Ben Brignell

Here's a massive misconception for you... stack your own design board alone Wrong. It's my job and duty to help guide and inform the most crucial parts of the business to work on to get the most returns, fast. It's a collaborative effort. I think people think the design subscription model is purely just a board and you're left alone to stack in your tasks. Some people do it like this and leave you to it but... You're not mystic meg, Together we can decide where to spend design and development time to get you the most bang for your buck. Joining your business insights with my design optimisation experience that places conversion, better metrics and results at the forefront priority of the business to get it making more money. DM me the word "Collab" and we can discuss what's holding your business back from it's growth the most right now and how to fix it. #startups #business #designboard

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I can't believe I was that complacent... 😕 Here's a little story... an interesting and helpful one, I hope. I was forced to start my own design business back in 2008 when the 'Credit Crunch' devastated the creative industry. Luckily for me, the company that made me redundant went out of business entirely, which meant I was able to pick up 2 ready-made clients I'd alrwady worked with, right from the off. This was probably to root of my complacency. Over the next few years I worked with these clients, and a few others who were introduced to me purely by accident. I didn't market myself, I didn't network, I didn't really speak with anyone about my business... I simply got my head down and did the work. Then, in around 2015, one of those dependable clients sold up and left me with a significant gap in my turnover. A little mild panic ensued and my girlfriend at the time suggested I go on a course to learn the dark art of cold calling... I hate cold calling, in fact I hate it so much I'd never done it. I paid my £25 and went along... Purely coincidentally, I found myself sitting next to a young man called Nick Cohen who asked me about my business. The conversation developed and he uttered the immortal words... "You should come to my networking group". Those words changed my life. A whole new world opened up to me. A new world of support, advice, learning, camaraderie, opportunities and ambition. I should mention that I no longer work with any of the clients I had back in 2015 and often wonder what I would have done if I hadn't met Nick that day. My complacency was truly breath-taking. No matter what situation you're in right now, please, please, please don't imagine that the status quo will last forever. Get out and meet people. Build your network. Create and continue conversations. And most importantly of all... don't wait until disaster strikes to begin... do it now, and always. Google: Meeow All Meeows - 100% FREE networking online - 40+ events every week #networking #networkingtips #networkingevent

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If your main metric for success for design systems is measuring adoption, then consider this: Adoption does not equal value. Value is better communicated by money saving or money generated when it comes to organisations. This can be calculated by time savings for example. Adoption only tells you how much it is being used - without the former you cannot realise the scale of value. #designsystems #design #designmatrics

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Red Flag Clients for Design Agencies (or any professional service provider) Ever encountered a client who gives you that feeling of... anxiety, headache, overwhelm, guilt, or at worst actually causes you mental health issues? Here are some red flags to watch out for. Frequent Scope Changes They change project scope frequently without acknowledging added costs or timelines. These clients don't understand that more work means more time and money. Delayed or Inconsistent Communication Communication is sporadic at best. They take weeks to reply to an email, slowing down the project's progress. Unwillingness to Provide Necessary Materials They don’t provide essential project materials on time. Expect project delays because they haven’t sent high-resolution images or content. Lack of Respect for Professional Expertise They insist on design choices that defy industry best practices. They ignore your expertise and want things done their way, even if it’s not the best approach. Payment Issues They have issues sticking to the payment schedule. They haggle over previously agreed-upon terms or even try to negotiate lower rates mid-project. Warning Signs of a Problematic Client Detecting a problematic client early can save you a lot of trouble. Here are some warning signs: Lack of Clarity Initial meetings lack clear project goals or expectations. They're confused, and that confusion will likely carry through the project. Impatience They exhibit impatience or frustration with the process early on. If they can't handle the initial stages, imagine the endgame. Communication Issues Difficulty establishing consistent lines of communication. If they can't talk to you now, they won't talk to you later. Skepticism They’re skeptical about following your professional advice. If they don’t trust your expertise, it’s going to be a bumpy road. Payment Reluctance Early signs of reluctance or pushback on payment terms. If they’re already quibbling over money, expect more of the same. Share your experiences!💬 #DesignStudio #ClientManagement #RedFlagClients

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I've said this before, and I'll repeat it. MVPs are bullsh*t! 💩 Apologies for the clickbait hook, but humour me for a second... We're at a stage where the term 'MVP' (Minimum Viable Product) is meaningless. It's been lost in translation and skewed to suit an industry peddling MVPs for almost 2 decades. Now more than ever, we need to be asking ourselves: 💡 'Why does this product need to exist?' Instead of: ❌ 'What tech stack and framework are we using to build this?' The 'build it, and they will come' era is over: 👉 Competition is at an all-time high. 👉 Finding product-market fit is difficult. 👉 1,000s of new SaaS products every day. 👉 90% of all startups fail anyway. Why? It's because we're not focusing on VALUE. We've taken it for granted that people want our product. And usually, they don't. So, here's a radical idea – focus on NOT building your MVP. Here are the things you should do instead: 👉 Build a waitlist 👉 Launch a newsletter 👉 Throw together a landing page 👉 Create a prototype 👉 Talk to customers Heck, talk to your competition even – they'll tell you where the pitfalls are! Who agrees with this? Found this useful? Head to my profile and follow me for more. #mvp #product #design #pmf

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On #BraveUX this week, Jakob Nielsen addresses some of the criticism he’s faced 🎤, calls on UXers to urgently adopt AI 🐛, and shares why he believes the commoditisation of UX is a good thing 📈. Highlights include: ⭐ Are you surprised by how much you’ve offended some people? ⭐ Why do UXers need a greater sense of urgency about adopting AI? ⭐ Were the hiring practices at your previous company elitist? ⭐ What is the state of UX today and where is the growth potential? ⭐ Will AI impede our ability to develop our professional judgement? Plus much more! - - - - - 📺 Want to watch or listen 🎧 to the episode? 👉 Find the links in the comments, or search for Brave UX with Brendan Jarvis 🇺🇦 on YouTube or on your favourite podcast platform. - - - - - Who is Jakob Nielsen, PhD? Jakob is the founder of UX Tigers 🐯, the website and associated substack he uses to bring his 41 years of UX knowledge and experience to the world, in what he has described as a plainspoken, hard-hitting and not bowing to orthodoxy kind-of-way. Before founding UX Tigers, Jakob was the co-founder and principal - for 25 years - of a rather well known UX consultancy, the Nielsen Norman Group 📜. His other notable roles include being a distinguished engineer at Sun Microsystems, and a member of the research staff at Bell Communications Research 🔔 - one of the world’s top three HCI labs in the 1990s. Jakob is known for many other things, among which are being the founder of the discount usability movement, the foundational 10 usability heuristics for user interface design, and the eponymously named Jakob’s Law of Internet User Experience 🏛️. He is the holder of no less than 79 United States patents and the author of 8 books, including the best-selling “Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity”, “Usability Engineering”, and the pioneering “Hypertext and Hypermedia” 📚. In 2013, Jakob received the Lifetime Achievement Award for HCI Practice from ACM SIGCHI and in 2024 he was named a “Titan of Human Factors” by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 🏆. - - - - - Don’t forget to check out the show notes on YouTube for quick-access to interview chapters, as well as where to find Jakob. #UX #UXDesign #UXAI #UXR #UXResearch #UserResearch #DesignLeadership #UXTigers

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Your website is your cultural organisations most important commercial asset. But how do you get it right? Really neat new report by UK digital x cultural agency Substrakt. https://lnkd.in/gAynXegQ Their “Benchmark Report: Cultural Website Performance’ highlights a few key points we seem to always be banging on about at Backpocket as well. Namely that the ‘User Experience’ of any ticketing process can actually have a huge impact on sales and the bottom line. Like yeah. 💡Go mobile first 💡Audit your checkout UX, including all error messaging 💡Make sure your payment options are optimised 💡Test your checkout flow with real humans 💡Learn and iterate. Constantly. Don’t know how to do any of that? Ping me and I’ll point you in the right direction and can even get you in touch with some amazing design folk who can help. #ticketing #events #culture #design #innovation #product #UX #UI #webdesign #websites #ecommerce 

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I love using Twitter / X for user research. Being tapped into the web community there you get such a broad reach in so little time. Dark mode/Light mode was a hot topic a little while ago and I never understood why. What once was a practical solution to nighttime/daytime viewing has turned into an option on websites but once again, turns out designers are doing something for them as opposed to the client. I think this is a real problem right now in web, there are still too many designing/developing websites for themselves rather than their client or more importantly the end user. Data is amazing. Use it! Also Twitter is amazing. Follow me! (@0x5am5)

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A new website in four weeks. I know what you're thinking... What a load of rubbish. How can you do that? Let me tell you: → Flexible frameworks only. Get your site off the ground & gain autonomy when we're finished. → Streamlined process without compromising quality. Designed from working with start-ups, scale-ups & enterprise across the world. → No time wasting or bloated cost. Focus on your business objectives. What do we need from you? • Clear Requirements: A well-defined project scope and specific requirements outlined. • Prepared Content: All content readily available for the build. • Project Ownership: You're empowered to make decisions and provide timely feedback throughout the project. • Ready-to-Build Design: A website design finalised and ready to be built. What are the benefits of working with us? → Reduce costs: Eliminate the need for extensive design work and revisions. → Scalability: Lay a solid foundation for future growth with a scalable architecture. → No bullshit: Streamlined process from kick off to handover. → Save time: Allocate your resource to tasks that move the needle. How much does is cost? There are two tiers: • £6k: Effective marketing site. Limited pages, focus on impact & conversion. Best for start-ups, products, SaaS. • £12k: Larger site. More technicalities (think jobs board, automations...). Best for agencies, SMBs, scale-ups, enterprise micro-sites. Sound interesting? Shoot me a DM 🫡

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One of the most common reasons we receive enquiries is because businesses have been left in the dark by their existing developers. Here's some advice around what to look for: - Communication Skills: Ensure your developers prioritise regular updates and clear, straightforward communication. - Transparency: Look for developers who provide access to progress tracking tools and transparent reporting practices. - Reliability: Check references or reviews for mentions of dependability and meeting deadlines. - Technical Expertise: Confirm that their skills align with your project requirements. - Price: If your developer is doing this cheaply, you'll get what you pay for. Selecting the right developers is key to the successful launch of your website project. Don't neglect to do your due diligence, it'll cost you in the long run.

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How a UX audit unlocks a new perspective↓ We're so close to our products daily that our ability to spot problems others experience becomes challenging. This is why speaking with users is so important, but recruiting quality users and setting up calls to then analyse feedback is time-consuming and sometimes lacklustre, especially if you hit a streak of no-shows :( A UX audit is a condensed, value-packed, easy-to-digest boost that can save you time and reveal a new perspective. Here’s what a good UX audit covers: → Your Landing page - how well does your site explain what your app does and how the user can benefit from it. → Design continuity - does your App Store listing match the design direction of your website, or is there a disconnect? Is the value clear and easily understood? → Account creation - how quickly can you get the user set up and reach an 'aha moment' inside your app? (tip: the sooner the better) → Activating users - Is it clear what to do next? The user is in your app; what action must they take that is likely to incentivise further interaction? → Retention - Okay, the user did something in your app, but are they coming back to do it again? Is it clear to them that they should? What type of action leads the user to become a retained user, and are you optimising your onboarding to guide users into this action? (If you take anything away, it’s this point above.) A great audit can help you answer these questions and more. For a limited time, I’m opening up and offering free UX audits for teams that want to level up. A few friends in the product space can vouch for these types of audits. They’re a great boost for product teams. This is what you can expect to get: → Answers to all the above → List of quick wins → Friction point breakdown → First impression report → Holistic design review Sound good? Grab a free audit here: ↓ www.shapeshyft.co.uk

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Here is an interesting article from UXDesign.io about how to incorporate user feedback in an iterative design process. https://lnkd.in/eqUjX6JN Please note I was asked to comment so it does include something from me.

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I’ve had the good fortune of designing the central user experience for 3 award-winning fintechs. Here’s what the founders all had in common. 👉 Vision This might surprise some people, but the most successful teams I’ve worked with have done the least discovery work. The founders had a crystal clear vision of what the market needed and they were burning with urgency to catch that wave. 👉 Speed I learned this at Bitwala and haven’t stopped to rest since. Extraordinary velocity depends on two functions: a ruthless cutting of absolutely everything non-essential, and a creative process that doesn’t buckle under pressure. 👉 Go-to-market Strategy There should always be an intimate relationship between the GTM strategy and the product itself. Which features are prioritised? How much effort goes where? First-time founders surprisingly overlook this. Many complex product decisions fall easily into place when considering the launch holistically. 🏆 Award Winners Bitwala (I was HoD, seed to series B) Ruuky (My studio redesigned their MVP, transitioning from Pockid to Ruuky) Fasset (My studio designed their v1 product) If you have any questions about early-stage products, DM me, I’m always happy to bounce ideas with product makers. #product #tech #fintech #founders

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🗓 7 weeks to go before UX Scotland in Edinburgh on May 29th-31st. Apparently there are 2 types of people going to conferences* 1️⃣ Those who study the programme in advance and decide the presentations they want to see. 2️⃣ Those who read the programme at the end of the first keynote and figure things out as they go. If you know me, I’m firmly in the “figure out” camp. But I’m also open to new experiences! So I've started to look at which talks and workshops I'm thinking of choosing. Designing against distress: A session to collectively develop more ethical design patterns Hannah Jump Mission implausible: A mini-discovery in 2 weeks?
 Andy Thomson and Sally Rogan Trains, wedding invites, and entry requirements: How bad content came to be bad Peter Hewitt. <-- I heard a shorter version of Peter's talk at Tech for Good Scotland event and it was fun and informative. Taming the financial rollercoaster: Using behavioural design to help users make smarter investment choices Abi R. <-- This session will be super useful for work we're doing Emma Potter Eleri Smith James Greenfield Orla Parry Imagining feminist technology futures: A workshop to creatively deconstruct harmful design and imagine alternative futures Leah Lockhart A more holistic approach to accessibility; considering intersectionality and lived experience in inclusive design - Priyanca D'Souza Dead on arrival: A designer's take on why your product launches fail. Ade-Lee Adebiyi I'd like to hear from other people, what are you looking forward to? Any recommendations? *Trusted sources: Mark Dalgarno and Allison B. 😀

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The new letter to Dribbble's shareholders reveals — Dribbble wants to be the # 1 place to hire freelance designers and make money by taking a cut on contract transactions. Now they are adjusting their business model to do so. A few years ago to make money they started to monetise the designers side introducing paywalls and messaging limits. Now they are reversing that. Last month they brought in a new CEO who worked at Fiverr and Pond5 to deliver on that vision. Last week they announced removing the paywall. They are sacrificing the revenue from designers, hoping to earn from the contract transactions in the future. What does it mean for designers? Two things: First — don't give up on Dribbble completely yet, especially if you're a freelance designer. Dribbble has the best positioning to become the # 1 place for (freelance) designers to find work and it may eventually happen. Second — stay tuned, we are likely to see some significant updates coming from Dribbble later this year 👀

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How’s my beard looking? 🧔🏼‍♀️✨ I figured I couldn’t call myself a myth-buster without looking the part! (plus I now look mega-wise) Today I’m debunking 3 website myths that might be costing you clients & sharing my top tips for getting back on track! ❌ Myth 1 ﹣ ”Visitors will read everything on my site” Urgh, I wish! As someone who has painstakingly perfected her dad jokes for her website, this one makes me a little sad. In reality, your visitors only read about 20% of your content, so keeping copy short & sweet is a must. ✅ Revamp your headline, positioning your services as the perfect solution to their problems ✅ Use bullet points to break down long info & make it easy to digest ✅ Add images & videos to tell your brand story & connect with your audience ❌ Myth 2 ﹣ ”Designing my own website will save me money” We've all been there, bootstrapping like nobody's business to save our pennies! But DIY web design can actually cost you more than you might think (40% of your visitors no less!) ✅ If you’re self-building (go get ‘em tiger!), opt for a robust template ✅ Work with me! (omg who said that 👀) ✅ Keep your initial scope small (you can always add bits & bobs later!) ❌ Myth 3 ﹣”Once I launch this site, I’m all done!” Launching your site is a huge milestone & definitely worth celebrating (who brought the bubbly? 👀)! But the party doesn't stop here - you gotta make sure your clients can actually FIND you. Spread the word on your socials & perfect that SEO to make sure you’re getting plenty of visits. ✅ Regularly update your site with fresh content & new blogs (to show you’re still alive and kicking!) ✅ Make a habit of reviewing & fine-tuning your keywords ✅ Get cosy with your analytics & make targeted changes to boost conversion ——— #webdesign #conversion #CRO #smallbusiness #solopreneur #freelancer #websiteconversion #conversionfunnel #websitemyths ——— 👋🏼 Holaaaa! I’m Laura, your creative BFF! Follow along for design tips that'll make your biz ✨pop!✨ Wanna work together? Book a call & let's make magic happen! ☎️

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DESIGNERS: There are a lot of designers out of work at the moment. If you are fortunate to be in employment or have a decent contract, why not spend your lunch break today and think "how can I be kind and helpful?' and try to help the reach of a job applicant, or recommend someone for something, or just re-post anyone who has the 'Open to Work' banner on their page. Just one 'like', re-post, recommendation, comment for reach, one phone call, one connection, can be the difference between a designer being in or out of work. Let all help each other fill those roles and spread the kindness.

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The #1 worst thing about being a founder, you ask? Hands down, the imposter syndrome. I'm not sure if it’s industry-specific, but it is rife in the creative industry. Whenever I speak to other founders, freelancers or designers, it’s the one thing people struggle with. I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t affected me. When you see: → Other peoples work → Other agencies’ awards → The clients people work with Of course, you’re going to compare yourself to it. The trick? Stop comparing your journey to everyone else’s. In fact, enjoy it P.S. Social media is a highlight reel of people’s business. I’m here for the authenticity. ✌🏼

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Sorry… but I ✨HAVE✨ to call it out LinkedIn has been a festering pile of balls, with all the inspiration of a parsnip, lately And motivation has hit an all time low 💫 REACH 💫 Who is she? We haven’t seen her? Posts aren’t even going to the community I’ve spent a year consistently building & engaging with… let alone ideal clients 💻 FEED 💻 Is showing me no new people or their related posts. The only way to get new connections is manually in other peoples comments or using the search bar 📝 POSTS 📝 It’s either like scrolling through Groundhog Day, reading absolute bullshit!t or witnessing people grasping at straws… Quality is just 👎 can we do better pls? 💬 COMMENTING 💬 I’m getting next to nothing from people… but equally I’m struggling to leave them too (because finding something worth commenting on is such a task already) 💍 ENGAGEMENT 💍 If I spend 1 hour on here a day, or 5, it doesn’t change a thing (anyone else noticed this?) Time invested used to be reflected in results - what happened? Now because the situation is so dire, fu<king awesome creators are reducing their posts or stopping them altogether (Yay, for an even crappier feed 🙃) Cause they’re spending more time on new projects they created, to give them the monetised dopamine hit LI has stopped providing Which means that the people who made this platform a new lease of life for me… will soon be gone & replaced with MORE carbon copy, usurper “guru’s” 🥲 Now I can sense all the hustle bros getting ready to smash the keyboard & tell me that I’m the problem So should buy their, now irrelevant, course Or to do something I guarantee I’ve already tried… But there’s not always a fairytale reveal for these things Sometimes sh!t things are just sh!t 💩 So tomorrow I’ll get back to pushing on, like the bad boss b*tch I’m tryna be 💅🏻 But today, can we all just call it as we see it & have a lil moan?!? 😅 #ProfessionalWithPersonality #Design #VisualIdentity #PersonalBranding #Neurodiversity #ChronicIllness #Authenticity  ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I’m Bethany 💁🏻‍♀️ Founder of BeBeau Creative 🌻 A Full Service Design & Digital Agency ✨ for Neurospicy, Disabled, Chronically Ill & Inclusive Business Owners DM to BOOK 🚨 👩‍🎤 BE alternative so there is NO alternative! 👩‍🎤

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