Koan #32 — It happens to all of us. You arrive at an organization that has virtually no knowledge of its customers. No documented research exists. You wonder, how can this happen in 2022? (This, by the way, happens to me with alarming frequency.) You don’t know which way to go with the…

Koan #31 — Your boss comes up to you one day and tells you the budget for the new year allocates 2 new open spots for UX. Since you’re the only designer at the organization, this is good news and long overdue. Your workload has you working into evenings to make deadlines, getting…

Koan #30 — The little calendar reminder sent a jolt through my heart. My wife’s birthday was sneaking up on me again this year. It’s usually one of those times of the year when I bang my head against the wall of my cave, trying to find the right gift. This year, I…

Koan #29 — I was in a meeting recently when a product manager said, “We can roll the feature out as it is and then learn from our users.” Now, I have heard this hundreds, maybe thousands, of times in my career. It didn’t always leave me feeling uneasy. Early in my career…

Koan #28 — The man was irate over the return policy at the small retail chain. I could overhear the conversation as each party spoke more quickly, increasing their volume as the tension mounted. But the woman wouldn’t budge. The policy, she explained, was clearly written on the receipt and all merchandise had…

It Isn’t All Bad — If you find yourself working with a team of predominately B players, stop to consider how they got hired. They likely endured an interview process similar to your own. They probably spoke to some of the same hiring managers and answered the same questions you were asked. Despite their deficiencies…

Koan #27 — I saw a quote the other day that said, writers love to have written. That’s always been my problem with writing. I love it when the piece is done and I can say I have written it. I love to have written. It’s past tense. But there are a lot…

Koan #26 — It’s easier to copy than innovate. It’s easier to take something apart than put it back together. It’s easier to critique than create. It’s easier to create than refine. It’s easier to consume than produce. It’s easier to tell a lie than refute one with the truth. …

Koan #25 — I have always found it puzzling that we spend so much of our hiring efforts seeking out “qualified” design candidates. “Why would you want to hire someone who is qualified?” I always ask. That same question can be flipped when we are the job seeker. …