Insights on Product Development

Thriving as a Long-Term IC: Lessons in Influence, Growth, & Fulfillment

“Designers often think success means climbing the management ladder. But what if your real impact and fulfilment comes from staying an individual contributor?” That’s the provocative question Cliff Seal, UX Architect at Salesforce, put on the table in his talk at UXDX USA 2025. After 13 years at the same company, a rare milestone in today’s fast-moving tech world, Cliff has built a career that challenges conventional wisdom about growth, leadership, and longevity in design. Rather than chasing

Driving Transformational Business Results: The Role of Design Across the Org

“We all get into design to create for people. But when you start your first job, you quickly realise no one prepared you for how to design with people.” That candid observation from Daniela Jorge, Chief Design Officer at Capital One, set the tone for her fireside chat with Alex Burke, CEO of Optimal, at UXDX USA 2025. Their conversation, Driving Transformational Business Results: The Role of Design Across the Org, was a masterclass in how design leadership extends far beyond screens, pixels, or

The Engagement Dilemma: How to keep users hooked without causing fatigue

Balancing deep engagement with healthy consumption experience In the digital age, engagement is the holy grail of user experience. As social media platforms, we are  constantly seeking ways to captivate our audience, to keep them hooked on our content, and to make them come back for more. But as we strive for deeper engagement, we risk crossing a fine line into fatigue. Think about it: how many times have you found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media, only to realize hours have

Design Beyond Barriers: How Comcast's Accessibility-First Approach Is Revolutionizing Hardware Design

"When you make a product more inclusive, you make a better product for everyone." This simple yet powerful principle has guided Grayson Byrd and his team at Comcast through a seven-year journey to reimagine what accessible hardware design could be. The result? The Xfinity Large Button Voice Remote – a device that's revolutionizing how people with disabilities interact with their televisions and challenging the entire industry to think differently about accessibility. From Afterthought to Innov

How Chase Drives Customer-Centric Transformation at Enterprise Scale

In an era where agile startups dominate the innovation narrative, how does a 300,000-employee banking behemoth stay nimble enough to deliver customer-centric digital experiences? At UXDX USA, Sonali Divilek, Head of Digital at Chase, pulled back the curtain on precisely this challenge, revealing strategies that balance the seemingly contradictory forces of enterprise scale and customer-focused experimentation. "Our job is to power the digital platform that gets customers to their full financial

Strategic AI Integration in Engineering Teams: Lessons from Google's Applied ML Approach

In the race to implement AI solutions, many organizations skip the most critical step: defining the actual business problem. "It's very tempting to think that the answer is generative AI, no matter what the question is," cautions Keyvan Azami, Engineering Manager at Google. "Start with the problem." After eight years leading ML implementation for Google's internal operations, Azami has developed a methodical approach that cuts through the hype. His team's experiences offer valuable insights fo

Improving Product Design with Futurism

When we think about design, we often focus on interfaces, interactions, and user journeys. But what if design could do more than just refine what exists? What if it could actively shape the future? Jod Kaftan, Head of Product Design & Research at Oracle, believes that futurism and design thinking are deeply intertwined. And by applying strategic foresight, designers can play an active role in shaping tomorrow’s products, industries, and even societies. At UXDX USA 2024, Kaftan shared how future

The Challenge of Process in Mature Organizations

Processes can be both a blessing and a burden. In mature organizations, they provide structure, continuity, and predictability. But they can also be rigid, bureaucratic, and resistant to change. At UXDX USA 2024, Chris Avore, Head of Design at Northwestern Mutual, tackled this challenge head-on in his talk, Implementing Product Process Change in a Mature Organization. Avore laid out a compelling case for why process should be seen as an enabler rather than an inhibitor of innovation. He explore

Design-Driven Leadership

“Good intentions aren’t enough—mechanisms work better.” This was one of the defining insights from Mrinali Kamath’s talk at UXDX USA 2024, where she shared how she navigated ambiguity, alignment challenges, and resource constraints to lead with design-driven leadership at Ford. In a world where UX isn’t just about designing products but also shaping business strategy, Mrinali’s journey is a powerful case study of how design thinking can create impact—not just for customers, but for teams and le

Motion for AI: Creating Empathy in Technology

What if motion design could bridge the gap between humans and artificial intelligence? Pavithra Ramamurthy, Lead Product Designer at Salesforce, shares how motion design enhances AI transparency, fosters user trust, and turns technology into an empathetic partner. The Challenge Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the technological landscape, but creating AI systems that connect emotionally with users remains a significant challenge. At UXDX USA 2024, Pavithra Ramamurthy, Lead Product

Transforming The New York Times: Empowering Evolution through UX

While everything is becoming more complex, The New York Times has mastered the art of clarity. From integrating playful games like Wordle into their serious news platform to adapting their homepage for 122 consecutive days during the pandemic, Kristen Dudish and Libby Gery show how UX at the Times is not just about design. It’s about purpose. Introduction: The Art of Clarity in a Complex World The New York Times is not just a newspaper; it’s an institution, a trusted voice guiding millions thro

Improving UX Research Quality with Cross-Department Collaboration

"You're not alone—collaboration across teams can transform UX research from a solitary struggle into a force for organizational success," says Kasey Canlas, Research Operations Manager at Genesys. In her talk, Kasey shared how breaking silos and leveraging cross-department relationships can elevate research quality and drive impactful results. In the current fast-paced, resource-strapped environments, UX researchers often find themselves overwhelmed. Teams are small, responsibilities vast, and

How to Build an AI-Powered Product Development Process

In the continues evolving landscape of product development, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic ambition, it’s a necessity. Anthony Maggio, Airtable's VP and Head of Product, revealed the transformative power of AI in creating a seamless, efficient, and innovative product development process. His insights show how organizations can empower teams, streamline workflows, and leverage AI to unlock new possibilities. The Challenge Product development teams these days

Building Design Systems that Work for Design and Dev

“Consistency isn’t something you enforce; it’s the natural byproduct of a well-structured system.” Parisa Bazl’s approach to design systems goes beyond aesthetics. In her talk at UXDX USA 2024, the Head of UX at Commvault shared a blueprint for creating scalable, modular systems that empower teams to focus on what truly matters: solving user problems. The Challenge: Scaling Design Across a Complex Ecosystem When Parisa Bazl joined Commvault in 2019, she was met with a daunting challenge. The

Transforming Complex Experiences: Pulling the Right Thread

How do you untangle a ball of thread when every pull seems to make the knots tighter? Jehad Affoneh, Chief Design Officer at Toast, faced this exact challenge—not with thread but with the complexities of supporting 100,000+ restaurants during their most chaotic moments. His solution? Find and pull the right thread to unravel the complexity, one layer at a time. In the fast-paced world of restaurants, chaos often reigns supreme during peak hours. Imagine a bustling kitchen at noon, orders flying