Written by: Steve Ignacio
On August 30, 2024, the SM Malls Online Digital UX Team attended the UX+ Conference at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. This event gathered UX professionals from across the Philippines to delve into the evolving landscape of user experience. With 11 speakers delivering 7 insightful talks, the conference showcased the latest concepts and trends in UX.
The conference was a treasure trove of insights and innovations in user experience design. Attendees had the opportunity to learn from industry leaders who shared their expertise on a wide range of topics from the latest trends in UX to practical strategies for enhancing user-centric design. The conference provided a wealth of knowledge which ensured value to everyone, regardless of their level of expertise or specific area of interest within UX.
Key Takeways from UX+ Conference 2024
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Cultivate a Multifaceted Skill Set
The conference highlighted a discussion on the importance of adaptability in a designer’s toolkit. Both soft skills—such as empathy, communication, and collaboration—and hard technical skills are essential. Understanding user needs and working seamlessly with cross-functional teams can really make one stand out in this competitive industry. Additionally, a remarkable insight shared by Rannie Teodoro from Coupang illustrated how the skill sets of an associate, mid-level, and senior UI/UX lead evolve as they mature within a company. She emphasized Aristotle’s Principles of Persuasion and their impact and significance in design.
There are three key pillars in the Principles of Persuasion: logos, ethos, and pathos. Logos is about appealing to logic-driven design, where data is crucial to validate one’s assumptions. Meanwhile, Ethos appeals to the authority and trustworthiness of the designs, such as how pricing plans work. Lastly, Pathos appeals to human emotions, fostering empathy. Empathy is a crucial design skill that enables designers to create more effective and user-centered solutions. Overall, being a multi-faceted designer requires logic, emotion, and ethical thinking for better UX, whether for a product or service. -
Stay Ahead of Trends
Keeping up with the trends is a proactive rather than reactive process. The talks discussed how one can stay ahead by meeting with industry thought leaders, attending design workshops, and actively participating in design communities. This way, one can regularly engage in analyzing market shifts and user behavior trends, such as how different generations adapt to the UX of a product or service. The first two speakers, Brittany Roberts and Sydney Nguyen, demonstrated how their passion projects boost UX professionals’ morale in their company through understanding the importance of user-centered design in all solutions that are created or developed. The concept of ‘Passion Projects’ not only focuses on being UX-centered but also opens opportunities for professionals to go beyond their current responsibilities and explore what more they can contribute by being up to date with the latest trends.
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Continuous Learning
The rapid changes in the digital world and UX trends require a growth mindset for UX professionals to continuously learn new tools and methods. Whether it’s mastering new design software or understanding a new concept like, staying curious and committed to promoting human-centered design is essential. Such concepts highlight the importance of team collaboration through initiatives like Design Sprints, as emphasized by Google Coach Lin Jiang. Eleanor Harding emphasized that the growing usability of AI in UX should be seen not as a threat, but as a valuable tool for UX professionals to enhance their processes and improve data gathering. Additionally, Alex Skougarevskaya from Canva provided a valuable insight: designers should always seek purpose in their work. Not all designs address pressing concerns, and they should be evaluated based on their intended purpose.
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Strategic Networking
Networking was a cornerstone of the UX+ Conference, emphasizing its critical role in career advancement within the UX field. Building a robust network can unlock new opportunities and foster collaborations that are essential for professional growth. The conference provided a unique platform to connect with peers, mentors, and potential future employers, making strategic networking a key takeaway for attendees.
During the Open Forum segment, UX Researchers and other professionals engaged in a lively debate about the role of AI in their field. This discussion not only highlighted the diverse perspectives within the UX community but also served as a strategic networking opportunity. By participating in these debates, attendees showcased their expertise, engaged with thought leaders, and built relationships with like-minded professionals.
Most UX Researchers expressed skepticism about relying solely on AI for data collection, arguing that AI-generated data can be too generic and detached from the end user’s context. They emphasized the importance of considering the specific target audience when selecting respondents, a point that underscores the value of human insight in UX research. This nuanced discussion allowed attendees to connect over shared concerns and explore potential collaborations to address these challenges.
Eleanor Harding pointed out that AI needs to be trained with proper context to yield accurate and relevant results. This insight sparked further conversations about the balance between traditional research methods and AI-driven processes. By engaging in these discussions, attendees were able to strategically network with others who were navigating similar challenges, fostering a community of practice that supports continuous learning and innovation. -
Cultivate Creativity and Adaptability
Creativity and flexibility are essential for an organization’s success. By embracing innovative thinking and adapting designs to meet evolving user and business needs, professionals can make a lasting impact in the dynamic field of UX.
Alex Skougarevskaya, a speaker from Canva, made a remarkable point about the uncertainty of her next career move. She emphasized that cultivating creativity and adaptability hinges on one’s passion for their work and understanding the purpose behind adapting to change, which fosters a creative mindset.
Throughout her journey, Alex Skougarevskaya had to navigate various environmental and societal challenges. She shared her experience of surviving the pandemic, including being laid off just before her wedding. Her speech underscored the unpredictability of life, but also highlighted that with an adaptive mindset and creativity, we can overcome challenges and eventually reach the milestones we’ve been striving for.
Insights from the team!
This is my 3rd time attending the UX+ conference. Initially, I expected more talks on familiar topics focusing on empathy for users and seamless design, both integral parts of the UX design process. This year, it was refreshing to have speakers dedicated to UX Research. I was surprised because UX research is not usually discussed especially in the Philippines since design takes precedence for teams with limited manpower or budget.
In our field, the reality is that UX Research ideally comes before any design efforts in the UX process in order to get a clearer picture on what, where, and why design improvements should be made in order to steer design decisions towards the right direction.
This is especially relevant in a local context where the country finds its population having the unique characteristics of being chronically online, whilst having limited spending power. It was nice to see that fellow UX practitioners in the local scene understand the use of qualitative research on a grassroots level, something often overlooked.
I attended my first UX+ Conference last year, and it taught me a lot about how I perceive things as a UX professional. It’s not easy being a UX professional, but I enjoy solving user problems and pain points. At this year’s UX+ Conference 2024, the topics weren’t entirely new, but what really caught my interest was how dynamic the UX world is in keeping up with trends, especially with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI isn’t a competitor threatening UX professionals but rather an additional tool that adds complexity to the challenges we face. With AI’s integration, even in recent software updates like Figma, it’s easier to ideate designs while observing and improving design standards.
What intrigued me the most was a presentation by Chia Amasola. If you’re not a fan of the intersection between art and function, you might find it boring. However, her presentation gave me goosebumps, especially with the audio-visual elements she included—it really captured my attention. Overall, this year’s UX+ Conference empowered women and highlighted their role as leaders in the UX world alongside men. If there’s another UX+ Conference, I hope to someday stand on that stage and share insights that UX professionals want and need to hear.
UX+ Conference 2024 was my first time attending, but it left me in awe and puzzled my mind on how the best UX practices and practical knowledge can be more integrated with our online platform in SM. This year’s conference gave me a true-to-life story on how the notable keynote speaker/s came up and drove their passion to make DESIGN center stage for their respected users. As SM Supermalls upholds the best customer experience and as a UX Engineer, it is a must that DESIGN and CODE are unstoppable twins that are fused, to have our better customer online malling aweSM experience. If ever I am given another chance, I would love to attend more sessions at the UX+ Conference and am looking forward to more passion-driven insights and sharing of well-known speakers that were validated by their industry experiences. Thus, will apply it as well to our organization and most importantly, to all our customers in SM”.
The 2024 UX+ Conference proved to be a valuable and inspiring experience, providing delegates with fresh insights to advance their user-centric design methodologies. UX experts will surely benefit from the insights obtained from this conference as they manage the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as the digital landscape continues to change. The future of user experience appears to be more promising than ever with innovation, flexibility, and a dedication to user-centered design.
The conference arrived at the perfect time to emphasize that readiness for evolution is key to the future of user experience design. By continuously upskilling and developing relevant skills across a wide range of career opportunities, staying updated on trends like AI, engaging in strategic networking, and nurturing creativity, designers can secure their place in the future of UX.