The Feed & The Thread

The Feed & The Thread - September 25, 2026

We ask whether AI should feel like a tool or a companion, pitting Julie Zhuo’s argument for the "mom test" of approachability against Luke Wroblewski’s push for direct, j

The Feed & The Thread - September 24, 2026

We argue that the real friction in design isn't the craft itself, but the business realities and power structures that dictate who pays and what gets measured. From Scott

The Feed & The Thread - September 23, 2026

We examine how the UX pipeline is breaking as AI absorbs the entry-level work that used to train our judgment, a shift Patrick Neeman argues threatens the profession’s lo

The Feed & The Thread - September 22, 2026

We explore the tension between designing for machines and humans, asking why we rely on generic loading states and rigid code checks when user trust actually depends on c

The Feed & The Thread - September 21, 2026

We’re losing the language to critique AI actions, and today we ask who is actually responsible when those systems fail. Jeff Gothelf argues we must measure human impact r

The Feed & The Thread - September 20, 2026

We examine the friction between standardized design patterns and the growing demand for distinct, premium aesthetics, asking why we often mistake AI-generated averages fo

The Feed & The Thread - September 19, 2026

We explore the widening gap between AI’s generative speed and the semantic clarity users actually need, asking whether we’re building intelligent products or just adding

The Feed & The Thread - September 18, 2026

We examine the dangerous industry deflection that blames users for "prompting" AI wrong, drawing on Patrick Neeman’s parallel to Ralph Nader’s automotive critiques to arg

The Feed & The Thread - September 17, 2026

We’re asking why the heavy UX processes that once protected us are now slowing us down, as Patrick Neeman argues the Double Diamond is obsolete in an era where AI has col

The Feed & The Thread - September 16, 2026

AI has removed the friction that once forced teams to define coherent structures, leading to what Patrick Neeman calls a "Winchester Mystery House" of isolated features.

The Feed & The Thread - September 15, 2026

We examine whether our rush to build faster is outpacing our intent, starting with Slava Polonski’s argument that AI carries hidden cultural biases rather than neutral in

The Feed & The Thread - September 14, 2026

We’re trading clarity for velocity, risking a future where AI automates the messy conversations that build trust and leaves users hypervigilant in a scam-heavy landscape.

The Feed & The Thread - September 13, 2026

We explore the tension between automation and judgment, asking who decides what is safe and what is good when friction disappears. Slava Polonski argues that AI removes t

The Feed & The Thread - September 12, 2026

We explore whether speed is eroding trust, as Megan Chan argues AI lets us test complex interactions earlier while Alex Williams insists we must prove UX ROI to survive t

The Feed & The Thread - September 11, 2026

We explore the friction between human intent and machine execution as Sharang Sharma and Luke Wroblewski map the shift from simple voice triggers to large-scale agent orc

The Feed & The Thread - September 10, 2026

As the interface disappears, we explore the tension between our desire for technology to read our minds and the reality that we are still doing the heavy lifting of inter

The Feed & The Thread - September 9, 2026

We explore why AI in UX research often fails to save time, examining how Lucas Plabst, Jeff Sauro, and Jim Lewis found that participants provide shallower insights to AI

The Feed & The Thread - September 8, 2026

We explore the tension between AI’s speed and the irreplaceable value of human judgment, drawing on Kai Wong’s argument that externalizing your process is the only way to

The Feed & The Thread - September 7, 2026

We explore the tension between technical compliance and human value, starting with Jeff Gothelf’s warning that AI evals often miss real customer outcomes and Anna Lefour’

The Feed & The Thread - September 6, 2026

We explore the growing disconnect between how our design systems look to us and how they actually feel to users, a gap exposed when AI reveals shallow craft and Gestalt p