Kurt Krumme

New Blog Post Alert! We just dropped a deep dive into the fundamental principles of visual design and why they're crucial for everyone, not just designers. Whether you're building a presentation, crafting marketing materials, or simply want your ideas to land with more impact, understanding these concepts is key. In this latest article, by our own Jessica Jagmin she breaks down these principles in an accessible way, offering practical insights you can apply immediately. Ready to elevate your visual communication game? ➡️ Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gHAdxQ5H Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! 👇 #VisualDesign #DesignThinking #Communication #UserExperience #Marketing #Business #NewBlog #GeneratorDesign

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So impressive to see what Cove (a platform that lets industries build their own financial products) is making possible! 💫 Like today's announcement by PropTx (the MLS® and technology subsidiary of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board) about PropTx Verify on Cove. 🚀 "...Because the best tenant screening for real estate will never come from a fintech startup. It comes from the people who've been in the trenches for 20+ years." Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/ewjADneb

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As a critical thinker, I’ve decided to lean into my contrarian streak, even on a platform where critical thinking sometimes feels out of fashion. In the past week alone, five people have reached out for my take on various “next big things,” trusting what one jokingly called my “Miss Know-It-All” perspective. Cory Doctorow “Econopocalypse” nails what most miss: the AI boom isn’t a revolution, it’s a bubble — one fueled by hype, circular investments, and machines that get more expensive the bigger they get. The danger isn’t that AI becomes sentient, it’s that the industry goes insolvent while convincing us it’s inevitable. The real collapse won’t be technological. It’ll be moral, social, and financial. 💡 Contrarian take: AI won’t replace humans. But blind faith in AI’s growth story just might bankrupt us. 🔮 Reliable crystal balls are still in development, but math, as usual, tends to be a pretty good guide. 🌐 https://lnkd.in/ew8sqtiQ 🎧 Podcast link in comments

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The main objections I hear about hiring UX contractors: “The ramp-up will be too slow,” “They’re too pricey,” and, “They won’t know our culture, or how we work.” Let’s unpack that. 👇 With recent UX downsizing, companies might have smaller permanent design teams — but trust me, demand for design work is still there, because stellar contractors are building that demand.🌟 I’ve watched it firsthand as I oversee staffing at Outwitly Inc. By utilizing contractors to augment their teams at specific points in the design lifecycle, organizations can still get the work done — without burning out their internal team with millions of feature requests on top of their usual load. It can be a win-win that keeps businesses healthy. 🌱 Back to those objections. Like many UX-related objections, they’re generally founded on shortsightedness: 🏁 Ramping Up vs Acting Now: 🏁Bringing on a contractor can actually add velocity, especially with longer projects that promise big impact but get pushed out or deprioritized because of the sheer amount of work. If you need something done and no one else has the capacity now, you can bring on a specialist for six months, instead of waiting. (^You can also make use of contractors to lay the foundation for upcoming work, like specialists in design ops, research ops, design systems, etc., while others focus on immediate deadlines. ) 💰Up-front Cost vs ROI: 💰Contractors often have higher rates because they take on higher risk, but when you consider the cost of slow internal hiring, employee turnover, long-term overhead, employee benefits, etc., contractors can be a lower-risk option. Specialized contractors can also pull research initiatives out of holding patterns and uncover opportunities for innovation with major ROI potential. 🧩 Like-Minded vs New Perspectives: 🧩New personalities aren’t scary! Blended teams are amazing for bringing in fresh perspectives and diverse skillsets that your internal team members can learn from and adopt, to the long-term benefit of their organizations. (^ Plus, the beautiful thing about the people who tend to go into contracting is that they’re often senior practitioners, willing to bet on themselves because they know they’re experienced enough to consistently win contracts, and they HAVE to be that good to find work.🔥) 👉 So, in reality, you get the "cream of the crop," new perspectives and more speed/flexibility. You get to skip over red tape and get straight to work. (Especially if you have support with choosing the right candidates.) If you’re considering this hiring move, OR you’re trying to convince your supervisor to consider it, give this blog post another look: https://lnkd.in/gRP-V3JS We posted it a while ago, but it’s still a good resource. I’d be interested to hear about other experiences with blended teams. What’s your favourite part?  What’s working best? #UXDesign #StaffAugmentation #UXContractors #BlendedTeams #DesignOps

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A small moment from a recent conversation stayed with me. Someone said, “I just want the space to stop fighting us.” That’s it, really. Good design doesn’t demand more from people. It carries some of the load - quietly, consistently, without asking for credit. Does your space work with or against you?

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The rules of great web design are shifting as we move into 2026. Beyond design that’s brand-appropriate and tasteful, next-generation websites must deliver speed, inclusivity, smart personalization, and authentic brand experiences, all of which we bring together to support Vancouver businesses vying for market share online. Some notable trends of 2026 include: 1) Human-Centred Design 2) AI-Driven Experiences 3) Accessibility First — Design for Everyone 4) Performance-First Web Design in Vancouver 5) Storytelling & Emotional Brand Journeys https://lnkd.in/gFdFFND3

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Let’s be honest — the term “EPR” (Electronic Patient Record) doesn’t exactly get pulses racing anymore. But maybe that’s the problem... We’ve spent so long talking about EPRs as systems — procurement projects, interoperability puzzles, or upgrade headaches — that we’ve forgotten what they’re really about: people, decisions, and trust. The Challenge seems to be that working with EPRs isn’t just a technical or operational task. It’s cultural. It’s about changing how clinicians work, how patients are seen, and how data is valued. It’s slow, often frustrating, and rarely neat. And yet — it’s vital. We need to engage now because EPRs are no longer "coming" — they’re here. And whether you’re directly implementing one or feeling its ripple effects, this conversation is already shaping your world. Sitting it out isn't an option anymore. And the biggest opportunity lies in the uncomfortable questions: - How do we make EPRs feel useful, not just usable? - How do we design them WITH frontline teams, not just FOR them? - How can we unlock secondary benefits like better insights, safer care, or even workforce wellbeing? This isn't just an IT initiative. It's a live experiment in how we modernise healthcare — not just with better tools, but with better conversations. If you're interested in exploring these questions further, join this upcoming discussion: Working With EPRs – What's Really Needed? — a chance to hear real experiences, share lessons, and dig into what it really takes to make EPRs work in practice. Would love to hear from others too: What’s been your biggest lesson when working with or around EPRs? #DigitalHealth #EPR #NHS #HealthInformatics #ChangeManagement #HealthTech #Leadership #Transformation

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Currently coding a tool that brings RFP's from all around Canada + US to our doorstep, integrating into our Notion Dashboard, and are also ranked for applicability to our studio. It also sets up Google Alerts for key search terms relating to business development for us, flagging viable opportunities. Work smarter and harder. 💡

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Your AI Model Is Not Your Friend Last week I wrote about why the design process isn't dead, it just needs to evolve. Here's a piece of what that looks like. A common criticism of the traditional design process is that it pushes designers to overweight desirability and underweight viability and feasibility. AI gives us an easy way to correct for this early: take a problem statement or job to be done and run it past your favorite LLM for a viability and feasibility gut check before anyone starts solutioning. With a good model, this works. You get pushback on potential technical complexity, market timing, data scarcity, unit economics. Real friction in the right places. But on a lesser model (like whatever is on the free tier of ChatGPT), you get a cheerleader. "That's a great idea! Super viable!" Not helpful. The problem is sycophancy, and it's worth calling it what it is: a form of bias. We talk about AI bias in terms of data and representation, but sycophancy is bias too. A systematic distortion toward positivity. The model isn't giving you an honest assessment, it's giving you one skewed towards what it was trained that you want to hear. And in a context where someone is learning to evaluate ideas (I'm testing this in a class I teach), biased feedback is worse than no feedback. Here's a few ways to prompt past it: Ask for the negative. Instead of "evaluate the viability," try "tell me everything wrong with this" or "why would this be hard to build?" Give it a mean persona. "You are a hyper-critical CTO" or "a risk-averse investor who's been burned in the past." Ask what would need to be true. "What would need to be true for this to succeed?" Forces the model to surface assumptions instead of giving a thumbs up. Use a pre-mortem. "This project launched and failed. What went wrong?" Works on AI for the same reason it works on humans. Request a structured teardown. Have the model rate feasibility, viability, and desirability separately on a scale. It's harder to be vaguely positive when you have to commit to a number. Maybe someday, none of this will be necessary. The best models are already pushing back on their own (Opus 4.6 does a pretty good job of this without all the prompt gymnastics), but on free tiers, you have to prompt for criticism the same way you'd seek out the most skeptical person in a design review. Sycophancy is dangerous because it feeds biases that already exist anywhere people evaluate ideas: confirmation bias, groupthink, the HiPPO effect. AI is just giving us a new, very agreeable source of false validation. This is the kind of thing I'm referring to when I talk about judgment over process. No step-by-step framework is going to tell you when the model is blowing sunshine up your... assumptions. You have to learn to feel it.

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In addition to the values that Barry is building with, I have to say that the design prowess shown in the product is so refreshing - it feels simple and powerful (unlike the very bloated products we're forced to use everyday). Using this tool really got me wondering how we might rethink and rebuild utilities that we use everyday and how they might feel with designers at the helm...driven this time by strong ethical and design principles driving decisions and a clear business model. It's got me wondering if there's other opportunities to rethink our everyday tools and build something different 🤔

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🌟 The Great Domain Debate: .ca vs .com 🌟 🌐 Your domain extension is more than just a digital suffix; it's a vital part of your business's online identity. In Canada, choosing between a .ca or .com domain has sparked plenty of debates among business owners and developers. Our latest blog delves deep into this discussion, examining how each choice impacts local search visibility, customer trust, and long-term growth potential. Over a decade of building WordPress websites for Canadian businesses teaches us that this decision isn't just about preference, but aligning with strategic business goals. If you're a Canadian business owner, you'll gain insights into how a .ca domain builds local trust and boosts SEO, just as much as a .com can extend your brand's reach globally. The article also highlights strategies for brand protection and future-proofing your digital presence, even suggesting when it might be beneficial to own both domains. Dive into our comprehensive analysis and make an informed choice for your business's digital first impression! #CanadianBusiness,#SEO,#DomainStrategy,#WPExpert

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Having worked in product design for quite some time, I often find that speakers, particularly those addressing non-design audiences, can feel repetitive or a bit too surface-level. That wasn’t the case with Genevieve G. from Wealthsimple. At all. She spoke at Elevate earlier today and I truly wish I’d transcribed everything she said…but one key takeaway stuck with me: their design team’s commitment to making every design simple, human, and trustworthy. She elaborated on each, but the emphasis on trustworthy design really resonated most. In an industry often plagued by lengthy terms and conditions, hidden or intentionally unclear fees, and many other dark patterns, it was super inspiring to hear her design team’s commitment to the exact opposite. As one of their users and a product designer, it was always crystal clear how much they valued and prioritized design, but to have Genevieve so clearly articulate their team’s ‘design north star’ really spotlighted how intentional it all is.

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We need a REAL standard for AI-generated media. (Not a new idea, I know.) But if AI can create realistic images and videos at scale, there should be a built-in way to verify whether a file is synthetic or at least heavily AI-assisted. Not a visible label that gets cropped out. Not metadata that vanishes the second a file gets reuploaded. LinkedIn can flag an AI image on upload, but run that same file through Photoshop and re-export it, and the AI label gets replaced by a Photoshop one. Something deeper, something durable. A single source of truth that stays attached to the file so people, platforms, and journalists can actually verify what they're looking at. The problem isn't that AI media exists. It's that fake media can spread as real with almost no friction. We need both a technical standard for sources and (imo) legal consequences for using AI-generated media to DECEIVE people at scale. This is tricky, but something has to be done. The technology is moving faster than the systems meant to keep reality anchored. That gap needs to close. AGI is inevitable. What happens when AI starts completely controlling our news consumption? It gets so good that we don't even question anything anymore. Just fed propaganda or straight-up lies. This is already happening to a degree. I don't have the answers, just food for thought.

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🚀 Daily Design Drop: Quebec — Digital Identity, Redefined In a world where data privacy and identity control are more crucial than ever, design has the power to simplify trust. This concept, Quebec, represents a secure and decentralized approach to managing digital identity — empowering users to take full control of their personal data. 🎯 Design Intent The interface focuses on clarity, security, and user empowerment. I wanted to build a visual experience that feels both futuristic and reliable. 🧩 Core Features Highlighted Streamlined Verification — verify once, use everywhere. User-Controlled Consent — share what you want, when you want. Enhanced Security — protect your data from centralized vulnerabilities. 🎨 Visual Direction A dark interface for sophistication and trust. Neon cyan elements for energy and tech identity. Clean typography and smooth gradients for a seamless modern flow. Design isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about building confidence through experience. This project explores how intuitive design can make complex technology feel simple and human. 👉🏽 What’s your take on decentralized identity? Would you trust a system like this to manage your data? #UIDesign #UXDesign #Web3Design #FintechUI #DesignStrategy #DailyDesign #DigitalIdentity #ProductDesign #DesignForTrust #LinkedInDesign

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Senior design leadership gaps don’t wait for hiring cycles. We’re seeing more product teams pause permanent hiring, while delivery expectations stay exactly the same. To support that reality, TDA now provides interim Principal Designer and Design Director level support for teams that need senior capability, fast. This isn’t about adding capacity. It’s about covering leadership gaps, stabilising teams, and keeping momentum while longer-term decisions are made. Same quality bar we apply to permanent hires. Just delivered in a more flexible way. More to share soon. #ProductDesign #DesignLeadership #InterimLeadership #ScalingTeams #TDA

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Great design doesn’t just need a story—it needs everyone telling the same one. I have found that the most compelling customer conversations happen when sales tells the same story design is designing. When we align on the vision, show where the experience is headed, and ground it in what’s real today, customers don’t just get excited—they lean in and want to help shape what’s next. They help create and drive real momentum. https://lnkd.in/gkESpMhf

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