Blogs

I write about my experiences and insights in design and development, sharing thoughts on software design, developer experience, and the tech industry. I also highlight new projects and major updates.

Figma Variables & Multi-Brand Design System: Modes, Tokens, and the REST API

Figma Variables unlock a new level of design system power — enabling true multi-brand theming through Modes, seamless light/dark switching, and a direct pipeline to code via the Figma REST API. This deep-dive covers how to architect a scalable multi-brand system and automate token extraction for your dev workflow.

Mar 14, 2026 — 15 min

5 Cognitive Biases Every UX Designer Must Know

5 Cognitive Biases Every UX Designer Must Know

Feb 01, 2026 — 4 min

The Von Restorff Effect: Making Key UI Elements Stand Out

The Von Restorff Effect: Making Key UI Elements Stand Out

Feb 15, 2026 — 3 min

Guerrilla Usability Testing: Fast, Cheap Feedback That Works

Guerrilla Usability Testing: Fast, Cheap Feedback That Works

Mar 01, 2026 — 4 min

Usability Testing

The Serial Position Effect: Why First and Last Impressions Matter

The Serial Position Effect: Why First and Last Impressions Matter

Mar 15, 2026 — 3 min

The Convergence of UX Design and Machine Learning

As machine learning models become more sophisticated, they're increasingly influencing how designers approach user interfaces. This fusion is creating adaptive experiences that learn from user behavior while presenting new ethical considerations...

Streamlining Design Handoff with the Figma REST API

Streamlining Design Handoff with the Figma REST API

Design handoff is still one of the biggest friction points in product teams — specs misread, assets re-exported by hand, and tokens drifting between tools. The Figma REST API gives you programmatic access to everything in your design file, enabling you to automate the entire pipeline from design decisions to production code.

Mar 14, 2026 — 12 min

UX Mistakes That Cost Millions: Lessons from Real-World Failures

UX Mistakes That Cost Millions: Lessons from Real-World Failures

User Experience (UX) design plays a crucial role in how products are perceived and utilized. Even established companies are not immune to UX blunders that can cost millions and tarnish a brand’s reputation. This article delves into real-world examples of UX failures, exploring what went wrong and the lessons every designer can learn.

Aug 15, 2024 — 12 min

Data Visualization in UX: How to Present Complex Information Simply

Data Visualization in UX: How to Present Complex Information Simply

Data visualization serves as a bridge between complex data and user understanding, transforming overwhelming datasets into clear, accessible, and actionable insights. This guide explores how UX designers can leverage data visualization principles to reduce cognitive load, enhance decision-making, and create inclusive digital experiences.

Jul 22, 2024 — 8 min

Data Visualization

Micro-Interaction Examples: 14 Ways to Optimize Your UX

Micro-Interaction Examples: 14 Ways to Optimize Your UX

To create a seamless user experience, focus on micro-interactions—small moments that boost engagement and ease of use. This article explores 14 examples from top companies and breaks down their components: trigger, rule, feedback, and loops.

Jun 05, 2024 — 13 min

Micro-interactions

The Aesthetic-Usability Effect: Why Beautiful Design Feels More Usable

The Aesthetic-Usability Effect: Why Beautiful Design Feels More Usable

Users perceive aesthetically pleasing designs as more usable — even when they are not. Learn how the aesthetic-usability effect influences perception and how to use it strategically in your products.

Feb 03, 2026 — 5 min

Hick's Law: How to Speed Up User Decisions Through Design

Hick's Law: How to Speed Up User Decisions Through Design

Hick's Law states that decision time grows logarithmically with the number of choices. Discover practical techniques to reduce cognitive friction, simplify navigation, and help users decide faster.

Feb 07, 2026 — 6 min

Interaction Design

Miller's Law: Why 7±2 Chunks Is the Golden Rule of UX

Miller's Law: Why 7±2 Chunks Is the Golden Rule of UX

George Miller's landmark 1956 paper established that working memory holds 7±2 items. Understand how chunking and cognitive limits should shape every screen you design.

Feb 12, 2026 — 5 min

Fitts's Law in 2025: Button Size, Touch Targets, and Tap Accuracy

Fitts's Law in 2025: Button Size, Touch Targets, and Tap Accuracy

Fitts's Law predicts how long it takes to move to a target based on distance and size. Learn how this 1954 model still governs touch-target sizing, corner placement, and mobile UX today.

Feb 17, 2026 — 6 min

Interaction Design

The Peak-End Rule: Design the Moments Users Will Actually Remember

The Peak-End Rule: Design the Moments Users Will Actually Remember

Kahneman's Peak-End Rule shows users remember an experience by its emotional peak and how it ended — not the average. Learn to design memorable highs and satisfying closures.

Feb 22, 2026 — 5 min

Jakob's Law: Why Familiarity Beats Innovation in UX

Jakob's Law: Why Familiarity Beats Innovation in UX

Jakob's Law states users spend most of their time on other sites, so they expect yours to work the same way. Learn when to follow conventions and when breaking them is worth the risk.

Feb 26, 2026 — 5 min

Design Patterns

The Zeigarnik Effect: Using Incompleteness to Drive Engagement

The Zeigarnik Effect: Using Incompleteness to Drive Engagement

People remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. Discover how product designers use the Zeigarnik Effect to drive progress, re-engagement, and habit formation.

Mar 02, 2026 — 5 min

Cognitive Load in UI Design: Less Is Always More

Cognitive Load in UI Design: Less Is Always More

Cognitive load is the total mental effort required to use your interface. Learn the three types of cognitive load and how to reduce unnecessary complexity in every screen you design.

Mar 06, 2026 — 7 min

The Doherty Threshold: Why 400ms Is the UX Magic Number

The Doherty Threshold: Why 400ms Is the UX Magic Number

When system response time drops below 400ms, productivity and engagement sharply increase. Explore the Doherty Threshold and how performance UX shapes product success.

Mar 10, 2026 — 5 min

Interaction Design

Tesler's Law: The Conservation of Complexity

Tesler's Law: The Conservation of Complexity

Tesler's Law holds that every system has an irreducible amount of complexity — it can be moved but never removed. Learn how to decide where complexity should live: in the design or with the user.

Mar 14, 2026 — 5 min

The Complete Guide to Usability Testing for UX Designers

The Complete Guide to Usability Testing for UX Designers

Usability testing is the backbone of evidence-based design. This complete guide covers what it is, why it matters, how to plan and run sessions, and how to turn findings into actionable improvements.

Mar 17, 2026 — 12 min

Usability Testing

Moderated vs. Unmoderated Usability Testing: Which Should You Choose?

Moderated vs. Unmoderated Usability Testing: Which Should You Choose?

Two major approaches to usability testing — moderated and unmoderated — serve different research needs. This guide helps you choose the right method for your timeline, team, and research questions.

Mar 20, 2026 — 7 min

Usability Testing

How to Write a Usability Testing Script (With Real Examples)

How to Write a Usability Testing Script (With Real Examples)

A great usability testing script is the difference between rich insights and wasted sessions. Learn the anatomy of an effective script with real example tasks, questions, and facilitation prompts.

Mar 24, 2026 — 8 min

Usability Testing

Remote Usability Testing: Benefits, Methods, and Best Practices

Remote Usability Testing: Benefits, Methods, and Best Practices

Remote usability testing unlocks global participant pools, reduces costs, and enables testing in natural environments. Learn the methods, tools, and facilitation techniques that make remote research effective.

Mar 27, 2026 — 7 min

Remote Research

Usability Testing

Heuristic Evaluation: A Practical DIY Usability Review

Heuristic Evaluation: A Practical DIY Usability Review

Heuristic evaluation lets your team identify usability problems without recruiting participants. Learn Nielsen's 10 heuristics, how to run an evaluation, and how to prioritise and report your findings.

Mar 31, 2026 — 8 min

Prototype Testing: Validate Assumptions Before You Build

Prototype Testing: Validate Assumptions Before You Build

Prototype testing lets you validate design decisions before a single line of code is written. Learn when to test prototypes, which fidelity to use, and how to structure sessions that surface real issues.

Apr 03, 2026 — 8 min

Usability Testing

From Raw Data to Insights: Analysing Usability Test Results

From Raw Data to Insights: Analysing Usability Test Results

Raw session observations only become useful when synthesised into clear, prioritised insights. Learn a practical framework for analysing usability test results and presenting findings that drive action.

Apr 06, 2026 — 8 min

Journey Mapping 101: How to Visualise the End-to-End User Experience

Journey Mapping 101: How to Visualise the End-to-End User Experience

A journey map visualises every step a user takes to accomplish a goal — including emotions, pain points, and opportunities. Learn how to create maps that generate genuine team alignment and product direction.

Apr 08, 2026 — 9 min

Journey Mapping

Empathy Mapping: The First Step in Design Thinking

Empathy Mapping: The First Step in Design Thinking

An empathy map helps teams step outside their own assumptions and into the user's perspective. Learn how to build one from research, use it to define design problems, and avoid the most common mistakes.

Apr 09, 2026 — 7 min

Empathy Mapping

Design Thinking

Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics: Still Relevant in 2025?

Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics: Still Relevant in 2025?

Jakob Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics were published in 1994. Three decades later, they remain the most widely used framework in UX evaluation. Here's why they endure — and how to apply them to modern interfaces.

Apr 10, 2026 — 10 min

AI Agents as Users: Rethinking UX for the Age of Agents

AI Agents as Users: Rethinking UX for the Age of Agents

AI agents now interact with digital products autonomously, on behalf of humans. This fundamental shift requires UX designers to rethink who — or what — they are designing for.

Apr 11, 2026 — 8 min

Emerging Trends

Outcome-Oriented Design: The Future of UX in an AI-First World

Outcome-Oriented Design: The Future of UX in an AI-First World

As AI systems learn individual user goals, UX is shifting from designing static interfaces to defining adaptive frameworks that respond to outcomes. What does this mean for how designers work?

Apr 12, 2026 — 7 min

How to Recruit the Right Research Participants

How to Recruit the Right Research Participants

Recruiting the wrong participants wastes time and produces misleading data. Learn a proven framework for defining screener criteria, calculating sample size, and running an efficient recruitment process for any UX study.

Apr 14, 2026 — 7 min

Service Blueprints: Mapping the Whole Customer Experience

Service Blueprints: Mapping the Whole Customer Experience

A service blueprint maps every touchpoint, backstage process, and support system behind a customer journey. Learn how to create one that surfaces operational blind spots and aligns UX with service design at scale.

Apr 17, 2026 — 8 min

Service Blueprint

Design Thinking: A Framework Every Product Designer Should Know

Design Thinking: A Framework Every Product Designer Should Know

Design thinking is the structured approach that separates reactive feature builders from designers who solve the right problems. A practical guide to all five stages — with the common traps that make it fail in practice.

Apr 20, 2026 — 7 min

Design Thinking