Today we're diving into Joe Smiley's predictions for
experience design trends in 2026, where designing for user
intent and integrating Machine Experience will take center
stage. And we'll hear what the community is saying about their
frustrating job hunts and how they're using subreddit branding
to express these experiences.
Welcome to The Feed and The Thread, brought to you by
Chicago Camps. Our next UX Camp event is coming up on February
twenty first. We're still accepting presentations for the
event - submit your talk today!
We've caught a few things worth your attention today. Let's dive
in! In a new piece titled "The most popular experience design
trends of 2026," Joe Smiley at UX Design.cc predicts that by
2026, designing for user intent and integrating Machine
Experience, or MX, will dominate the field. He highlights how
better prompt design can enhance AI interactions and notes that
AI-generated designs are becoming more prevalent in
creating personalized experiences. Robert Tanislav's
latest "The Rise of the Model Designer" over at Web Designer
News explores how designers now need to collaborate with AI
models rather than traditional software, adapting new skill
sets and approaches to stay relevant as tools evolve daily.
Also worth noting – Robert Tanislav has another piece
titled "Designing with AI- readable design systems in
Cursor," which argues that integrating AI into design
systems can enhance precision and consistency by following
established logic. This approach not only speeds up the process
but ensures adherence to design principles, offering practical
implications for design workflows. Also publishing
recently: Nielsen Norman Group, UXPin Studio, and CSS-Tricks. Be
sure to check them out in your feeds!
Let's check in for the hot topics with the practitioners
today. Over in the UX Design subreddit, someone’s been on the
job hunt trail for an entire year. It’s tough when you’re
putting your all into something and not seeing results.
u/CheckImpressive5923 put it best: "Man it's just so
demotivating for me!". Can't blame them for feeling that way.
And speaking of frustrating experiences, the Design
Critiques subreddit is dealing with its own set of issues.
They’re trying to brand a subreddit and seem to be hitting
roadblocks – it’s all about expressing those user
frustrations, but it's easier said than done. Meanwhile, in
the UX Research subreddit, folks are struggling to find real
users through paid interview platforms. I mean, that's fair -
when you're trying to conduct meaningful research, finding
genuine participants can be a challenge. But wait till you
hear this – there’s some light- hearted stuff too! Over at the
Design subreddit, someone shared a bird table concept that got
202 upvotes. People love their quirky designs. And another post
about a tote bag concept has 98 upvotes. It seems like folks are
enjoying these fun and creative ideas. That's what folks are
buzzing about today! Lots to chew on, from job hunts and
design frustrations to some lighter moments with fun
projects.
Chicago Camps is hosting UX Camp Winter on Saturday, February
21st. There will be plenty of great presentations, all online,
so you can join from anywhere in the world! Tickets are only
thirteen dollars and fifty cents and there are plenty of
complimentary passes available thanks to the generosity of the
community. Get tickets now at Chicago Camps dot org. And
there's still room for additional speakers! Submit your
idea today!
Today, we explored Joe Smiley's prediction that by 2026,
experience design will focus on user intent and Machine
Experience integration. And a senior product designer shared
their one-year journey of job hunting, highlighting the
challenges in finding remote roles. It’s clear that
navigating these trends requires both adaptability and
persistence. Thanks for tuning in — we'll catch you next time.
That's The Feed and The Thread for today. Keep designing with
intention!