rethink.fm

In this episode, we continue a critical conversation about the challenges we face together on computer science, ethics, and unintentional consequences with emerging technologies that lack defined purpose and regulations. Morten Rand-Hendriksen has published countless valuable courses on LinkedIn Learning reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers from all over the world. He also contributes to the web community as a public speaker, author, educator, developer, and design philosopher. Related interesting reads or resources Invite Morten to speak: Thinking out loud about the internet Code of Ethics for Bloggers, Social Media and Content Creators Recent Talk: Y OSLO - TO­WARDS VAL­UES AND ETHICS IN DE­SIGN AND TECH­NOL­O­GY Towards a Technoethics (Abstract) - Mario Bunge Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It - by Kashmir Hill

I am talking with Jessica Ivins about strengthening stakeholder relationships via UX research operations in this episode. Jessica is the Lead UX Researcher at The Predictive Index, overseeing research and research operations. She plans, conducts, and synthesizes strategic UX research projects that provide critical insights for organizational stakeholders. We've got some actionable professional strategies and resources to share too. Related interesting reads or resources An Essential Tool for Capturing Your Career Accomplishments by Jessica Ivins Leaders of Awesomeness - Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman, Jared Spool, and the team at Center Centre – UIE launched Leaders of Awesomeness, an online community of more than 46,000 UX design, research, and content leaders - Free to join Thanks to Vitaly Friedman for the following useful links: How To Manage Challenging Stakeholders and Influence Without Authority (free eBook, 95 pages) (https://lnkd.in/e6RY6dQB), a practical guide on how to deal with difficult stakeholders, manage difficult situations and stay true to your product strategy. From HiPPOs (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) to ZEbRAs (Zero Evidence But Really Arrogant). By Dean Peters. The Delicate Art of Interviewing Stakeholders, by Dan Brown https://lnkd.in/dW5Wb8CK Good Questions For Meetings With Stakeholders, by Lisa Nguyen, Cori Widen https://lnkd.in/eNtM5bUU UX Research Studies to Win Over Stubborn Stakeholders, by Lizzy Burnam 🐞 https://lnkd.in/eW3Yyg5k

In this episode, I am joined by special guest, Jared Spool! We are talking about transformational UX research and design strategies. We cover a lot of actionable insights and share a few laughs too. You will learn about how to evaluate the readiness and urgency required to make a maximum strategic UX impact within organizations, what actual leadership means, and how to improve future experiences with research-led, human-centric practices and more. If you and your design/product teams need weekly motivation and resources, join the Leaders of Awesomeness community or sign the team up for a deeper intensive. Lift up your career and your organization with an amazing knowledge base and uniquely thoughtful teacher, Jared Spool. Related interesting reads or resources Leaders of Awesomeness - Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman, Jared Spool, and the team at Center Centre – UIE launched Leaders of Awesomeness, an online community of more than 46,000 UX design, research, and content leaders - Free to join The Evolution of a New UX Design Resolution - UIE - Deliver Better Design Advanced Approaches to UX Research - Intensive led by Jared Spool How to Win Stakeholders and Influence Decisions Program - Intensive led by Jared Spool Deconstructing Delight - by Dana Chisnell Walt Disney's Synergy Map - Napkin sketches from 1957 and 1967 by Walt Disney diagramming the company’s core strategy

Hey, everybody, it's Cathi Bosco from rethink.fm the forward-thinking podcast about experience design. Join me and special guests to discuss effective design, technology, and the intersection of helping people and entrepreneurship. From user experience research to product roadmaps. We've got you covered. The big news today is that I will officially be taking over the rethink.fm podcast, founded by Jackie D'Elia and then co-hosted by Jackie, Monique Dubbelman, and myself. Moving forward, I will be conducting one-on-one interviews with experienced professionals to gain insights into their practices, their projects, and their teams. Let's face it, design is a team sport, technology and user needs are continuously evolving and we can learn a lot from each other's experiences along the way. Since this episode is a transition episode each of us will answer a few questions and at the end of the podcast, I'll give some definitive insights into where we're headed moving forward. I hope you'll enjoy this episode. Thank you for joining. What does UX mean to you today, compared to early in your career?

It's been a while, but in this episode, we have a guest! And what a guest: Rian Rietveld, accessibility specialist at Level Level is joining us to talk about accessibility. We talk about the problem with accessibility overlays, educating people, and how we can help more people develop, design, and create content in a way it's accessible for everyone. Big take away: make it about themselves. Related interesting reads or resources Selfish accessibility - talk by Adrian Rosselli 6 tips for accessible web design - (UXATT blog) Accessibility isn't magic that comes from tools (UXATT blog) WP Engine partners with AudioEye Overlay Fact Sheet A11y-collective (accessibility courses by Rian Rietveld) Gravity Forms accessibility guide for developers Axe Dev tools Chrome extension

Sometimes, product teams or clients can be too focused on output or features. This is a problem, because you can end up becoming a feature factory, without knowing if the user really benefits from these new features. If you want to avoid endless iterations of a design with clients or developers, it’s time to start focusing on outcome instead of output. In this episode, we discuss our experience with clients or teams focusing too much on output. Related interesting reads or resources Design for outcome instead of output - UXATT Design Outputs and Design Outcomes - Love.com Outcomes vs outputs - uxdesign.cc Minimize Design Risk by Focusing on Outcomes not Features - NNgroup.com Chosing the right color Common color palette mistakes - Career foundry Colour blindness - Colour blind awareness Color psychology - verywellmind.com

In this episode, we discuss our learnings and experience from working as a team, after decades of working solo. What are the pro's & cons? What tools do we use to collaborate online and remote?

In episode 31, Cathi, Jackie & Monique talk about user-centered design practices. This podcast is based on the talk Cathi did for the GoDaddy online event Expand 2021. Listen in and learn from our mistakes. Related interesting reads or resources YouTube recording of Cathi's talk for GoDaddy's online event Expand 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNYinIEH8vk&list=WL&index=1

In episode 30, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss designer-isms. As designers, we tend to use too much jargon. This episode is based on the article we wrote for UXATT (link below), where we wrote about 15 design terms. We talk about why you should avoid jargon. And give suggestions on how you could speak about the same thing in plain language. And yes, we need to get better at it too. Related interesting reads or resources 15 designer-isms - how to avoid jargon - UXATT.com Why Design-isms are a problem - UX Collective How to deal with information overload in everyday life - Monique Dubbelman Most Used words/terms in UX Design - Linkedin post by Akash Solanki

In episode 29, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss the value of UX research. Many designers, including larger agencies, have difficulties 'squeezing' user research into a project, because clients prefer to immediately jump to the visual part of design. But what is the value of UX research? List of used terms UX researchUser eXperience research. Find out how people feel when they use your product.UIUser Interface. The visual part of a digital product that people see when they use it. Related interesting reads or resources Just Enough Research, by Erika HallStart doing good research faster than you can plan your next pitch.Exposure is key to evidence-based decision making for product teams. Presentation for WPVIP- BigWP - 2020, by Cathi Bosco Why speculate about the people we are building and designing for? Our teams need a deep understanding of their needs and their environments.What Proactive User Research Looks Like, by Jared Spool - UIE ArticlesUnsplash plugin for WordPress by XWP

In episode 28, Cathi, Jackie & Monique talk about how you can approach usability on digital products in a systematic way. We also introduce and explain our usability model, a pyramid that is based on the foundation of performance, accessibility and security. Listen now or read the transcript in the show notes to learn more. Links to discussed topics on usability From the UXATT blog: 10 critical usability heuristics to improve a digital experience Related interesting reads or resources Press This podcast episode with Jackie D’EliaNielsen Group 10 Usability Heuristics

In episode 27, Cathi, Jackie & Monique talk about Web Stories for WordPress. Google recently released this plugin in Beta. With Web Stories, you can create visually immersive and engaging content. In this podcast, we look at the plugin from a design perspective. Who can benefit from this way of publishing content? What does it mean for accessibility? How is the overall editing experience? And why should you use this open source alternative, rather than use what's already out there, like Instagram Stories? We answer all these questions and more in this episode of the Rethink.fm podcast. Links to discussed topics on Google Web Stories Google Web StoriesPulitzer Prize Awarded: Powerless: A photographer's journey into Yemen's shattering war by Lorenzo TugnoliCodePen: Text Magic by Paul BakausWeb Stories on WordPress Beta Related interesting reads or resources Other ways to publish stories in the include: Web Stories, Tapable HQ, Make Stories, Ampstor, Visual Stories TappableMake StoriesAmpstorOnceVisual Storiesroll your own with Web Stories released in 2019PressThis episode with Cathi Bosco and David Vogelpohl discussing the value and features of Web Stories for WordPress

In episode 26, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss: What is good digital design? We take you back to the 80s and talk design for print. From there we touch on some design changes over the years and discuss how we work now. We also talk about the design of lawnmowers and Monique will tell you why she thinks Apple products like the magic mouse and the iPhone 11 are examples of bad design. Listen now through your favorite podcast software, or read the transcript at the bottom. Links to discussed topics on good digital design Unsplash WordPress plugin (coming to the plugin repo next week!) How progressive web apps can drive business success Related interesting reads What is intuitive design? Nobody told me UX would be like this

In this episode, Jackie D'Elia introduces the new co-hosts for the rethink.fm podcast: Cathi Bosco and Monique Dubbelman. The podcast continues in a new format, focusing more on design and user experience, both in and outside the WordPress ecosystem. Please find the transcript of the podcast at the bottom of this post. Listen to Episode 25 New co-hosts for rethink.fm podcast While we're redesigning this website to fit our new branding, please learn more about the new co-hosts for rethink.fm. Cathi Bosco I'm Cathi and I'm a Connecticut based UX Architect. I'm really excited to be part of this! Since we all bake, it's also a baking support group! Where to find Cathi Cathi's Business Website Cathi's Personal Website Cathi on Twitter Jackie D'Elia Hi I'm Jackie, the founder of this podcast. In another life, I could have been Rizzo from Grease. Where to find Jackie Jackie's Personal Website Jackie on Twitter Monique Dubbelman Hi, I'm Monique and I'm one of the inventors of Dutch Directness! (Or is it in our dna?). Where to find Monique Monique's Business Website Monique's Personal Website Monique on Twitter Or contact us via UXATT.com Links to discussed topics UXATT PressNomics GravityView Diversity Grant 2019 WordCamp US 2018 WordPress.org Design John Maeda Design-in-Tech Report 2020

Photo credit: Gary Lopater on Unsplash Exploring Page Builders and Advanced Custom Fields in WordPress In this episode, Diane Kinney and I are talking about Page Builders and Advanced Custom Fields Pro. There are a variety of tools available when it comes to building a WordPress website - and choosing the right tool for the job -- can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed. No worries, Diane puts it all in perspective and provides some useful tips on choosing a page builder. Diane Kinney Yes, I’m a mega WordPress nerd and I’d love to share the things I’ve learned in the last 17 years of building both simple and complex sites. Listen to Episode 24 Where to find Diane: Diane's Business Website: The Versatility Group Diane's Personal Website: DianeKinney.com Diane's Twitter link: @dkinney Her upcoming book with Carrie Dils: Real World Freelancing Tools and Resources discussed: Advanced Custom Fields Pro CMB2 - Custom Metaboxes 2 Page Builders Beaver Builder Site Origin Oxygen Page Builder Elementor Tailor Page Builder Critical Review by Pippin Williamson

Photo credit: Sasha on Unsplash Getting Started with Local SEO John Locke is back on Rethink.fm and this time we are talking about SEO and specifically Local SEO, what it is, who needs it and how to approach it. Whether you are just starting with SEO or have been struggling with it, this episode is sure to provide some valuable insight. John was my guest on Episode 1 of Rethink.fm where we talked about developing a content first strategy. John Locke John Locke is an SEO consultant from Sacramento, CA. He helps established businesses rank higher through his agency, Lockedown Design. Listen to Episode 23 Where to find John: Website: Locke Down Design Twitter: Tools and Resources discussed: DIY SEO Courses by Rebecca Gill KWFinder - Hundreds of keyword ideas SEO Audits Time To First Byte Brian Dean's Study of One Million Search Results Ahrefs - Tools to improve your search traffic, research your competitors and monitor your niche. SEM Rush Yoast Local SEO Plugin

Photo credit: Puk Patrick on Unsplash Collaboration - Teaming up to tackle larger projects In this episode, I'm chatting with Cathi Bosco and Joe Dooley about a large project we did together. We talk about our roles and how we worked together. One of the challenges we tackled was incorporating a flexible animated icon system using SVGs -- and what was involved in building that. Listen to Episode 22 Cathi BoscoCreative Director, Digital Consultant, Web Designer, Artist, Illustrator, Children's Book Author, trail runner, dog lover & free thinker... My specialty is creating beautiful and cohesive web presence packages for clients that can convert audiences and present content elegantly (think modern and clean presentation). Our sites are built on The Genesis Framework and they function exceptionally well for a wide range of programs, communities, organizations, and companies. If you have an unusual challenge – we are all ears… tell us about your project and ideas! We don’t take on each and every proposal that comes along, but if we feel we can add value to your plans or programs, we’ll gladly get you a quote and get to work for you. I also think CSS transitions and CSS + SVG animations are very effective slightly below the surface. Designed to feed the human reward system. Always leaving the end user ‘in control’ of the navigation but royally rewarded aesthetically. This is for upper-end projects and can also help to differentiate sites from low-end, non-custom work… when done well. We all love this stuff… transitions and animations that are so subtle they beautifully and intriguingly enhance end-user experiences. Along with collaboration, they are key to forward momentum for Genesis developers and designers Joe Dooley Joe Dooley often describes himself as largely driven by analytics and a keen passion for SEO. His Tampa SEO company implements cutting edge practices to boost website conversion and meet his client’s marketing goals. Working as a front-end web developer and leading Developing Designs allows Joe to nurture the business aspirations of his clients as he works with them to advance their marketing platforms in exciting directions leading to success. Sponsor - IHateTomatoes.net This episode is sponsored by IHateTomatoes.net - Front-End Development Courses Don't let the name confuse you. This is the comprehensive resource that we used to build our SVG animations for the project mentioned in this episode. Petr Tichy is passionate about front-end development and offers three free introductory courses -- React 101, Greensock 101 and ScrollMagic 101 -- and when you are ready to take your front-end dev skills to the next level, he has affordable online workshops in React, web animations. High quality video tutorials that show you step by step how to accomplish some very amazing things. Master front-end development and take your React, GreenSock and ScrollMagic knowledge to the next level. Check out IHateTomatoes.net today. Where to find us: Website: C and D Studios Website: Developing Designs Website: Jackie D'Elia Design Twitter: Cathi Bosco Twitter: Joe Dooley Twitter: Jackie D'Elia Tools and Resources discussed: Greensock ScrollMagic IHateTomatoes.net Panetheon WP Engine Pagely SVGMO

Photo credit: MILKOVÍ on Unsplash eCommerce - Helping folks sell online In this episode, I'm chatting with Bob Dunn of bobwp.com. Bob is a master at producing content and building an audience. We're talking about eCommerce, and what's involved in selling products online. And the conversation doesn't stop there. Bob shares his experience with podcasting, page builders, managing affiliates, sponsors and more. So if you are thinking about starting an online business, this episode covers a lot of ground. Bob Dunn With a background in marketing Bob and his wife Judy grew a marketing company into what today is a content marketing machine centered around eCommerce. "In 2007 I began to dabble in WordPress and by 2008, I knew it was the perfect solution for me and my clients. We dove back into eCommerce a bit more by starting a membership site in 2008 as well, a time before membership sites really were catching on. And obviously, with the technology nowhere at where it is today, it took us a good 9 months to develop the site." Today, Bob produces several podcasts and writes a ton of useful content for his growing audience. The rest is history, as they say. In a nutshell, it’s all about eCommerce with a frosting of WordPress. Listen to Episode 21 Where to find Bob: Website: bobwp.com Twitter: @bobwp Tools and Resources discussed: WooCommerce Easy Digitial Downloads Blubrry Libsyn AffiliateWP BeaverBuilder CoSchedule ThirstyAffiliates Shareasale

In this episode, I am chatting with Kim Shivler about Learning Management Systems, what are they and how easy it is to create a membership site of online courses. If you are thinking about selling courses or have clients that want to, this episode is for you.

Why User Research Matters In this episode, I am chatting with Melissa Eggleston about UX, what it is and why it is a crucial component in creating a successful web project. I first met Melissa at WordCamp, Asheville in 2015 and had a chance to visit with her at the happiness bar and see her presentation Website Design with UX in Mind. Melissa Eggleston Melissa Eggleston is a User Experience Specialist and Content Strategist based in Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina. She helps businesses, non-profits, and universities find, attract, and help their target audiences. She often works for agencies and design/development teams. She's able to see the big picture while also digging into the details. She's worked on projects for both tiny tech startups and big organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Melissa's is the co-author of The Zombie Business Cure - How to refocus your company's identity for more authentic communication. Listen to Episode 19 Where to find Melissa: Website: Melissa Eggleston Twitter: @melissa_egg Tools and Resources discussed: Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug Just Enough Research by Erika Hall Hemingway Editor Jared Spool's All You Can Learn Library Grammarly - Awesome - in Browser Grammar checker