I'm Alex Kearney, a PhD student studying Computer Science at the University of Alberta. I focus on Artificial Intelligence and Epistemology.





By far the best course I've taken was Design for Informatics: I keep finding ways to use #design thinking in interdisciplinary ways.









A discussion on human-focused design.

The article starts with a humorous note which happens to mirror fields including criminal investigation. It's even touched upon by Malcolm Gladwell in his spaghetti talk.

To design the best UX, pay attention to what users do, not what they say. Self-reported claims are unreliable, as are user speculations about future behavior. Users do not know what they want.

Don't listen to people.

If the users have not actually tried to use the designs, they'll base their comments on surface features. Such input often contrasts strongly with feedback based on real use.

Actions speak louder than words.




I'm looking to learn more about UX. Does anyone have some recommended reading?


I'm spending more time thinking about UX and how to make things easier to visually parse. Design is hard.