S.M.Lein
smlein.bsky.social
S.M.Lein
@smlein.bsky.social
a UX guy in a tech mad world; creating clarity out of chaos and complexity, a human catalyst for humane change; a lover of life, laughter, art & alliteration.
My obsession with AI in UX Design isn’t all fear. Growing up on 80s sci-fi (greetings, programs) made me fascinated by that blurred edge of sci-fi and sci-fact. OK, and a bit of career fear. So what’s sci-fact now, and what’s are we to do? www.learnui.design/blog/wheres-...
Where’s the AI design renaissance?
AI design is currently overhyped · Will AI take design jobs? · What should designers focus on in light of rapidly changing AI tools?
www.learnui.design
October 6, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I’m exploring new opportunities as a Product Design Manager or Senior IC Product Designer. Open to hybrid/on-site in Austin or remote across the US. Portfolio & resume at smlein.com (DM for pw). Recruiters + friends: if you know of openings that fit, I’d love to connect. Thx
#uxdesign #productdesign
September 29, 2025 at 11:07 PM
If you're not following Jakob Nielsen's substack (are you really UXing?) here's a link to his latest UX Roundup. Among the insights is a somewhat terrifying study on the effectiveness of AI-generated ads vs human-gen. Are we doomed?

#ux #uxdesign #ai #advertising
UX Roundup: User Testing | AI Ads | Users Like AI | Multiple Analytics Experiments | Low-Fi Prototyping | AI for User Research
User Testing 12-step process | AI advertisements outperformed human-created ads | Users give high NPS scores to the main AI models | Running multiple A/B tests simultaneously | Does vibe design mean t...
open.substack.com
September 16, 2025 at 4:43 PM
The last couple of articles I've shared have pointed to the idea that the UX field is changing. A lot. Here's another from Nielsen Norman Group about where we might be able to take UX to save it. Long live UX.
#uxdesign #uxUX
UX Is Dead, Long Live UX
Businesses must shift their focus from a narrow, product-level view of UX to a holistic one that spans a customer's lifelong experience.
www.nngroup.com
February 24, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Well this explains some things. Actually, it explains the entire UX/Product Design job market in great detail (as @jmspool.bsky.social is known to do). This market was a long time coming and it doesn't look like it's getting better any time soon.

#ux #uxjobs
Why is the UX job market such a mess right now?
A comprehensive explanation.
uxdesign.cc
January 27, 2025 at 11:16 PM
It seems we're moving back to the time of having to educate others on the value of UX Design (if we ever really left). Here's a framework to calculating and demonstrating the ROI of Design to ensure we're measuring success (and being judged) on outcomes not output.

#uxdesign #UX #ROI
Calculating the ROI of UX: A 5-Step Framework | User Interviews
A simple five-step framework for calculating the value of UX work, with advice on avoiding common mistakes and effectively reporting findings.
www.userinterviews.com
January 20, 2025 at 8:29 PM
"Design is optimism." Is that to say that we designers are optimists? Maybe so considering how often we hear from our partners "we can't do that" to which we reply "Yet." ... and then the timeline and budget conversations happen. ;)

#design #optimism
Design is optimism
Where did our positivity go? Here's some for the new year.
open.substack.com
January 7, 2025 at 11:19 PM
"Follow what lights you up," a wise person once told me. For me, that's being a player/coach in UX/Product Design, where I lead in both people and design. It lets me create and help others do the same. That's my Zone of Genius.
Finding your Zone of Genius - Mr Joe Leech
Finding fulfilment in your work comes when you move into your Zone of Genius and don't get trapped in the Zone of Excellence
mrjoe.uk
December 13, 2024 at 8:56 PM
The NEXT era of design? UXD has always been about intent. Every screen should take into account How did the user get here? Why are they here/what are they trying to do? Where are they going next? Nextgen tools might just make answers easier to build.

#uxdesign #userflows
The next era of design is intent-driven
How adaptive UIs are transforming user-centered design.
uxdesign.cc
December 11, 2024 at 9:36 PM
Personally, I like to prototype while I'm designing. No screen exists in a vacuum, every one is part of a flow. Prototyping helps me (and PM's, Eng's, and testers) feel the flow. Proper design systems & tools like Figma make it all possible to do quickly.
#uxdesign #productdesign #prototyping #figma
You're Not Creating Enough Prototypes
The true value of using design systems to create prototypes and how they impact testing, quantification and assessment of your products.
zeroheight.com
December 10, 2024 at 5:10 PM
What's my role again? I was a Web Designer before it was field. Then I learned the science behind the pretty and became a UX Designer. Then tech bosses decided I was a Product Designer. Will I be an Experience Designer next?
#uxdesign #experiencedesign

www.nngroup.com/articles/exp...
Experience Design: The Next Iteration of UX?
As an umbrella term for UX/CX work, “experience design” reflects blended roles and core human-centered principles.
www.nngroup.com
December 9, 2024 at 4:39 PM
Unless I know my users have a very specific, high functioning persona, I try to imagine that any user might have executive dysfunction. This article lays out why you should too and what you can do by way of design to help them.

#uxdesign #inclusivedesign
Designing for the Brain: How Executive Functions Shape Technology Adaptation
What UX Designers Need to Know
open.substack.com
December 6, 2024 at 5:06 PM
How dare you @uxcollective.bsky.social presume that I'm posting this just to "double down on [my] 'online presence', in an attempt to remain relevant." That's offensive, completely preposterous, and... also partially true (I admit it). But you've made some really good points. How can we save UX?
The State of UX in 2025
From design tools, to our design process, to the user behaviors that will change the way we design — a list of what to expect for User Experience (UX) Design in the next year.
trends.uxdesign.cc
December 6, 2024 at 12:01 AM