Hi I'm Nathaniel, a Software Designer - a designer who codes. I live at the intersection between design, engineering, product, and the wider organisation to create innovative, user-focused, and accessible digital experiences. I do this using Design Thinking and Service Design Blueprinting to get actionable results.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the job market lately. It’s been a while since I was out there, so I wonder how I would approach it. The acceptance rate is abysmal, about 1-2%. So, you have to make a great impression fast to have the best chance. I would flip the script and use […]
AI gets a lot of press as if it were a magical, world-changing tool. But what does it do best? An idea is a house, and AI is the sandpaper smoothing the edges. Don’t let AI build your house for you. AI is a tool whose main function is to refine human-generated ideas. And it’s […]
In software design, staying focused on the user’s problem is crucial. Keep it simple. Two tools can help maintain this focus: Personas and User Journeys. This focus ensures that the solutions you develop are relevant, effective, and truly helpful to the user. Design Thinking workshops, when done properly, involve multiple stakeholders in thinking about the […]
How can I help you? How does this question make you feel? Do you feel heard, inspired, welcomed? You might even feel a little confused. Did you expect a more challenging answer? More friction? I try to always have this attitude because time is short, and this phrase shows gratitude. Thanks for coming to me […]
Being a generalist designer works best at a start-up company. Being a specialist works best at a bigger company. Is there more nuance here though? It is easy to get the two confused. For example, a designer applies to a start-up company hoping to build their portfolio when in reality they are pixel pushing for […]
UX Design. Do you care more about technique or ideas? Often you can get lost in the latest hot application and how to use its features and optimising them. You get the latest plugins and use them to create designs, you learn the shortcut keys and start creating reusable components and auto layouts. Soon, design […]
Do you take culture into account when doing User Research? Country culture. Company culture. The user’s culture. The job to be done is very important, but so too are the attitudes and cognitive biases around it. Is the user: – Outgoing or reserved? – Conservative or Reckless? – Confident or Unsure? Does the user have […]