What we're thinking about, what we're up to, and what comes next

In collaboration with colleagues within and outside of Blink, plus a fair amount of experimenting at home, Chief Innovation Officer Kelly Franznick put together a set of protocols for a safe return to our user research labs.

Chief Research Officer John Dirks explains why you should conduct hardware UX research early and often.

The number of products with a voice component grows daily – just look at the recent announcements of Google Home, the Amazon Echo Dot, and Samsung’s acquisition of Viv. Yet it’s hard to find examples of design tools and artifacts in the voice UX space.

At Blink, we think and talk a lot about UX. And while each day more people are joining our conversation, there is still a lot of confusion around what UX actually means. I talk about it as a way of thinking and a business approach: User experience is no longer a job title or a service offering, it’s a way of thinking about your entire business.

Thinking of working with a user experience (UX) design firm? You may not know where to start.

At Blink UX we perform qualitative research to inform the design of digital products. Focus groups are a familiar form of qualitative consumer research. But while the focus group has a place in our research methods toolkit, we rarely pull it out. Why is that?

Blink was recognized for our design work with Edelman Financial Engines.

Read "When and Why To Start a Hardware User Research Program" to learn how hardware user research can help you create an inclusive, commercially successful product that people use, love, and remember.

Blink is unique for applying our user research processes and approaches to both hardware and digital experiences. Some of th most complex and engaging digital experiences go hand in hand with specific hardware, and some of the most exciting hardware is useless without a visionary digital experience.

Blink is hosting a gallery show featuring artwork by high school students that is inspired by science. NASA Chief Scientist, Dr. Green will hand out awards to the top 5 submissions.

Among the 50+ speakers at the most recent ConveyUX were several subject matter experts from Blink, who led workshops, moderated panel discussions, and delivered talks on a variety of UX-related topics.

We have set up a Blink task force, including a dozen members of Blink’s leadership team, which meets daily to review the most recent health information and determine communication strategies so that everyone inside and outside of our company receives accurate and timely information.

Below is a message from Linda and me, and we’re also speaking on behalf of the Blink leadership team.

What do we mean by remote research? When is remote research the right choice? What are some tips for dealing with the challenges that come along with this approach?

We have set up a Blink task force, including a dozen members of Blink’s leadership team, which meets daily to review the most recent health information and determine communication strategies so that everyone inside and outside of our company receives accurate and timely information.

Listen and engage with NASA's Chief Scientist Dr. Jim Green speaking on a broad range of science and space topics at live at Blink or online. Date TBD.

Karen Clark Cole, Blink’s CEO and co-founder, will be a regular commentator on the new podcast from Loren Feldman, former editor at Forbes.

Do you feel silly, amused, or fun-loving? That’s a positive emotion. Do you feel guilty, repentant, or blameworthy? That’s a negative emotion. Both positive and negative emotions change the way that our brain operates. Negative emotions narrow our perspective to focus on threats. Positive emotions broaden our field of vision.

The holiday break is here, and the Blink team is excited for a restorative time away from the studio. Quiet days and long flights make for some great reading time. Here are some books—UX-related, fiction, and otherwise—recommended by Blink.

Even people with considerable power — owners, CEOs, board chairs — are often reluctant to have the tough talks that are required for them to achieve the outcomes they desire.

There are countless conference round-ups out there, so here is a list that focuses on the conferences we’re actually attending next year.

Nature and nurture are both critical to your career path, and so at Blink, we focus on both of these in our employee development.

The human brain is not wired to have an "on" and "off" switch for work and play—and operating as if it were will deplete one’s energy and creativity.

We are thrilled to be a part of the Seattle Interactive Conference. We are delivering three talks, two panels, one live-podcast recording, one workshop, and more! Seattle Interactive Conference is Thursday, October 17 and Friday, October 18.