William Haas Evans

US Design Revolution: Will Joe Gebbia Transform Public Sector UX and CX for a New Era? Ever battled a government website that felt like a relic from the Stone Age—clunky, confusing, and utterly defeating? Those days are numbered. Joe Gebbia, the Airbnb co-founder who built a empire on seamless, intuitive interfaces, has just been named the United States' first Chief Design Officer. This isn't window dressing. It's a full-throttle revolution in user experience (UX) and customer experience (CX) across the nation. Gebbia's mission: overhaul 26,000 federal websites by 2026, making them as effortless as your favorite app. Born from President Trump's executive order under the "America by Design" initiative, this role goes far beyond pretty pictures. It's a calculated strike to modernize public services from the ground up. Gebbia will command the National Design Studio, reporting straight to the White House Chief of Staff, with human-centered design as his weapon. Picture this: applying for benefits or filing taxes with the smooth flow of shopping at the Apple Store or booking an Airbnb. That's his target—turning outdated, inconsistent sites into mobile-first, accessible powerhouses that deliver clarity and speed without the hassle. The payoff for citizens and government? Monumental. Standardizing design across agencies will cut costs by eliminating wasteful overlaps and build unbreakable trust. Say goodbye to spotty accessibility and glacial load times. Hello to feedback-fueled upgrades that make every interaction reliable and empowering. This isn't siloed—it's a sweeping effort tackling healthcare access, tax filings, and more, mirroring private-sector wins to spike public satisfaction and spark real engagement. By hoisting design to cabinet-level status, America declares it loud and clear: superior UX and CX aren't optional frills—they're the backbone of smart governance. In an era where digital interfaces shape our trust in institutions, Gebbia's blueprint could rewrite the rules of public service. What say you? Could this blueprint ignite a design revolution in your own field? Drop your insights in the comments, or hit connect if you're fired up about design driving public progress. #JoeGebbia #AmericaByDesign #Innovation #DesignLeadership

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Most AI Governance Sucks - Not because the intent is wrong. Tomorrow I am sharing the final in a 3-part newsletter series on codesigning your AI governance to support decision making of those "on the tools" Don't Miss Out - Subscribe to Newsletter https://lnkd.in/eu6CdxCa I am going to unpack - how to take initial workshop outputs - see immediately if it works with small pilot and then how to scale. Miss Part 1 & 2 - I Gotcha - check out comments for links

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Designers, accessibility is more than just the color contrast tool. Learn about plain language guidelines so that your content can work for more audiences. It's important to channel your inner Steve Krug and make a product that users can use -- without overthinking it. "Plain language also bridges information gaps between people who may read at different levels, process information at different speeds, or have a different expertise. This can also be very helpful when content needs to be translated in multiple languages, as translators are most often generalists." #a11y #accessibility #PlainLanguage #ContentStrategy #ContentDesign #UX #CX #UXDesign #CXDesign #DigitalDesign #UIDesign #WebDesign #UXResearch #DesignResearch

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Good news for UX Research hiring: the recent Section 174 R&D tax code just changed the math. For the past two years, companies had to amortize R&D expenses over 5 years - a policy shift that quietly punished experimentation and slowed down early-stage research hiring. Even core UX investments like usability studies and field research got more expensive on paper, especially at the startup and growth stage. That just changed. With the recent tax policy reversal, U.S. companies can once again fully expense R&D in the year it’s incurred. That includes much of what UX researchers and design strategists do to inform new product development. What this means: - Research = financially smarter again - The “why now” for hiring UXRs just got stronger - Teams that paused discovery work have a chance to restart it with better financial backing We already know research saves money, reduces waste, and improves product-market fit. Now it’s aligned with tax incentives again. If you’re leading product, finance, or research, and have been under pressure to cut “nonessential” work, this is the moment to rebuild your insights capacity. If you’re looking for UXR work get after it. Focus on startups in series A,B,C funding rounds. Nobody hires like the newly funded + tax incentive! Work and learn with me - Consulting: www.HXRlabs.com Courses: https://lnkd.in/gaNDBRTc Scholarships: https://lnkd.in/gv73kWfW

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Plain language = access. It's that simple! Accessibility Standards Canada just released a new national standard for plain language (CAN-ASC-3.1:2025) and it’s a big step forward for accessibility and inclusion in Canada. Plain language isn’t just about using simpler words. It’s about making sure everyone can find, understand, and use information without barriers. At Accessibrand™, we don’t just talk about it, we teach it, design it, and build it into everything we do! We offer plain language seminars for teams who want to communicate more clearly, and we apply plain language principles in all our design and marketing projects. We’re proud that Gillian Lynne-Davies, one of our core team members, is a Certified Plain Language Expert, helping organizations across Canada make accessibility part of every message. If your organization wants to improve accessibility and connection, contact us to get started. Read the new standard here: https://lnkd.in/g9V8aeZb #PlainLanguage #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #DigitalInclusion #Accessibrand #AccessibleCommunication #CommunicationForAll

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🚨 "Fully Accessible" is a misnomer! Accessibility isn't a checkbox, a finish line, or a guarantee. Yet we often see products, websites, and services labeled as "fully accessible"—some well-intended (some recently fined for false advertising). In my latest post (in the comments), I explain why accessibility is an action, a process, not a static achievement. Instead of aiming for an unrealistic “fully accessible” stamp, we should focus on iterative, usability, and user-centered approaches that adapt and improve over time. Let's move past absolutes and false security and focus on real progress. Would love to hear your thoughts! #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #UX #A11y #DigitalInclusion

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Since high fidelity design tools are dominating the conversation again, I think it's a good time for a reminder of what we lose when tools make it feel like it's easier to skip that low fidelity phase. The rush to first outputs that you can put in front of stakeholders short-circuits the process of opportunity definition. It extends time-to-value and degrades not only UX's contribution to the product, but the product as a whole.  https://lnkd.in/etmBcZwP

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In yesterday's episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, Christine Perfetti and I explored something that many UX professionals and consultants are quietly wrestling with right now: ➡️ how your self-worth can get tangled up with your work, especially when things slow down. Christine opened up about what the last two years have taught her, and I shared how participating in her Lift Up Connections cohort helped me reconnect with my values and rewrite the story I was telling myself. One line from our conversation really stuck with me: 💬 “When the external validation goes away, my worth was also plummeting. It was a wake-up call.” This episode goes deep. If you're feeling unsteady, questioning your path, or just craving more purpose and alignment in your work, I think this one will be worth a listen. Other Notable Quotes: 💬 “You don’t have to leave UX behind to find more meaning in your work. Sometimes it’s about integrating what lights you up into the path you’re already on.” 💬 “Passion matters, but so does honoring the skills you’ve built. The sweet spot is where your experience meets what energizes you.” 💬 “I’ve never felt as internally aligned with my work as I do now. It may not be the most lucrative chapter, but it’s the most fulfilling.” 👉 🎧 Listen Now: You can find The UX Consultants Lounge on your preferred podcast platform or visit the podcast website to listen to all the episodes (link in comments). #ux #uxconsulting #careerchange #lifedesign #connection #designingyourlife #userresearch #liftupconnections #consulting #freelancing #uxfreelancing #uxpodcast #userexperience #businessstrategy #WomenInTech #UXResearch #CareerDevelopment

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Lindsey DeWitt Prat, PhD, Director of Research at Bold Insight & an #EPIC board member, will draw on her experience testing AI across 28 languages to unpack the disconnect between promise and reality in UX research. In her session, "Mind the AI Gaps in UX Research: Toward Deeper Insight Beyond the Hype," as a humanities-trained ethnographer, she will help you navigate the space between AI hype and skepticism to ensure your insights remain deep and relevant. You'll learn about: •⁠ ⁠The performance and output quality of AI tools. •⁠ ⁠How AI handles cultural nuance and the digital divide. •⁠ ⁠A practical framework for evaluating AI tools in your workflow. Secure your spot now and start creating deeper insights: uxmasterclass.com 🗓 10th October 2025 📍 St. Johns Auditorium, Bengaluru #UX #UXdesign #UXresearch #AI #AIinUX #BoldInsight #UXmasterclass2025 #Bengaluru

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In my conversation with Susan Rice, one of the most effective UX leaders in the business, we discussed why so many new managers struggle and start to question whether leadership is right for them. Susan highlighted an important reframe: the best managers do not possess some innate gift. They develop the right tactics and strategies over time through intentional and deliberate effort. Listen now to our full conversation👇 • YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ddzkR5CE

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