A round-up of design links shared in May

Each month, we carefully curate a collection of links for our Clearleft, UX London and Leading Design subscribers featuring the latest articles, insights, tools and masterful creations from the wonderful, ever-evolving world of design.

Whether you are a design enthusiast, a professional in the industry, or just someone who appreciates the beauty and impact of great design, we are confident that you will find something new, inspiring and thought-provoking in each edition of our newsletter designed to make your life that little bit easier.

Each month, I’ll be posting nine of our most clicked links from each newsletter (three from each) in a monthly round-up blog for your consumption. There’ll sometimes be a tenth link and it’ll likely be something that we’ve accomplished in the agency that we’re super proud of, or letting you know when a sale is ending for one of our events. We promise to keep this to a minimum. You’ll likely be sick of our puns before anything else.

First up, the top three links from Clearleft’s curated links newsletter for May.

Let’s dive in…

Design is politics...

A man with short brown hair and a beard stands outdoors, wearing a black t-shirt with a printed design, against a background of green trees and foliage. He gazes slightly upwards and to the side, with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Whether we want to admit it or not, a large part of design work is convincing other people it’s good, and the right thing to do in the context of a project.

2-minute read

Are you a “chronic interrupter” or a “cooperative overlapper”?

A simple drawing depicts two men in suits sitting side by side. The man on the left has orange hair and wears a blue suit with a red tie, appearing displeased. The one on the right has dark hair, a black suit, and seems to be whispering or talking to him. The picture is signed "Donnelly.

A slightly rouge entry here but did you know that a 2021 study found that men interrupt women twice as often as women interrupt men?

3-minute read

A new edition of the little book of design research ethics...

Three stylized human figures in black with red heads engage with large, white, open door-like structures against a gray sky featuring white clouds. The middle figure stands upright, while the left figure is seated and the right figure reaches up. The overall tone is monochromatic.

This version tackles some tough questions and topics: research with minors, HIPAA compliance, affirming ongoing consent and shared credit in participatory design practices, transferable to all areas of design.

Download it here

Next, your top three links from May's UX London Curated Links Newsletter, a collection of links for UX professionals.

How I know when to quit my design job, every single time...

Person dressed in blue jeans and brown shoes standing on a white line on a paved surface. They are holding a camera, and their shadow is visible on the ground. The image is taken from behind, focusing on the legs and feet.

Stories from a seasoned job-hopper; amidst layoffs, challenging hiring conditions and the pursuit of professional purpose.

15-minute read

Affinity diagramming for collaboratively sorting UX findings and design ideas...

Image showing an example of affinity diagramming. Five clusters labeled as A, B, C, D, and E are formed by grouping yellow sticky notes. Each cluster has a purple sticky note on top with the cluster's label.

When facilitating UX workshops, engaging the team and creating a semblance of order among diverse ideas and findings can be challenging. One method that helps teams collaboratively analyse research findings and ideas from ideation sessions is affinity diagramming.

7-minute read

Asking users for their pronouns: A guide for UX designers...

Image showing two lists of pronouns with the heading "What are your pronouns?" Both include She/Her, He/Him, They/Them, Ze/Zir, Xe/Xem, Ve/Ver, Ey/Em, and an "Add your own" option. On the right, "fae/faer" is written in the "Add your own" box.

Designing a pronoun selector isn’t just about ticking a box for inclusivity — it’s about respecting your users. This UX guide breaks it down.

13-minute read

Moving on to your top three links from last month’s Leading Design curated links newsletter for design leaders.

The art of asking smarter questions...

The image shows a grid of six compartments, each containing a different abstract object. The objects are rendered in a smooth, three-dimensional style and include a mix of geometric and organic shapes. The color scheme is primarily neutral tones with a few green accents. From left to right, top to bottom: The top-left compartment contains a gray screw-like object. The top-center compartment contains a black, pleated object resembling an accordion or a paper fan. The top-right compartment contains a large, green question mark. The bottom-left compartment contains a white donut-shaped object. The bottom-center compartment contains a green, ribbed sphere. The bottom-right compartment contains a white, circular, and slightly convex object. Blue arrows are overlaid on the grid, indicating movement or connections between the compartments.

With organisations of all sorts facing increased urgency and unpredictability, being able to ask smart questions has become key. But unlike lawyers, doctors and psychologists, business professionals are not formally trained on what questions to ask when approaching a problem. They must learn as they go.

20-minute read

The power of human design In leadership...

A colorful illustration featuring abstract, faceless human figures in various colors such as blue, pink, yellow, white, and green. The figures are densely packed together, with overlapping colors creating a vibrant and dynamic pattern.

In the quest for leadership excellence, the discovery of innovative tools that enhance self-awareness and team dynamics is always a welcome development. One such tool that has been gaining attention is Human Design, a unique blueprint that provides insights into our energetic makeup and decision-making processes.

4-minute read

On design leadership…

A bald man with a raised eyebrow, dressed in a gray outfit, has his pinky finger touching his lips. He is looking directly at the camera with a mischievous expression, and he wears a distinctive large ring on the pinky finger of his left hand.

Some salient thoughts from Mat Venn on running a design team include - Don't be evil, stand up for design and go on holiday more!

7-minute read

Finally, from us…

Leading Design London 2024...

Since 2016, we have been convening leaders from around the globe to learn, share and grow. Our world-class conference is curated specifically for people leading design teams, or over-seeing design direction.

Join us November 6-7 at London's iconic Barbican Centre to take some time away from the day job, listen to speakers from some of the world's most pioneering organisations such as Netflix, Adobe and Monzo and connect with your peers, in an atmosphere where long-lasting relationships are formed.

Get your tickets now!

Before you go...

The links in this blog are snippets of longer versions, if you would like to subscribe to any of our newsletters exclusively and be the first to receive the full version of any of our curated links newsletters, you can sign up here for Clearleft, here for UX London and here for Leading Design.