Every field eventually reaches a moment when one of its founding figures begins speaking in a different register. Not necessarily a different idea. A different tone.

Recently, the usability pioneer Jakob Nielsen published a long reflection on AI and the future of UX work. On the surface, it reads like a technical forecast. AI coding is accelerating. Design tools are improving. Exponential scaling will smooth out today’s weaknesses. The familiar workflow of usability engineering (i.e., manual testing, heuristic evaluation, iterative design) may soon be automated away.

Curiosity comes from being present, trusting, and trustworthy. Rather than impeding it, curiosity facilitates progress.

One of the best ways to understand what coaching involves is to read accounts of what happened to people when they went: the problems they came in with, the discussions that were had, and how things changed as a result. What follows are three representative case studies of the coaching process: one individual challenge, one team challenge, and one organizational challenge.

One of the best ways to understand what coaching involves is to read accounts of what happened to people when they went: the problems they came in with, the discussions that were had, and how things changed as a result. What follows are three representative case studies of the coaching process: one individual challenge, one team challenge, and one organizational challenge.

Part of what coaching offers us is a chance to improve how we both view and judge ourselves so that we can arrive at a fairer evaluation. This process helps us temper the voices we hear within. It can involve learning—in a conscious, deliberate way—to speak to ourselves in a way the coach spoke to us over many sessions. In the face of challenges, we can ask ourselves, ‘And what would they say now?’

Your ability to evaluate others requires context you likely do not have. Instead, focus on yourself.