+1 for @designinginward.bsky.social

New episode of The UX Consultants Lounge 🎙️

@jeffgothelf.bsky.social shared something in this conversation that really stuck with me:

Even after 10+ years of consulting, every December he thinks “this is it… I’m going to have to get a job.”

Consulting is an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. 🎢

Since September, ICE has shot people 9 times across 5 states. At least 5 people are dead, including 2 Americans in Minneapolis. But when we say ‘abolish ICE,’ we’re called radical. Meanwhile Trump has gutted USAID, the CFPB, the DOE, & more—without anyone calling THAT extreme.

Abolish ICE.

Beyond Resilience: Cultivating Emotional Endurance in the Age of Overwhelm workshop at IAC26 led by Alba Villami. Educational session for design professionals focused on building emotional endurance and self-regulation skills. April 17, 2026, Philadelphia, PA.

🚨Friday Workshop🚨

How are you supposed to “bounce back” at work when you constantly have to navigate family, politics, and just life in general?

That's what Alba Villamil explores in Beyond Resilience - An educational workshop focused on giving practical tools, not therapy.

Sticker shock for an ACA health plan? Or did you find a good deal? Tell us about it If you buy your own health insurance through the ACA marketplaces, tell us how this year's experience is different from last year.

If you buy your own health insurance through the ACA marketplaces, tell us how this year's experience is different from last year.

And if you’re interested in learning more about projective techniques, stay tuned. I’m in the midst of writing a book on the topic and I’ll be sharing more as it takes shape!

Big thanks to Matthew for the thoughtful conversation (and for letting me nerd out a bit). If you’re curious about projective methods, or you’ve been wrestling with democratization in your org, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you...

➡️ Democratization, in practice: I’m all for more people engaging with research when there’s time, support, and interest. What worries me is when research gets dumped on already-overloaded teams and “good enough” analysis (especially AI-assisted) becomes the default...

➡️ Stakeholder impact: projective outputs can make the problem feel real in a way a summary slide never will, and that empathy can be the difference between “interesting” and actual action...

➡️ The responsibility that comes with them: psychological safety matters. We talked about anticipating “unexpected doors” these activities can open, checking in throughout, and being willing to pause or stop if needed...

➡️ Generative and evaluative use: not just early discovery, but also to deepen usability conversations (for example, mapping emotions across key moments in a task)...

➡️ Practical examples: collaging, word/sentence completion, product reaction cards, emotional mapping with emojis across a flow, love/breakup letters, and even Lego Serious Play...

➡️ When they’re most useful: especially for sensitive or hard-to-access topics, or anytime you need to move past “yeah it’s fine” into something more honest, emotional, and specific...

➡️ What projective techniques are: using ambiguous stimuli (images, words, prompts, metaphors, etc.) to help people project feelings, motivations, and assumptions that they often cannot easily articulate through direct Q&A...

I recently joined @matthewoliphant.com on the ux matto show to talk about projective techniques in UX research and the realities of the democratization of research.

We covered a bunch, including (see 🧵)...

It is rare, and honestly refreshing, to hear people you admire speak so candidly about their own insecurities and anxiety. I deeply appreciate their honesty and hope they put out more episodes. It's absolutely worth the time to listen.

Hearing their perspectives made me reflect and agree with them about how unavoidable that can feel nowadays, especially on LinkedIn and other social platforms. As the saying goes, ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’...

In their most recent episode on making mistakes (see repost), they are refreshingly open and vulnerable about how, even after achieving a certain level of “dork fame,” as they call it, they still grapple with social comparison...

While there is plenty of thoughtful geeking out about research practice, it is really about research careers and the very human challenges that come with them...

Over the holiday break, I finally had time to listen to @sladner.bsky.social and @steveportigal.bsky.social's new podcast, Off the Path with Sam and Steve. I can’t recommend it enough for UX researchers. I’ve long admired Sam and Steve, and this podcast does not disappoint...

Oof! 💙 That's gotta win some kind of award.

Thank you for trusting me with your stories, your insights, and your honesty. These conversations were not only a joy to host. They were deeply helpful for fellow consultants navigating this work.

Taking this wisdom with me into 2026!

Huge thank you to:
✨ Tamara Adlin
✨ @steveportigal.bsky.social
✨ @cperfetti.bsky.social
✨ @brownorama.bsky.social
✨ Susan A. Mercer
✨ @pseudoroom.bsky.social
✨ Lisa D. Dance
✨ Amy Heymans
✨ @lisabragg.bsky.social

It's about presence, intention, and being a true thought partner, not just the loudest voice in the room.

Their answers were thoughtful, honest, and often vulnerable. Together, they painted a picture that goes far beyond frameworks or deliverables. It's about listening deeply, understanding the real problem behind the ask, being flexible, grounded, curious, and willing to grow alongside clients.

As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on how grateful I am for the conversations that shaped The UX Consultants Lounge this year.

At the end of each conversation, I asked everyone the same rapid-fire question: “What makes a consultant good?”...

Thank you for trusting me with your stories, your insights, and your honesty. These conversations were not only a joy to host. They were deeply helpful for fellow consultants navigating this work.

Taking this wisdom with me into 2026!

Huge thank you to:
✨ Tamara Adlin
✨ @steveportigal.bsky.social
✨ @cperfetti.bsky.social
✨ @brownorama.bsky.social
✨ Susan A. Mercer
✨ @pseudoroom.bsky.social
✨ Lisa D. Dance
✨ Amy Heymans
✨ @lisabragg.bsky.social

It's about presence, intention, and being a true thought partner, not just the loudest voice in the room.

Their answers were thoughtful, honest, and often vulnerable. Together, they painted a picture that goes far beyond frameworks or deliverables. It's about listening deeply, understanding the real problem behind the ask, being flexible, grounded, curious, and willing to grow alongside clients.