Does quality UX content exist?
I started using an RSS feed last month, and it’s been a great way to actually read the articles that I would have previously bookmark and abandon. (You know how you’ll buy some kale, feelin’ all healthy with plans of balanced dinners, only to toss it, wilted and forgotten, in the bin? That was my bookmark folder).
My subscriptions quickly racked up. I use Old Reader, an RSS feed that’s extremely outdated but I oddly like anyway. It makes me feel like I’m opening a newspaper that was curated just for me, and there’s something about its analog UX that’s comforting with a cup of coffee in the morning.
One of the things I like about Old Reader is that it allows you to organize your subscriptions into folders. I currently have five:
eCommerce: I’m currently working in this field, and there’s a lot to learn. I like keeping up with the latest app trends with TechCrunch and best checkout practices from Baymard.
News: It feels like I’m doing my mental health a favor when I only update myself once a day instead of being flooded by a never-ending torrent of news.
Comics: I mean, who doesn’t like xkcd or pbf? I enjoy having them scattered in with the rest of my more “serious” reads.
Literature: I’m keeping up with a lot of literary journals for grad school. Some are fairly pretentious but I’ve also found some great authors and poets this way.
UX: crickets
…Okay, it’s not that I don’t have any UX stuff to follow. It’s just that most of the stuff I come across, I’ve heard before. It’s geared towards beginners, or those who want to get into the field. I don’t feel like I’m walking away with new insight.
I’m fully aware I’m writing this as someone who keeps up a UX Writing blog. I started writing about UX as a way to force myself to keep learning; I’m not self-delusioned enough to think I’m saying anything groundbreaking.
But I have to admit that it’s much easier to write content geared towards beginners than for those who have been in the industry for years. My practical articles (like how to write error messages or tackle a case study) do the best. Maybe going back to the basics acts as a good reminder for myself. (Or maybe I care more about engagement than I should.)
And if UX content isn’t about the basics, it’s about the industry: ways to get a seat at the table, or deal with layoffs, or organize your to-do list. Nothing wrong with those; they’re needed, too. But they’re not what I’m looking for right now.
And this isn’t to say that I toss UX blogs aside with a scoff, There’s nothing you can teach me. I still have a lot to learn! I want to know about better research practices, about what data says copy can (and can’t) do, about the latest accessibility standards. I want to read case studies and hear about things that work.
Maybe I’m just not looking hard enough? If there’s a treasure trove out there, let me know. I follow some great people on LinkedIn and Twitter (or X, whatever). I know about NNG and courses and certifications. But I feel like I’m eating a lot of sweets and craving the meat (says the vegetarian).
Got any recommendations for me?
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