NNGroup

When teams can't access research, they don't stop asking questions. They just might ask that guy they talked to at the pub instead.

Ned Dwyer shares how to move from gatekeeping research to democratized guidance with clear pathways.

🎧: https://bit.ly/4rxS2z1
#UXResearch

Don’t miss out on our last chance to take one of our Live Online courses this year! Join us this December 6-12 for one of 38 courses:
https://bit.ly/3L7fuT7

#UX

Prioritize Smarts over Sentience to Increase Trust with AI People trust AI more when it seems smarter rather than sentient. AI emotions can reduce trust in factual, task-oriented work and reduce AI reliability.

Want users to trust your AI?

Stop trying to make it seem human. Research reveals that perceived AI intelligence builds trust, while perceived emotionality erodes it.

→ nngroup.com/articles/smarts-emotion-trust-ai/

#AIDesign #UX

Managed-UX Integration: A Team Model for UX Autonomy and Product Alignment In the managed-UX integration model, UXers report to UX leadership, stay connected to their peers, and work daily with product teams to drive outcomes.

Should UX report to #product management? (Our answer: No.)

Enter MUXI — a model where #UX reports to UX leadership while fully embedding in product teams. Same collaboration, no dual accountability.

https://bit.ly/480aHMs

#UXStrategy

This week's UX reading list is here 👇

📹 What is Mixed-Methods #Research?

🖊️ Workshopping #UX Research with #Stakeholders

💻 Upcoming Course Schedules

Check them out: https://bit.ly/462IVOa

#UXUI

Stop Making Your Team Figure Out AI on Their Own Making everyone figure out AI alone creates chaos and risk. Ops teams must step up: analyze workflows, pilot tools, and support adoption systematically.

"Just start using AI" isn't a strategy — it's chaos.

Not everyone is an AI power user, and not every task needs AI. Teams seeing success are operationalizing it thoughtfully.

Laura Klein offers guidance on how: https://bit.ly/3KafvW6

#UXResearch

november18th2025ADeveloperStory

The Edge Cases that Break Hearts (And Products) Edge cases aren't rare; they're real life. Design for messy situations like name changes, shared accounts, and bad actors from day one.

Your 'perfect' user flow just met reality.

Edge cases aren't rare — they're real moments in users' lives. The best designs anticipate complexity, not just the ideal path.

But, what if the "edge case" becomes the common case?

🔗 https://bit.ly/4oJIFKL

#UXDesign @lauraklein.bsky.social

New from NN/G:

📹 Stakeholder Management vs. Engagement
🖊️ Good Visual Design, Explained
🖊️ Beyond the Primary User: 3 Types of Smart-Home Users
📚 Courses for Nov to Jan

Check them out: nngroup.com

#NNGroup #UpToDate

Stop Misrecruits: Add Foils to Your Screener Foils are fake (but plausible) options in screeners that catch inattentive or dishonest participants, protecting data quality and saving time.

That clearly unqualified participant in your study? They gamed your screener.

Adding foils—deliberately false answer options—can act as truth detectors. Add that fake option amongst the real ones, and anyone who selects it? Instant red flag.

📖 : https://bit.ly/495eFUO
#UserResearch

From Confrontation to Collaboration: The Developer-Designer Relationship The infamous developer-designer relationship doesn't need to be toxic. Design and development teams should approach collaboration as coowners of the product experience.

Design and dev teams still working as adversaries instead of allies?

Kelley Gordon's 12+ years of insights reveal the fix: treat both as co-owners of the product experience. Build relationships 1:1. Share vocabulary. Acknowledge invisible work.

https://bit.ly/4oiV8VE
#UXDesign

Overwhelmed by AI? We've curated 100+ resources into focused study guides: understanding AI functionality, integrating AI into UX work, and designing AI products. Your roadmap to working smarter with AI.

Explore the guides: https://bit.ly/47Cbe5E
#UXDesign

There is still time to register for our November 18-21 Live Online UX Courses! (Perfect for those in East Asia, Australia, and parts of the U.S.

Let us know which course you want to attend in the comments.

🔗 Explore all available courses: https://bit.ly/3X9jyov

#UX

New from NN/G:

📹 Humanizing AI Does Not Help Your Users

🖊️ Insights Aren’t Outcomes: Research Recommendation Breakage

📚 Course Schedules for November to January

Check them out: https://bit.ly/4oLtHUb

#NNGroup #UpToDate

Two questions from an employment survey about whether I've ever been convicted of a felony or if I was referred to the employer by a rehab agency. Response options are: Forks, No, or Not Sure that's right. Forks. I can't explain it either. I'm not even sure how you'd get it that wrong.

I'm not sure about this survey design.

Good from Afar, But Far from Good: AI Prototyping in Real Design Contexts AI prototyping tools follow general directions but lack the judgment and nuance of an experienced designer.

We've been exploring AI prototyping tools—the polish can be impressive, but it can mask the need for deeper thinking about user needs and flows.
Where are you finding the balance?

Read our eval: https://bit.ly/47tdrjC
#AIPrototyping

How to Spot Signs of UX Maturity Regression Recognizing signs of UX maturity regression early and addressing them quickly helps organizations sustain momentum and avoid backsliding.

Is your UX practice slipping backward? Watch for rituals that feel routine, unused metrics, and siloed UX teams. Kate Kaplan identifies 6 warning signs of maturity regression:

https://bit.ly/4oJ8Lxg

#UXMaturity

Nov 18-21 Live Online UX Courses now open! Perfect for East Asia and Australia time zones. Learn from NN/G experts in interactive sessions.

Register: https://bit.ly/4nD8tXE

#UXTraining

Google AI Mode: Powerful Search, Poor Usability Google’s new AI Mode provides a new way to search the web but is hampered by discoverability and navigation issues — especially for AI novices.

Is Google’s new #AI Mode actually improving search or making it harder to use?
Our research shows that users struggle with:

1️⃣ Poor discoverability
2️⃣ Differentiating between Google's AI tools
3️⃣ Wordy, unformatted responses
4️⃣ Hallucinations

Read more: https://bit.ly/4oETjTn

New from NN/g:

📹 Overflow Menu Icons
🖊️ Stop Making Your Team Figure Out AI on Their Own
🖊️ 3 New AI Study Guides

Check them out: https://bit.ly/4oLtHUb
#NNGroup #UpToDate

The space between elements tells a story. Close proximity = connection. Distance = separation. Master this and you're designing for how people naturally process information.

Read: https://bit.ly/49pecNl

#VisualDesign #UXDesign

7 Deadly AI Sins for UX Professionals Succumbing to AI temptations weakens your UX skills. Strive for the AI virtues to keep yourself strong as you use AI in your work.

This Halloween's real scare? Watching UX skills weaken from AI overdependence. 😱

Tanner Kohler identifies 7 sins eroding our competencies—from outsourced thinking to defensive outlooks. Awareness helps us choose when AI enhances vs replaces critical thinking. https://bit.ly/4qv9bJg

#UX

Context is multi-dimensional. Environmental constraints, emotional states, situational factors all shape how users interact with your product. The key? Anticipating these contextual layers and designing experiences that adapt accordingly.

🎙️ Listen: https://bit.ly/3WKAUYZ

#UX

Struggling to turn user insights into actionable design decisions?
3 courses this December on the full qualitative research lifecycle:

- Discovery (Dec 9)
- Qualitative Methods (Dec 8)
- Data Analysis (Dec 11)

Register here: https://bit.ly/3L7fuT7

#UXResearch

Apple's Liquid Glass iOS looks futuristic, but is it usable? Transparency obscures UI elements, smaller tap targets, controls vanish unpredictably. Sleek doesn't always mean functional.

What's your experience with the new iOS?
https://bit.ly/4qi4l1Q

#UXDesign

New from NN/g:

🤖 AI Strategy: 3 Key Questions
✏️ Good from Afar, But Far from Good: AI Prototyping in Real Design Contexts
💻 The Edge Cases that Break Hearts (And Products)

Check them out: https://bit.ly/462IVOa

#NNGroup #UpToDate

"We haven't updated in years" isn't a good reason to redesign.

Users have learned your interface. Change is disruptive—even when a new design is better.

Ask: Do we have data showing this is necessary? Or are we just bored?

https://bit.ly/4mRRUXx

#UXDesign

Template Trap (Video) Templates help, but only when used with intent. Use them thoughtfully, adapt them to context, and don’t skip the critical thinking.

Are you falling into the template trap in UX? Frameworks and checklists can’t solve every challenge. UX is messy, so before adopting a template, know its purpose, question the fit, and adapt it to your goals.

📹: https://bit.ly/4hdWQVP

#UXDesign

Users have hated popups since the 90s, and the problem continues. Today's web experience is an exhausting mess of stacked overlays, stalking prompts, and forced interactions—all eroding trust.

What alternatives are you exploring?

https://bit.ly/4o3IMQG

#UXDesign

AI prototyping promises speed, but are we trading quality for convenience? Generic outputs, unvalidated designs, hidden technical debt. The question: when does AI help vs. hinder your process?

Join our course to go deeper: https://bit.ly/3KyEXES

#UXDesign