Why the car horn is the most annoying UX failure on the road

Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers.

“Not all research is created equal, and “some” research, if riddled with methodological flaws, is often worse than no research at all. True research democratization isn’t about letting anyone conduct studies, but about educating non-researchers on rigorous methodologies.”

No research is often better than “some” research →
By Maximilian Speicher

Editor picks

• Building and calibrating trust in AI →
  How to manage the inherent uncertainty of AI.
  By Dr. Janna Lipenkova
• Four rules for how design influences technology →
  The ebbs and flows of our craft.
  By Andy Proehl
• What it’s like to be a designer at 40 →
  Notes of a (maybe dirty, yet not so old) designer.
  By Pietro Gregorini

The UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices and helps designers think more critically about their work.

The process: every day sketches, brainfarts and ideas →

Make me think

• Design at the speed of thought →
  “What this revealed — something I’ve always sensed but never fully articulated — is that the tools we’ve idolized in design are often barriers, not bridges. Richard Avedon once said: “I hate cameras. They interfere. I wish I could work with my eyes alone.” He wasn’t being dramatic — he was articulating the dream: pure translation from vision to creation, without mediation. For the first time, that dream feels real.”
• How I use generative AI in branding →
  “I believe designers have the superpower to visualize the future. (Whoa, bold! But stay with me.) We can transform what is into what should be. We can imagine, plan and build the tomorrows for our world — and invite others to experience it. With generative AI, more people, even without design or creative background, can visualize their ideas. I see that as an overall net positive thing — no need to pearl-clutch. We need more big ideas and enthusiastic people who are ready to pursue them.”
• Bored of it →
  “I’m bored of it. The pervasive, all encompassing nature of it. The inevitable, dehumanising consequence of it. That there’s a ‘there’ there to it. Rubbish in and rubbish out of it. Nobody asked for it, and nobody wants it. The best minds of my generation thinking about how to make people use it. That you should just accept it.”

Little gems this week

Cursor, “vibe coding,” and Manus: the UX revolution that AI needs →
By Amy Chivavibul

Duolingo’s 6-step reactivation experience →
By Rosie Hoggmascall

How GenAIs build diverging color schemes →
By Theresa-Marie Rhyne

Tools and resources

• AI in automotive design simulations →
  Breaking the barriers to adoption.
  By Santosh Kini
• SXSW 2025 recap →
  AI doesn’t give a damn about UI.
  By Federico Francioni
• Don’t just add AI on top →
  Rethinking mobile email UX for all workflows.
  By Daniel Buschek

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No research, calibrating trust in AI, SXSW recap, being a designer at 40 was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.