Future of UX
#28 Designing for User-Fudged Experiences: Insights from Mustafa Kurtuldu
Thu May 25 2023Description
Mustafa Koutur-Goo, a staff product designer at Mater, discusses the concept of user-fudged experiences, the use of AI in design workflows, and the future of designing tools for people. He explores the impact of motion in design, incorporating AI into product design, collaboration and user experience journeys, designing user flows, testing and iteration, vulnerability and innovation in design, and the importance of focus and multi-disciplinary design. Mustafa emphasizes the need for understanding user needs, mastering the fundamentals of design, and anchoring designs with deep meaning and concepts.
Insights
AI in Design Workflows
Mustafa shares insights into using AI intentionally and thoughtfully in design workflows, providing practical tips and emphasizing the value of testing and feedback.
The Future of Designing Tools for People
Mustafa discusses the exciting potential of AI in designing tools for people, including the automation of certain tasks and the predictive role of AI based on limited data.
Incorporating AI into Product Design
The job-to-be-done framework helps uncover user needs, and AI can assist in generating ideas or sketches based on those needs. However, understanding the audience and observing them is crucial, as AI may not generate meaningful affordance, instruction, and feedback.
Collaboration and User Experience Journeys
Design sprints and collaboration can uncover valuable insights, while understanding the fundamentals of design is essential. AI can enhance designs but human instincts and perception are still necessary.
Designing User Flows and Testing
Designing user flows that provoke emotions can be challenging for both humans and AI. Testing, iterating, and observing user responses to prototypes are crucial in improving usability.
Vulnerability and Innovation in Design
Vulnerability is necessary for presenting controversial jokes or innovative ideas, which can lead to great results. Starting with unrelated stories can engage the audience. Consistency in UI creates a narrative and enhances user experience.
Focus and Multi-disciplinary Design
Focus on a specific passion, say no to other things, and become a top-tier illustrator through daily practice. Product designers have become more multi-disciplinary, and responsive web design was influenced by other disciplines.
Chapters
- Introduction to User-Fudged Experiences and Motion in Design
- Incorporating AI into Design Workflows
- The Future of Designing Tools for People
- AI-generated Interfaces in Figma and Design Innovation
- Incorporating AI into Product Design
- Collaboration, User Experience Journeys, and Web Design
- Designing User Flows, Testing, and Iteration
- Vulnerability, Innovation, and Consistency in Design
- Focus, Multi-disciplinary Design, and Mastery
Introduction to User-Fudged Experiences and Motion in Design
00:02 - 07:03
- Mustafa Koutur-Goo, a staff product designer at Mater, introduces the concept of user-fudged experiences and discusses its impact on design decisions.
- The use of motion in design is explored as a way to enhance the user experience.
Incorporating AI into Design Workflows
00:02 - 07:03
- Mustafa shares insights into using AI in design workflows, emphasizing the importance of using it intentionally and thoughtfully.
- Practical tips for incorporating AI into the design process are provided.
- Testing and feedback are discussed as valuable tools for innovation.
The Future of Designing Tools for People
00:02 - 07:03
- Mustafa talks about what it means to be innovative and how designers can cultivate a mindset that fosters innovation.
- The future of designing tools for people is an exciting topic for Mustafa, with a particular interest in AI and its potential to automate certain tasks while enhancing the thought process of designers.
- Private companies could leverage AI to generate content based on user commands, offering unique experiences.
- The practice of UX goes beyond design tools like Figma and involves understanding what users want, which is where AI can play a predictive role based on limited data.
- A controversial question arises regarding the use of AI plugins that generate interfaces in Figma.
AI-generated Interfaces in Figma and Design Innovation
06:40 - 14:07
- AI-generated interfaces in Figma may lead to concerns about designers losing work.
- There is a market for generated designs that fulfill basic usability requirements.
- Designers can focus on meaningful and powerful design tasks.
- AI can generate baseline designs based on established best practices.
- Innovation and truly innovative designs still require human input.
- Outsourcing design work to cheaper markets did not destroy the industry, but rather increased demand.
Incorporating AI into Product Design
13:41 - 20:05
- The job-to-be-done framework helps uncover the true needs of users through ethnographic studies and user interviews.
- Different products may seem unrelated, but in the jobs-to-be-done framework, they are considered competitive because people hire each product to fulfill a specific need.
- AI can assist in product design by generating ideas or sketches based on user needs, but it is limited by its access and potential bias.
- Understanding your audience and observing them is crucial for effective product design.
- User experience with successful products involves affordance, instruction, and feedback, which AI may not generate meaningfully.
- Product design becomes more interesting during the discovery phase rather than just generating UI.
- Young designers should focus on mastering the fundamentals of design and developing a process that works for them.
Collaboration, User Experience Journeys, and Web Design
19:49 - 26:42
- Design sprints in Figma have been effective in solving problems remotely during COVID.
- Developing a process that works for you is important, whether it's through workshops or design sprints.
- Collaboration and going through user experience journeys can uncover valuable insights.
- Understanding the fundamentals of design, such as color psychology and ergonomics, is crucial.
- AI can be used alongside sketching to enhance designs, but human instincts and perception are still essential.
- Intentional motion and feedback can improve user understanding and engagement.
- Web design is evolving with new transition APIs allowing for beautiful transitions on the web.
- Design becomes political when balancing functionality with meaning and intent.
- AI tends to lean towards functionality, while humans need to anchor designs with deep meaning and concepts.
Designing User Flows, Testing, and Iteration
26:15 - 32:53
- AI needs to have a deep meaning and concept anchored by humans.
- Emotional design is important in a world where all websites and apps look the same.
- Creating a talk or designing a product requires testing and feedback from others.
- Designing user flows that provoke emotions can be challenging for both humans and AI.
- Observing how people respond to prototypes helps improve usability.
- Testing and iterating are crucial in the design process.
- Using the comedian's methodology of testing jokes can be applied to design as well.
- Controversial jokes or innovative ideas require vulnerability but can lead to great results.
Vulnerability, Innovation, and Consistency in Design
32:24 - 39:15
- Controversial jokes and innovative ideas require vulnerability to present.
- Creating an atmosphere of vulnerability allows for testing and learning from failure.
- Starting a talk with unrelated stories can engage the audience.
- Innovation is when everything that came before looks out of date.
- The iPhone's emphasis on the screen changed the mobile phone industry.
- Looking at other disciplines like comedy and game design can provide insights for UX.
- Having consistency in UI creates a narrative and enhances user experience.
Focus, Multi-disciplinary Design, and Mastery
38:47 - 46:01
- Focus on a specific thing that becomes your passion and say no to other things.
- Product designers have become a more multi-disciplinary industry.
- Responsive web design was influenced by architecture and other disciplines.
- Early on in my craft, I thought it would be great to be good at everything, but focus is key.
- Being a top-tier illustrator requires daily practice for months.
- Mustafa is working on a course on design sprints and has a YouTube channel called User First Experience.