Archive

#55 The Return of the Generalist: Broader Skills and Smaller Teams

Two weeks ago I was back at Malmö University. Same advisory board, different conversation. Last time I was there I talked about business acumen, understanding people, and ethics. The things that were true 30 years ago and are still true now. This time I wanted to talk about how something

#54 You Are the Raw Material: The Recruitment Process Was Never Designed for You

She'd been a senior UX lead for seven years. Two rounds of layoffs in three years, neither her fault. Sharp, experienced, the kind of designer most teams would be lucky to have. We'd been talking for half an hour. She asked me what I thought she

#53 Pax Silica: Why Are We Choosing to Depend on Bullies?

This is an unusual issue. The last two weeks have been unusual too. Most of my free time since that text to Per has been spent trying to understand what Sweden just signed, and why. There are more links than usual. The claims matter and I want you to be

#52 We've Been Designing Learning Backwards (Play It Forward)

I got a new book in my inbox last week. Play it Forward: En bok om lärandets drivkrafter, the result of a multi-year research collaboration initiated by the Swedish government, written and edited by Katarina Pietrzak, researcher and strategist at RISE. 214 pages. Fourteen chapters. Interviews with researchers, educators, entrepreneurs,

#51 Capitalism Will Save Your Design Career (Eventually)

– It’s been almost three years now... Long enough for a "temporary" downturn to start feeling permanent... Last week, I sat down with an entrepreneur I’ve known for a while. He’d just had to shut down part of his digital agency. We talked about where we

#50 Designing the Designers We Need

– You have the wrong talk on the website. The right talk is How to Fight Fascism. A message from Mike Monteiro. The day before From Business to Buttons 2017. The day after, he was supposed to give a talk called Let Us Now Praise Ordinary People. That's odd.

#49 Are Role-Based Agents the “Faster Horses” of AI?

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Henry Ford is often credited with that line. He probably didn’t say it. But the story survives because it captures something true. People can usually describe their pain, but they usually don’t have the

#48 Build vs Buy: How AI changes enterprise software and the need for local product talent

When AI services make building software cheaper, what happens to the old “build vs buy” decision, and what happens to the need for product and design competence inside the companies that usually just buy software? A few weeks ago I was in a meeting. The topic was a new procurement

#47 My Digital Workplace Is a Mess

My digital workplace is a mess. Not the charming kind you can romanticize as “creative chaos”, but the kind that slows me down.  I can no longer easily find what I was writing a week ago. Not because the text is gone, but because it’s buried in a pile

#46 I Probably Didn’t Like You at First

If we are close colleagues, or friends, I probably didn’t like you at first. The first time I met Ingrid Domingues, Filip Månsson, Cecilia Brunemark, and a long list of others, I did not like them. Not in a dramatic way. Just a sense that something was off. Too

#45 You Belong 
on a Board: 
A practical path for CX/product leaders to the boardroom

Jeff Bezos is said to keep an empty chair at the board table to represent the customer. It’s clever. It’s also telling, and, frankly, a bit of an insult. If the customer really is our most valuable asset, why symbolize their voice with an empty chair instead of

#44 MailMe: Simplicity at its finest

I’ve always loved simple things that make life smoother. Tools that strip away noise, and zero in on the core problem. Tools that just work. A few months ago, we bought a summer house out in the middle of nowhere. It’s quiet. Peaceful. On the days I go

#43 AI in User Research: Synthetic Personas and Generated Insights

AI-generated personas and insights are starting to pop up in my LinkedIn feed, often pitched as clever ways to speed up user research. But if you’re aiming to build something better than average, these shortcuts won’t save you time. They’re more likely to lead you in the

#42 North London Forever: Fitting In and Finding Yourself

What makes an interest real? Is it something we’re born with, or just the result of encouragement, habit, or the need to belong? How often do we pretend to care just to fit in, and then, somehow, end up actually caring? Interests aren’t fixed traits, they’re formed

#41 The Feature Race to Nowhere

“Did you see? Our competitor just launched this new feature. We need something similar, and we need it fast!” It happened again. A few weeks ago, I was in a meeting with a client in the health space, and there it was, the same reflex. The feature race. You’d

#40 Wired for Belonging: Faith, Platforms, and the New Gods

As humans, we are wired for meaning. For belonging. For being part of something bigger than ourselves. Historically, religion filled this void for many. My grandparents, like most of their generation, attended church regularly. My parents did too, at least in their youth. Like many in Sweden, I was born

#39 Give a Talk? How About a Conversation Instead?

There I was. On stage in Stockholm. Halfway through the session. Mouth dry. Water. I reached for the glass, but had to set it back down. My hands were trembling too much to drink. I'd have to use both hands, and that's not something I want

#38 Stop Admiring Leaders for Listening to Customers

The CEO of one of the companies I work with recently did something that, on paper, really shouldn’t be remarkable. Over the course of three months, he made more than 60 contextual interviews with users across Europe. He observed them in action, listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and came

#37 Integrating UX and Customer Support?

Last week, I had an online coffee with Anders Notzhén. We first bumped into each other at a meetup about a year ago, and when he reached out to talk about CX, UX, and customer support, it got me curious. After the usual introductions, Anders said: “Wouldn’t it make

#36 Why I Say Yes to Boards, and Why You Should Too

“Congratulations on your new assignment! I’m curious… A third board? Why? What is it about board work that interests you so much?” I got the question last week after posting about the latest board I decided to join. It’s a fair question. And one I’ve asked myself

#35 When Differentiation Dies: Short-Term Wins, Long-Term Losses

Differentiation in highly commoditised markets is hard enough without throwing away the edge you already have. Others have already written and talked about this, but I'll put it here as a reminder to boards and management teams in my network. Two weeks ago, Southwest Airlines announced that it

#34 The iPad: 15 Years of Wishful Thinking

Ding! A text from my friend Per. The message I’d been waiting for. I killed the lawn mower and checked my phone. There it was: a photo of Per, grinning like he’d just struck gold, holding up a plastic bag with my iPad inside. Just 24 hours after

#33 User Research: It’s Not Just About Users, It’s About Power

“I looked and looked and looked, but I did not see God.” The quote is often attributed to Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin after his journey into space. Whether he actually said it is uncertain, but the Soviet propaganda machine used it anyway to make a point. User research exists to bring

#32 Big Ideas, Lasting Impact: Creating the Perfect Conference Experience for 2025

The room was buzzing with energy. I was in Amsterdam, attending my first-ever conference, completely wide-eyed, surrounded by pioneers—Hiroshi Ishii, Amy Bruckman, Christopher Alexander. Big ideas from big stages. That experience shaped my vision of what conferences should be. But is this really the best format? I love people.

#31 Preparing Tomorrow’s Designers:  Reflections from the Malmö University IXD Advisory Board

What does it take to succeed as an interaction/UX designer in the coming years? My answer might sound boring. Even though the industry is evolving faster than ever and development practices have come a long way, the fundamentals of great design work are pretty much the same today as

#30 Need to Cut Costs? Hire a Designer!

“UX? Service Design? No, thanks, we’re not focused on innovation or growth right now. Our priority is cutting costs. Anything that isn’t absolutely essential needs to be kept to a minimum.” This mindset might seem logical, but it’s actually costing companies more than they realize. Many businesses

#29 Have You Ever Regretted Selling inUse?

I’m in Lisbon. My wife is attending a conference, and I’m here as her +1. Knowing I’d have plenty of time on my own, I reached out to Bruno Figueiredo before arriving to see if he was up for a coffee. We had never met before, but

#28 No More Surveys, Please

A couple of weeks ago, I met up with the CEO of a local bank. We talked about the future of banking, the benefits and challenges of being a local entity, and, of course, the importance of customer experience. At one point, I turned my screen to show how we

#27 Design Is Your Best Growth Strategy

"Johan… you know I’m not a designer, but after ten years in communication and product development, I’ve seen how much better things go when skilled designers are involved from the start. Yesterday, a new client dismissed my points, and I struggled to find the right words to

#26 The CX Edge: How Boards Can Support Growth and Profitability

I’ve been talking to a lot of boards and leaders lately. Everybody agrees: customer-centricity is essential for long-term growth and profitability. It sounds straightforward—prioritize the customer, align leadership, and empower teams. But even though everyone agrees, it rarely gets done. The gap isn’t in understanding the importance—

#25 From Boardrooms to Buttons: Where Strategy Meets Reality

Did you know acquiring a new customer is five times more expensive than retaining an existing one? Or that customer-centric companies can grow their revenues 4% to 8% faster than their competitors? Or that companies that focus on enhancing the customer experience see, on average, a 15-20% increase in sales

#24 Best of 2024: What You Liked, and My Own Favorites

Just so that you know. This is not a regular issue of Reflections. This is a reflection on Reflections. It’s a look back at the first seven months and 23 articles since the first newsletter on June 4th. When I started this newsletter, I just knew I wanted to

#23 Seven Predictions for 2025

What will the new year hold for tech, business, and UX? Predicting the future is always risky—there's no quicker way to look foolish—but who can resist the challenge? Here's my take on what 2025 might bring. 1. Incremental Progress 2025 isn't likely

#22 Starting Up Your Business? Find your Partners

What’s the biggest enemy of success? It’s not competition, or even bad luck—I think it could be the belief that you can (or should) do it all on your own. This idea of going solo, of proving yourself by taking on the world alone, is so ingrained

#21 Skip the Research, We Already Know Our Users

Imagine spending months developing a new feature, only to find out it doesn’t resonate with your customers—despite feeling confident that you "knew" what they wanted. Sound familiar? This scenario plays out more often than we think. Decision-makers sometimes ask me: “What’s the point of research

#20 The Designer’s Guide to Saving the World

As designers, many of us entered this field to make people’s lives easier, better, and more fun. But in a world facing crises, is that enough? Democracies are slowly turning into autocracies as polarization and weaponized social media deepen divides. Economic inequalities are worsening as wealth gaps grow. The

#19 Your Ears, Not Your Eyes: Augmented Reality is Already Here

Google Glass, Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap 2, Meta Orion… Each of these products has likely cost billions of dollars in development and marketing without commercial success. But what if augmented reality (AR) is already here—just not in the way we think? We bought a pair of Google Glasses when

#18 Tunnel Vision: Remote Research vs Empathy

A few weeks ago, I got to catch up with Steve Portigal, author of Interviewing Users and track leader at Ambition Empower. We talked about what’s changed over the years, including the rise of remote research—often at the expense of traditional field studies. Many years ago, after completing

#17 That’s where you’re wrong, kiddo

You know the old grump who says, “That will never work?” That’s me. I started my first company in 1994. Like many others who have primarily focused on building businesses, I’ve encountered quite a few grumps. You know, the kind who either imply—or outright say—that what

#16 U.S. Elections: Democracy or Entertainment?

On the night of November 8, 2016, I went to bed in our overnight apartment in Stockholm, convinced that Hillary Clinton would win the U.S. presidential election. The last thing I saw on my phone was a prediction graph showing her as the likely victor. I turned off the

#15 I Hate People… But I Love Money

“Hey. Look. I hate people, but I love money. And the only way you’re going to make money is by making sure this works really really well for people.” A few months after we started inUse, Ingrid and I met with a CEO for a potential client. This was

#14 How My Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k and a Stack of Magazines Taught Me to Love Friction

I still remember the excitement. Sitting down in front of my Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k. Fingers hovering over those iconic rubber keys. It was an incredibly simple machine by today’s standards, but to me, it was a gateway to an entirely new world of creation, learning, and gaming. I

#13 User Research as Risk Management: Aligning with Decision-Makers

"You know we would like to do tests and research, but there is no time right now.” Jan Andresen recently followed up on my post about trusting the process. He asked how I handle situations where decision-makers want to skip the research and move straight to implementing a solution.

#12 Convenience or Manipulation: Play Next and Autoplay

It's 11 p.m. I really ought to go to sleep. Play next? 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Ok… Just one more. Have you ever binge-watched shows too late because of the "Play Next" feature? I know I have. Convenient? Definitely. Manipulative? Without a doubt. Problematic?

#11 Health and Taxes: Should Companies Pay for Sick Leave?

– Hello! I’m calling from the National Federation of Small Businesses (Småföretagarnas Riksförbund). Do you have a minute? Usually, I end sales calls quickly, but this one piqued my curiosity. – Sure, go for it. – We advocate for reducing payroll taxes and eliminating the employer’s responsibility to pay for sick

#10 Want to Impress? Trust the Process

I’ve spent years meeting with CEOs, VPs, and upper management—both as a board member and advisor. These rooms can feel intimidating, filled with decision-makers who expect results. My role is often to help make the product or service perform better. Still, despite decades of experience, I sometimes find

#9 Saying Yes: How One Small Decision Sparked 30 Years of Entrepreneurship

Yes. Such a small word—yet it has the power to change the trajectory of your life completely. This week, I celebrate 30 years as an entrepreneur. One yes led to another and, eventually, to a career I could never have predicted. It all began during a summer job at

#8 The Key to Closing Performance Gaps: Quantitative Indicators and Qualitative Insights

When optimizing business performance, numbers often steal the show. And here’s the thing. They should. But to really understand what’s happening, you have to dig deeper. The most important insights aren’t captured in spreadsheets. Last week, my Ambition colleagues and I organized after-work events in Gothenburg and

#7 When I’m with you, I want to be WITH you

I spend most of my days in meetings. Often physical ones. The majority of these meetings are incredibly meaningful and interesting. In these meetings, especially if they’re one-on-one, I want to be 100% present. I do not want to worry about what time it is or about finishing in

#6 From Classroom to Career: How to Land Your First UX Job

Students often ask me how to land their first UX job. My answer? Start as early as possible—ideally, the very moment you begin considering a career in this field. If you’re just beginning your journey in Interaction Design, Service Design, UX Design, or a related field—congratulations! You’

#5 Sliding Doors and Student Career Counselors

Next week, 406,000 hopeful applicants will find out if they’ve been accepted to any of the Swedish universities or university colleges. Among them is my youngest son, Simon. We’re hoping he’ll get into the international business program he’s aiming for, but if he doesn’t,

#4 Google and the Innovator’s Dilemma: From PageRank to Perplexity

Remember when Google revolutionized web search with its PageRank algorithm? Developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in the late 1990s, PageRank determined a webpage’s importance based on the number and quality of links to it, much like academic citations measure research impact. This innovation quickly made Google the

#3 Profits, AI-Driven Growth, and the Silver Lining: Thoughts on the Current Job Market in Design

Last week, I visited my friend Martin Thörnkvist at Media Evolution in Malmö. Martin, a creative role model, has been a constant source of inspiration through his work with Media Evolution and The Conference. While we enjoyed our coffee in the Futures Library, Martin pointed to a photo shoot happening

#2 Performance Anxiety: The Difficult Second Issue

500?! From zero to 500 subscribers in less than a week? And many of you are people I genuinely look up to. After posting last week’s issue and seeing my subscriber count skyrocket, I suddenly realized what I had done. A newsletter? Really? Writing something new and at least

#1 Without purpose, I suck

At the beginning of high school, essay-writing felt anxiety-inducing and laborious. I remember sitting there, reading the assignment, and doing my best to craft a text that would meet the teacher’s expectations. A week later, I received my grade: D. Then something changed. Instead of just trying to complete

I’m starting a newsletter

I’m starting a newsletter. It’s not for you. It’s for me. I know. The world does not need another newsletter. You don’t need another newsletter. But I love writing. And I’ve promised myself to spend more time writing going forward. So, I’m doing this