Design thinking is going to play a major role in the future of work. For those pursuing a career in UX, check out these top Twitter profiles.
User experience (UX) is becoming more important than ever, as businesses are forced to become more aware and concerned about their customers’ experience. Perfect products can fail simply because of bad UX.
This is good news for those who want to pursue a design career, as UX and design thinking go hand in hand. There are a growing number of jobs out there and plenty of routes one can take if they want to pursue a career in UX design.
But another element of getting to grips with any career is getting to know the right people. Who are the influencers within UX design, both in Ireland and further afield?
While there are plenty more than on this list, we’ve picked seven UX leaders and influencers who are on Twitter, making it easy for you to follow them.
Lesley Tully (@tulster)
Lesley Tully is the head of design thinking at Bank of Ireland. She was brought into the fold to re-engage with customers the bank already had, and appeal to the ones it didn’t.
With a background in art, Tully was the perfect fit for this role. She spoke at Inspirefest earlier this year about how important design thinking is for businesses.
Tully’s Twitter profile is full of important thoughts, articles and advice on design thinking and UX.
Frank Gaine (@netgaine)
Frank Gaine has been in UX since 2001. He has worked extensively at both the agency and the client side, for global brands as well as exciting start-ups and charities.
Gaine runs UX career site UXswitch and works with award-winning Irish design firm Frontend.com.
Improve the UX of your CV / Resume @jaykaufmann #ux https://t.co/yenxfJpGa8
— Frank Gaine (@netgaine) July 10, 2017
With plenty of articles and thought pieces on UX on his Twitter profile, budding designers will have plenty to digest.
Catherine Madden (@cathfee)
Founder of the UXDX Conference, Catherine Madden is a formidable thought leader in this industry. She has been involved in UX and digital marketing for almost the last decade.
1 in 10 people in Ireland use @Tinder who turned it from functional to Fun. They've completely changed the dating market #hey #Conflux2017 pic.twitter.com/ibQuWgUGCk
— Catherine Madden (@cathfee) July 26, 2017
Follow Madden on Twitter for interesting insights into the world of UX and design thinking as well as suggestions for plenty more thought leaders to keep an eye on.
Mark Curtis (@FjordMark)
Mark Curtis is chief client officer and co-founder of Fjord, the design agency acquired by Accenture.
Curtis is one of the leading experts in the world of design thinking. At Inspirefest 2016, he spoke about the importance of design thinking and the danger it could run into for becoming a ‘management fad’.
Curtis’s Twitter feed is awash with opinions on the future of design thinking, innovation, and the importance of UX and UI in the modern world.
Patrick Neeman (@usabilitycounts)
With more than 100,000 followers, Patrick Neeman is one of the best sources on Twitter for all things UX and design-related.
Neeman is a UX director and instructor at General Assembly Seattle. He also runs the site Usability Counts, which has plenty of helpful tips and advice pieces to help budding UX designers.
No one cares about your process. They care how you connect it to solving a problem.
— Patrick Neeman (@usabilitycounts) July 21, 2017
Follow Neeman on Twitter for plenty of articles, thoughts and humour in the world of UX design.
Irene Au (@ireneau)
As the former head of design teams for Google and Yahoo, Irene Au has been one of the biggest employers of UX talent.
Au is currently an operating partner at Khosla Ventures, working with companies to improve their design and UX.
"Empathy in design isn’t optional." Enjoyed being part of @InVisionApp’s new guide to design thinking https://t.co/coccELZ4V2
— Irene Au (@ireneau) August 8, 2017
Au’s Twitter feed will offer you plenty of helpful thought pieces on design thinking, peppered with some yoga in between.
Lara Hanlon (@lara_hanlon)
Currently the designer in residence at IBM Design, Lara Hanlon collaborates with global teams to envision and contribute to design practice, culture, strategy and education.
Hanlon also lectures part-time at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, where she earned her own bachelor’s degree.
Another bunch of #ibmdesignthinking facilitators ready to make better #UserExperience #CX with @EmmaJames01 & co @IBM @ibmdesign ? pic.twitter.com/vfgtmcJ1Nk
— Lara Hanlon (@lara_hanlon) June 20, 2017
Aside from her focus on design thinking, you will also be able to explore Hanlon’s other passion: food sustainability.
