Ratna Desai

This HBR piece on "The Art of Asking Smarter Questions" struck a chord with my approach to design leadership. It echoes the Six Thinking Hats method, emphasizing structured thinking and diverse viewpoints. In design, asking the right questions fuels breakthroughs. How do you leverage inquiry in your work? #DesignThinking #Innovation #SixThinkingHats #Leadership https://lnkd.in/ettHPN4c

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In my latest podcast interview, Greg Petroff shares insights about the state of design and the opportunities open to designers in these dynamic times. Check it out! https://lnkd.in/gTXpQgjn #UxDesign #Ux #Design #Leadership

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This got me thinking. I hear a lot of leaders say they're looking for cultural transformation, and want to shift in a direction that values reactivity, challenge confrontation, and collaboration. What they're describing is a design-driven culture. Many of these attributes are vital when UX is at the center. If that resonates, then looking at design maturity is the better route. #DesignMaturity #DesignDriven #Culture

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The fundamentals of prototyping haven’t gone anywhere. Whether it’s sketching ideas on paper or creating interactive flows in Keynote, the core principles remain the same: clarity, iteration, and user validation. In today's world of high-tech design tools, it’s easy to get caught up in the bells and whistles. But sometimes, the most effective solutions come from simply going back to the basics—mapping out ideas with whatever tools are most accessible. Low fidelity = high creativity. Prototyping isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep iterating. #designthinking #prototyping #uxdesign #productdesign #beginnersmindset #innovation

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If we're not talking about design maturity, agile process, or craft, then us designers are probably talking about ✨quality.✨ I certainly see my interviewer's eyes light up when I mention this magical word. "Design is the one that has to hold the quality bar," I tell them. But what if that didn't have to be true? For a truly high-quality product, I don't think it should be design holding the line. It has to be something baked into the organization - everyone holds the quality bar. Even though "quality" is a slippery thing to define, if we can define it and hold ourselves to it, we can reduce the tension in the org and start to think less about the mere baseline quality for the product and more about raising that bar - delighting the user. I very much enjoyed Luke Anthony Firth's take on how they folded quality into their product building process. Have a read! https://lnkd.in/g4SenmYZ #designleadership #productprocess #productdesign #productquality #designquality #opentowork

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Patterns for implementing human-centric design thinking and UX to GenAI #GenAI #UX #AI

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I’m tired of feeling like everything is trying to manipulate me—whether it’s corporations, politicians, or even nonprofits. As a design leader, I feel like it’s my job to push for better, more responsible ways to engage people. In my latest post, I break down the 10 core drives of gamification and how you can use them to create engaging, meaningful experiences that actually align with our values and enhance our lives in a meaningful way. #Gamification #DesignEthics #UXDesign #ProductDesign #DarkPatterns

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Skipping strategy in UX design isn’t just missing a step—it’s missing the chance to lead. My latest post explains why UX strategy is essential to project success and how it transforms designers into strategic partners. https://lnkd.in/gtmnFA7a #userexperience #uxstrategy #businessalignment #productdesign #leadership #designleadership

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Vision in design isn't merely about anticipating future trends; it's about building the necessary bridges that enable your team to connect to a shared objective. Don't expect your leaders to have all the answers, but they should have a vision, and their team is only as effective as their understanding, alignment, and buy-in of that vision. How do you communicate your vision? #DesignLeadership #Adaptitude

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It was hastily scribbled, on a whiteboard, in only three words: simple, fun, makes a statement. David Lee and I often work closely together on design, and this time was no different. Having a set of principles to guide our direction and decision-making is a helpful framework to have at the beginning of new creative endeavors for key stakeholders and for those who’ll be executing on the project. For PlayOS (the OS behind Nex Playground), it was perhaps even more important to do, for various reasons. 1️⃣ There had been a few attempts already at developing a quick and dirty game-launcher UI prototype that didn’t quite have the potential to inspire what we’d want to ship with. We needed a fresh direction. 2️⃣ We were betting all of our future on this product. We expected lots of excitement and feedback from the entire company. But many team members aren’t accustomed to evaluating or commenting on creative work. And it was important to have their feedback. With these principles, they have a better chance at understanding the decision-making behind the designs they’re seeing, and then providing effective feedback for the team. 3️⃣ We had a distributed team working on this project, some of which included consultants. Having them clearly understand the goals would help them more quickly get up to speed, while also providing a benchmark to guide their own decision-making at the tactical level. One of those three principles, “Make a statement”, was tricky because it’s a bit ambiguous. Generally speaking, it meant that we wanted the interface to stand out from other similar interfaces in a positive way. But never did I expect that phrase—“make a statement”—would amount to winning an award. 🏆 I’m happy to announce PlayOS was awarded a prestigious Red Dot award for interface design. 🏆 It’s a rarity to achieve an interface design award, with approximately 3% of all Red Dot winners being awarded for this category, since it was first introduced (2011). So not only is the industrial design for Nex Playground award-winning—having won in the Product Design category earlier in the year—its interface design is now among elite company, too. I’m humbled and thankful to everyone who contributed to this very special product and couldn’t be happier at the result of all your hard work. I can’t wait to continue bringing great things out into the world with so many great teammates: Jonathan Mak Brady Tuazon Marc Aaron Casupanan Kenny S.F. Mak Tony Sung Jackson Fok Miranda Lau P. K. Chan Lana Melkumova Roman Kivalin Dmitrii Paskov Aleksei Gorkov Eugene Gubin Daria Ershova Olga Shreiber Ekaterina Selivanova Egor Denezhkin Denis Kluchnikov Ivan Vdovitsa, Mercury Development, LLC Jim Chim Ching Wee Sze Oursky Viktor Makaryev, Maxim Smirnov, Stanislav Martynyuk, Irina Martynova, Semyon Minyushov, Nikolai Taran, Aleksey Kapustyanenko, Alexander Sharov, Sergey Ofitserov, Yuhao Li, Chiu, Deng Weihao, Dobby, Guo Chun Bin, Michael Chen, Jonas Zeng, Ken Chan, and many more.

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This is such an interesting concept, so I had to do it myself- Introducing my LinkedIn Rewind for 2024! "2024 taught me that experience design principles apply everywhere - from analyzing a Hans Zimmer concert to navigating my own career transition. Every interaction is an opportunity to understand how design shapes outcomes 🎭 When UIndy's Experience Design program ended in June, I transformed that challenge into an opportunity: launching Baker's Dozen Productions to explore how these principles manifest across industries. Through the "Exploring Experiences" podcast, game design, and consulting work, I've discovered that the best experiences combine technical excellence with emotional resonance. Some experiments in experience design this year: • Analyzed how Hans Zimmer Live demonstrates perfect integration of music, lighting, and audience engagement • Created a vaporwave horror TTRPG that reimagines how we experience nostalgia • Launched a podcast examining how design principles shape everything from theme parks to churro makers • Experienced firsthand how poor UX design (looking at you, Workday) impacts job seekers 😅 Three posts that captured key insights: "Even though things ended on a sour note I would not trade the experiences I had at this institution for the world." On transforming an ending into a beginning through experience design https://lnkd.in/gbYH2gGw "That is the power of experience design, and Hans Zimmer Live does an incredible job at making a simple music performance feel like an immersive, transformational experience." Breaking down how masterful design creates unforgettable moments https://lnkd.in/gGcUERQT "Talk about poor user experience!" Analyzing how platform design impacts real-world outcomes Looking ahead: 2025 will be about analyzing more experiences, designing better games, and helping organizations create meaningful interactions through Baker's Dozen Productions. The Experience Economy is everywhere - we just need to know where to look for it. To everyone studying or creating experiences: Remember that every touchpoint matters, from the grandest spectacle to the smallest interaction. That's where the magic happens." -- Get your 2024 LinkedIn Rewind at https://lnkd.in/gD9-yFzb

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I'm really enjoying this podcast from Invisible Machines about how conversational designers are key to unlocking the full potential of AI in customer experience design. As a Designer and English Teacher who often leverages Conversational AI to enhance accessibility, break down communication barriers, and ensure customer/students' practical interaction with materials, I whole-heartedly agree! https://lnkd.in/e3Rtt29J Conversational designers play a crucial role in shaping the future of design by leveraging the power of AI to create more personalized, engaging, and accessible customer experiences. Their expertise in natural language processing, conversational flow, and user experience design is essential for ensuring the success of AI-powered solutions in a wide range of industries. #Design #AI #CustomerExperience #Accessibility #InvisibleMachines

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🎉 It’s live! I had an insightful conversation with Jen Briselli on the latest episode of Brave UX! Jen, Co-founder of Topology, shared her thoughts on navigating uncertainty in design and the importance of embracing complexity in our work. 🔑 From understanding the gap between intention and outcome to the value of systems thinking, this episode is packed with transformative ideas for designers looking to thrive in a world of ambiguity. 👂 Catch the full episode and discover how to enhance your design practice through curiosity and continuous learning! Listen to all episodes on the links below ⬇️ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Y99GMO Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3TTT2yi Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gSPvc-Uu For more practical and relevant insights, check out: https://lnkd.in/gxBcq96j #BraveUX #UX #UXResearch #UXR #UserResearch #UXDesign

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⚡ AI x Design Thinking⚡ Just before the holidays, I participated in this great workshop series from IDEO U and wanted to give a shout out. Solid intro on how AI/LLMs can be leveraged in brainstorming/ideation > data synthesis/generating insights > storyboarding/prototyping concepts and some of the limitations/pitfalls to watch for. Good overviews, demos, and interactive sessions + opportunity to connect with a large group of multi-disciplinary folks from around the world. Thanks IDEOU - keep them coming 💡 https://lnkd.in/g5BYDV7r

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So immensely proud of such an amazing group of people who've been working so hard on this big set of launches at Figma for #Config2024. ICYMI what we launched today, this blog post recap covers it well: https://lnkd.in/gX3KSWj3 I wanted to share a couple fun tweets from a few of the fantastic designers/leaders that worked on some of the things you may have seen in our keynote this morning. * This is not even close to an exhaustive list of those who worked on today's launches, but just a quick lil glimpse showcasing a few who happened to post about them today (also linkedin obscures the links for some reason, but they're all just fun behind the scenes tweets not shady sites I promise lol): Figma Slides - Keeyen Y.: https://lnkd.in/gmxBH3wq - Mihika Kapoor: https://lnkd.in/gr54Upnu - Natasha T. / Ryan Reid: https://lnkd.in/gd-v9gE3 Redesigned Figma (UI3) - Ryhan Hassan: https://lnkd.in/g868XAze (can't wait to watch the behind the scenes talk with him and Joel Miller and KC Oh as well as Wayne Sun's when they come online later) - Tim Van Damme: https://lnkd.in/gQyvqzYr - Nikolas Klein: https://lnkd.in/ge_kKyvD Figma AI - Jordan Singer: https://lnkd.in/gXmFeXTM - Oscar Dumlao: https://lnkd.in/gkACVY_c - Marco Cornacchia: https://lnkd.in/gMt3BvVY - Vincent van der Meulen: https://lnkd.in/gCrHvcVu - Jediah Katz: https://lnkd.in/gMxEu7i8 - Giorgio Caviglia: https://lnkd.in/gCNVQrKC And more: - Jenny Wen (pages design by rocky chen ✌️): https://lnkd.in/gd_6RHAv - Soundharya Muthukrishnan: https://lnkd.in/gsnibt-j - Daniel Destefanis: https://lnkd.in/gu6mYBe6 - Becca Ramos: https://lnkd.in/gqM7RGKQ We hope you enjoy these updates, and excited to meet more of the amazing community at Config for Day 2 tomorrow! I'm particularly excited for Marcin Wichary's talk tomorrow at 3:40 https://lnkd.in/gvJNNerg

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Creative thinking requires a balance between chaos and order. Unleashing creativity calls for constraints that provide a container to hold the chaos of free-flowing creative thought. Here, Natalie Nixon, PhD, and I deep dive on how to find that balance: https://bit.ly/380qbDK

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🎨 Color is hard. As our team leverages variables to apply themes across a design system, things break. Maintaining accessible color contrast across multiple components with various states is a beast of task. - Brand colors can vary from light to dark affecting foreground contrast. - State changes across various components require independent contrast checks for foreground text. - Yellow. (Do I need to say more? Whether its a brand or system color, yellow and orange demand special attention) 🌈 Color for brand designers working with product teams by Katie Cooper I dig everything Katie Cooper writes about color for design systems. The approach outlined offers a great perspective on how to evaluate brand color viability. It includes considerations for secondary colors and color ramps as you develop proper contrast ratios. https://lnkd.in/gna4CGCV 💛 The dark yellow problem by Lodestar Design via UX Collective I know a lot of folks have touched on this, but I like how succinctly this writeup spells out the problems when designing with yellow while trying to maintain some form or brand consistency. Mustard anyone? https://lnkd.in/gsA4FZgQ 👏 Color in design systems by Nathan Curtis A classic write up on color in design systems and considerations for theming. Big takeaways for our team included limiting how themes cascade through various components like links and buttons, as well as ensuring any “changes” to brand colors to meet the needs of the UI get approval first. If you haven’t read everything by Nathan on Medium on design systems you’re missing out! https://lnkd.in/gYXVCY2e ✨ So grateful for all the resources out there and hope some of this can be useful to your team. From our research, the team has established a few best practices: - Start by auditing color contrast options across all brand colors through color ramps and component states - Ensure a consistent lightness ramp across all steps of each color in the palette to help with predictable contrast - Pay special attention to your yellows to balance brand consistency with accessibility - Limit how brand colors cascade into critical elements such as forms, buttons and links to ensure usability - Continue to use plugins and manual review to check color contrast ratios across the system, components and patterns as you go #ui #design #designsystems #color #branding #theming #accessibility

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How can you come up with innovation ideas for a mature, highly successful product and service? Today, I am writing you that one small change with the BreakBias Toolkit can break your cognitive biases and enable you and your team to generate unique perspectives for innovation. Innovating Netflix with a Simple 'Shift': Discovering New Tech Horizons Using the "Shift" tool from the BreakBias Toolkit, we've transformed how viewers interact with Netflix, turning passive binge-watching into an engaging, active experience. Here’s what we found: • Active Viewing: By shifting from continuous play to "Activity-Based Viewing," Netflix can encourage healthier habits by directly integrating viewer activities into content consumption. • Leveraging Technology for Engagement: Explore how this shift can use technology to create a more interactive viewing experience, fostering a balance between screen time and active living. • Community-Centric Viewing: See how changing from individual bingeing to a community-driven approach can enhance the social value of watching shows, making every episode a shared and more meaningful experience. Interested in how these innovative shifts can redefine entertainment? Dive deeper here: https://lnkd.in/ekGAwS7A #Netflix #Innovation #TechForGood #DigitalWellbeing #UserExperience #BreakBiasToolkit

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Next week on The Human Centered Design Network podcast we catch up with Jocelyn Wyatt former CEO of IDEO.org and now CEO of Alight. This episode will drop on Tuesday for our premium feed and community members and will be available on Spotify and our YouTube a few days later! We speak about applying Design within the humanitarian world. We speak about colonialism and how we can counteract positioning Design as the saviour to the world's problems. Would love to hear your thoughts... #codesign #resilient #communities

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