The hottest User Experience Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Timeline Violence

Seeking Tribe • 12 implied HN points • 11 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Social media Content Monetization 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.

Beware programmer traps!

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 21 Nov 21
🕹 Technology Software Development User Experience Programming Web Development Product Design
  1. It's hard for people in tech to explain ideas to non-technical folks. What seems clear to a programmer can be confusing to others.
  2. Designing products based on complex models can lead to failure if they don’t connect with everyday users. Sometimes, simpler products that reflect real user needs work better.
  3. Being aware of different perspectives is key. User testing helps ensure ideas make sense to everyone, not just those with technical backgrounds.

#38: Agathonicity

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 79 implied HN points • 22 Jul 20
🪑 Design Product Design User Experience Sustainability Innovation
  1. Agathonicity means some things get better with use. For example, your favorite pair of worn-in shoes or a well-loved book can provide a richer experience over time.
  2. Many modern products are designed to be thrown away instead of repaired. This throwaway culture makes us less likely to seek out items that improve with age and care.
  3. Designers can create products that require more from users, leading to a stronger, more loyal connection. By asking users to engage more, items can become more valuable and enjoyable over time.
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Don't build your application on a single LLM call

Generating Conversation • 5 HN points • 14 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Application development Software Engineering 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.

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 Regulations Algorithms Business impact User Experience Ecommerce
  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 Internet Networking Devices Digital Culture 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 Usability testing User Experience UX Design
  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.

Unreasonable Support: Design for the Unhappy Path

The Kahneman Bot • 2 HN points • 19 Feb 24
🪑 Design UX Product Customer Support User Experience
  1. Designing for the unhappy path in user experiences is crucial for creating user loyalty and retention.
  2. Unhappy path design can trigger a sense of reciprocity in users, leading to positive responses to issues or faults.
  3. Providing what users perceive as unreasonable levels of support can result in long-term loyalty and cost-effective retention strategies.

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

Build Startup In Public • 3 HN points • 24 Apr 24
💼 Business Startup Design Technology User Experience Entrepreneurship
  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.

Twitter Blue Thread: Newsletter Edition

Mosquito Chronicles • 4 HN points • 25 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Social media Product Development User Experience Regulation Competition
  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.

An Interview with Ian Fieggen, Shoelace Expert

Syntopikon • 11 HN points • 17 Apr 23
🪑 Design Illustration Web Design Graphics 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.

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

Salami dev blog • 1 HN point • 09 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Natural Language Processing AI User Experience Automation
  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 Product Design User Experience Innovation
  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.

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

Technology Made Simple • 1 HN point • 30 Mar 24
🕹 Technology App Development User Experience iOS Startup Growth
  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.

Founder’s Guide to User Interviews - Should Founders Tap into User’s Imagination of the Product ?

Build Startup In Public • 1 HN point • 29 Jul 24
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Market research User Experience Product Development
  1. Ask hands-on questions that require people to explain their actions. This helps you understand their experiences better.
  2. Let users share their vision for the ideal product. It can reveal their pain points and what they really want.
  3. Instead of focusing on narrow user definitions, engage with users in their environment. This gives you a clearer picture of their needs and behaviors.

Episode 22: Burkhard on Qt Embedded Systems

burkhardstubert • 19 implied HN points • 04 Oct 21
🕹 Technology Embedded Systems Software Development User Experience IOT Programming Languages
  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.

Guiding Choices in UX: The Role and Ethics of Nudging

UX Psychology • 1 HN point • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology UX Design Behavioral Economics Psychology Ethics 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.

Episode 19: Burkhard on Qt Embedded Systems

burkhardstubert • 19 implied HN points • 05 Jul 21
🕹 Technology Embedded Systems Software Development User Experience Product Management
  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.

How People Experience Things

Load-bearing Tomato • 1 implied HN point • 04 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Game design User Experience Psychology Computer Science
  1. Understanding how people think can really help in designing better games. When we grasp players' experiences and emotions, we can create features they will understand and enjoy.
  2. A state machine model can show us how players react based on their past experiences and knowledge. This way, we can predict what they'll do in different situations.
  3. It's important to consider different players' backgrounds when designing games. New players and seasoned players might respond very differently to the same game mechanics.

Breaking Through the Plateau: How Shopify Can Take on Amazon and Win

The SHIPTO.ME Blog • 2 HN points • 16 Feb 23
💼 Business E-commerce Technology International Markets User Experience Social media
  1. Shopify needs to innovate with new technologies like VR and AI to enhance shopping experiences.
  2. Expanding into new markets, especially in Asia and Latin America, can help Shopify grow.
  3. To compete with other enterprise platforms, Shopify should focus on developing features for large businesses.

UX is more than just usability or look and feel

A Better Designed World • 7 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🕹 Technology UX Design Product Development Visual Design User Experience E-commerce
  1. UX is composed of five key areas that include usability, utility, functional integrity, visual design, and persuasiveness.
  2. Good UX balances all five areas; a product might excel in one but lacking in others.
  3. Usability is crucial for a product to be easily learnable and memorable; utility determines the value; functional integrity focuses on reliability; visual design impacts appeal and perception; persuasiveness drives conversions and user engagement.

The Creators of Disney’s New Platformer Explain the Hard Lessons of Making Games for Kids

Crossplay • 2 HN points • 14 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Development Design User Experience Children
  1. Developing games for kids requires focusing on making the game welcoming and accessible to players of all ages.
  2. Design choices should prioritize fun and player enjoyment over adhering to traditional standards.
  3. Engaging with focus groups of various age groups can reveal important insights for refining gameplay mechanics.

What makes Notion so special

subtract • 5 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Product Design AI User Experience Integration Artificial Intelligence
  1. Notion's design is centered around two key primitives: 'block' and 'page' that make it familiar and easy to use.
  2. Notion's commitment to a single primitive 'block' allows for future growth and adding new features without complexity.
  3. The 'page' primitive in Notion enhances user experience by enabling flexibility and accommodating various types of content.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 353

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 27 Aug 20
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data science AI Development Software Engineering 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.

B2C vs B2B vs B2B2E CIAM

ciamweekly • 1 HN point • 11 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Identity Management Authentication Online Security User Experience Integration
  1. B2C, B2B, and B2B2E applications require different approaches to customer identity and access management (CIAM) systems.
  2. B2C applications aim at end consumers, requiring smooth registration and authentication processes due to user choice.
  3. B2B and B2B2E applications cater to business and employee users, with focus on organization structures, payment collection, and different authentication needs.

Eight Key Lessons for Rocket-Shipping AI Products

Unsupervised Learning • 1 implied HN point • 10 Apr 24
🕹 Technology AI Products User Experience Product Development Market Strategy
  1. Move quickly and launch your product fast. It’s better to get user feedback sooner than to wait for the perfect version.
  2. Involve your users in the creation process. Let them guide the product's direction so that the final result meets their needs.
  3. Testing your product internally before releasing it to users is key. It helps to ensure quality and makes sure you’re delivering something valuable.