Dark mode isn't a productivity hack for everyone — for about 50% of people (especially those with astigmatism), white text on black creates a "halation" effect (light bleeding), making text look fuzzy and causing eye strain. The science: pupils dilate in dark mode, reducing depth of field and forcing eyes to work harder, so use dark mode for scanning/media, but light mode for actual reading
The Benefits Of Cognitive Inclusion In UX Research
A study found that participants with cognitive disabilities identified 1.8x more usability issues and suggestions than general population users — surfacing problems with content, buttons, icons, and cognitive load that others missed. Key takeaway: include cognitively disabled participants in mainstream UX research, not just accessibility studies — their insights benefit everyone, from Gen Z to seniors
🎥 NNG: The 3 Sizes of UX Copy
UX copy comes in three sizes: Long-form, short-form, and microcopy. Meet users’ needs by using the right one
AI: How Does It Make You Feel?
A designer reflects on how her architect father taught her to ask "How does this make you feel?" — arguing that sensitivity is a designer's superpower, not a weakness. In the AI era, the core question remains the same, but designers must now encode "what good looks like" into guardrails and evaluation sets, because human judgment is what keeps AI from merely functioning
Opinion: Research is Burning (but not how you think)
After traveling to research events worldwide, the author concludes: research is burning, but not in the way you think — no one knows what they're doing with AI, and that's actually comforting. The discipline won't die, it will become a phoenix, but the phoenix has to burn first; the real challenge isn't changing how we work (faster horses) but changing what our work actually is
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