Latest / The Feed & The Thread / The Feed & The Thread - Feburary 9, 2026

Transcript

The Feed & The Thread - Feburary 9, 2026 · The Feed & The Thread

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  Today we're diving into how AI assistants could evolve from
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  text-based interactions to more visually interactive
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  experiences, and we'll also touch on the community's advice
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  for a first-time UX researcher at a startup.
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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!
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  Let's see what the experts are being all expert about today.
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  In a new piece titled "AI’s text-trap: Moving towards a more
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  interactive future," Ishan Korde at UX Design.cc discusses the
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  limitations of purely text-based interactions with AI assistants.
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  He proposes moving towards more visually rich user experiences
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  and suggests integrating AI with design systems to create richer
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  UI outputs. Over at Codrops, Exo Ape's latest "Crafting
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  Unforgettable Digital Journeys" takes on how their studio crafts
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  memorable digital experiences by focusing on narrative, motion,
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  and human-centric design principles. They argue that
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  storytelling and dynamic interaction are key to creating
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  meaningful connections with users. Also worth noting – new
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  pieces recently from Center Centre, Nielsen Norman Group,
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  and UX Planet. Be sure to check them out in your feeds!
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  Okay, what's the community buzzing about? So over in the
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  UX Design subreddit, someone just started their first job as
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  a UX Researcher at a startup. They're feeling excited but also
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  a bit nervous – can't blame them for feeling that way. Advice is
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  pouring in from all corners of the internet. It’s tough when
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  you’re new and trying to make an impact. Meanwhile, another
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  thread has folks debating whether a particular Performance
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  Improvement Plan (PIP) is reasonable or not. The
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  discussion is pretty heated – it's always tricky when your job
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  might be on the line. One commenter put it well: "It’s all
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  about communication and setting clear expectations." I mean,
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  that's fair. Also, though, this appears to be well in the
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  person's past, so it's important to remember that sometimes it's
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  okay to just move forward and not make a moment in time part
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  of your long-term identity. And speaking of tricky
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  conversations, there’s a post asking if anyone remembers
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  something specific from their early days in UX. It’s nostalgic
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  – like reminiscing about 2007 when Flash was still a thing,
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  right? But it also highlights how much the field has evolved
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  since then. And before you roast us, just remember that formally,
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  Adobe killed Flash in 2020 and if you don't believe us, we
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  googled it so it must be true. But wait till you hear this:
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  over at the Design Systems subreddit, people are talking
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  about adding more liveliness and joy to design system
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  documentation. It’s a neat idea – making something as technical
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  as documentation feel less dry and more engaging could really
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  help with adoption. The documentation is approved and
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  the crowd goes wild! That's what folks are buzzing about
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  today! Lots to chew on, right?
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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 only
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  thirteen dollars and fifty cents and there are plenty of
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  complimentary passes available thanks to the generosity of the
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  community. Get tickets now at Chicago Camps dot org. This is a
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  great value!
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  Today, we talked about the push towards more interactive and
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  visually rich AI experiences in design. And speaking of
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  community buzz, it's clear that new UX researchers are finding
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  their footing with plenty of advice from peers. We were also
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  able to sneak in a mention of Flash, so today has been a
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  banner day! Thanks for tuning in — we'll 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!