UX in 2023, tech layoffs, latest Duolingo UI update, usability of AR

Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.

In culture, as well as in design, things sometimes change at an accelerated pace, and a once-dominant social wavelength can suddenly start to feel dated. The year 2023 brings the culmination of various changes in the realms of technology, behavior, and society that have been underway since before COVID.

As designers, instead of simply flocking from one new thing to the next, this is the time to think critically about the direction our industry is heading — and the path we want to walk ourselves.

The State of UX in 2023: A vibe shift is coming →

This is the 9th edition of The State of UX report by the UX Collective: a critical look at our industry based on 1k+ articles published and shared with our 500k+ subscribers in 2022.

Editor Picks

• Your product, among other things →
  When designing, don’t forget the broader context.
  By Kim Witten, PhD
• The mise en place of UX →
  Organizing your files in a way that mirrors the design process.
  By Katie Jacquez
• A silver lining in tech layoffs →
  An infusion of tech talent into legacy companies.
  By Maura Charles

100,000 humans that don’t exist →

Make me think

• The age of social media is ending →
  “The terms social network and social media are used interchangeably now, but they shouldn’t be. A social network is an idle, inactive system — a Rolodex of contacts, a notebook of sales targets, a yearbook of possible soul mates. But social media is active — hyperactive, really — spewing material across those networks instead of leaving them alone until needed.”
• Foundational skills →
  “The most important skills I’ve developed over the past 5–10 years revolve around computing, writing, and design. Together they’ve helped me become a well-rounded digital creator and are really useful for starting your own projects– specifically 0 → 1 efforts where you need to get something off the ground quickly.”
• Goodbye Spotify →
  “Spotify isn’t alone — a growing number of services are deprecating user experience in favor of their urges financial growth needs. Uber and Door Dash, are good examples of companies cramming nonsense down our screens. And let’s not forget Apple and its App Store: putting ads in there is ruining what was essentially a wonderful editorial space and a directory that enhanced the experience of owning an iPhone.”

Little gems this week

Can trust be designed? →
By Fabricio Teixeira

Content may be King, but Design is Queen →
By Michael F. Buckley

The disaster of the latest Duolingo UI update →
By Tina Golub

Tools and resources

• Product discovery →
  The 10 principles you should keep in mind.
• Icons for the future →
  Icons to communicate emerging tech and behaviors.
• The usability of AR →
  Solving for poor discoverability in Augmented Reality apps.

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UX in 2023, tech layoffs, latest Duolingo UI update, usability of AR was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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