- DeepSeek Deep Sixes the Silicon Valley Monopoliesby Susan Rits on February 3, 2025
For years, Silicon Valley’s ethos has been anti-competition. Rather than innovate, companies acquired. The result is crap we don’t like, companies that are bullies & growing unemployment in tech.
- Leading Teams Out of the Toxic Swamp: Leadership Lessons from the Trenchesby Susan Rits on January 31, 2025
In our age of hyper-individualism, the malignant colleague is more of a rule than an exception. Here are the five characters of toxic teammates and how to deal with them.
- Could AI Help Build a Social Media Algorithm that Promotes True Democratic Debate?by Susan Rits on January 29, 2025
AI can absolutely help create a social media platform that fosters democratic debate and avoids echo chambers. Here's how to could go about it, step by step:
- Design Smarter, Stress Less: Why Mental Health-Focused UX Mattersby Susan Rits on January 27, 2025
If you've never experienced "tech-rage" then you've never used a digital product. Feeling like tearing your hair out or throwing your laptop across the room shouldn't be an expected user pattern.
- Lessons from 20 Years in UX Design and Leadershipby Susan Rits on January 24, 2025
After two decades in UX design and leadership, spanning industries from healthtech to fintech to eCommerce, I’ve learned a few things that I wish someone had told me at the start of my career.
- The Hidden UX Problem Derailing Digital Transformationby Susan Rits on January 23, 2025
User experience isn’t just the cherry on top of a digital initiative; it’s the foundation. Without a solid UX strategy, even the best tech investment can fall flat. Let’s break it down.
- UX or Bust: Building a Design-First Culture in Big Corporationsby Susan Rits on January 20, 2025
In this installment, we focus on the unique challenges and strategies for fostering design in large organizations.
- UX or Bust: Building a Design-First Culture in Startupsby Susan Rits on January 13, 2025
This is the first of a two-part series exploring how to build a UX culture. In this installment, we’ll focus on integrating design into early- to mid-stage startups.
- Facebook's Algorithm Was Not What the Founders Had in Mindby Susan Rits on January 10, 2025
The dark UX of social media algorithms is shaping online experiences more than ever, raising critical questions about the future of our profession and the integrity of our national conversations.
- How Smart Researchers Uncover the Why & the What for Better Productsby Susan Rits on January 9, 2025
Seasoned pro or newbie, mixing qual and quant isn’t optional—it’s the game-changer. Let’s make it happen.
- The Future of UX Design in the Age of AI: Adapting to AI-Driven Interfacesby Susan Rits on January 6, 2025
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the digital landscape, and UX design is no exception. As designers, we are at the forefront of a transformative shift.
- Can We Still Have Nice Things? The Cost of Prioritizing Shareholder Value Over Qualityby Susan Rits on January 2, 2025
Poor user experiences drive away customers, reduce brand loyalty, and chip away at the very value companies claim to prioritize. Yet these issues rarely make it to the top of the priority list.
- It’s Hard Not to Give Upby Susan Rits on November 13, 2024
Grasping at astrology on this dark November day
- Rule #1: Don’t Make Them Thinkby Susan Rits on September 5, 2024
Another diatribe about why executives need the “workers” to be real people, not AI agents
- Why (Just About) Every Design Team is Toxic Right Nowby Susan Rits on May 14, 2024
We are living through a moment of fearfulness in our profession. The churning and burning through employees, especially in Tech, is causing entrenchment among those who still have jobs and are afraid
- Manage the Chaos, Survive Another Dayby Susan Rits on May 8, 2024
As a newly-minted UX designer at Google wayyyyy back in the day, I was helped out by a project manager who saw me floundering under an avalanche of design requests and impossible deadlines.
- Pros and Cons of Using Conversational AI to Design Your Productsby Susan Rits on April 16, 2024
In product design, there is a growing murmur and back-channel conversation about if, when, and just how much AI can assume the tasks of the UX design and research department in any given project.
- And Now, Let's Make Cool Things Againby Susan Rits on April 9, 2024
Looking at the tech industry today, it’s painfully obvious we’re not doing Capitalism anymore. We’re making crappy products and trying to leverage as much money from them as we can.
- The Year of Magical (AI) Thinkingby Susan Rits on April 4, 2024
I predict there will be many more magical AI solutions that are implemented in place of employees. And they will end up failing and costing even more. This year will be known as a year of panic
- Mom's Robot, and Why AI Still Needs Us (For Now)by Susan Rits on April 2, 2024
We’re on the brink of helper robots who drive us to work, drop off the kids at school, pick up our groceries from the grocery store, and offer advice when we complain about our toxic coworkers.
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