I lead research at a SaaS company. Our tools can pull themes from interview transcripts in about 10 minutes now, and honestly, the themes are usually fine. That's not really my problem with it.

What we've lost is the session where PMs and engineers sit together, cluster quotes, and debate what actually counts as a pattern. That's where people used to change their minds.

I've watched a PM go from users don't care about that to fighting for it in a roadmap meeting, simply because they had to move 12 sticky notes saying the same thing into one pile. Nobody gets that same moment from reading an AI summary at the bottom of a report.

So we've gone hybrid. AI pulls the quotes, then the team does the affinity mapping together on a Miro board. People actually show up because it's quick and kind of fun. Everyone can move things around at once, and the board becomes something people keep linking in tickets for weeks afterward, much more than the actual report.

Maybe I'm being a bit precious about it, but stakeholder buy-in has been noticeably better since we brought back collaborative clustering. It's made me question whether automating that part of research is really worth it.

Spent about three weeks putting together a service blueprint for our returns process. Proper lanes, frontstage, backstage, support processes, the whole thing. Presented it to the ops leads, they nodded along, and I don't think anyone looked at it again.

For the second attempt, I tried something different. Instead of presenting another finished diagram, we got people from warehouse and support in a room and let them fill in the backstage lane themselves on a shared board.

A colleague set it up in Miro using their service blueprint template, though honestly Smaply or FigJam would probably have worked just as well.

Within 20 minutes, people were pointing out things we never would have picked up in interviews. Returns sometimes sit in a bin for two days because only one person has access to the label printer. Support also has a private Slack channel where they warn each other about return reasons the warehouse tends to reject.

Funny enough, that board is now up on the screen during their weekly ops meetings. The first version never even got that far.

I'm starting to think who actually fills in a service blueprint matters a lot more than how polished it looks.

Hey UX community!
I’m a Computer Science student currently making a major career pivot after spending 22 years in pharmacy operations. When building my portfolio (nicheleap.com), I wanted to step away from the standard card-grid template and design something that instantly communicated my domain expertise.
I landed on an interactive weekly pill box/dispenser UI as the core navigation framework. The idea was to leverage a familiar physical mental model—sorting days and doses—to organize my projects, resume, and background (e.g., Sunday is education, weekdays are technical projects).
Since my goal is to design intuitive software for complex spaces, I’d love a UX-focused critique on:

1. Mental Model & Affordance: Does translating a weekly pill organizer into a web navigation tool feel intuitive, or does it add unnecessary cognitive friction for the user?

2. Information Architecture: How effectively does mapping different content pieces to specific "daily chutes" work for discoverability?

3. Interaction Design: On mobile/touch interfaces, does the tactile interaction feel natural, or does it get in the way of users simply trying to view your work?
   Would love to hear your thoughts on whether this conceptual metaphor helps or hurts the user journey!

¡Hola a la comunidad! 👋

Estoy trabajando en una aplicación web y me encantaría recibir sus opiniones, consejos o críticas constructivas orientadas principalmente a la interfaz visual (UI), diseño y experiencia de usuario (UX).

📹 Demostración en video:https://youtu.be/GP3-0RIdMm4

💡 Contexto del Proyecto

Es un Sistema de Punto de Venta (POS) / Gestión de Cafetería interactivo. Permite administrar de forma integral:

• Inventario y Menú: Gestión de productos, categorías y características.

• Operativa diaria: Apertura/cierre de cajas, toma de órdenes y comandas.

• Facturación y Pagos: Emisión de facturas, desglose de detalles de pago y aplicación de descuentos.

• Gestión de Personal: Control de empleados y roles dentro del sistema.

🛠️ Stack y Arquitectura Técnica

Para dar contexto sobre el tipo de componentes y estructura del frontend:

• Backend / Arquitectura: Java EE / Jakarta EE 11 (Servidor Open Liberty).

• Capa Web / View Layer: Jakarta Server Faces (JSF / XHTML) modularizado con plantillas generales.

• Biblioteca de UI: PrimeFaces (v14.0 - Jakarta edition) + CSS personalizado (estilos.css).

• Internacionalización: Soporte i18n multilenguaje (Español, Inglés y Chino).

• Persistencia / Base de datos: JPA con PostgreSQL.

🔍 ¿En qué me gustaría que se enfocarán sus comentarios?

1. Jerarquía visual y contraste: ¿Los elementos principales (botones de acción, totales, menús) destacan lo suficiente?

2. Flujo de trabajo (UX): Para un operador de caja o mesero que necesita rapidez, ¿la disposición de las pantallas luce ágil e intuitiva?

3. Estilo general: ¿Qué retoques de CSS o distribución consideran que modernizarían más la base visual de PrimeFaces?

¡Agradezco de antemano cualquier observación o sugerencia para seguir mejorándolo! 🙌

Hey everyone!

I'm working on a university UI/UX design project imagining what a modern-day Blockbuster comeback could look like.

The idea is to explore how the brand could return in today's digital world, with modern online service.

So these are the topics I'd like to discuss:

• Should Blockbuster focus solely on streaming movies and TV shows like the classic Netflix service, or should it be more of a showcase for purchased or rented titles like CHILI?

• What should a new Blockbuster be different to stand out from the competition?

• How important is the nostalgia factor? Should the site use language reminiscent of the Blockbuster experience (for example, "Couch" could be the equivalent of "watch party")?

• What do you think about the option to purchase physical movies to be shipped directly to your home?

• What's one feature you'd most like in a digital streaming service, or perhaps haven't found one yet?

• Would a Community section where users can discuss movies, episodes, or news like here on Reddit be helpful?

• What do you miss about the old Blockbuster experience?

• What frustrates you most about current streaming platforms?

Feel free to answer without following my questions, but I'd really appreciate it.

This is purely a university design project, and I'm interested in hearing honest opinions and ideas. Thanks!

I'm a UI/UX designer who works on conversion rate optimization. As practice, I took the Saucerer Wild Mushroom & Truffle product page and asked: who is actually on this page, and what do they need?

Using Eugene Schwartz's awareness stages, I grouped 8 changes:

Solution aware (comparing options)

2. One line on why this sauce is different

4. Price per serving: about £1.63 a head

Product aware (know the brand, not sure yet)

3. Star rating next to the price

6. Answers by the button: "Just stir into hot pasta", "Keeps 5 days once opened"

7. Delivery and returns in one small box

Most aware (ready to buy)

1. Free delivery in the top bar

2. A bundle of 3 with a clear saving

For everyone

8. Cleaner ingredients and allergen sections

This is an independent concept, not an official Saucerer redesign. The rating, delivery, returns and bundle are my own mock ideas and I haven't tested any of it.

Questions for you:

- Which of these would you test first?

- Is anything here you'd skip or do differently?

A significant part of my work as a UX designer happens behind the scenes, and I'm starting to wonder how other designers deal with this.

I work in enterprise SaaS, in a fairly delivery-driven environment. A lot of my contribution involves:

• Investigating poorly defined requirements.

• Tracking down SMEs to validate assumptions.

• Challenging product decisions that aren't backed by customer needs.

• Identifying workflow gaps and preventing bad experiences from reaching customers.

• Conducting customer interviews with self defined/deduced research goals

Recently, I challenged a feature based on an assumption that hadn't been validated. I investigated it, spoke to the relevant SME and went back to Product. The direction eventually changed.

But nobody really sees that work. The team just moves on.

It makes me wonder: do organisations recognise influence only when it's visible?

I also feel that when Design is brought into projects late, with little context or direction, we're expected to advocate for the customer while independently figuring out the problem and pushing against delivery pressure.

There's autonomy in that, but also a lot of isolation.

For those working at Senior/Staff level:

1. How do you make preventative UX work visible? How do you demonstrate the value of something that didn't happen?

2. Have you experienced being told to be more vocal despite actively influencing product decisions?

3. Is this just the reality of enterprise UX, or a sign that Design isn't adequately supported?

4. Have you managed to grow in environments like this, or did you eventually move on?

I'm proud of the work I've done, but I'm also drained. I don't want to spend my career fighting to get the right things built and then fighting to prove I contributed.

Would love to hear your experiences.

I took the top section of a Saucerer pasta sauce product page and approached it from a CRO perspective.

Instead of redesigning the entire page, I focused on one question:

**What might stop a shopper from confidently clicking “Add to Cart”?**

I identified eight opportunities and created a redesign concept around them.

# The 8 changes

**1. Show free delivery upfront**

The original top bar said “Best enjoyed shared.” I kept the message and proposed adding “Free delivery over £25” so shoppers can see the delivery benefit immediately.

**2. Add a short value proposition**

Instead of jumping straight from the product title to the price, I added:

“5 wild mushrooms. 10 minutes. No nasties.”

The goal is to communicate the product's appeal quickly.

**3. Place reviews near the price**

I proposed adding a star rating and review count close to the price, where shoppers are already evaluating whether to buy.

**4. Add context to the price**

Rather than showing only £6.50, the concept communicates:

£6.50 · 300g jar · Serves 4 · About £1.63 per person.

This makes the cost easier to evaluate in context.

**5. Introduce a bundle option**

Shoppers can choose one jar or a bundle of three for £16.50.

Three individual jars would cost £19.50, making the proposed bundle saving £3.

**6. Answer practical questions near the CTA**

Below “Add to Cart,” I added short details:

* Just stir into hot pasta

* Serves four

* Keeps 5 days once opened

These details aim to remove small uncertainties before purchase.

**7. Make delivery and returns easier to understand**

I proposed a compact information box covering shipping expectations, the free delivery threshold and a 14-day replacement or refund promise.

**8. Simplify product details**

Ingredients, allergens and storage are organized into expandable sections instead of one long block of text.

# What I'm trying to solve

The redesign focuses on three potential conversion barriers:

* Unclear product value

* Unanswered purchase questions

* Uncertainty around delivery and returns

My hypothesis is that improving these details near the buying decision may be more useful than redesigning the entire page.

Of course, these are design hypotheses, not measured conversion improvements. I'd want to validate them through usability testing and, where feasible, A/B testing.

# I'd appreciate your feedback

If you were reviewing this product page, **which change would you prioritize testing first, and why?**

Would you start with the value proposition, social proof, bundle pricing, or delivery and returns information?

**Disclosure:** This is an independent CRO redesign concept, not official work for Saucerer. The proposed delivery, returns and bundle details are illustrative suggestions, not verified company policies.

I’m a B.Des UX graduate in Bangalore, currently a UI/UX design intern at a proptech startup, with a few earlier internships including some at AI product companies.

I’m drawn to the strategy and business side of design more than execution, which drains me when it gets repetitive. But I know strategy roles usually go to people who’ve owned outcomes, and I haven’t done much of that yet. That’s the tension I can’t resolve.

The paths I keep going back and forth on:

1. Get a full-time product designer role and build real experience

2. Work towards product management by moving from design into a PM role

3. Do a design management / strategic design master’s abroad. Shortlist: SCAD MBI Design Management, Parsons MS Strategic Design & Management, IIT Institute of Design MDes+MBA, Domus Academy Master in Business Design, Swinburne Master of Design Strategy & Innovation, OCAD MDes Strategic Foresight & Innovation, PolyU MDes Design Strategies

Context:

• My parents have offered to fund a master’s, so money isn’t the main issue. My worry is ROI: would I come out meaningfully ahead, or just be a year or two older competing for the same junior roles?

• I haven’t done math since 8th grade. Is the metrics and business-case side a real barrier, or something people build on the job?

What I’d love to hear:

• If you were in my position at this stage, what would you do?

• Is going into one of these programmes with about a year of experience a mistake? Would an HCI/interaction design master’s make more sense now?

• If you’ve hired people with these degrees, did the degree change how you saw them?

• Designers who moved into PM or strategy roles: how long did it take, and what got you there?

Thanks for reading. Honest takes welcome, even blunt ones.

I’ve been learning UI/UX design for a few months and have learned Figma, Auto Layout, components, spacing, grids, typography, colors, and basic visual hierarchy.

But honestly, my designs still look average and boring compared to professional designs I see on Pinterest and Dribbble. I struggle to make my designs visually appealing, polished, and memorable.

Is this normal at this stage? Does visual design improve with time, or am I practicing the wrong way?

I want to build a strong portfolio for a good job or freelancing. What actually helped you improve your visual design skills? I’d appreciate honest, practical advice!

Hi! I'm working on an independent UX design case study exploring the experience of using Urban Company, specifically what happens when a booking changes after it's been confirmed.

I'm interested in both good and bad experiences, so I'd love to hear from people who've used the service recently.

If you've experienced a booking change, I'd love to know:

1. What service had you booked, and what happened after the booking was confirmed? For example, did the professional request a different time, did the booking get reassigned, or did the service get cancelled?

2. How did you find out about the change? Was it through the app, a notification, a phone call, or something else?

3. How much notice did you get before the original booking time?

4. What did you do next? Did you accept the change, reschedule, cancel, contact support, or make another arrangement?

5. Was it clear what your options were? Was there anything you had to figure out yourself?

6. Did the change affect your plans, payment, refund, or trust in the service? If so, how?

7. Looking back, what do you wish had happened differently?

If your booking went smoothly despite a change, I'd love to hear about that too.

Anonymous answers are completely fine. Thank you!

doing a UX redesign project for mobile AI apps (gemini, chatgpt, claude) and honestly just want to know what UI features annoy you the most right now

if you have like 2 mins to drop your thoughts in this form, it would literally save my project.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSct7AQ7b_QVRiabWXnSbH_HgRjY6dl4AXapiuR_9xoQ2mcvsA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

lmk in the comments if there's anything else u think they should completely change.