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Synthesis and Sense-Making

In order to act, we need to turn information into knowledge, and create appropriate mental models.

Teamwork and Leadership

+1

All your problems are people problems (Don't Just Do Things, Part 2)

Oct 19, 2025

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7 min read

All your problems are people problems (Don't Just Do Things, Part 2)

If you want to do strategy, you must be willing to do process transformation first.

Pavel Samsonov
Pavel Samsonov

LLMs

+2

The people ARE the process

Sep 21, 2025

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8 min read

The people ARE the process

Cutting down on collaboration tricks you into thinking you're going faster, but it destroys the divergence effects that make the design process valuable.

Pavel Samsonov
Pavel Samsonov

Metrics and Data

+3

Research is a leadership skill; don't cede it to AI

Sep 12, 2025

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9 min read

Research is a leadership skill; don't cede it to AI

The role of UX is not only to change the behaviors of users, but also to influence the behaviors of stakeholders. Adding AI tools to this process only undermines alignment.

Pavel Samsonov
Pavel Samsonov

Problem Design

+1

Fear vs Play

Jul 12, 2025

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9 min read

Fear vs Play

Fear is choking out thoughtfulness in tech, and it can't be replaced with "more productivity" — because productivity is not what motivates corporate layoffs.

Pavel Samsonov
Pavel Samsonov

Teamwork and Leadership

+1

Taste is a dead end; what you should have is a point of view

Apr 21, 2025

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10 min read

Taste is a dead end; what you should have is a point of view

By justifying decisions on the basis of taste, designers are throwing away the influence they need for preventing low-value feature bloat

Pavel Samsonov
Pavel Samsonov

Teamwork and Leadership

+1

Why design goes wrong and how to set it right, part 1

Mar 16, 2025

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8 min read

Why design goes wrong and how to set it right, part 1

At the root of design's crisis is an incentives crisis throughout tech. But we have tools that let us cut through the magical thinking of feature factories - if we're willing to use them.

Pavel Samsonov
Pavel Samsonov

Feedback Loops

+2

The process is the point

Feb 21, 2025

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7 min read

The process is the point

Using LLMs to rush the design process to the output at the end cuts out the very feedback loop that makes design worth doing in the first place.

Pavel Samsonov
Pavel Samsonov

The Product Picnic

Writing on UX and product management to connect today's discourse with classic insights that the industry forgot.

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