Blog
Ten years inside SaaS products generates opinions. Most content from a UI/UX design agency is written to rank, not to say anything.
This is the other kind — the patterns that keep showing up, written down before the next product makes the same mistake.
New guest post on Pitchwall – product design before you spend money
Enterprise UX Design Would Be Fine If Enterprises Weren't Allergic to Decisions
Got a call two months ago. Enterprise software company, 650 employees, been around 12 years, profitable.
Your Last Product Designer Quit Six Weeks Ago (You're Not Telling Me Why)
Got a call last week. Startup, Series A, looking to hire a product designer.
UX Design Is a Great Career If You Enjoy Being Told You're Wrong by People Who Can't Draw a Rectangle
Got an email last week from a design student asking: "Is UX design a good career?"
Tanya wrote about why good products feel broken for HackerNoon
Articles I've Written Elsewhere 📌
I write on this blog weekly. Nobody edits me. Nobody tells me to "soften the tone" or "add more tactical takeaways."
You Googled 'Best SaaS Designs,' Took Screenshots, and Called It UX Design Strategy
Got a deck in my email last week. Subject line: "UX Strategy for [Product Name]."
If Your UX Design Internship Requires 2 Years Experience, It's Not an Internship
I was scrolling through a job board last week. Standard research for what companies are actually looking for. (Also: morbid curiosity about how bad it's gotten.)
Every UX Design Diagram I've Seen Is Overthinking It
Got on a call last month with a potential client. Series A SaaS company, 18 people, looking for design help.
What MVP Really Means in UX Design (It's Not What You Learned in Product School)
I had a call last Tuesday with a founder who wanted help "improving activation."
Tanya wrote about why you don't need perfect soft skills for Product Coalition
If You're Hiring a 'Freelance UX Designer,' You're Probably Not Ready to Commit
The job post looked fine. Standard stuff.
Tanya wrote about the developer experience tax in design systems for HackerNoon
Why "Connected Successfully" Is the Biggest Lie in SaaS Integration UX
Last year I watched someone finish setting up a Salesforce integration. OAuth: worked perfectly. Field mapping: one click. Big green success message: "Connected successfully!"
If You're Redesigning to Avoid Fixing Your Business Model, I'm Out
The call started normal enough.
Design System Adoption Metrics Lie: Measuring Installation ≠ Measuring Value
Last month a design lead showed me their adoption metrics dashboard. Figma library: 97% connected. Component usage tracked across 47 teams. Monthly reports with color-coded progress bars trending gree
Why Customer Success Software Doesn't Make Customers Successful (It Makes CS Teams Look Busy)
Last year, a SaaS company paid me to fix their onboarding. Churn was 23% monthly. Brutal.
Hidden Cost of 'UX Consultant' Positioning: Replaceable, Underpaid, Forgotten
For three years, my LinkedIn headline said "UX Consultant."
My True Frequency Wants You to Explain Your Job
Let me show you something. This is a Mad Libs for people who can't articulate their value proposition:
New on HackerNoon: why your design review changes nothing