drawn to AI-Assisted Web Designer. It would be foolish not to use these tools. But the real value isn’t in clicking “generate” - it’s in direction, judgement, and intent. I still want to drive decisions. I still want to apply decades of experience in intuitive, human-centred design. And I still want every project to have a clear goal beyond “it looks fine”. The tools will change. Taste, responsibility, and clarity will not. So - how will you pivot? And what roles do you think will emerge in an AI-dominated economy?

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Crossing the UX Maturity Chasm I talk about “crossing the chasm” between low-maturity and high-maturity UX teams a lot, because it’s becoming one of the defining challenges of today’s job market. By my estimate, roughly 70% of designers are working in the long tail of low-maturity, feature-factory environments. This is where the lonely “design team of one” often lives. And that ratio is only growing, leaving more designers stranded on the wrong side of the market. The result is predictable: frustration and burnout for designers, and short-term thinking that quietly erodes long-term business value for companies. The problem shows up immediately when designers start applying for higher-maturity roles. You’re often competing with 1,000 applicants today. Even if only 30% of them come from high-maturity organizations, that’s still 300 designers who can easily demonstrate discovery work, research, metrics, and influence, simply because those practices were part of their day job. So I get asked all the time: “How do I explain my experience without sounding incompetent?” As a hiring manager, this is where I start probing: Did you run quick hallway tests? Did you sanity-check designs with friends or family? Did you use data or secondary research to influence decisions? Those answers matter. But in this market, they’re often still not enough on their own. What separates candidates is not how well they explain the system they were stuck in, but how clearly they show that they outgrew it. That usually means picking a real project and running a mature UX process anyway. Treating it as a proof of concept. Demonstrating better outcomes for the business. Showing the influence you earned as a result. That’s a story about grit, leadership, and changing the trajectory of work. And that's how you leapfrog those high-maturity Designers who often can’t tell these stories. They’re used to having research, discovery, and support built in. They’ve never had to fight for it. Cross that chasm!

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