Lessons from 2020: Benek Lisefski

— Benek Lisefski

We asked designers and friends of the UX Collective: what was your biggest lesson from 2020, that we can use as we go into 2021? Share your lessons with us: hello@uxdesign.cc

Lessons from 2020: Nikki Anderson

“The biggest lesson in 2020 I had as a user researcher was how to make anything and everything that had to be remote more fun and relatable.

To begin with, it’s difficult to connect with participants over a remote (and often with a not ideal internet connection) video call, so it was important to learn how to ask the best warm-up questions and convey trust via video.

Next comes all of the remote facilitation that goes along with user research, such as the synthesis, debriefing, and any workshops. …

Lessons from 2020: José Torre

“Just look how much progress we had in the span of a year on tools that enable remote collaboration, it’s amazing! If a year ago someone told me that a company like Shopify could have their entire workforce working remotely I would laugh. Seriously.

Looking to 2021 and beyond that’s the lesson I take. I want to be more nimble and ready to embrace change, even if that means that I’ll have to fall on my face a couple of times, at the end, when you start progressing it’s all worth it.

So, I challenge you to look for opportunities that come with change, not just the challenges. Because when you take a positive approach it’s easier to.” …

Lessons from 2020: David Teodorescu

“We were taking our design jobs for granted. I feel that up until now, we had this invincible, borderline reckless attitude that nothing can really happen to us no matter how bad things get.

2020 showed us that we’re actually vulnerable, it was sad to see so many designers losing their jobs. I would consider this a reminder that even if things are not always sunshine and rainbows, we should still be grateful for doing what we love and make the best of it.”

— David Teodorescu

We asked designers and friends of the UX Collective: what was your biggest lesson from 2020, that we can use as we go into 2021? Share your lessons with us: hello@uxdesign.cc

Lessons from 2020: Aga Szóstek

“When the lockdown enclosed us at homes all over the world, I was just finishing my book ‘The Umami Strategy’. When you find yourself delivering a piece of your practice in writing at the very moment when the world undergoes such a profound change, it is only natural to ask yourself if what you have written still stands tall. And I must admit that now even more important than ever before, it is crucial to consider what is the purpose and the differentiators of what we create.

If you are a designer, a leader, an architect the question that you might want to ask yourself today is: how does this thing I create impact the world? Is it making people become better or worse versions of themselves? Is it helping future generations thrive or does it leave them with more unsolvable problems? Are we creating something that’s needed or just another unnecessary luxury? And if we are designing something great, what would make it stand out in the world so full of heterogeneously homogenous offerings we are surrounded by? As this year progressed, I noticed these questions being asked not only by me and my fellow designers but also by many business clients who used this unexpected pause to rethink their approach and redesign their goals to help rather than hinder the world we find ourselves in. …

Lessons from 2020: Sacha Greif

“Whether it’s pandemic hoaxers, climate change deniers, or QAnon believers, we’re being forced to reconsider the assumption that we all share the same reality and all respond to the same incentives. It’s comforting to see companies like Twitter and Facebook finally take steps to address this, but let’s just hope it’s not too little too late.”
— Sacha Greif

We asked designers and friends of the UX Collective: what was your biggest lesson from 2020, that we can use as we go into 2021? Share your lessons with us: hello@uxdesign.cc

Things are not ok. We are in the middle of a global pandemic that has taken the lives of more than a million people. Those of us who have been able to keep our jobs in the economic crisis have been working remotely, leaving us feeling isolated and struggling to remain productive while the world burns outside.

As if that wasn’t enough, state violence against marginalized populations has escalated, while the gap between the rich and the poor has widened. …

If you’ve been following the UX Collective for some time, you might know that both Caio Braga and Fabricio Teixeira (our founders and editors) are originally from Brazil. Back in 2005, before being called “UX Collective” and having articles written in English, the blog started as a way for them to share what they were learning as they dove into the journey of learning about Information Architecture, Interaction Design, and whatnot. …