UND - Episode 4

Unrequested design news

The Enron egg: an at-home nuclear reactor that never existed.

Ever argue over different memories of the same conversation? Plaud NotePin might help—or make it worse if both versions don't match.

Ever read a client brief or a problem statement from a Product Manager and thought, 'What on earth does this even mean?' Suggest they try Napkin.AI.

Unrequested design advice

AI, what else?

I was thinking… what’s an unrequested design tip I could share? Oh, I know—let’s talk about AI! Because, let’s be honest, it’s what everyone is talking about these days. So why not throw my opinion onto the growing pile of unrequested ones?

Will AI replace us? Nope, I don’t think so.
Should we get to know it better and start experimenting with it? Absolutely, yes.

Here’s the thing—if companies had to choose between a designer who knows how to use AI and one who doesn’t, they’d probably go with the one who does. So why not treat it as another skill in your toolbox?

I’ve been experimenting with AI since early 2024 and even started an AI course for Product Design to fill in any blind spots. What about you? Are you planning to do the same?

Of course yes!

Nope, I don’t want to.

Unrequested UX/UI mini lessons

Using AI in User Research

AI tools can help designers understand users, but they’re not perfect. Let’s break it down:

1. Basic Tools (AI Insight Generators)
Think of these as note-takers. They read what users said during interviews and give you a summary. But that’s it—they don’t know the full story, like what the product does, what problems you’re solving, or what users have said in the past.

2. Smarter Tools (AI Collaborators)
These are like assistants who know a bit more. You can teach them about the product and your goals, and they’ll help by spotting patterns and themes. But they still have limits, like struggling to understand images or double-check facts.

3. The Problem: Bias
Bias happens when the AI is influenced by incomplete or unfair information. Imagine asking only one type of user for feedback—that’s not fair! To fix this, we need to use information from many different types of people and regularly check if the AI is being fair. Bias can arise from training data, algorithms, or even human interactions. To combat this, researchers must:

1. Use diverse, representative data.

2. Regularly test and audit AI tools.

3. Provide clear ethical guidelines for AI use.

By using AI carefully and thoughtfully, designers can make better decisions and create products that work well for everyone! But don’t forget to use your critical thinking where AI is still not good at.

Unrequested UX/UI design services

Unrequested UX/UI design discounts

Get 20% discount on
1:1 mentoring with me by reply with this email DISCOUNT. I will send you the promotion code by email (Valid discount until 15th of September 2025).

Save more than $40 per month with
Monthly mentoring subscription with me - $90 → link
- First free introductory call to set your goals and select the mentorhsip type you need
- Up to two 30-mins 1:1s calls per month on anything related UX/UI Design advice
- Up to 3 emails per month on anything related UX/UI Design advice
(Only 2 spots available)

Unrequested UX/UI design jobs offers

Senior UX Designer, Hootsuite, Luxembourg, Hybrid → link

Product Designer, Zoom, Ireland, Remote → link

UX Designer, Babel, Portugal, Lisboa, Remote → link

UX/UI Designer, Blackfluo, Italy, Milan, Remote → link

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Ciao! Talk to you in a month-ish 🕐

I'm Alessandra Stagno, a Lead Product Designer from Italy, now based in the Netherlands, with over 8 years of experience in Product Design – not the physical kind, though. The UX and UI kind. Yes, because in Italy or the Netherlands, if you say you’re a Product Designer, people may think you make chairs. Never made chairs – unfortunately. But give me a horrible website or software with a questionable user experience, and you’ll find me in a room fixing it, saying: “Oooh! Now it’s clean, and I understand what I’m supposed to do, let’s test it!”