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Home ›› Latest Articles ›› Design

Design

The Cortex-First Approach: Why UX Starts Before the Screen

  • Cognition, Design Psychology, Psychology, Psychology and Human Behavior, User Experience, User Research, UX Design

Explore why psychology, not pixels, decides whether users flow effortlessly or freeze in confusion, and how understanding cognition changes everything about UX design.

Article by Tushar Deshmukh
IDEAS IN BRIEF
The Cortex-First Approach: Why UX Starts Before the Screen
  • The article explains why UX design fails when it ignores what users’ brains are already doing before they even see the interface or click the first button.
  • The piece shows how aligning design with users’ mental models and emotional states creates effortless experiences, while violating them causes hesitation even in “perfect” interfaces.
  • It outlines the Cortex-First approach, showing how great UX starts by understanding cognitive patterns, emotional responses, and subconscious expectations rather than visual aesthetics.
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6 min read

Understanding Don Norman’s Principles of Interaction

  • Human-Centered Design, Interaction Design, Usability, User Experience, UX Design

Learn how Don Norman‘s six interaction design principles explain why some things feel intuitive while others leave us frustrated.

Article by Paivi Salminen
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Understanding Don Norman’s Principles of Interaction
  • The article breaks down Don Norman‘s six design principles that help users understand products instantly without needing instructions or feeling confused.
  • The piece shows how good design using Norman‘s principles makes everyday technology easier to use by matching how people naturally think and act.
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3 min read

Ableist Design: Challenging Systemic Norms

  • Accessibility, Design Ethics, Human-Centered Design, Inclusive Design, UX Design

Discover how ableism influences our interfaces and why real design begins with humanity, not assumptions.

Article by Tamara Sredojevic
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Ableist Design: Challenging Systemic Norms
  • The article claims that design often defaults to an able-bodied “norm,” making exclusion a structural rather than an unwanted consequence.
  • It illustrates that accessibility mistakes come from assumptions: designers believe who the user is instead of investigating, researching, or involving Disabled people.
  • The piece highlights that accessibility must be built in from the start and seen as an ethical, collective responsibility rather than a specialized add-on or professional task.
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24 min read

The AI-First Operator Is the New Product Manager

  • Artificial Intelligence, Design Leadership, Future of Design, Future of Work, Product Management

Uncover the AI-driven future of product management, where execution is automated and staying close to the market is key.

Article by Pavel Bukengolts
IDEAS IN BRIEF
The AI-First Operator Is the New Product Manager
  • The article explores how AI tools such as Startup.ai and Ideanote are turning ideas into products, minimizing the need for traditional project management jobs.
  • It stresses that success in product management today depends on staying close to present market signals rather than coordinating or interpreting concepts.
  • The piece highlights that the future belongs to quick thinkers: AI prioritizes ideas over resumes, leveling the playing field for innovators everywhere.
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3 min read

Beyond UI/UX: Designing Adaptive Experiences in the Age of AI

  • AI in UX, Artificial Intelligence, Future of Design, Human-Centered Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, UX Design

Explore the future of design: AI-powered interfaces that adapt, stay human-focused, and build trust.

Article by Aroon Kumar
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Beyond UI/UX: Designing Adaptive Experiences in the Age of AI
  • The article discusses the shift from fixed interfaces to real-time experiences, switching the role of designers from creating screens to guiding how systems operate.
  • The piece also stresses that, as experiences become personalized, they must maintain user trust, privacy, and authentic human connection.
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5 min read

Earning the Right to Research: Stakeholder Buy-In and Influence in the AI x UX Era

  • AI in UX, Artificial Intelligence, Design Research, Human-Centered Design, UX Research

Explore how design researchers can earn the trust and buy-in that give studies impact, even as AI shifts how teams work.

Article by Sara Fortier
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Earning the Right to Research: Stakeholder Buy-In and Influence in the AI x UX Era
  • The article emphasizes that synthetic data and AI tools promise speed, but not the alignment or shared purpose that makes design research effective in solving design problems.
  • It asserts that meaningful human-centred design begins with trust and the permission to conduct research properly (i.e., strategically).
  • The piece outlines how to build stakeholder buy-in for design research through practical strategies that build influence piece by piece within an organization.
  • Adapted from the book Design Research Mastery, it offers grounded ways to enable impactful user studies in today’s AI-driven landscape.
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12 min read
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