Balancing Creativity And Efficiency

🎡 How To Measure And Show UX Impact. With practical guidelines on how to track and articulate business impact of design work ↓ 🚫 Business rarely sees the value of UX the way designers do. ✅ To many, it shows up merely in good outcomes of A/B tests. ✅ To some, it’s reflected in satisfaction surveys (NPS, CSAT). 🤔 But most UX work goes unnoticed, and so does its impact. ✅ To change that, we can measure and report design success. ✅ Identify 10–12 representative tasks that users must do well. ✅ These tasks must reflect business priorities, get signed off. ✅ Your goal is to achieve 80%+ success rate for these tasks. ✅ Focus on task success rate and task completion times. ✅ You need before/after snapshots to explain your UX impact. ✅ Choose metrics to track impact of your UX changes. ↳ Global KPIs: success for key tasks in a customer journey. ↳ Local KPIs: success for key tasks in a single touchpoint. 🤔 Explain and report your impact with KPI trees/graphs. ✅ Show how your design KPIs reinforce business flywheels. UX work often appears to be disconnected from the heart of the business. As we tirelessly iterate on flows and features, it’s often very hard to make an argument that a design change that we've made recently had a profound impact on key business metrics. The reason for that is that, unlike other departments, we rarely have a set of widely established and regularly reported design KPIs. These KPIs are UX metrics that are tied to business metrics that they are impacting. Design KPIs https://lnkd.in/e5tWimWF Design KPI Trees https://lnkd.in/eTB3wrs9 How To Measure UX and Design Impact, by yours truly https://measure-ux.com Design KPI Graphs, by Ryan Rumsey https://lnkd.in/e5M2G-uu Business flywheels, by Timothy T Tiryaki, PhD https://lnkd.in/eJKuYu3R To visualize UX impact, we often use design KPI trees or design KPI graphs (see above). Both are different ways to visualize how design initiatives help reach business goals, and show the dependencies between them. Another way is to show UX impact within business flywheels — an artefact companies use to explain their business models. Basically they are self-reinforcing cycles of business growth, and design work typically enables these cycles to function. Study where exactly your work fits in those flywheels and attach design KPIs to them to reinforce the value that UX is driving. Surely not all design work is impactful. It depends on the audience it addresses and the value it delivers. But by measuring what matters, we can get a trackable record of the changes we enable over time — and once you shed light on it, it might change how your work is seen much faster than you think. #ux #design

I need to get better at being worse at my job. Here’s why: I hate making mistakes. I have unreasonably high standards. And (I cringe to type this) I just want to be the best at everything I do. If reading that made you tired, you’re right: perfectionism is exhausting. Maintaining constant high standards takes time and emotional commitment and causes stress. Just as bad is that perfectionism interferes with my relationships. I tend to hold those around me to the same high standards (MY standards, not THEIRS). So when they (reasonably) fail to meet the standards, I can get resentful and impatient. My creativity suffers too. When I’m focused on being the best, I get way too “heads down” and miss what’s happening around me. I know this perfectionist habit will not be easy to break, but I’m determined to start the process by asking myself these five questions: 1. How can I make this task less stressful? ➡️ Rather than “how can I do this perfectly?” I’m asking, “what could I do to make this easier?” For example, I’ve started giving myself time limits for how long I’ll work on a project, or outsourcing parts of it to others. 2. Is that mistake the end of the world? ➡️ I guarantee it’s not. So stop pretending it is (Amy!). 3. Are you being nice to yourself? ➡️ When it’s time to review work I remind myself that I’m not perfect and that’s OK. 4. Can I lower my standard and still be satisfied with the outcome? ➡️ Chances are yes. What would the end result look like if I dialed it back 10 or 20%? 5. Am I ruminating or problem solving? ➡️ Sometimes when I overthink something I convince myself that it’s helpful. Now I ask myself if I’m solving a problem or just spinning. 🌟 On avoiding “compound perfectionism”: The sneaky thing about perfectionism is that it makes me want to be perfect at not being perfect. (A gift that keeps on giving!) So while these questions are meant to help me change my habits, I do NOT want them to become another unreasonably high standard. So if (just kidding, when) I forget to ask myself these questions, I have to let it go. I have to say: “It’s okay, Amy. You’re doing really well. You’re learning new habits, and it takes time to change. I’m proud of you for trying something new and challenging.” Here’s to being worse at my job(s), from writing to parenting and everything in between. Are you with me? (And for more on this, see the link in the comments.)

Traditional surrogate-based design optimization (SBDO) is hitting a wall, especially with high-dimensional, complex designs. In this new paper, Dr. Namwoo Kang presents a next-gen framework using generative AI, integrating three key models: - Generative model (design synthesis) - Predictive model (performance estimation) - Optimization model (iterative or generative) Rather than optimizing directly in a high-dimensional design space (x), the workflow introduces a low-dimensional latent space (z) learned via generative models. ➡️ z → x → y z = latent variables x = CAD geometry y = performance (drag, stress, etc.) This means we’re no longer hand-coding design parameters or doing trial-and-error with simplified surrogate models. 🧠 Why this matters: - Parametric modeling is no longer a bottleneck - Complex shapes are learned directly from CAD - Dynamic and multimodal performance data (1D, 2D, 3D) can be used - Near real-time optimization is possible #AI #GenerativeDesign #CAE #DesignOptimization

10 Hard Truths About Goal Setting in the Age of AI 1. AI won’t save you from unclear goals. If you can’t define what you want, no algorithm can deliver it. Vague, sweeping goals are too broad to be acted upon. They must be concrete and detailed. AI can help you by asking questions that help you define parameters of success. 2. A goal in your head isn’t a goal. Put it on paper because an unwritten wish is just a dream. In writing, it’s a commitment, a goal. A few years ago, I laminated a small version of a sheet of my goals and kept it in my wallet. 3. Specificity beats speed. AI accelerates execution, but only if your goals are precise, measurable, and time-bound. Know what steps you’ll take to achieve your goal, the date by which it will be accomplished, and the measurement you'll use to gauge whether you’ve achieved your goal or not. You can use AI to help you set these parameters. 4. Believability matters as much as ambition. If your team doesn’t believe the goal is attainable, even with AI’s help, engagement dies. If you don’t believe you can reach your goals, you won’t. 5. Challenging goals are the only ones worth writing. Easy goals breed complacency. AI should free you for stretch goals that demand creativity and resilience. Step out of your comfort zone and set goals that require risk and uncertainty. 6. Data won’t replace direction. AI gives you insights, but you still need a clear, written plan to turn data into decisions. 7. Deadlines create momentum. AI can forecast and automate, but without time-bound goals, everything drifts. When you achieve your goal, set another one. 8. Accountability isn’t automated. AI can track metrics, but only humans commit. Write down who owns what and by when. 9. AI magnifies focus, or distraction. Clear written goals keep you from chasing every shiny new tool or trend. If you’re focused, AI will help you move faster toward your goals. If you’re distracted, AI will help you waste time at scale. 10. Relationships still power results. Even in an AI world, success depends on collaboration. Make relational goals part of your written action plan. AI can tell you who to reach out to and even what to say, but only you can build authentic relationships that inspire loyalty and drive performance. The leaders who win will put their goals on paper, make them specific, believable, and challenging, and back them up with a Relationship Action Plan that drives trust and accountability.

Walk into a bookstore’s self-help section , rows of productivity systems : Getting Things Done, Bullet Journal, Zettelkasten. Each promises transformation—if you commit weeks. The market thrives , hundreds of new titles annually. But something new is emerging. We’re discovering we can redesign workflows instantly with AI prompts instead of studying methodologies for weeks. Three recent experiments hint at what’s coming. First, Paper2Agent transforms research papers into working code agents in 30 minutes to 3 hours. Ask it to implement AlphaGenome’s genomic analysis from a published paper & it processes the code, builds the environment, runs the tutorials. Previously: read the paper (2 days), understand the methodology (1 day), code the implementation (3 days). Now: point AI at the repository, get a working agent by lunch. Second, when I discovered Google’s Agent Development Kit research on tool design patterns, I asked AI to redesign my automation tools following those principles. The result : a 41% reduction in AI operation costs, implemented while I was answering emails in another browser tab. Third, over the weekend I read Jesse Vincent’s architect/implementer workflow via Simon Willison’s write-up. The approach splits AI coding into two sessions: one architect to design, one implementer to execute. No weeks of trial & error to understand the nuances. Read, implement, test, done. The pattern emerging : instant implementation. We can now test productivity systems like trying coffee drinks. Monday : architect/implementer (cappuccino—structured , classic). Tuesday : traditional single-session (flat white—simpler , maybe better?). Wednesday : hybrid workflow (chai latte—wait , is this even coffee?). By Thursday , the data shows which saves 3 hours per week. The self-help aisle promised transformation through commitment. AI promises transformation through experimentation.

Case Tuesday: Workflow Optimization It’s a typical morning in a large hospital radiology department: Dozens of CT, MRI, and X-ray studies waiting to be read Some cases are routine follow-ups, others are life-threatening emergencies Radiologists must balance speed, accuracy, and communication with busy clinical teams The challenge: Critical cases can get buried in a growing worklist Reporting bottlenecks delay clinical decision-making Communication gaps slow down patient care across departments #AI is stepping in to help beyond diagnosis itself: Automatically prioritizing urgent cases (e.g., suspected stroke, hemorrhage, PE) Routing studies to the right subspecialist radiologist Streamlining reporting and reducing administrative burden Integrating with hospital systems to ensure faster handoff to clinicians The radiologist is still at the center of the process but now supported by an ecosystem that reduces friction and ensures patients get the right care, faster. The impact: More efficient workflows that free up radiologists to focus on complex cases Shorter turnaround times for critical findings Improved collaboration across multidisciplinary teams As Chief Medical Officer at GE HealthCare, I see workflow optimization as the “hidden superpower” of AI; less visible than detecting a tumor or a clot, but just as vital for ensuring patients get the care they need at the moment they need it. Where do you see the greatest potential for AI in radiology helping with diagnosis, or transforming the workflow itself? #CaseTuesday #RadiologyWorkflow #AIinHealthcare #FutureOfMedicine #GEHealthcare

Creativity isn’t about more. It’s about knowing what to leave out. Chefs know this well. We assume their magic comes from having a tricked out kitchen - every tool, every ingredient. But ask many of the best ones, and they’ll tell you: limitations sharpen their craft. In a recent NYT article sharing how some brilliant chefs work…WITHOUT a kitchen…chef Blake Cole puts it this way: “I feel like the space forces you to refine and edit a dish to its most pure form. All the ruffles go away, and you just get to the heart of the dish.” That’s not just culinary wisdom. That’s creative problem-solving in any field. It’s easy to throw solutions at a problem, add bells and whistles, build out complex frameworks. But the best outcomes often come from constraint. From stepping back and asking: —> What’s essential here? —> What’s adding flavor vs. just filling the plate? —> What’s the real heart of this “dish”? Whether you’re designing a product, writing an email, building a strategy, or leading a team - less, refined with purpose, often creates more meaning and value. Creativity isn’t about excess. It’s about clarity. About focusing and peeling layers until what’s left is so high value, it’s the ultimate elegance - and maybe even delicious. https://lnkd.in/gTymxuTK #Creativity #Leadership #ResourcfulProblemSolving 

Most companies struggle to balance innovation with control. But Robert Simons’ Levers of Control model gives managers a robust framework to do both — without compromise. ☑ Beliefs Systems ↳ These inspire employees with shared purpose. ↳ Mission statements, credos, and value declarations guide behaviour and motivate discretionary effort. ↳ Leaders must consistently reinforce beliefs to align teams with strategic goals. ☑ Boundary Systems ↳ These set the “do not cross” lines. ↳ Clear rules, codes of conduct, and compliance guidelines reduce risk. ↳ They allow freedom within constraints — creativity with guardrails. ☑ Diagnostic Control Systems ↳ The classic performance tools: KPIs, budgets, dashboards. ↳ Used to track progress and course-correct when needed. ↳ Efficient for stable environments where outcomes are measurable. ☑ Interactive Control Systems ↳ These are built for uncertainty and strategic adaptation. ↳ Managers engage teams in problem-solving, testing assumptions, and discovering new opportunities. ↳ Dialogue over directives. Curiosity over control. Here’s why this model matters: ↳It doesn’t pit control against innovation — it shows how to enable both. ↳It equips managers to lead proactively, not just reactively. ↳It allows organisations to scale without losing flexibility and creativity. If you're leading a team or shaping strategy, this framework is worth bookmarking. P.S. If you like content like this, please follow me.

Like most creatives, I've been caught in this trap for many years ... and I know it's a tough one to escape. We often chase perfection because it's our craft and, if we're honest, a bit of our ego. It's tough to admit, but I've been there too - obsessing over details and losing sight of the bigger picture. The truth is, perfectionism often stems from pride. Yet businesses thrive on outcomes, not just flawless details. Smart shortcuts and "good enough" solutions often deliver excellent results without compromising quality. A few tips for choosing progress over perfection: 1. Clarify the objective For every task, I ask: What's the impact of this? and How much time is this worth? Don’t default to "make it perfect" - default to "make it effective." 2. Strategise before you start Don't always jump into your typical workflows. That's the trap. If time is tight, pause. Think. Hack it. Ask a colleague - or even use AI to find a smarter, faster way. 3. Sense-check with your team If a task starts taking longer than expected, talk about it. Is this worth extra hours because it’s mission-critical? Or should you pull back and find some shortcuts? 4. Differentiate polish from value Know what your audience will notice - and what they won’t. Sometimes that perfectly kerned type or subtle animation won’t even register if it's for a test lead gen ad. 5. Design scalable methods If something’s worth doing beautifully, find a repeatable way to do it fast. Build templates, systems, or even simple frameworks. Hope this helps 🫶 #creatives #design #branding

As 2023 draws to a close, I found myself in a heartfelt conversation with a dear friend. His curiosity was piqued by what goals I might set for the new year. Reflecting on the year that was, I realized that I had consciously chosen to establish new habits over traditional goals, leading to one of the most extraordinary years of my life. Upon assuming my new role at Noble House Consulting Pte., my journey brought me back to Bangalore, a transition that was more than merely geographic. This transition required me to adapt to novel work methodologies and build connections with numerous new colleagues, with each encounter enriching the network of relationships I now treasure. A few years back, a former colleague introduced me to Brian Tracy's enlightening book, "Goals." Tracy notes that a 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞 3% 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 set goals, while the majority do not, for reasons such as: Believing that goals are unimportant 😒 Not knowing how to set them 🤷♂️ Fearing failure 😨 Fearing rejection 😖 This reminder highlighted that while habits provide the foundation of our daily existence, it is goals that offer direction and purpose. Tracy advocates a seven-step approach to setting effective goals, which I am eager to embrace in 2024: 1. 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠: Commit clear, specific, and detailed goals to writing. 👑 2. 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞: Ensure your goals are measurable and objective. 📏 3. 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Implement schedules and establish sub-deadlines to make your goals time bound. ⏳ 4. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞: Set goals that are sufficiently challenging to expand your capabilities. 💪 5. 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬: Ensure your goals reflect your deepest beliefs and guide your path in harmony. 🧭✨ 6. 𝐀 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐭: Cultivate balance in your goals, spanning career, financial health, family, personal health, spirituality, and community involvement. ⚖️ 7. 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫: Let a significant, definitive purpose guide your life’s journey. 🌟 This framework not only sets a blueprint for achievement but also ensures that our goals deeply resonate with our personal values and what we hold dear. As the current year fades, I stand ready at the threshold of 2024, poised to transition from cultivating habits to setting goals—goals that represent more than mere milestones; they are the stepping stones to a purposeful and directed life. Let's take this on together. Think about the good stuff from this year and gear up for the next. It's the perfect moment to go after what matters most to you. Are you ready to embark on this transformative journey? Image Credit: DALL-E #GoalSetting2024 #LifeWithPurpose #NewBeginnings #BrianTracyWisdom #MakeItCount