Nata Kostenko

Just announced! This month's UX Salon Halifax meetup is all about... User Experience of course. That's it. Back to the basics. Ever wonder why some things just work so.... nice? Or why some other experiences are so frustrating? We can answer that. :) See you in two weeks! #uxsalonhalifax #halifaxux #userexperience #halifaxtech #uxdesign #uxresearch

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Remote work enabled me to hire an expert team of UX designers and researchers dispersed across Canadian cities. It allowed me to support employee wellbeing so that precarious child care situations, creative passions and needs at home could be balanced with flexible work. We never missed a deadline; our work was always of a top quality. I could hire for the best talent and recruit from outside government. I couldn't offer the pay of private sector, but I could offer a healthy work environment and flexibility - something which many creatives (and folks in general) covet more than money. A slow creep to the end of remote work will make this impossible for many managers working in the federal government in IT. And equally, it will make it hard to retain managers and executives who are also subject matter experts in the field. It's really disappointing to see, and I hope there will be flexibility given so that we can retain the best talent in house. When you foster a work environment that is enticing to IT talent, you build real functional IT capacity within the government. Haven't we learned from ArriveCan? #DigitalGov #IT #remotework #returntowork

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Here’s a useful diagram to show your stakeholders when sharing your research plan.

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🌍 UX communities are more than just networking opportunities—they're where we learn, grow, and inspire each other. Whether you’re joining an established group like #CapCHI, which brings together the amazing UX community in Ottawa, or starting one yourself, being part of a UX network can make a big difference. I’ve found that connecting with others in the UX field really helps us stay ahead of trends and share valuable insights. 💡 It’s amazing how much we can learn from each other and how these interactions can fuel our creativity and problem-solving. What about you? How has your UX community impacted your work? What’s your go-to group or event? Let’s share in the comments and spread the word about the incredible UX networks out there! #UX #UserExperience #UXCommunity #Networking #DesignThinking

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If your customers are complaining, are in pain, or are angry, your best action is to listen to what they have to say with empathy and patience. Then use what you learn to make your product or service better. This is standard research practice. This is what we counsel the companies we work with as user experience professionals. That's not the feeling I get from this post—especially the part that can't help but be taken to suggest some light suing.

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Designing for Everyone: Why Accessibility Matters Accessible design isn't a feature – it’s a necessity. When we design inclusively, we create products that everyone can enjoy and benefit from. In my recent projects, I focused on making interactions accessible for users of all abilities, from color contrast adjustments to screen reader compatibility. How do you approach accessibility in your designs? 📌 Check out my portfolio: https://hetshah.design/ and connect with me for UX opportunities: https://lnkd.in/gpXDpXMv #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #UX #Hiring

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Is WCAG already on your agenda? Last week we hosted a roundtable and a workshop to give product leaders a better understanding of the compliance process, where to start, who to involve and how to set up your audit system. 👇 The 5 key takeaways 👇 To help, we've create an audit template to give you a head start. Leave your name in the comments if you'd like to receive it and I'll send it to you!

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Special Promotion 👇 (below): When people ask me where they should start their Behavioral Designer journey I recommend this course by Massimo Ingegno, creator of the Make it Toolkit covering the following topics: ▶ An introduction to Behavioral Design covering why it matters and is so important? ▶ The Five Laws of Behavior: 1st Law B=f(P,E), 2nd Law B=f(S1,S2), 3rd Law A->B->C, 4th Law B=MAP, and 5th Law B=f(I,E) ▶ The Behavioral Design Sprint from Behavioral Challenge Statement to Test and Validate ▶ The 15 core Behavioral Design Strategies (e.g., makeit Attractive, Empowering, Aversive, Social, Unexpected, etc.) People love that you can take it on at your own pace, fit in a lesson per day, the interactive nature of it, the simple quizzes to test your knowledge, and the breadth of information covered. Course Details here: https://lnkd.in/ga9V_f44 👉 DM me if you wish to leverage one of my ten 20% OFF coupons to share with my network. Customer Centric Solutions LLC #designthinking #behavioralscience #behavioraldesign #productdesign #servicedesign

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Check out this workshop series if you are interested in design leadership or wondering what it's about!

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How do you approach simplifying complexity in your projects? I really appreciated this insightful article by Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg on heuristics for better project leadership. In the early stages of design development—where we typically start with simple rules of thumb—heuristics play a critical role. They help us avoid over-complicating or over-developing designs, setting a strong foundation for the entire project. The article's emphasis on “simplicity and practicality” in heuristics really hit home. It’s not just about personal shortcuts; it's about creating a shared understanding across the team. In leadership, getting everyone aligned with these guiding principles can transform project outcomes. Here are some heuristics that resonated with me and my experiences: 1. Think from Right to Left: Start with the end goal and work backward to ensure every step leads to success.   2. Don’t Always Do!: Understand the value of pausing—acting too early can lead to costly rework.   3. Forget the EGAP Principle (Everything Goes According to Plan): Be prepared for changes—they’re inevitable in large projects.   4. Build Your Bridges Before You Need Them: Engage stakeholders early to set the stage for effective communication and collaboration.   5. Measure Twice, Cut Once: Use early-stage tools to validate designs and secure buy-in before diving into detailed deliverables. The example of “It’s the Benefits, Stupid!” also stood out. For me, it highlights the importance of robust standards and training, ensuring efficiency and long-term success over shortcuts and blind execution. This article reinforced the power of heuristics as tools for simplifying complexity and leading with clarity. I highly recommend it to anyone navigating the challenges of project leadership. Read the article shared below. I’d love to hear your thoughts: What heuristics or rules of thumb have guided your success? How do you simplify complexity in your projects?

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It's been almost a year since I began my UX journey and with the dozens and dozens of rejections from many job applications (100+ and counting), it was easy for me to think that career switching to UX was a big mistake. I realized, however, that this was all part of the journey and that I had accomplished more than I thought! I had to remind myself to celebrate even the small wins, and after doing that, I felt pretty proud of myself! Here's what I did after finishing my UX/UI bootcamp: ⭐️ Made some income from a healthcare job and noted how my interactions with patients and health professionals were transferable to UX ⭐️ Revamped my resume and began building my portfolio ⭐️ Joined Tech Fleet and took part in my first real-client UX project for The Melanin Village as a UX writer apprentice to explore a different UX field ⭐️ Found my passion for UX research after becoming a UX research apprentice for non-profits We Help & Care and Sean's Legacy ⭐️ Participated in my first ever hackathon with DubsTech early May ⭐️ Joined a team with TechLeap as a UX researcher to build an AI-integrated ed-tech MVP by this June With the current job market, it's important to remember that we've learned and accomplished so much. There is an opportunity for us out there somewhere! 🤞 Every "no" on an application is one step closer to that one "yes."

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Does your software team speak the same language? Aligning on what basic UI elements are called is a great starting point. It doesn’t even matter what name your team chooses as long as everyone agrees on it. Names should hint at purpose. #productdesign #designsystems

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Today, I'm sharing another book that I have been reading as part of my goal to keep learning. In my last post, I shared how I identified a short list of goals that are my north star in navigating a path of continued growth and progress in my design career. This book, Freelance, and Business, and Stuff by Amy & Jennifer Hood of Hoodzpah design studio, has been a crucial resource for my independent design journey this year. More than once during my reading, I have found myself smacking my forehead for not reading this sooner because the Hood sisters gave straightforward advice on something I spent painstaking hours figuring out on my own. Here's a quote that I highlighted from the book: "If you have two or three slow months in a row, you need to rethink things. You might be overvaluing what others are willing to pay for your work. But more than likely, you just need to better prove the value of your pricing to clients." - Amy & Jen Hood Like my last share, I still need to finish reading this one, but I can confidently recommend it. If you are a new independent designer or considering going independent, this read could be very helpful!

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A simple sentence at the right time can put a smile on your user’s face. I came across this when booking a flight through AirCanada’s app. It's a great reminder to add joy to your user experience. A design that makes your user smile is a success in my book 💯 - - I’m Brendan, your friendly, neighborhood designer sharing UX resources, work, and experiences. Follow along if you found this helpful! #design #UX

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Is there a golden question to ask participants during a usability test? 🥇 According to Jeremy from the UXchange podcast, there is one golden question he finds absolutely amazing. After providing the task participants will be work to complete, Jeremy recommends asking participants, "What do you expect will happen?" at each screen as they work through the task. "It gets really interesting when users tell you what they expect to happen, they click somewhere, and then it doesn't happen the way they expected." ❓❓ Would you use this question in your next usability test? ❓❓ What is the golden question you love asking when conducting usability tests? #UsabilityTesting #UserExperience #UXResearch #DesignThinking

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To design is to change. Unfortunately, designers focus too much on changing artifacts while ignoring how people and context may change. I use the idea of "intentional change" in design when designers can understand how decisions may change artifacts, people, and context.

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If you're a UXresearcher, you should have Alexandra Jayeun L.'s upcoming workshop on your radar. She's teaching "AI for UX Research" virtually over two days (June 20-21, 4 hours/day). It's one of four workshops associated with our upcoming "Designing with AI" conference, but you can just attend the workshop if you can't make it to the conference. Alex is doing some incredibly interesting work at Microsoft, where she's Principal Director of Research and Data Science for their Power Platform. She taught the same workshop last March at Advancing Research, and we're delighted to have her back to tackle such a critical and timely topic. Learn more at the first comment below. #AI #UXresearch #UserResearch #CustomerResearch #DesignResearch #DataScience

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