79. UX Lessons from Life’s Little Moments

Frankie Kastenbaum is a senior UX designer and content creator. We explore how everyday experiences can provide valuable UX insights, the power of analogies, and Frankie’s approach to teaching junior designers.

How can everyday experiences like cooking or working out help you learn UX design?

Frankie is a senior UX designer and a twice-named LinkedIn top voice, known for her insightful and relatable content on social media.

Frankie has a unique approach to sharing UX design, finding insights in everyday activities, and using analogies to explain complex concepts. Frankie shares how she transitioned into UX through a boot camp and has since worked in various environments, from startups to corporate settings.

One of the highlights of our discussion is Frankie’s use of analogies. She explains how a good analogy can make UX concepts more relatable, especially for beginners or those outside the field. We discuss her favorite analogies, like comparing the UX process to cooking a meal – understanding user needs as ingredients, iterating like tasting a dish, and ensuring a delightful presentation.

Frankie also shares her thoughts on the common misconceptions about UX that analogies can help clarify. She talks about the challenge of explaining UX to non-designers and how breaking it down into familiar terms can bridge that gap.

Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting out, her methods can help you see your daily experiences in a new light and apply those lessons to your work. By using relatable analogies, we can make UX design more accessible and engaging for everyone.

Topics:
• 07:08 – The value of analogies
• 13:48 – Frankie’s favorite analogy
• 19:11 – Common misconceptions that analogies have helped to change perspective
• 23:05 – Analogies for explaining our job to non-designers
• 27:41 – Analogies for career shifters
• 32:33 – The pitfalls of symbols

Helpful Links:
Connect with Frankie on LinkedIn
It’s Frankly UX Newsletter
FrankieKastenbaum.com


Frankie Kastenbaum
Experience Designer by day, Content Creator by night

About Frankie

Frankie is a Senior UX Designer who’s passionate about breaking the barrier of entry for beginner UXers. Throughout her career, she has worked at a variety of companies and company environments from a startup, a design agency, and several corporate companies. She focuses a great deal of her time on mentoring upcoming designers through one on one sessions, as well as educational content on both Instagram and LinkedIn. Her efforts as a Content Creator have been recognized twice by LinkedIn, naming her a Top Voice in Design both for 2020 and 2022.


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