Andrew McKinney

Specs don’t fail because they’re written poorly — they fail because they can’t keep up. Requirements change, business shifts, UX evolves, dev discovers edge cases… and the spec stops reflecting reality. Teams end up working off different versions of truth. Pillir Studio eliminates stale specs by generating and updating them continuously, in sync with wireframes, logic, and test cases. Your spec becomes a living system, not a frozen document. https://lnkd.in/gnquEr7D

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Design metrics link design to business performance. In this throwback featured post, our chief instigator Bryan Zmijewski, argues that design impacts business success, and teams need a structured way to connect UX efforts to measurable outcomes. Check out his post: https://lnkd.in/gibPbYAw Our upcoming release of Glare, an open data-informed design framework, provides a design metrics tree that helps teams make design work: • Understand how UX metrics impact business results • Show the value of design investments to stakeholders • Continuously improve design based on data Here’s how it works: → UX metrics (like desirability, comprehension, and usability) are the leaves of a design metrics tree. They measure how users experience a product. → Design initiatives (like improving navigation or UI) are the branches, connecting UX insights to product improvements. → Product metrics (such as engagement and feature adoption) form the trunk, showing how design impacts product success. → Business metrics (like revenue and retention) are the roots, grounding design in measurable business value. By using Helio to collect these metrics, teams ensure that design isn’t just about craft…It’s also measurable, strategic, and contributes to business growth. 💜 If you are a product or design leader and want to dive deeper into how to align your metrics, join the discussion in our open framework Glare: https://lnkd.in/gynueqWu #uxresearch #productdiscovery #marketresearch #productdesign

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Building a successful digital experience now requires much more than an elite team of UX professionals. Your organization’s UX maturity matters now more than ever! From inconsistent design patterns to reactive business or design decision-making, low maturity costs time, trust, and business impact. In our latest blog, we break down the stages of UX maturity, how to assess your organization’s level of UX maturity, and why moving toward integrated user-driven design is the competitive advantage you can’t hold off anymore. Read the complete piece here: https://lnkd.in/dkxPspG5 #UI #UX #UIUXDesign #MaturityModel #UXResearch #UsabilityTesting #DesignFrameworks #DesignThinking

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Great design isn’t enough—if no one understands it. In this video, I break down 5 powerful habits that help you communicate your design decisions, build trust with stakeholders, and grow your influence as a designer or design leader. https://lnkd.in/g2UEmzfB

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Today, we released Part II of our Design Leadership series on Substack! In this episode, we dive into the day-to-day responsibilities of a design manager. Writing things out often brings clarity, helping to highlight the tasks and challenges that are typically normalized or left unspoken. So it was another fun discussion with Anukriti V., exploring the nuances of this. Here are three highlights from our conversation: - The importance of meetings for alignment and decision-making - Keeping teams aligned and focused requires intentional effort - Embracing ownership, initiative, and a high standard of craft Link in the comments.

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Design leaders are being asked to move faster than ever. But it’s not just about speed—it’s about speed with certainty. In this quick video, Jason Giles breaks down why design efficiency is the new leadership superpower—and how top teams are using customer insight to reduce iteration cycles by 25% and drive real business impact. 🎯 Want to strengthen your influence in 2026? It starts here—with clarity, confidence, and continuous validation. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eyf4vDPR

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I can say design systems are not just about components, but let's be honest, Figma component libraries are what many (if not most) system designers are focused on. And while I maintain that design systems aren't only components, that's not to say components aren't a damned important piece. In our latest episode, Davy Fung and I discuss our experiences managing Figma component libraries. We cover how we like to structure them, what philosophies typically drive how decisions are made around them, and how we've tried to avoid the various pitfalls one can encounter. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gFKF3aj7 #designsystems #design #components #figma #podcast

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Most design systems today still rely on variants. But variants don’t scale. Every new dimension multiplies complexity. I show in this video how to rebuild your components with variables: 5 control points (size, shape, intent, state, primitive) No explosion of frames Direct design to code alignment Ready for dev binding and AI workflows This is how to treat your design system as an API, not as static assets. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/dRQ4UUa2 #Figma #DesignSystems #DesignOps #UX #UI #ProductDesign #Variables #ParametricDesign #NoVariants #DesignEngineering #SystemThinking #VariableVisualizer

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With technology advancing at lightning speed, it’s easy to feel like you’re always one step behind. In a world full of noise, uncertainty, and innovation overload, where should we focus? The answer isn’t in the next big trend - it’s in people. Our latest blog by Matthew Kehoe, Senior Visual Designer and UX Lead, at Ergo explores why investing in UX Design in 2025 is more critical than ever. Because behind every system, app, and strategy, there’s a human. And understanding people is the most timeless advantage in tech. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eTWBV-Br #UX #UXDesign #HumanCentredDesign

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Personas keep your UX projects laser-focused—so you don’t waste time (or budget) cramming in random features like a last-minute shopping spree. What’s in it for you? Faster decisions, happier users, and way fewer facepalms down the road 😅

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Some engineers write great code. Others build products customers can’t live without. The difference? => Product sense => Business context => A focus on outcomes, not just output On Tech Teams Today, Arun Shankar, Director of Engineering at Tubi, shares why he looks for product engineers and why this skillset is becoming a must-have in 2025. It’s a perspective worth considering if you’re hiring, leading, or growing your career in tech. Full episode available on all major podcast platforms. Links in comments. #EngineeringLeadership #ProductEngineering #DeveloperGrowth #SoftwareDevelopment

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🧠 How to organize internal design documents and manage projects with precision If you work with complex design projects, you know how quickly internal documentation can become messy, and how much that impacts clarity, alignment, and delivery. This article breaks down practical ways to organize internal design documents so teams can collaborate better, make decisions faster, and manage projects with confidence. A must-read for designers working in product, UX, and cross-functional environments. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/emc4eucn ✍️ Credits: Design Bootcamp – published on Medium #UXDesign #ProductDesign #DesignSystems #DesignOps #UXProcess #ProductManagement #Collaboration #Documentation #MediumArticle #DesignBootcamp

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