Flag

We stand with Ukraine and our team members from Ukraine. Here are ways you can help

Get exclusive access to thought-provoking articles, bonus podcast content, and cutting-edge whitepapers. Become a member of the UX Magazine community today!

Home ›› Business UX Leaders ›› Magical Design Thinking with UX Presto

Magical Design Thinking with UX Presto

by Jim McCool
4 min read
Share this post on
Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Save

A look at the mysterious world of UX Magic in the form of a screenplay depicting a meeting between a desperate product team and a mysterious figure.

FADE IN:

Main Conference Room, Headquarters, MegaCorp Solutions Inc., Tuesday 3.05pm

The entire New Products team is gathered for a special meeting. Glum expressions and grim red-lined wall charts demonstrate how the team has fallen way behind schedule. Project Manager #Psycho Steve steps up to the podium to make an announcement.

#PSYCHO STEVE

Today, we have a special guest… A special guest who we hope is going to help get us back on track.

In the corner, a huddle of productivity coaches cheer loudly, embellished with a flourish of amateur dramatics.

THE PRODUCTIVITY COACHES

Hooray! HOORAY! WaHOO!

#PSYCHO STEVE

So, please give a big MegaCorp Solutions team welcome… to Mr. UX Presto…!

An elegant figure in a top hat, white collar and tails steps forward and takes a bow.

#PSYCHO STEVE

UX Presto is going to work some of his fabulous UX magic on our designs… Now, stand back everybody.

UX Presto lifts his magic UX wand and taps lightly on the dull pile of dreary and blinkered business requirements on the desk top. He quietly murmurs a magical UX incantation.

UX PRESTO

Lorem ipsum, dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing, Harry Potteramus…

As if by magic, the dusty pile of documentation transforms into a shimmering set of interactive wireframes.

Transfixed, #Psycho Steve reaches out to touch the magical design specifications, and they beep, feebly. He gasps.

#PSYCHO STEVE

Yes! Touch-friendly! They’re responsive as well!

Like a kindly wise king surrounded by starving beggars, UX Presto smiles benignly at the applause. Then the magical UX specialist steps forward once more. Again he taps the design documentation with his magic UX wand. They twinkle and glisten.

JUAN, LEAD DEVELOPER

LOOK!…Now they’re GOLD-PLATED!

UX Presto holds a white gloved finger to his tidily bearded mouth to signal for silence.

When he again has the full attention of the team, he swooshes his red-lined cape around himself in a silky gesture. There is a flash of bright light, a puff of white smoke, and suddenly #Psycho Steve finds himself holding a wealth of valuable ethnographic research.

#PSYCHO STEVE

This is AMAZING… He pulled it straight out of thin air!

#Psycho Steve swoons slightly. The Productivity Coaches gasp.

THE PRODUCTIVITY COACHES

Gasp! This research data completely validates ALL our initial assumptions about user behaviour!

Next, UX Presto approaches Juan, the Lead Developer. Reaching casually behind Juan’s earhole, UX Presto pulls out a long knotted ribbon of technical constraints. He pulls and pulls and pulls until finally the immensely long line of problems breaks free.

Reaching behind Juan’s earhole, UX Presto pulls out a long knotted ribbon of technical constraints.

The productivity coaches screech, noisily.

THE PRODUCTIVITY COACHES

Eeeek! Wicked!

Twirling the long line of knotty problems into an impromptu lasso, UX Presto sends them swirling towards the ceiling, where they magically transform into a fluttering flock of friendly white doves.

#PSYCHO STEVE

Yes folks, and they make excellent pies.

After a slight pause for the productivity coaches to compose themselves, #Psycho Steve pulls out his smartphone and pushes its volume setting up to maximum. He plays a very tinny drum roll.

#PSYCHO STEVE

UX Presto tells me that he will need a volunteer from the audience for his next, very dangerous, trick…

The team look at each other, anxiously.

#PSYCHO STEVE

Dreck Slowfoot, Legal & Redtape Compliance Manager, step forward please…

Dreck Slowfoot protests and attempts to hide behind the rest of the team.

DRECK SLOWFOOT

But I… I mean, I never…You… you’re not going to saw me in half or anything…?

#PSYCHO STEVE

Excellent, excellent… Heh, heh, no of course, we’re not going to saw you in half… And a big thank you for being such a sport and taking part. Step up lively now, Dreck.

A curtain draws back to reveal a stoutly metal-framed Perspex cabinet. The cabinet is transparent, full of water, and bound by heavy steel chains.

UX Presto works nimbly to remove the chains and pull open the cabinet. He then gestures to his nervous volunteer.

#PSYCHO STEVE

Yep, that’s it, Dreck, just put your total trust in UX Presto and everything will be fine… Go right ahead…

Dreck moves forward nervously and lowers himself into the cabinet, until his mouth and nose are just above the waterline.

With exaggerated, theatrical, movements, UX Presto then replaces the heavy chains and clicks the padlocks closed with thick brass keys. Next, he pulls over an industrial welding unit and with a magical blue welding torch, seals the magical cabinet shut.

#Psycho Steve holds his phone aloft, with the tinny drum roll, rolling.

#PSYCHO STEVE

Please be calm, Ladies and Gentlemen. UX Presto needs absolute quiet while he fights against the clock to get Dreck free…

While #Psycho Steve holds the team’s attention, UX Presto disappears.

#PSYCHO STEVE

With only six and a half months to go before delivery of phase two, UX Presto will need every ounce of his magic powers to mentally move those locks… remotely.

The tinny drum roll continues.

#PSYCHO STEVE

While we wait in thrilling suspense for the almost unbearably tense finale, I suggest we go back to our desks and build those magical golden wireframes.

The drum roll stops. The thick curtain quietly closes and the magical cabinet is hidden.

#PSYCHO STEVE

For next week’s meeting, I’d advise those of a religious or a nervous disposition to bring a friend, or seek parental consent. We’ll be learning some of the dark arts of search engine optimization… So please bring along a black candle and a suitable sacrifice…

FADE OUT:

Image of magician courtesy Shutterstock.

post authorJim McCool

Jim McCool
Jim McCool is a Senior UX Consultant currently working in Sydney, Australia. He has been involved in UX for more than 15 years, working for major organizations like British Telecom, Vodafone, Symbian, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and various large financial organizations. Jim has worked as a builder, garbageman, journalist, and social researcher before becoming involved in the world of tech. He is married with three very smart kids and two reasonably dumb dogs. He enjoys the incredible beauty of the Australian landscape, and spends as much time camping in the bush as his busy schedule will allow.

Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Related Articles

Consistency in UI/UX builds trust and efficiency — without it, users feel lost. Learn how top brands maintain it and how AI can help.

Article by Rodolpho Henrique
Consistency in UI/UX Design: The Key to User Satisfaction
  • The article examines the role of consistency in UI/UX design for user trust and efficiency.
  • It showcases visual, functional, and interaction consistency in creating seamless experiences.
  • The piece warns about the negative effects of inconsistency, including confusion and frustration.
  • It promotes the use of AI and design systems to ensure consistency across digital platforms.
Share:Consistency in UI/UX Design: The Key to User Satisfaction
4 min read

If Mobile-First thinking has revolutionized the UX Design industry, AI-First is promising to be an even more spectacular kick in the pants.

Article by Greg Nudelman
The Rise of AI-First Products
  • The article explores how AI-powered operating systems are changing user interactions.
  • It covers AI-driven personalization, automation, and adaptive interfaces.
  • The piece discusses challenges like privacy, over-reliance on AI, and user control.
  • It highlights opportunities to design more intuitive and human-centered AI experiences.
Share:The Rise of AI-First Products
11 min read

AI is reshaping UX, and Figma may be sinking. As AI-driven systems minimize UI, traditional design roles must evolve — or risk becoming obsolete. Are you ready to adapt?

Article by Greg Nudelman
AI Is Flipping UX Upside Down: How to Keep Your UX Job, and Why Figma is a Titanic (It’s not for the Reasons You Think)
  • The article explores the fundamental shift in UX as AI-first systems minimize the role of UI, rendering traditional design tools like Figma increasingly obsolete.
  • It introduces the “Iceberg UX Model,” illustrating how modern AI-driven interfaces prioritize functionality and automation over visual design.
  • The piece argues that UX professionals must shift their focus from UI aesthetics to AI-driven user experience, emphasizing use case validation, AI model integration, and data-informed decision-making.
  • It warns that designers who remain fixated on pixel-perfect layouts risk becoming obsolete, urging them to adapt by engaging in AI-driven UX strategies.
Share:AI Is Flipping UX Upside Down: How to Keep Your UX Job, and Why Figma is a Titanic (It’s not for the Reasons You Think)
7 min read

Join the UX Magazine community!

Stay informed with exclusive content on the intersection of UX, AI agents, and agentic automation—essential reading for future-focused professionals.

Hello!

You're officially a member of the UX Magazine Community.
We're excited to have you with us!

Thank you!

To begin viewing member content, please verify your email.

Tell us about you. Enroll in the course.

    This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Check our privacy policy and