03 ‣ Recent AI expansions; DesignTok; portfolio musings

At first I wanted to call this edition "Design is power", but it was giving "Magic Is Might" – the Ministry of Magic's motto in the Voldemort era. Apart from this wizardry sidetrack, I do think being a designer enables us with so many tools to influence people's behaviors and feelings. Whether it's about making things more accessible by educating others & ourselves on tech literacy, or advocating for more sustainable solutions, there is a lot we can do. I hope this edition will leave you feel empowered to act on your ideas! 🚀

AI-labeled apps and devices are popping up like mushrooms. Let's find out if they are worth picking into our basket!

Since we got very used to ChatGPT's conversational flow, it's almost a given that we are expecting immediate results when generating with AI – speed is becoming more and more of an important factor. I was particularly impressed by the fastness of these two tools: KREA interprets your mixed-media visuals in real-time, generating a new version with each edit you do. Or, maybe you want to have your own Hollywood moment? Hop into Runway and generate a movie trailer in seconds with their highly customizable prompting system.

AI is also growing beyond GUI: start-ups are fiercely competing on who can launch the next "iPhone-of-AI", where voice takes over as the main channel of interaction (remember the Rabbit hype from last month? Their branding and industrial design looks yummi, but I'm curious to see the use cases come to life!).

Cool stuff aside, I'm feeling sometimes anxious about the unconscious biases that we may have been building into our tools. We can't and shouldn't avoid AI because of this fear and we do have the power to influence processes, or at least, speak up and raise questions. 👆 I literally want to print this quote and hang it in my home office:

We must remember that these large language models (LLM) have no lived experience. Only humans have lived experience. And if we as user researchers are going to claim to empathize and seek understanding with the human experience — marginalized perspectives included — then we must keep humans in all our processes.
–Cameron Hanson

👧 What do kids think about the future? The things we are designing right now are going to be a part of Gen Alpha's everydays. Get an insight into the kids' feelings, concerns and sci-fi visions from Hello Ada's report!

🪜 UX career ladder There is no one-size-fits-all career path for designers, as we all have our unique strengths. This template helps you map out where you are now and where do you want to get to, to become your best designer self.

🥦 Community tech meets digital sustainability This free handbook has everything you need to get started if you want to learn about the green web: easy-to-understand terminology, actionable steps and real-life case studies.

😴🚫 Don't sleep on Tiktok I keep being amazed on the on-point design content I find on TikTok - surprisingly more unfiltered than other social medias. Follow Jules Terpak (she's also on YT) for reality-checks on how close we are to a dystopian future due to digital culture; check in with Kim Alban for exciting experiments on the AI/VR frontier; tune into Steph's channel for sassy takes on the everydays of being a designer; or get actionable ideas from Maureen on how to level up your UX career.

New year, new portfolio? Regardless of job status, reviewing and reflecting on your portfolio can be an impactful exercise, both personally and professionally. Your very own corner of the internet to express yourself, and a powerful way to take control of your narrative as a professional.

In this DESIGN³ segment, our UX fairy godmother Anna is here to share 3 awesome portfolios:

🍒 blueblue.space "Ksenia’s site is an outstanding example of how one’s individual style and personality can shine through their portfolio. She used Readymag to build her site and make it highly interactive and playful."

🤖 johnprince.design "John’s portfolio collects many of his works; he has a way of writing case studies like if he would be blogging. An excellent approach on how not to stress about writing a piece!"

🪐 petertarka.com "Peter’s collection of works is a striking example of how 3D design can create a visually pleasing portfolio. His way of showcasing his work is simple, yet playful - the best of both approach."

Wohoo, thanks for reading the newsletter all the way here! 😋 I'd love to hear what you thought of it – drop me a line and let's chat. Got a friend who you know would geek out on content like this? Consider forwarding this edition to them 💌

UX vibes,
Kinga ✻

PS: a couple of the resources here have been inspired by what colleagues have shared with me, thank you guys 🫶