I wrote 2025 Goals and Onward last year to reflect on where I thought life and work were heading. As usual, I’m writing this a little late. It’s April, we’re already a third of the way into 2026, and I’m finally sitting down to write this. But maybe that’s the point. I’m less interested in perfect plans and more interested in a better approach. Part of that is admitting something I’ve fought for a long time:…
“UX is dead” is mostly a headline. What is real is that the easy parts of the job are getting automated, and the hard parts are becoming the job. In 2026, you can generate UI drafts, flows, and microcopy faster than ever. You can summarize research, spin up variants, and get to “something decent” in minutes. That is not hype. That is the new baseline. So if your value has been speed, volume, or being…
A lot of people treat UX, UI, and development like separate lanes. One person designs the experience. Another person designs the interface. Another person builds it. Then the project is handed off, and everyone hopes it comes together as intended. I’ve never really worked that way. Over the years, through teaching, agency work, and client projects, I’ve found that the best outcomes usually happen when UX, UI, and development thinking are all part of the…
The last few years have been a whirlwind of change, personally, professionally, and creatively. From teaching at Columbia College Chicago to launching IDE Interactive’s first internship program, I’ve been learning how to step back, mentor others, and create space for growth. Looking ahead, my focus is on writing more, sharing more, and living life with balance both on and off the work clock.
Internships shouldn’t just be about fetching coffee or doing busywork. For me, it was about giving people room to try things out, mess up, and actually learn something from it. By focusing on failing fast, moving forward, and owning mistakes, I saw how much confidence and creativity can come from simply having a safe space to grow.