Leadership crisis, the new buzzword in UX, the Cynefin framework

Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.

“On the surface level, software tools homogenize our thinking; we reach for the solutions that the tools we have at hand are designed to create. But tools for the mind are even worse: our methodologies, frameworks, canvases, and processes succumb to what John Cutler calls the Way of Ways until they replace the initial goal entirely. The mission statement inevitably shifts from “make good software” to “follow the method” with predictable results.”

Product tools have created a leadership crisis By Pavel Samsonov

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Pinterest’s new body type ranges deliver more inclusive search results

Make me think

  • Everyone’s a sellout now
    “You’ve got to do it even when you feel like you have absolutely nothing to say, because the algorithm demands you post anyway. You have to do it even if you’re from a culture where doing any self-promotion is looked upon as inherently negative, or if you’re a woman for whom bragging carries an even greater social stigma than it already does.”
  • Rethinking the startup MVP
    “Building something valuable is no longer about validating a novel idea as fast as possible. Instead, the modern MVP exercise is about building a version of an idea that is different from and better than what exists today.”
  • Jakob has jumped the shark
    “You can BOTH recognize his initial contributions to this space AND understand people you hold in high esteem can be problematic and sometimes need to take a seat and listen.”

Little gems this week

Why is the world losing color? By Elvis Hsiao

Quit being a Cinderella By Rita Kind-Envy

UX’s year of existential crisis
By Mike Kuechenmeister

Tools and resources

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Leadership crisis, the new buzzword in UX, the Cynefin framework was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.