The Most Expensive Software Decision Happens Before You Write a Line of Code
A Story We’ve Lived More Than Once Early in our relationship with one client, we were building two products simultaneously while they had a third underway with another vendor. Same goals, same timeline, but each product came to us, or them, with a different level of definition. What unfolded was something we’ve seen many times […]
Why Your Software Feature List Will Change (And That’s a Good Thing)
Every software consultant has experienced this moment: A client arrives with a detailed feature list, meticulously crafted and approved through multiple layers of their organization. They’ve secured funding, aligned stakeholders, and are ready to build. There’s just one problem—that list is going to change. Significantly. I recently managed a project that perfectly illustrated this reality. […]
Terraform: Creatine for Your AI-Assistant
I love software engineering because it lets me create new things every single day. As a programmer, I get to conjure novel solutions to problems I’ve never encountered before – manipulating chaos is my jam. For months, I stubbornly resisted tools like Cursor, Cline and Windsurf. Why? Because I’m passionate about programming and worried these […]
Leverage AI for Promising UX Results: 2025 is the Year to Begin
I get asked all the time if I am worried about artificial intelligence (AI) replacing my job. There’s a common misconception that AI will wipe out the need for user experience (UX) designers. This way of thinking fails to consider the expertise that UX designers bring. AI is powerful. But, it lacks the critical thinking […]
NeurIPS 2024 Developer Tools You Can Deploy & Use Today!
I learned about these open source and commercially licensed tools for developers at NeurIPS 2024. Most of the tools on this list are new to me, but not new to the world. You can deploy and use them today! …pssst – if your manager or your client would rather you make something from scratch instead […]
Competitive Audits: 3 Key Wins to Amplify Your Product
Comparison is the Gateway to Growth Whenever I hear the phrase “competitive audit,” it initially feels uncomfortable. Growing up as a ballerina, I constantly compared my skills and appearance to others, and the saying “comparison is the thief of joy” was ingrained in me. But as I’ve advanced in my career as a UX designer, […]
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