Aastha Gaur

Talk about an opportunity of a lifetime!

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Check out the 4 step exercise at the end of the article. Excellent advice.

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My LinkedIn profile describes me as a successful design leader, but that's not even half of the story. Behind the scenes is a rollercoaster of job rejections, lack of self confidence , financial setbacks, navigating industry switch, balancing college and freelance assignments and countless lessons on professional and interpersonal skills with each year. Learning to be a good manager was totally another feat. The most challenging of it all was seeking an entry into the product design field while studying graphic design from National Institute of Design, two totally different things but here I was, pushing the boundaries! All of these shaped me into who I am today. From self-support to enduring over 15+ interviews in preparation for Product Design opportunity, All I was doing was striving for more. Now I realise nobody has all the answers, even if it may seem that way. So just believe in yourself and put in your best efforts. Pushing ahead is the only key to this game. My advice to anyone starting their career journey is to stay in the present and give your best efforts to achieve what you really believe you can :) #productdesign

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I want to share the lessons I’ve learned and the perspective I’ve gained about the UX discipline as well as life in general through the written word, and this is the start of that. Here's a topic that has been top of mind for the last few years and some perspective I've gained. https://lnkd.in/du9e463j Would appreciate thoughts and feedback on it. How do you balance your time?

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Just attended a UXR session where we discussed the state of UX Research. While it's been around for a few years, it's still in its infancy. Early adopters of the practice are already seeing a significant competitive advantage. In fact, in the next 10 years, it's likely that every company will have a UX Research team. Don't be left behind - invest in UX Research now to stay ahead of the game! #UXResearch #UserExperience #CompetitiveAdvantage

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Love this thoughtful and balanced argument for resetting expectations for what design (lowercase d intentional) and design leaders can and can't fix from Sarah Gallivan Mitchell. Andy Polaine, in his response (https://lnkd.in/eC959VEc) to the some of the same rhetoric Sarah responds to, has likened the growth of the design industry in the past 15-20 years to the Cambrian Explosion. It bears considering that the real Cambrian Explosion was followed in relatively short order by multiple mass extinction events. Some species that were less well adapted to the changing conditions for life on Earth didn't make it, but this allowed new forms of life to develop and flourish. My hope is that some evolutionary selection may take place over time in regards to which voices are anointed to speak for All of Design, so that voices like Sarah's may, too, be heard and flourish. #design #designleadership #futureofdesign https://lnkd.in/eQ-PGgBM

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A lot is covered in this concise post. It's particularly relevant for larger maturing companies. Headers below, to entice you to read it: “You treat a transformation as a project You devalue the present You don't let your team lead the change You put "the best" on a pedestal You ignore the continuous improvement muscle You don't let go You lose sight of customers You copy/paste frameworks You ignore architecture You don't use "working examples" to inspire change”

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This episode of the Finding Our Way podcast articulates, with such clarity, what’s been on my mind about the value proposition of design as a function. A business could leverage creating a stellar user experience as a strategic lever to succeed in the market, or NOT. The latter is totally acceptable where designers primarily focus on production tasks (like UI designs) in an org that prioritizes churning out features. Yet, it’s a bitter pill to swallow for many designers. They feel disgruntled and get exhausted speaking to the deaf ears about how great an outcome design can bring to the table and how influential they could be outside of Figma. This podcast talks about how many designer leaders are struggling to deal with this reality. As someone who is not in a leadership position, I feel the struggle too. But if I were to stay positive and constructive while prioritizing my mental sanity, these would be some options to consider. - Get hired by a company that REALLY values design (think Airbnb, Linear) - Be extremely good at your craft and find fulfillment in it, regardless of its direct impact on the bottom line—as long as you remain employed 🤷🏻‍♀️ - Elbow your way into cross-functional discussions as much as possible, at least within your team, to find opportunities to demonstrate what you can do outside of Figma. You can help expand the perspective on design that your cross-functional partners have, one person at a time. https://lnkd.in/gjheYY_f

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Someone has to say it! Tobias saying it makes it even more legit. Meet and work with a lot of young folks who are looking for mentors at workplace thinking they would be hand held at every step. While guides are there, one needs to walk the path and grind towards a path set by the mentor. Things don’t happen on their own. Blaming is another aspect of design folks where stakeholders are held responsible for what’s happening around them without introspecting why is it happening and what one can do to change that behaviour around by using design frameworks and improving the craft on a daily basis. So much of entitlement will never get us anywhere. #designlife

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I recently came across an insightful quote by Maya Angelou that resonated deeply with my design philosophy, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." This sentiment is particularly relevant in creating user experiences in design. When we focus on making users feel great about our products, we not only enhance their overall satisfaction but also build a lasting connection that contributes significantly to the product's success. By prioritizing emotional impact in our designs, we ensure that users remember and cherish their interactions with our products, leading to increased loyalty and advocacy. #userexperience #AskUX #uxresearch #ZulqarnainAnsari #uxstrategist #uxdesign #productdesign #Lahore #Pakistan

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My top 3 project selection tips for design leaders doing portfolio presentations: 1. Pick projects that have a good mix of what you did directly plus what the team did. Very rarely is anyone looking for a pure people manager while hiring a design leader. Your personal contributions need to stand out in your work. It doesn’t have to be IC work (but if you do that, show it). It could be a doc you wrote, an insight you uncovered, a strategy you formulated etc. Differentiate between what you did yourself, what you directed the team to do, and things the team might have driven independently. Make this distinction clear as you present your portfolio. People want to see you can do smart stuff yourself, can direct a team well, but will also build a high functioning team that does good work. Also, if you would like I can do a separate post in these 3 modes of operation for any design leader. 2. Pick projects based on the role you’re applying for. It doesn’t have to be and most certainly won’t be a 100% match. But for example, if what the team needs is scaling a successful product, pick examples where you enabled scale. This needs to be deeper than “I’m applying for fintech so here’s another fintech project”. Your project selection should show you understand the challenges for the company and have transferrable skills. 3. Pick projects where you can show both macro and micro user insights. Scale the macro according to your seniority and level. For example, if you’re applying for a Director role, you better have projects that show you driving user insights at Director scale (for instance something that drove resourcing decisions). At the same time, the project should also show micro insights appropriate to role. For example, key interaction design flows redone by your team for the goal. Or even things like font/color selection and how that drove impact. Use these guidelines and apply the filter for what fits with your past experience and this new role. If you have the same portfolio presentation for completely different roles, something is off somewhere. You only need to present 2-3 projects in a presentation, pick the most appropriate ones. If this sounds complicated and like a lot of work, it is. Project selection is THE foundation for how your presentation will play out.

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🚀 The Future of User Interface Design: Personalized and Predictive with Generative UI In the evolving landscape of digital design, the concept of generative user interfaces (GenUI) stands poised to revolutionize how we interact with technology. Moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions, GenUI promises a future where every digital experience is tailored uniquely to the user’s needs. 👤 Imagine This: A frequent flyer, Alex, uses her airline app tailored to her specific needs, including accommodations for her dyslexia. The app not only presents flight options that prioritize her preferences like cost and travel time but also integrates real-time adjustments based on external factors such as events impacting her travel dates. This is the power of GenUI – a dynamic, intuitive interface that changes in real-time to create a deeply personalized user experience. 📈 Why It Matters: Today, designers focus on creating universal solutions that cater to broad user bases. Tomorrow, with GenUI, the shift will be towards intent-based outcome-oriented design. This means prioritizing user goals and crafting experiences that dynamically meet those needs without the user having to navigate unnecessary complexity. 🔧 The Designer's Evolving Role: As we embrace GenUI, designers will transition from crafting detailed interactions to setting strategic parameters that guide AI in creating these bespoke experiences. This doesn’t diminish the designer's role but rather elevates it to orchestrate user interactions at a macro level. 🔄 Challenges Ahead: Despite its potential, GenUI introduces complexities. From increased demands on processing power to potential privacy concerns and the fundamental shift in user experience due to ever-changing interfaces, the road ahead is paved with both innovation and obstacles. 🌟 What’s Next? As we look towards a future dominated by AI-driven customizations, embracing GenUI could significantly enhance how we design for accessibility and inclusivity. However, the journey will require us to rethink design principles and adapt to new tools that can handle the dynamism and complexity of user-centric, personalized interfaces. 💬 Let's Discuss: What are your thoughts on the shift towards personalized digital experiences through GenUI? How do you see it impacting your industry or field? Read more about it in this Nielsen/Norman article: https://lnkd.in/enPhQjq4 #UserExperience #UX #UI #UserInterface #DigitalDesign #GenUI #AI #GenAI #GenerativeAI #Innovation #TechTrends

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AI is the buzzword of the day, but it's simply the next step in our technology evolution. Evolving generative AI interactions are repeating human-computer interaction history. Remember those green screens and books filled with computer prompts, or learning how to use a search engine? Perhaps you do, maybe you don't, but either way AI has modified the way we do this by using natural language! #AI #technologyevolution #naturalanguageprocessing

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Thrilled to share this latest conversation with Ha Phan - an inventor, speaker, product and design leader. She specialises in emerging tech, user-centric product innovation and experimentation. In this podcast episode, we delve into her product innovation experiences at Zillow, GoPro and many others. We explore the evolution of design beyond traditional UX practices, especially in the realm of emerging technologies like AI. This conversation is sure to spark new ideas and provide different perspectives. Find the link to this episode in the comments. #ux #productstrategy #uxforai #productdesign #design #uxdesign #designpodcast #userexperience

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James Garrett's model of UX layers, known as "The Elements of User Experience," outlines five distinct layers that guide the development of user-centered digital products. His model provides clarity on the roles and responsibilities of the UX team at each stage, ensuring a cohesive and user-friendly design process. Extending James Garrett's model, I have introduced a framework naming layers of AI. The framework identifies the opportunities for UX designers in each layers to define AI strategy for organisations. In this article, I draw references from philosophy and Darwin's theory of evolution to explore the philosophical foundations of AI and how design can contribute to shaping AI strategies for the future. The reading time is 7 minutes. Happy reading https://lnkd.in/g_7VEhDH #ux #ai #generativeai #design #strategy #designers #aistrategy #philosophy #userexperience #designcommunity #designleaders #medium

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Designing Behavior Change with AI: How Anticipation Can Transform User Experiences #UX #AI #productDesign

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Really annoyed at Figma's price gouging here. There is no reason other than greed: https://lnkd.in/gfdrEiWH Oh, and I emailed them about it and this line from their reply was particularly poignant: "Additionally the minimum for enterprise is a $5k invoice minimum. 6 enterprise seats or made up with other products." To put that in context... our monthly Adobe bill (for 8 CC, 7 PS, 6 Acrobat licenses) is ~NZ$2k... Amazing how quickly enshittification sets in... #Figma #Design #SoftwareLicensing

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Designers take note- it's not good enough to simply design great UX, we also need to deeply understand the technology its built on. Good design is: 1. In support of the business model — of course. 2. Leverages strategic technology bets the company is placing — wait, what? Mercedes rejected Apple's next-gen CarPlay because it didn’t fit the company's strategic software and compute architecture shifts. This example underscores a crucial point: what does a new technology architecture enable for the user experience that wasn't possible before?  Takeaway: Understanding the technology is essential for creating differentiated experiences. Mastery of the underlying technology can transform commodified design into great, innovative user experiences that leverage the investment your company is making. Agree or disagree?  https://lnkd.in/gQyvTY2Z #AutomotiveUX #UserExperienceDesign #HumanMachineInterface #SoftwareDefinedVehicles #TechInDesign

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