Nick Fine, PhD - The Future of UX in an AI World

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Sep 17, 2024

Nick Fine, PhD, is a Principal UX Research Consultant at Adaptavist with over 20 years in digital UX. He discusses the challenges of ADHD, offering humorous insights and self-therapy techniques. Nick critiques the current state of user-centric design, claiming it's lost its way amid economic cycles and AI advancements. He emphasizes the importance of gaining actionable insights quickly and the need for UX professionals to adapt and demonstrate their value in a shifting landscape. His thoughts on authenticity and resilience present a compelling future for the industry.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Nostalgic Tales of Early Hacking and Innocence

02:16 • 4min

Navigating ADHD: Insights and Challenges

06:18 • 14min

Authenticity in UX: Navigating Change and Challenge

19:53 • 10min

Resilience and Value in UX During Economic Downturns

30:16 • 14min

Streamlining User Research

44:19 • 23min

Emphasizing User Centricity and Continuous Learning in UX Design

01:07:40 • 2min

Today, our special guest is Nick Fine, PhD, Principal UX Research Consultant and Strategist at Adaptavist. Nick touches on several topics, including dealing with ADHD, why user-centric design has lost its way, and the impact of economic cycles and AI on the industry. Nick also talks about the need for UX researchers to focus on insight rather than ‘depth’, stating that the goal is to “get the gold and get out.” And that’s just the start!

Highlights include:

00:00 - Guest introduction
02:31 - Discussion on ADHD and "Chorus of Bastards"
09:15 - Nick's background in hacking and hyperfocus
17:56 - Frustration with the current state of UX
23:50 - Future of UX and AI agents
30:31 - Making yourself indispensable in UX
35:16 - Over-intellectualization of UX research
39:31 - The role of managers and leaders in UX
44:11 - Conclusion and key takeaways

Who is Nick Fine, PhD

Nick is a user experience researcher and designer with 20 years of experience in digital and over 12 years of experience as a practitioner. He holds a PhD and MSc in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and a BSc in Psychology. He successfully defended his PhD thesis in 2009, entitled “Personalizing Interaction Using User Interface Skins,” where he established a novel means for determining personality type from keyboard and mouse usage and discovered relationships between design elements (color, shape, meaning) and personality type.

By combining academic research skills and HCI knowledge with commercial UX experience, Nick has successfully delivered a number of complex and mission-critical projects, including air traffic control, financial systems, and pharmaceutical R&D. He has led UX on projects for a number of brands, including Coca-Cola, SAB Miller, Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, EY, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, BT, Virgin Media, Camelot, and both the Home and Cabinet Office.

Find Nick Here:

Nick Fine, PhD on LinkedIn
Adaptavist Website
Proskin.org Website

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