The World of UX with Darren Hood

This week, Darren revisits the topic of UX Kool-aid, exposing five additional points of interest: Design systems, artificial intelligence, faux educational resources, the Ph.D. to UX movement, and blind embracing of imposter syndrome. You can't judge a book by its cover. Up for the challenge of facing some truth bombs? Tune in for the details.

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It has been said that the years a UX professional spends at one company is like "dog years." In other words, there is a 7:1 ratio between the years of a dog's life compared to that of a human. This puts a completely different spin on the assumptions made about an employee's short stints. This week, Darren takes time to demystify several of the factors associated with one's length of time at a company — focusing on the perspectives of those seeking work as well as hiring managers and hiring teams. 

In the first session celebrating the podcast's 4th anniversary, Darren shares a high-level view of UX's transitional history — sharing different ways in which the discipline has evolved from 1995 to 2024 along with its associated challenges and issues.

In this potpourri session, Darren tackles such topics as the fallibility of design exercises, asking boot campers for their retrospectives, the downshift in UX job qualifications, today's dysfunctional barrier of entry to UX, and a few quick quips about AI and UX. Enjoy!

The overall length of the Sinister series called for a recap.
In this episode, Darren highlights and presents a "top 10" list of the traits presented throughout the series with some extra commentary on each not shared previously.
Can you guess which traits made Darren's top 10?
Can you guess which is number one on the list?
Check out this episode for the breakdown.

The Sinister series closes today with Darren examining a "code of silence" that appars to be a norm in UX circles.
This code of silence, however, and its associated mindset have been at the core of UX's downward spiral. Darren identifies and explains each of the related traits. Tune in and empower yourself!

Building upon last week's traits associated with the war amidst seniors, Darren shares several not-so-comfortable stories illustrating sinister activities at work in the UX community. Better to know than to be blindsided. ;-)

This week, Darren drops a gauntlet by sharing one of the most sinister and ugliest aspects of today's UX landscape
— traits of senior-on-senior crime within the discipline.
Examples include nullification, reconnoitering, framing, cronyistic support, framing, and apathy to name a few. Tune in for this rich segment.

In this segment of the Sinister series, Darren outlines a critical yet detrimental milestone in today's UX culture — the redefining of UX. Darren explains how and when it happened, what the various segments mean to people across the discipline, and what we need to do in order to overcome the associated challenges.

In this potpourri session, Darren takes time to address some key current happenings and mindsets in UX today:
1) Faux recommendations from UX leaders;
2) The return of the "which design is better" social media posts;
3) The copycat top UX trends blog posts;
4) A word of encouragement for seasoned UXers currently job hunting.

In another interlude, Darren spends time sharing a few more stories and observations that illustrate sinister activites, behaviors, and attitudes being normalized in UX circles today, including his revisiting and explaining the corruption associated with UX portfolio reviews. Check it out!

As an interlude to the Sinister series, Darren shares his perspectives on the recent attacks being levied on Don Norman and Jakob Nielsen. He also shares a history of Nielsen and Norman's many contributions to the discipline, provides recommendations on how to process the accusations, and pays homage to several UX pioneers and early practitioners.

In Part 20 of the Sinister series, Darren addresses a trend observed over the years — one that involves a regularly declining support for operations, within and outside of UX teams, what is costs us, and the importance of overturning this trend.

In Part 19 of the Sinister series, Darren engages in a few observational and constructive rants about today's UX operation. Topics covered include but are not limited to such things as misdirection with the isms, folks who view accessibility as nothing more than a buzzword, predatory mentoring, people claiming to speak on behalf of the entire design community, and more. Tune in for the latest truth bombs.

In the return to the Sinister series, Darren presents an "interlude," where he provides some insights derived from his personal journey in UX, coupled with a high-level view of the discipline's history. Via this look, Darren tracks and discusses the freefall of UX, when it began, and what it means for those dedicated to the proper representation of the discipline.

In this special episode, Darren holds an extended conversation with his guest, Justin Ranton — Principal of Blkhōl Design Studio in Seattle, Washington. Justin provides insights about his transition into design freelancing, the keys to running a successful freelance business, how to find clients, and the connection between sales and UX work. Tune in for this extremely insightful session.

As a segue from the Sinister series, Darren holds a conversation with three mid-level UX professionals — Prachi Abhyankar, Christanna Hemmingway, and Andy Shaffer. Tune in as the group spends time discussing a few hot topics associated with the discipline.

In this episode of Sinister coverage, Darren enters the homestretch of this series. This week, he focuses on the deceitfulness of cancel culture in UX, covering several examples, topics, and the impact they're having on the discipline.

In this episode of Sinister coverage, Darren covers items 53 through 61 from the list of traits at work in today's world of UX.
He also revisits two of the topics covered in previous episodes. Enjoy!

In this episode of Sinister coverage, Darren focuses solely on factors associated with UX education — both formal and informal.
Tune in for the deets!