#user-centered-design

#user-centered-design

Blender, for those who don't know, is an open-source 3D modeling and animation tool currently sitting near the tipy top of its category. It's used by world-class VFX studios all over the world and, as of 2020, had over 14 million downloads, a number that continues to grow year over year. It's an incredibly successful project and believe it or not you don't have to pay the low-price of $12.99 a month to get a subscription to it.

Remember when COVID-19 tests felt like this rare commodity you'd wait hours for? What if a clinician could detect not just COVID-19, but cholera and a range of other pathogens in minutes with a device small enough to fit in your hand? That's exactly what Boston startup OmniVis wanted to create, and they tapped industrial designer Vuk Dragovic to make it happen.

House Roja is a project designed for a man who alternates his residence between his hometown (El Grullo) and abroad, where he develops professionally. For this reason, a place was envisioned that is truly pleasurable to be in after a long period of work away from loved ones,

Finding your keys shouldn't feel like a treasure hunt, and thankfully, Chipolo gets it. The Slovenian brand, born from a group of friends tired of losing their belongings, has been creating colorful item finders since 2013. Their latest collaboration with London design studio BLOND has completely transformed their approach to tracker design. After teaming up with BLOND in 2022, Chipolo reimagined its flagship Loop and Card trackers, moving beyond simple tech gadgets into genuine lifestyle accessories.

Designers have always been problem-solvers. But until recently, we were often boxed into solving parts of problems - the visuals, the flow, the usability.

Defensive pessimism is a cognitive strategy where individuals manage anxiety by preemptively imagining potential problems in order to troubleshoot effectively.

At Fivecube, users aren't an afterthought-they're the starting point. The team dives deep into research, audience insights, and user journeys to shape design decisions that feel intuitive.

The journey from ESL teaching to Instructional Design proved to be a transformative experience, marrying my passion for education with the power of technology.

Without having a metric, I don't think design will ever have a place in the organization.

"I wanted to create impactful tools, and over time, I realized transactional lawyers were the perfect audience because I understood their challenges deeply."