User Experience

Empathy Isn’t Missing — It’s Misframed I’ve watched this video countless times. Every time, I don’t see generosity. I see design. I used to believe people ignore the truth because they don’t care. Now I realize it’s because they don’t see what I see. Empathy isn’t a lack of compassion — it’s a lack of perspective. And perspective can be designed. The words didn’t change the man’s story — they changed our frame of perception. When language shifts from description to contrast, it activates awareness. That’s the mechanism behind empathy — it’s not emotional contagion, it’s cognitive reframing. → We respond to difference, not repetition. → We act when a message bridges our world with someone else’s. → We feel when language turns distance into proximity. Here’s how I try to apply that lesson in my own work: ✅ Reveal contrast, not condition. Don’t describe pain — expose the gap between what is and what could be. ✅ Design for awareness before emotion. Help people notice first; feeling follows naturally. ✅ Make others participants, not observers. Use framing that transfers perspective, not pity. ✅ Use silence strategically. Leave room for the reader to complete the meaning. Because empathy doesn’t start with emotion — it starts with architecture. The right words don’t tell people what to feel. They help them feel what was already true. 💭 The Question 👉 When you communicate — are you trying to make people care, or helping them notice what they’ve been blind to all along? #LeadershipDesign #FramingEffect #CommunicationStrategy #CognitiveEmpathy #BehavioralPsychology #PerceptionDesign Video credits: Dr. Marcell Vollmer

Back in 2007, Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman taught a private master class to tech founders including Larry Page and Jeff Bezos. The following year, Elon Musk joined. Among the topics: priming, where subtle cues shape our decisions without us realizing it. In that room, Musk pressed on subliminal versus explicit persuasion: “Does the hidden beat the obvious?” Kahneman's answer: "There are many situations in which subliminal effects are stronger than superliminal effects." Translation: Hidden influences shape behavior more than obvious ones. You can't resist what you don't notice. Later after that session, Bezos connected the dots: “You can choose your choice architect.” You either design the decision environment, or it designs you. Amazon designed theirs. One-click purchasing removes the pause where doubt lives. Every additional step is an exit ramp. They chose zero exits. Google designed theirs. That empty white homepage isn't minimal by accident. No portals, no distractions. Just one thought: search. Most companies let chaos choose. Cluttered onboarding. Buried CTAs. Friction everywhere. They're not architects. They're accidents. So how do you become the architect instead of the accident? 1. Choose your pricing architect: Sell your core product for $99/month. Then offer a bundle with two add-ons for $119. The bundle makes the core feel essential. 2. Choose your onboarding architect: When users first sign up, make their first action create immediate value - a report generated, first customer added, dashboard live. Success in 30 seconds primes confidence in everything that follows. In contrast, when you make the frame obvious, you lose it. Slap "Most Popular!" on everything and watch trust erode. The moment users detect manipulation, they create their own frame - one where you're untrustworthy. Kahneman warned Musk about this directly. Covert cues work precisely because they're not noticed. Priming is architecture, not decoration. By the time logic kicks in, the frame has already decided. Because you’re already an architect. The only question is whether you know what you're building.

I ignored Duolingo for 3 months. Here’s how they got me back - and why I (neeeeearly) stayed. A LOT of products just try to get churned users back into an app session without thinking about the onward journey. When I came to Duo - it was a full reset: ✨ Fun animation made it feel like a moment, not a mistake ✨ They asked if I wanted to switch goals not just carry on ✨ Made me commit to a new language (or recommit to my old one) ✨ Quick email follow-up 'welcome back' kept the momentum going ✨ CRM nudged me towards a 7-day streak (users who hit it are 2.4× more likely to stick) It’s easy to focus on getting users back. Much harder to design what happens after. Duolingo does that well. As a rule of thumb: 1) Focus on getting users to the magic moment again ASAP 2) Fix the elephant in the room by welcoming them back after their break 3) Aim for re-set by setting goals or showing them what's new Full breakdown in slides here ↓ Curious if you've seen any other reactivation sequences do particularly well? ---- Hiiiii, I'm Rosie 👋 I do a weekly deep dives on growth, product & UX. 📅 Last week: How LinkedIn reached $2bn in subscription revenue 📅 Previously: How to write surveys that actually work: lessons from Strava 📅 Next up: Sign up to find out Get them at 🕺 growthdives.com 🕺

The One Prompt To Make ChatGPT Write Naturally: (save it for later, to copy & paste) Prompt: "Act like a professional content writer and communication strategist. Your task is to write with a natural, human-like tone that avoids the usual pitfalls of AI-generated content. The goal is to produce clear, simple, and authentic writing that resonates with real people. Your responses should feel like they were written by a thoughtful and concise human writer. You are writing the following: [INSERT YOUR TOPIC OR REQUEST HERE] Follow these detailed step-by-step guidelines: Step 1: Use plain and simple language. Avoid long or complex sentences. Opt for short, clear statements.  - Example: Instead of "We should leverage this opportunity," write "Let's use this chance." Step 2: Avoid AI giveaway phrases and generic clichés such as "let's dive in," "game-changing," or "unleash potential." Replace them with straightforward language.  - Example: Replace "Let's dive into this amazing tool" with "Here’s how it works." Step 3: Be direct and concise. Eliminate filler words and unnecessary phrases. Focus on getting to the point.  - Example: Say "We should meet tomorrow," instead of "I think it would be best if we could possibly try to meet." Step 4: Maintain a natural tone. Write like you speak. It’s okay to start sentences with “and” or “but.” Make it feel conversational, not robotic.  - Example: “And that’s why it matters.” Step 5: Avoid marketing buzzwords, hype, and overpromises. Use neutral, honest descriptions.  - Avoid: "This revolutionary app will change your life."   - Use instead: "This app can help you stay organized." Step 6: Keep it real. Be honest. Don’t try to fake friendliness or exaggerate.  - Example: “I don’t think that’s the best idea.” Step 7: Simplify grammar. Don’t worry about perfect grammar if it disrupts natural flow. Casual expressions are okay.  - Example: “i guess we can try that.” Step 8: Remove fluff. Avoid using unnecessary adjectives or adverbs. Stick to the facts or your core message.  - Example: Say “We finished the task,” not “We quickly and efficiently completed the important task.” Step 9: Focus on clarity. Your message should be easy to read and understand without ambiguity.  - Example: “Please send the file by Monday.” Follow this structure rigorously. Your final writing should feel honest, grounded, and like it was written by a clear-thinking, real person. Take a deep breath and work on this step-by-step." ___ PS: For better results, always use ChatGPT-o3.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 🔥 I see a lot of founders still building apps the same way they did before we had AI. But if they don’t adapt, they will miss out. Here’s why: The way we interact with computers is fundamentally changing. Historically, interfaces helped us communicate with computers because they couldn’t understand us. So we needed buttons, screens, and structured flows to tell them what to do and what we wanted. But in the age of AI, that’s no longer relevant. We need to fundamentally rethink human-computer interaction. AI is getting incredibly good at understanding intent. It can predict what we want before we even say it. It’s faster than any human, and with the right context, it can behave almost exactly like you would. This has massive implications for interfaces and how we design products. Take food delivery apps as an example. Ordering food today takes 10+ clicks. You scroll, filter, customize, enter details, pick a payment method. Way too much effort for such a simple task. Now, imagine an AI-powered flow. The AI already knows your preferences and dietary restrictions. Payment is set. It suggests the best meal for you, right now. You hit one button or just say "Go" and the job’s done. Sure, the final step still needs your approval (for now), but everything else just happens. The UI of food delivery apps and most service-based experiences will become obsolete. Once AI knows who you are and how you think, you won’t need a traditional interface to get things done. At least not the way we think about UI today. We’re moving from apps with 10 screens to apps with one. From cluttered interfaces to minimal triggers. The smarter the system, the less UI you need. Eventually, the best UI might be no UI at all. And the sooner you prepare for that, the better. Spotify is already on this path. The more I use it, the less I search. The UI is still there, but I barely need it. It’s optional. So think about this when designing interfaces. What are the most essential elements I truly need? And what can I reduce to the absolute minimum? The less, the better. That’s never been more important than it is today. Interfaces aren’t going away. They’re just becoming invisible. What's your take on this?

The Voice Stack is improving rapidly. Systems that interact with users via speaking and listening will drive many new applications. Over the past year, I’ve been working closely with DeepLearning.AI, AI Fund, and several collaborators on voice-based applications, and I will share best practices I’ve learned in this and future posts. Foundation models that are trained to directly input, and often also directly generate, audio have contributed to this growth, but they are only part of the story. OpenAI’s RealTime API makes it easy for developers to write prompts to develop systems that deliver voice-in, voice-out experiences. This is great for building quick-and-dirty prototypes, and it also works well for low-stakes conversations where making an occasional mistake is okay. I encourage you to try it! However, compared to text-based generation, it is still hard to control the output of voice-in voice-out models. In contrast to directly generating audio, when we use an LLM to generate text, we have many tools for building guardrails, and we can double-check the output before showing it to users. We can also use sophisticated agentic reasoning workflows to compute high-quality outputs. Before a customer-service agent shows a user the message, “Sure, I’m happy to issue a refund,” we can make sure that (i) issuing the refund is consistent with our business policy and (ii) we will call the API to issue the refund (and not just promise a refund without issuing it). In contrast, the tools to prevent a voice-in, voice-out model from making such mistakes are much less mature. In my experience, the reasoning capability of voice models also seems inferior to text-based models, and they give less sophisticated answers. (Perhaps this is because voice responses have to be more brief, leaving less room for chain-of-thought reasoning to get to a more thoughtful answer.) When building applications where I need a more control over the output, I use agentic workflows to reason at length about the user’s input. In voice applications, this means I end up using a pipeline that includes speech-to-text (STT) to transcribe the user’s words, then processes the text using one or more LLM calls, and finally returns an audio response to the user via TTS (text-to-speech). This, where the reasoning is done in text, allows for more accurate responses. However, this process introduces latency, and users of voice applications are very sensitive to latency. When DeepLearning.AI worked with RealAvatar (an AI Fund portfolio company led by Jeff Daniel) to build an avatar of me, we found that getting TTS to generate a voice that sounded like me was not very hard, but getting it to respond to questions using words similar to those I would choose was. Even after much tuning, it remains a work in progress. You can play with it at https://lnkd.in/gcZ66yGM [At length limit. Full text, including latency reduction technique: https://lnkd.in/gjzjiVwx ]

Fluid packaging a bridge to GenZ. Curved, organic shapes are associated with safety and natural environments, no wonder they capturing GenZ attention. This approach transforms ordinary products into coveted objects of desire, fluid irregular and sinuous object maybe the key you are looking for. >>A bridge to GenZ brain<< The brain is naturally drawn to curved, organic shapes because they are associated with safety and natural environments (unlike sharp, angular shapes, which can signal danger). Gen Z's heightened awareness of mental health and emotional well-being influences their purchasing decisions. Brands that acknowledge these concerns and incorporate elements of comfort and reassurance into their packaging can establish a profound connection with this audience. +90% of Gen Z experience significant stress, with many seeking products that offer emotional support and relief. Unconventional, irregular and fluid innovative packaging defies traditional norms attract GenZ consumers. The brain prefers ergonomically designed, smooth, organic forms because they feel more natural and intuitive to hold and use. And results in aesthetic pleasure, emotional comfort, and an intuitive connection. >>Social amplification: The role of virality<< Social media platforms serve as powerful amplifiers for brands, especially among Gen Z, who are prolific content creators and sharers. Packaging that is visually striking or uniquely designed encourages users to share their experiences online, organically promoting the product. +The sinuous packaging trend amplifies this phenomenon. Products with unconventional packaging often become viral sensations, as consumers are eager to showcase these unique finds on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This user-generated content not only increases brand visibility but also enhances its desirability among peers +Virality is often sparked by the new, unexpected, and disruptive. When a product's packaging challenges conventional expectations, it creates a buzz that can rapidly spread across social networks. This "outbreak virality" occurs when a product becomes a cultural phenomenon, fueled by media coverage, influencer endorsements, and organic consumer interest In conclusion, Fluid and innovative packaging is not merely a vessel for a product but a powerful tool for building emotional connections with Gen Z. Find my curated selection of examples I whish they inspire your following Hit. Featured Brands: Baude Bottega Beneta Byredo Folie Gisou Glowery Heme Hoyu3210 Muzigae Naked Philow #beautybusiness #beautypackaging #beautyprofessionals #genz

𝟔𝟔% 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧. What does that tell us? Trust isn’t just a feature - it’s the foundation of AI’s future. When breaches happen, the cost isn’t measured in fines or headlines alone - it’s measured in lost trust. I recently spoke with a healthcare executive who shared a haunting story: after a data breach, patients stopped using their app - not because they didn’t need the service, but because they no longer felt safe. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 - 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. Consider the October 2023 incident at 23andMe: unauthorized access exposed the genetic and personal information of 6.9 million users. Imagine seeing your most private data compromised. At Deloitte, we’ve helped organizations turn privacy challenges into opportunities by embedding trust into their AI strategies. For example, we recently partnered with a global financial institution to design a privacy-by-design framework that not only met regulatory requirements but also restored customer confidence. The result? A 15% increase in customer engagement within six months. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭? ✔️ 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Privacy isn’t just about compliance. It’s about empowering customers to own their data. When people feel in control, they trust more. ✔️ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐲: AI can do more than process data, it can safeguard it. Predictive privacy models can spot risks before they become problems, demonstrating your commitment to trust and innovation. ✔️ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: Collaborate with peers, regulators, and even competitors to set new privacy standards. Customers notice when you lead the charge for their protection. ✔️ 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲: Techniques like differential privacy ensure sensitive data remains safe while enabling innovation. Your customers shouldn’t have to trade their privacy for progress. Trust is fragile, but it’s also resilient when leaders take responsibility. AI without trust isn’t just limited - it’s destined to fail. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 👇 #AI #DataPrivacy #Leadership #CustomerTrust #Ethics

🧑🏼 How To Design Better Personas In UX (https://lnkd.in/eGPXmPNZ), a step-by-step guide to reduce decoration and add meaningful data to make personas more helpful and effective. Neatly put together by Slava Shestopalov. ✅ We need to know who users are and what they need to do. ✅ We can use both personas and Jobs-to-Be-Done for that. 🤔 They serve different purposes and focus on different things. ✅ Jobs-to-Be-Done focuses on user needs and outcomes. ✅ Personas focus on users, their behavior and mental model. ✅ Useful personas emerge from profound user research. ✅ They help visualize users, their goals and motivation. 🚫 Don’t focus on demographics to avoid stereotypes. ✅ Include the way of thinking, background, “a day in life”. ✅ Always add at least one persona with a disability. ✅ Add a story, pain points and how they use your product. ✅ List user’s habits/products they use daily, often and rarely. ✅ Finally, add needs, wants and fears mentioned by users. ✅ Then, prioritize key points for each role in your team. We often speak about personas being an outdated tool, successfully replaced by Jobs-to-Be-Done. Yet often in practice they are compatible. Both move the focus to user needs, yet they shed light onto user from different perspectives. Knowing how users think, behave and feel is as important as what they do. As Page Laubheimer noted, personas help remove box-checking mentality. They tell a story of the customer, what their environment is, what their habits are, the tools they use daily — and give product teams a way to think about users in a much more approachable and tangible way. Ultimately, use what works for you and for your team: just make sure that the user details aren’t invented, and root in actual research with actual customers. Useful resources: Personas vs. Jobs-to-Be-Done, by Page Laubheimer https://lnkd.in/eHA2Ft4J A Guide To Building Personas For UX, by Maze https://lnkd.in/ehCzACZW Personas for UX, Product, and Design Teams, by UserInterviews https://lnkd.in/eeE3pVUK A Simple Guide To Personas, by Rikke Friis Dam, Yu Siang Teo https://lnkd.in/eRA52v5m Five-Steps Framework for Building Better Personas, by Nikki Anderson, MA https://lnkd.in/eGWpqkdz Fixing User Personas, by Jordan Bowman https://lnkd.in/eDPCr63Q Personas Make Users Memorable, by Aurora Harley https://lnkd.in/eh-PYMxc A Closer Look At Personas (A Series), by Mo Goltz https://lnkd.in/eGqbr9wy https://lnkd.in/eBDsSsaR #ux #design #research

Is THIS the best ad campaign ever? In 2015, Sport England challenged ad agency FCB Global to close the 2 million strong gender gap by getting women more active. The agency used the insight that women often feel 'fear of judgement' in exercise, to create the campaign 'This Girl Can'. The campaign is a rallying cry to women to get active in THEIR own way by replacing fear with a 'don't give a damn' attitude. This is shown with bold copywriting, relatable casting, REAL moments (the make-up smudged under the eyes, normal jiggling bodies, menopausal sweat, period cramps, tampon string hanging out your pants) and a true sense of female camaraderie. Since it's launch: - 3 million women were inspired to exercise as a direct result of seeing the campaign - 1000+ social media mentions each day - 37m views across social media - 500,000 active members in the This Girl Can community - Cannes Lions award The campaign is evidence that advertising can make great impact and drive change in many little corners of the world. THIS is the result of a clear brief, unifying insight and - in this case - a dedicated female creative team who truly 'understand' their audience. But more than that, it's the result of a LONG-TERM campaign that has been running for almost decade, and continues to re-engage the audience in various different ways, globally. I think there is such a short-term mindset in advertising nowadays. Mainly due to the fast-paced nature of social media, the need to 'go viral' and the economic need for performance marketing tactics to generate cashflow. But without the longer-term brand campaigns, we are missing the ability to build strong narratives and make REAL change in the world. And with that, stronger brand salience, brand love and LEGACY. This is an element of advertising that I fell in love with years ago. And an element that I see really defining which brands stand the test of time, an which fall apart years down the line.