Whether creating something new or iterating on an existing feature, digital designers and product teams can collaborate on design discovery and research methods to guide user-centered solutions. — As the lead designer working on our website NPR.org, I’m working with the web team to find ways we can “refresh” the site over time, rather than launch a soup-to-nuts redesign. …

We in digital design and user experience should retire words that no longer describe our products’ goals or their service to our users. The Problem With Delight Why do we have an affinity for the word delight? This may be one of the most frequently used words that we in product design and development…

When users want stories tailored to their interests, what is public media’s role? — NPR recently relaunched the NPR app. The app’s features, in a nutshell, allow users to catch up on the news by reading stories and by listening to live radio streams, newscasts, radio programs and podcasts. As our team looks forward to what’s next for the app, we’re also looking back…

Upon releasing the first in a series of public betas of the new NPR News app, we’re sharing what worked — and what didn’t — for our home screen redesign. As NPR’s Digital Media mobile team gears up for a series of beta releases of the revamped NPR News app…

A quick guide for introverts and steamrollers — The beauty of working with smart people is that smart conversations are easy to come by. As a designer in NPR Digital Media, I’m part of a department that values cross-collaborative brainstorming, design-thinking exercises, and all the other digital buzzwords that, in a nutshell, mean a great conversation. …

What happens when designers partner with kids to create experiences? Cue the robots and jetpacks. — When Greg Walsh, Ph.D., was a kid, he loved visiting Epcot. In fact, he wanted to create those experiences for kids at home who couldn’t go to Disney World in person. …

The irony didn’t escape me when I realized I’d be late to AIGA DC’s event about managing careers and family. For weeks I had planned to attend, but realized too late I’d botched the family calendar, and my husband was uncharacteristically delayed. …

When we design audio interfaces, we can optimize the listening experience by carefully considering use cases and stress cases where visuals might fall short. NPR’s mission as a news organization is to create a more informed public. Yet we know that — depending on the events of the day, or…

Teams can try agile methods that improve collaboration and provide a jumping-off point to a larger organizational change. — On a recent evening in Arlington, Va., around forty designers, project managers and consultants chatted over tacos, wondering when they might crack open the big yellow bins of Legos™ on nearby tables. …