The hottest User Experience Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

UX Roundup: AI in Mathematics | Mainstreaming Usability | Sparkles Emoji | Changing E-Commerce Guidelines | SFTechWeek Event

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 11 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. AI is changing mathematics by making it easier for researchers to collaborate and generate ideas. This allows larger groups of mathematicians to work together efficiently using AI tools.
  2. Usability concepts like 'use cases' are now widely accepted beyond product design, showing that usability has become a common goal across different fields.
  3. The sparkles emoji has become a popular symbol for AI features in user interfaces, reflecting how people view AI as a magical technology that is becoming more mainstream.

Portfolio secrets for product designer

A Generalist newsletter • 8 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🪑 Design User Experience
  1. Have your own website instead of just using platforms like Behance. It makes you stand out and shows you're serious about your brand.
  2. Show only a few of your best projects in your portfolio. Focus on what you did in each project so employers can see your skills clearly.
  3. Let your personality shine in your portfolio. Share interesting things about yourself that make you unique and memorable.

Age of Digital Darwinism and SEO

Baris Can • 1 HN point • 20 May 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. SEO continually evolves with search engines and the digital sector, despite claims of its 'death' every year.
  2. Google's use of AI and LLMs in search engines reshapes the SEO landscape towards prioritizing user experience.
  3. Adaptability and understanding of search engine principles are key for organic growth in SEO amidst rapid changes and advancements.

Summer 2024

Optimism (for the web) • 10 implied HN points • 19 Oct 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. The author became a dad and is really grateful for having a happy family. It's a big change in life that brings a lot of joy.
  2. They created several new apps, including a SaaS template and a music player, using updated tech like React and Next.js. These tools make it easier to build and use applications.
  3. The author learned to use Vim and switched from VS Code to Neovim, finding it faster and more customizable. They even created a free course to help others learn Vim too.

Non-technical API Design Should Be Possible

The API Changelog • 9 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. API design doesn't have to be technical. Non-technical people can focus on understanding what users need and planning the API without coding.
  2. Involving non-technical individuals early in API design can help identify user challenges and improve API functionality, making them more aligned with user needs.
  3. With the right tools, like Flotiq, non-technical people can create and test APIs easily, allowing for immediate feedback before handing off to developers for more complex tasks.
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A six paragraph blog post

Internal exile • 37 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Reading is often undervalued and treated as a task to be rushed through.
  2. Quantifying thought can lead to a reduction of quality to quantity, hindering deep thought.
  3. AI-assisted reading tools may streamline the process but risk limiting engagement and creativity.

4/6/22 China Mandates Recommendation Algorithms To Be Able To Be Turned Off

Tech Buzz China Insider • 19 implied HN points • 07 Apr 22
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. China mandated that recommendation algorithms must have an option to be disabled, becoming a global leader in regulating emerging technologies.
  2. Turning off recommendation algorithms can enhance user experience, but the impact on businesses varies depending on their reliance on algorithms.
  3. While many users express interest in disabling recommendation algorithms, the actual business impact may not be significant as users may struggle to find and use the option.

New Internet

Nice Try • 59 implied HN points • 01 Aug 20
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Getting a new wifi router can be a hassle, especially when it involves complicated setups and registrations. Using your phone can help bypass some frustrations.
  2. The internet can feel new even if the network and password are the same, just like how fresh experiences can bring a sense of renewal.
  3. Life events, like waiting for a job call or a drug test, can seem ordinary yet poignant against the backdrop of personal and global situations, making everyday moments feel significant.

Best practices for moderated user testing

UX Psychology • 19 implied HN points • 09 Dec 21
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Moderated user testing requires active participation of a moderator and can be done in person or remotely.
  2. Moderators play key roles like being a gracious host, leader, and neutral observer during usability testing.
  3. To excel in moderated user testing, prepare well, manage time effectively, build trust with users, maintain a clear session structure, and use prompts, probes, and assists appropriately.

Twitter Blue Thread: Newsletter Edition

Mosquito Chronicles • 4 HN points • 25 Apr 23
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Making large changes to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook requires caution due to the complexity of the systems and the potential unintended consequences.
  2. Even small technical changes can have big impacts on user experience and site performance.
  3. User retention and engagement on social media platforms can be heavily influenced by subtle design elements and cultural dynamics.

Week 50 - 🙇‍♂️Unpacking the Power of Product Thinking: A Deep Dive

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 23 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Product thinking focuses on understanding user needs and crafting solutions that enrich lives.
  2. Product thinking drives innovation by questioning the status quo and creating user engagement through tailored solutions.
  3. Key principles of product thinking include deeply understanding user needs, challenging assumptions, envisioning future states, and promoting user engagement through great experiences.

UX Roundup: AI Metaphors Quiz | Text Fields | Speaking in Oslo | Usability Poster | AI Elo Scores | Cost to Orbit

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 7 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Using AI metaphors like 'intern' or 'coach' helps people understand how to work with AI better. Each metaphor highlights different roles AI can play in our tasks.
  2. Traditional text entry fields are crucial for good user experience design. Keeping them simple and clear helps users know exactly where to enter information.
  3. The cost of launching things into space is decreasing rapidly thanks to companies like SpaceX. This could open up new opportunities for research and technology that we can't even imagine yet.

E5 - Roles and Responsibilities of an AI Product Manager

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 6 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. AI product managers play a key role in creating and managing AI-powered products. They need to combine technical knowledge with an understanding of user needs.
  2. Their responsibilities include researching AI applications, creating product strategies, and leading development teams. They ensure that products are both viable in the market and valuable to users.
  3. To succeed, AI product managers should have skills in AI, business, and user experience. A mix of education in tech, business, and design helps prepare them for this role.

Can AI Identify an Author’s Background from a Writing Sample?

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 5 implied HN points • 09 Jan 25
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Current AI tools struggle to accurately determine someone's background from their writing. They often miss subtle clues that could reveal a person's origin.
  2. Different AI models can give varying guesses about an author's background. Some might guess English native speakers or Americans when the real background is different.
  3. To test AI's ability, you can try analyzing your own writing through an AI tool. It can be fun to see if the AI gets your background right!

The game of semantic promises (Or, why you are not using Siri)

Salami dev blog • 1 HN point • 09 Apr 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Implicit promises in language communication can lead to awkward or failed interactions.
  2. Natural Language Interfaces like Siri may not truly understand the complexities of language, leading to communication challenges.
  3. The sub-languages created by technology interfaces can be confusing and ever-changing, making users hesitant to rely on them for important tasks.

#22 Letterboxes, survival straws and invisible design

Design Lobster • 39 implied HN points • 29 Jun 20
🪑 Design User Experience
  1. Consider if your design needs to be able to travel through different mediums like a letterbox and how that affects its form.
  2. Think about how your design might require users to be in uncomfortable or dangerous positions, and if there are more user-friendly alternatives.
  3. Good design should be seamless and serve its purpose without drawing unnecessary attention, making the experience smoother for users.

Week 74 - E2- Basics of Large Language Models for Product Managers 🤖

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 13 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Large language models (LLMs) are transforming industries with diverse applications like automated article generation, conversational product recommendations, intelligent chatbots, and code generation.
  2. LLMs play a crucial role in product innovation by assisting in rapid ideation, prototyping, concept validation, and continuous enhancement of offerings.
  3. Understanding the costs and data requirements to develop LLMs is essential, as it involves significant investment in computational resources, data training, and cloud infrastructure.

How to (consistently) get 4.8* App Ratings [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 1 HN point • 30 Mar 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Consistently achieve high app ratings like 4.8". It's not easy, but it's simple. Understand two key concepts: asking for reviews and identifying 'wow' moments.
  2. Requesting app reviews is crucial. Users rarely leave reviews on their own, so ask for feedback using StoreKit APIs in iOS and strategically place these requests at key points in your app's critical path.
  3. Focus on delivering 'wow' moments in your app, ask for reviews at that peak point. Balancing user satisfaction with review requests on the critical path is essential for maintaining a high app rating.

Episode 22: Burkhard on Qt Embedded Systems

burkhardstubert • 19 implied HN points • 04 Oct 21
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Qt 6.2 has many new features that make developing applications easier, especially with QML modules and CMake support.
  2. Parking meters can be improved with mobile apps for payments, but they need to better serve user needs for a great experience.
  3. A good solution should be user-friendly, allowing payments without internet access, and making it easy to park without confusion.

UX Roundup: Consultants Don’t Work | Apple AI | AI as General-Purpose Technology | Generative UI for the Enterprise

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 5 implied HN points • 10 Oct 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Consultants are not effective for improving productivity with AI. Companies need to experiment with AI internally to find what works best for them.
  2. The upcoming Apple AI is not as advanced as what will be available soon. This could mislead users into thinking they understand how AI can impact their work.
  3. AI is a general-purpose technology that will reshape various industries. It takes time for it to become widely effective, so companies should prepare now for its future capabilities.

Guiding Choices in UX: The Role and Ethics of Nudging

UX Psychology • 1 HN point • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Nudging is a technique based on behavioral economics that gently guides people towards beneficial choices while allowing freedom of choice.
  2. Nudges leverage cognitive biases and mental shortcuts to influence behavior positively and enhance the user experience in various contexts.
  3. Using nudges in UX requires caution to avoid pitfalls like over-reliance on defaults, ethical concerns, undermining trust, and unintended consequences.

Timeline Violence

Seeking Tribe • 12 implied HN points • 11 Oct 23
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Social media platforms need to prioritize free expression and diverse perspectives to prevent radicalization and misinformation.
  2. Incentivizing inflammatory content through monetization can lead to a toxic online environment with severe consequences.
  3. Improving platform features and user experience can enhance the quality of online interactions and promote positive engagement.

Paradox of Personal Productivity Software

trydeepwork • 6 implied HN points • 21 Jul 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Personal productivity tools mostly help those who are already motivated. If you're not driven, these tools won't do much for you.
  2. Expecting software to make you productive is unrealistic. You need to have your own drive and commitment to get work done.
  3. The effectiveness of productivity tools decreases as your drive increases. When you're really focused, you can achieve a lot with just basic tools.

Documenting Your API Around Its Capabilities

The API Changelog • 1 implied HN point • 08 Aug 25
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. APIs should focus on what they can do for users rather than just technical details. Users care more about benefits that help them solve problems than about how the API works on a technical level.
  2. Non-technical decision-makers often choose APIs, so documentation needs to be clear for them. This means writing in a way that explains the API’s value rather than just listing technical operations.
  3. To document API capabilities effectively, start with understanding what users want to achieve. By translating user needs into clear benefits and then into specific API capabilities, you make it easier for users to understand and use your API.

Episode 19: Burkhard on Qt Embedded Systems

burkhardstubert • 19 implied HN points • 05 Jul 21
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Focusing on customer experience (CX) is key for developing smarter products. Businesses should prioritize improving CX over just technical advancements.
  2. Organizational and people challenges often matter more than technology issues in product development. Enhancing team knowledge and collaboration can drive better results.
  3. Using cross-platform tools can help streamline development processes and mitigate issues like the current chip shortage in the tech industry.

Some important changes to Technically

Technically • 2 implied HN points • 04 Mar 25
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Technically is launching a new app called Technically 2.0, which will change how users learn and understand technology.
  2. There will be important changes to how the service works, aimed at improving user experience.
  3. Subscribers can get a 7-day free trial to explore the new features and access the full post archives.

Introducing Etalon: How we choose a LLM with optimal Runtime Performance ?

Machine Learning Diaries • 3 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Evaluating large language models (LLMs) is important for ensuring a good user experience. Existing metrics like Time to First Token (TTFT) and Time Between Tokens (TBT) don't fully capture how these models perform in real-time applications.
  2. The proposed 'Etalon' framework offers a new way to measure LLMs using a 'fluidity-index' that helps track how well the model meets deadlines. This ensures smoother and more responsive interactions.
  3. Current metrics can hide issues like delays and jitters during token generation. The new approach aims to provide a clearer picture of performance by considering these factors, leading to better user satisfaction.

Build a Product that the User Wants - Hard Learnt Unsaid rules of User Interviews

Build Startup In Public • 4 HN points • 22 Jul 24
💼 Business User Experience
  1. Always ask questions, even if you think you know the answers. It helps you understand the user's perspective better.
  2. Building a good relationship with the interviewee makes them more comfortable to share valuable insights.
  3. It's important to identify your target user base clearly. This helps you gather more relevant data during interviews.

An Interview with Ian Fieggen, Shoelace Expert

Syntopikon • 11 HN points • 17 Apr 23
🪑 Design User Experience
  1. Ian Fieggen, known as 'Professor Shoelace,' has compiled extensive shoelace information in various formats for over two decades.
  2. Fieggen uses outdated tools like an old PC running Windows 8 and ancient graphics software to continue his work.
  3. Shoelaces, often underestimated, have led to creative solutions and improvements for different needs, like hiking or running.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 353

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 27 Aug 20
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Effective testing is crucial for machine learning systems. It's important to understand that these systems require different testing strategies compared to traditional software.
  2. There are hidden challenges in becoming a machine learning engineer. Many of these insights come from the experiences of those already in the field, beyond what you learn in books.
  3. New resources and courses are constantly being developed in data science. For example, fast.ai just released a new deep learning course and libraries, which can help beginners get started.

Don't build your application on a single LLM call

Generating Conversation • 5 HN points • 14 Mar 24
🕹 Technology User Experience
  1. Avoid building your application solely on a single Large Language Model (LLM) call. Break down your problem into multiple steps for better results and efficiency.
  2. Long, detailed prompts can confuse even advanced LLMs like GPT-4, leading to issues in instruction following, debugging, and user experience.
  3. Different tasks may require different models, so breaking your application into multiple steps allows you to choose the best tool for each task, improving application quality and reducing latency and cost.

Does Your Startup's UI/UX Need a Unique Point of View?

Build Startup In Public • 3 HN points • 24 Apr 24
💼 Business User Experience
  1. Having a unique point of view in your design helps your startup stand out. Copying trends makes you blend in and reminds people of bigger brands.
  2. While it can be okay for startups to follow popular design trends for the sake of efficiency, it's important to eventually develop a distinct style that reflects your values.
  3. Design should evoke positive emotions and engage the audience. A warm and friendly interface can make a significant difference in user experience.