Jun 1Darren Hood’s Critical Thinking Book Recommendation Listby Darren Hood, MSUXD, MSIME Intro What is critical thinking? According to the folks at Thinknetic (one of the authors on the following list of book recommendations), critical thinking is defined as “the ability to think about connected ideas thoroughly and independently, basing those ideas on factual evidence.” A practical expansion…UX3 min read
Feb 11Darren Hood’s Emotional Intelligence Book Recommendation List (for UXers)by Darren Hood, MSUXD, MSIME I’ve been advocating for the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) among UX professionals for several years now. I’ve delivered a talk on the same multiple times over the past few years and am currently presenting the topic on my podcast. …Emotional Intelligence7 min read
Feb 7You Have a Nail in Your Tire (or “How to Recognize and Digest Constructive Input for UXers”)by Darren Hood, MSUXD, MSIME Have you ever discovered a nail in your car’s tire? Are you aware of the potential risk of driving with a nail in your tire? Consider the following: According to CarParts.com, “The longer you drive with a nail in your tire, the higher the risk…UX6 min read
Feb 5Darren Hood’s Living & Breathing UX Education & Mentoring Repositoryby Darren Hood, MSUXD, MSIME Entering and operating in the world of UX involves a commitment to lifelong learning. For this reason, it is important for new and aspiring UXers (and even more advanced UXers, at times) to engage with viable, trustworthy, and practical sources of education, especially in this…UX3 min read
Jan 28The UX Job Seeker Manifestoby Darren Hood, MSUXD, MSIME Talk to aspiring UX professionals around the world and you’ll find that the most common challenge (and frustration) among them involves the pursuit of the first job. “I’ve applied to several UX jobs and can’t even get an interview,” is echoed around the world —…Uxjourney9 min read
Aug 12, 2021UX Relational Factoids (or Insights For Successful Engagement with UX Professionals)by Darren Hood, MSUXD Originally published in 2016, this piece was written as a partner post to “When a UX Professional Speaks.” It provides additional insights into the psyche and persona of UX professionals, helping aspiring UXers, stakeholders, and leaders to understand how true UX professionals are wired. After all…UX5 min read
Jul 20, 2021Darren Hood’s UX Research (UXR) Book Recommendation Listby Darren Hood, MSUXD With all of the book recommendation lists I’ve created, I was a little surprised at myself for waiting so long to create this one. UX research (UXR) is extremely popular today. …UX9 min read
Jul 14, 2021When a UX Professional Speaksby Darren Hood, MSUXD This UXUncensored blog entry was based on observations beginning in 2003 and written in 2016. They still ring true today. Have you ever been in a meeting where a team member (not a UXer) presented an idea and desired that it be accepted — without any…UX5 min read
Jun 24, 2021Uncovering The Harsh Truth About “Imposter Syndrome”by Darren Hood, MSUXD I usually write about things pertaining to UX, but today’s musing (while overlapping and being relevant to happenings in UX) has stirred me to share my thoughts on the subject. Would you believe me if I said that “imposter syndrome is all the rage today?” There…UX11 min read
May 24, 2021Tales From the Indescriptby Darren Hood Introduction With the masses rushing to get into UX, in the midst of all the skills being taught and discussed, there is a lack of soberness that’s left out of the zeal and/or the accompanying insights are omitted from the “career sales pitches.” Truth is, while UX is…UX6 min read