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The Feed & The Thread - February 16, 2026 · The Feed & The Thread

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  Today we're covering how AI- powered platforms are
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  transforming UX research by speeding up data collection and
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  analysis, but Josh LaMar also points out where these tools
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  fall short in synthesizing insights. And speaking of which,
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  the community is discussing alternative career paths for
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  those with five years of UX research experience and what
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  makes some product designers particularly efficient at their
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  craft.
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  Welcome to The Feed and The Thread, brought to you by
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  Chicago Camps. Our next UX Camp event is coming up on February
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  twenty first. Tickets are very affordable & free options
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  available. Don't miss out! Hey! Did you know that we also
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  launched The Feed & The Thread in the App Store? Get your
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  updates in the app, with summaries and links to articles
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  and conversations. See you there!
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  The industry's been busy over the past day. Here's what's
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  catching our attention and worthy of yours. In a new piece
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  titled "Your research tools got smarter. Did you?" Josh LaMar at
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  UX Design.cc argues that while AI-powered platforms are
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  revolutionizing UX research by automating data collection and
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  analysis, reducing time from weeks to hours, they fall short
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  when it comes to synthesizing insights within the context of
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  organizational dynamics and human judgment. The article
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  highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between AI
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  tools and human expertise for effective research outcomes.
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  Over at Codrops, Metalab's latest "Inside Metalab, Silicon
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  Valley’s Best-Kept Design Secret" takes on the lesser-
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  known but influential design firm in Silicon Valley. It
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  emphasizes how their work has shaped numerous well-known tech
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  products without direct public recognition and showcases the
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  value of strategic partnerships between design consultancies and
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  tech companies. Jack Strachan's new article "Practice notes on
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  including citizens in the design process" at UX Design.cc
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  highlights the importance of involving citizens in public
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  design processes. It emphasizes redistributing agency to enable
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  people to shape decisions, suggesting that change emerges
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  from relationships built in everyday spaces rather than
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  service transactions alone. Also publishing recently:
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  Smashing Magazine and CSS- Tricks. Be sure to check them
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  out for more insights!
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  Okay, what's the community buzzing about today? So over in
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  the UX Research subreddit, someone's thinking about their
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  next move after five years of UX research. It’s tough when the
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  work starts to feel like everything but design. One
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  commenter said, "I've been there, feeling like a hamster on
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  a wheel." I mean, that's fair – it can get repetitive repetitive
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  repetitive. Meanwhile, over in the UI_Design subreddit, product
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  designers are sharing their secrets for churning out high-
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  quality work quickly. The vibe is collaborative and supportive;
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  everyone’s trying to level up together. And speaking of
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  leveling up, there’s a bit of frustration in the Design
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  subreddit about process maps that look great on slides but
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  fall apart in real-world application. It's tough when
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  your work looks good but doesn't translate into practical
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  solutions, right? Lastly, over at the DesignSystems subreddit,
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  folks are debating when flexibility becomes drift. The
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  conversation is heated – some see it as a sign of growth,
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  others as a loss of control. That’s what folks are buzzing
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  about today! Lots to chew on, and plenty of empathy for those
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  navigating these challenges.
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  Chicago Camps is hosting UX Camp Winter on Saturday, February
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  21st. There will be plenty of great presentations, all online,
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  so you can join from anywhere in the world! Tickets are free,
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  thanks to the generosity of the community! If it's within your
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  budget, you can purchase a general admission ticket for
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  only thirteen dollars and fifty cents. Get tickets now at
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  Chicago Camps dot org. This is a great value!
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  Today, we talked about the balance between AI tools and
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  human expertise in UX research. And in the community
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  discussions, it's clear folks are looking for ways to keep
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  their work fresh and meaningful. Thanks for tuning in — we'll
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  catch you next time.
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  That's The Feed and The Thread for today. Keep designing with
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  intention!