rethink.fm

In this episode, we discuss our learnings and experience from working as a team, after decades of working solo. What are the pro's & cons? What tools do we use to collaborate online and remote?

In episode 31, Cathi, Jackie & Monique talk about user-centered design practices. This podcast is based on the talk Cathi did for the GoDaddy online event Expand 2021. Listen in and learn from our mistakes. Related interesting reads or resources YouTube recording of Cathi's talk for GoDaddy's online event Expand 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNYinIEH8vk&list=WL&index=1

In episode 30, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss designer-isms. As designers, we tend to use too much jargon. This episode is based on the article we wrote for UXATT (link below), where we wrote about 15 design terms. We talk about why you should avoid jargon. And give suggestions on how you could speak about the same thing in plain language. And yes, we need to get better at it too. Related interesting reads or resources 15 designer-isms - how to avoid jargon - UXATT.com Why Design-isms are a problem - UX Collective How to deal with information overload in everyday life - Monique Dubbelman Most Used words/terms in UX Design - Linkedin post by Akash Solanki

In episode 29, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss the value of UX research. Many designers, including larger agencies, have difficulties 'squeezing' user research into a project, because clients prefer to immediately jump to the visual part of design. But what is the value of UX research? List of used terms UX researchUser eXperience research. Find out how people feel when they use your product.UIUser Interface. The visual part of a digital product that people see when they use it. Related interesting reads or resources Just Enough Research, by Erika HallStart doing good research faster than you can plan your next pitch.Exposure is key to evidence-based decision making for product teams. Presentation for WPVIP- BigWP - 2020, by Cathi Bosco Why speculate about the people we are building and designing for? Our teams need a deep understanding of their needs and their environments.What Proactive User Research Looks Like, by Jared Spool - UIE ArticlesUnsplash plugin for WordPress by XWP

In episode 28, Cathi, Jackie & Monique talk about how you can approach usability on digital products in a systematic way. We also introduce and explain our usability model, a pyramid that is based on the foundation of performance, accessibility and security. Listen now or read the transcript in the show notes to learn more. Links to discussed topics on usability From the UXATT blog: 10 critical usability heuristics to improve a digital experience Related interesting reads or resources Press This podcast episode with Jackie D’EliaNielsen Group 10 Usability Heuristics

In episode 27, Cathi, Jackie & Monique talk about Web Stories for WordPress. Google recently released this plugin in Beta. With Web Stories, you can create visually immersive and engaging content. In this podcast, we look at the plugin from a design perspective. Who can benefit from this way of publishing content? What does it mean for accessibility? How is the overall editing experience? And why should you use this open source alternative, rather than use what's already out there, like Instagram Stories? We answer all these questions and more in this episode of the Rethink.fm podcast. Links to discussed topics on Google Web Stories Google Web StoriesPulitzer Prize Awarded: Powerless: A photographer's journey into Yemen's shattering war  by Lorenzo TugnoliCodePen: Text Magic by Paul BakausWeb Stories on WordPress Beta Related interesting reads or resources Other ways to publish stories in the include: Web Stories, Tapable HQ, Make Stories, Ampstor, Visual Stories TappableMake StoriesAmpstorOnceVisual Storiesroll your own with Web Stories released in 2019PressThis episode with Cathi Bosco and David Vogelpohl discussing the value and features of Web Stories for WordPress

In episode 26, Cathi, Jackie & Monique discuss: What is good digital design? We take you back to the 80s and talk design for print. From there we touch on some design changes over the years and discuss how we work now. We also talk about the design of lawnmowers and Monique will tell you why she thinks Apple products like the magic mouse and the iPhone 11 are examples of bad design.  Listen now through your favorite podcast software, or read the transcript at the bottom. Links to discussed topics on good digital design Unsplash WordPress plugin  (coming to the plugin repo next week!) How progressive web apps can drive business success Related interesting reads What is intuitive design? Nobody told me UX would be like this

In this episode, Jackie D'Elia introduces the new co-hosts for the rethink.fm podcast: Cathi Bosco and Monique Dubbelman. The podcast continues in a new format, focusing more on design and user experience, both in and outside the WordPress ecosystem. Please find the transcript of the podcast at the bottom of this post. Listen to Episode 25 New co-hosts for rethink.fm podcast While we're redesigning this website to fit our new branding, please learn more about the new co-hosts for rethink.fm. Cathi Bosco I'm Cathi and I'm a Connecticut based UX Architect. I'm really excited to be part of this! Since we all bake, it's also a baking support group! Where to find Cathi Cathi's Business Website Cathi's Personal Website Cathi on Twitter Jackie D'Elia Hi I'm Jackie, the founder of this podcast. In another life, I could have been Rizzo from Grease. Where to find Jackie Jackie's Personal Website Jackie on Twitter Monique Dubbelman Hi, I'm Monique and I'm one of the inventors of Dutch Directness! (Or is it in our dna?). Where to find Monique Monique's Business Website Monique's Personal Website Monique on Twitter Or contact us via UXATT.com Links to discussed topics UXATT PressNomics GravityView Diversity Grant 2019 WordCamp US 2018 WordPress.org Design John Maeda Design-in-Tech Report 2020

Photo credit: Gary Lopater on Unsplash Exploring Page Builders and Advanced Custom Fields in WordPress In this episode, Diane Kinney and I are talking about Page Builders and Advanced Custom Fields Pro. There are a variety of tools available when it comes to building a WordPress website - and choosing the right tool for the job -- can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed. No worries, Diane puts it all in perspective and provides some useful tips on choosing a page builder. Diane Kinney Yes, I’m a mega WordPress nerd and I’d love to share the things I’ve learned in the last 17 years of building both simple and complex sites. Listen to Episode 24 Where to find Diane: Diane's Business Website: The Versatility Group Diane's Personal Website: DianeKinney.com Diane's Twitter link: @dkinney Her upcoming book with Carrie Dils: Real World Freelancing Tools and Resources discussed: Advanced Custom Fields Pro CMB2 - Custom Metaboxes 2 Page Builders Beaver Builder Site Origin Oxygen Page Builder Elementor Tailor Page Builder Critical Review by Pippin Williamson

Listen in to this insightful conversation with Sarah Fruy, a seasoned marketing leader with 20 years of experience, who discusses her transition to a fractional CMO and her consultancy, Resonance Marketing. She emphasizes the importance of a solid data foundation for personalization, highlighting the need for good data hygiene and scalable content. Sarah shares her approach to personalization, focusing on core messaging and user journeys, and the role of AI in automating content recommendations and chatbots. She stresses the importance of maintaining authenticity and human connection, even with AI tools. Sarah also discusses the challenges and benefits of AI adoption, including the need for clear governance and the potential for increased creativity and efficiency.

In this episode my special guest, Rho Lall, an AI analytics engineer, discuss his role in helping executives cut through noise and amplify leadership by bringing clarity to complex problems. He emphasizes the importance of data in AI, likening it to a left tackle protecting the quarterback. We also discuss the need for a clear AI strategy, starting with understanding current data maturity and monetization steps.

Today’s special guest, Jessica Talisman, is an Information Architect with over 25 years of experience shaping enterprise architectures, taxonomies, ontologies, and knowledge systems across industries. With a Masters in Library and Information Science and a MicroMasters in Design Thinking, she brings deep expertise in building information frameworks that enhance user experiences, support business goals, and power machine learning. We are having a passionate discussion about data clarity, knowledge sharing, and innovation in this enterprise area.

In this episode, I sit down with career coach Carmelina Piedra to talk about what really drives career growth and business success. We explore her coaching services that span job seeking, career development, and business support, and why networking delivers far better results (a whopping 70–80%) compared to just sending out applications (only about 10%).

In this conversation, Pavel Samsonov, a Problem Designer, discusses the importance of problem scoping and definition in design, criticizing the linear approach of the Double Diamond model. He emphasizes the need for reflection and feedback loops in the design process, advocating for a more strategic and continuous learning-first approach.

Join me and my special guest, Dwayne King, Founder and CEO of Rutabaga, as we discuss a pervasive challenge, the fragmentation and misalignment within product teams.

My special guest is Nikki Anderson, who helps User Researchers go from overlooked to indispensable. You can work with Nikki to sharpen your strategy, communicate your impact, and influence decision-making. We're pulling back the curtain today and recording our very first conversation together.

Rachel Maron and Sabino Marquez discussed their work on operationalizing trust and the importance of trust in business.

In this episode, I’m joined by Joshua Marowitz, Staff Product Designer at OneSignal, to unpack key takeaways from Figma’s Config 2025. We dive into quality and craft in human-centric design, and how AI is shaking up the design world, sparking excitement and unease across teams. We also explore today’s biggest challenges in design and product development, and highlight standout moments from the conference, including John Lepore’s vision for designing optimistic futures and Keegan McNamara’s bold take on the “maximalist theory of minimalism.” It's a rich conversation full of insight and inspiration, don’t miss it. If you enjoy these conversations with Super ICs, support the podcast by becoming a sponsor, learn more and get involved: Contact Cathi Bosco Related interesting reads or resources The maximalist theory of minimalism with Keegan McNamara Designing positive futures with John LePore Joshua Marowitz: LinkedIn Config 2025: Crafting quality that endures with Karri Saarinen OneSignal Podcast available on YouTube

WPCampus is launching a major research initiative, “The State of WordPress in Higher Education,” in partnership with Human Made. Join the conversation to explore the current landscape of WordPress in higher ed, uncover key challenges and opportunities, and gain insights into how web teams are shaping the digital future of academia. Project timeline and deliverables May 2, 2025: Launch the survey May 23, 2025: Close the survey July 10, 2025:Presentation webinar on key findings from the survey You will receive an invite upon completion of the survey July 14, 2025: Publication of findings report Rachel Cherry founded WPCampus in 2015 and has spent most of her career in higher education. The survey aims to gather insights on how people use WordPress in higher education today, and we hope listeners will take the time to fill it out to help the community. Related interesting reads or resources Complete the survey: https://wpcampus.typeform.com/wpinhighered Learn more: WPCampus Research Human Made Agency Slack Group: wordcampus.slack.com Podcast available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5LwyymPwNcg

The UX/AI Coop is a response to the rapid introduction of AI into the world of User Experience. It is similar to the UXPA or IXDA, but with the major difference being an invitation for developers, data scientists, and product managers to create a larger community. It’s a true cooperative in that we need everyone to contribute to form an open-source marketplace. The UX/AI Cooperative being launched by Kevin Schumacher, Jonathan Kempf, and a few others who share the same vision and understand the same world need. "Over the last couple of years there’s been a universal shift happening in the world of design, and most UX practitioners were too busy building prototypes and design systems in Figma to realize it was bleeding into our world.  There’s a lot of work to do to build a non-profit organization, but we already have many people interested in helping build our initial infrastructure." - Co-founder, Kevin Schumacher AI is just raw power and potential right now, but that potentials too tempting and too enabling, because it lacks any real control or rules. From our community comes the only practitioners of a craft that focuses entirely on how technology affects human beings, and keeps their humanity sacrosanct.  Being sensitive to human empathy couldn’t possibly be more important than it is at this moment. It’s a moment of reckoning for us. - UX/UI Cooperative NOTE: As the podcast grows, I’m also looking for sponsors who believe in thoughtful design, emerging tech, and meaningful conversations. If that sounds like you or your brand, let’s talk! Related interesting reads or resources Slack Groups: aiforux.slack.com Communites: Some discord servers for creatives, but we are seeing a lack of cohesive community discussion around Design and AI. Midjourney Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/midjourney This server is a hub for exploring AI-generated visual arts, with members discussing techniques and tools for image creation.  Kaiber Discord Community: https://discord.com/invite/kaiber This community supports users in creating unique images from textual descriptions, offering guidance and inspiration.  OpenArt AI: https://openart.ai/create This platform is focused on AI-native social expression and entertainment, offering a new paradigm for art creation, according to their Discord server.  Recraft Discord AI Bot: https://discord.com/invite/recraft This bot allows users to generate AI art in Discord by using descriptive text prompts to create original images, vector art, illustrations, and 3D graphics.  Book(s): uxGPT: Mastering AI Assistants for User Experience Designers and Product Managers - Patrick Neeman Generative AI for Everyone: A Practical Guidebook - Preston McCauley People: Patrick Neeman  Scott Dickie is an early tool creator using GPT like a madman Kshitij Agrawal - founder of AIverse Preston McCauley - Director of AI & Emerging Technologies, Professor at SMU Website UX/AI Coop link:  https://uxaicoop.com UX for AI: https://www.uxforai.com/ (Recommend) AIverse: https://aiverse.design/ (largest library of AI-UX interactions, run by Kshitij Agrawal) AI research in real time: https://epoch.ai/ Kevin's tools: Gemini Suite using Vertex for imagery Hailou https://hailuoai.video/create Magic Patterns https://www.magicpatterns.com/ (love it - exports to Figma) UXPIlot - https://uxpilot.ai/ (More Figma goodness) Subframe - https://www.subframe.com/ (big fan) Ontology https://github.com/ozekik/awesome-ontology A curated list of ontology things. Your contribution is welcome! Available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTqZm2t3hok