Koi Studios

Design artifacts and tools such as personas and journey maps are more than just a resource. Whether it’s mapping out ideas, stress-testing your designs, or refining your product until it actually speaks to your users—these tools are indispensable. Instead of just being “part of the process,” think of them as the glue holding everything together: ideas, feedback, iteration. Learn more about design tools and when to use them here ↓ #userexperience #uxdesign #productdesign #designframeworks

We are seeing a few new design patterns in iOS18. Some of these weren't called out by Apple. Take a look! ⬇️

🎯 Many companies maintain their competitive edge by offering features that rival or surpass their competitors. While this approach can drive success, it’s not without its challenges. In this guide, we’ll explore the potential pitfalls of chasing feature parity without a clear strategy, and how it can hinder real product growth. #productmanagement #productdesign #uxdesign

❗ Optimizing UX research isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters most. With project timelines always tight, it’s crucial to stay lean and intentional with your research efforts. At Koi, we’ve crafted a quick guide to help you choose the most effective research methods tailored to the questions you need answered. #userexpereincedesign #userresearch

This year, we’ve designed 8 products from concept to launch, and we’ve found that design workshops consistently serve as the most valuable tool for teams to align, ideate, and execute. Here are 4 ways you can leverage design workshops to enhance your product development process. #UXDesign #productdesign #DesignStrategy #Startups

👀 What are dark UX patterns and why are they detrimental to your brand? Dark UX patterns trick, guilt, or manipulate users into actions that benefit the company’s business goals without considering users’ needs. While these tactics might seem promising at first, they ultimately damage your brand through negative word of mouth, increased friction on your site, and lost customers who never return. 🔍 How do you achieve your business goals while still creating good user experiences? 📌 Here are some dark patterns that you should avoid, and alternatives for creating positive associations with your brand. By avoiding dark UX patterns and prioritizing user-centric design, you build trust, encourage loyalty, and ultimately drive sustainable success for your brand. Let's create better experiences together! #UXDesign #DarkPatterns #BrandLoyalty #DesignStrategy

Celebrating #NationalInternDay! 🌟 Today, we’re proud to highlight our talented Product Design Intern, Aran Kim. Aran has brought exceptional design skills to our team, contributing to feature design, conducting UX audits, and researching design patterns. With a unique background in fashion design, Aran’s solutions are not only visually stunning but also highly functional. We’re incredibly grateful to have Aran on our team and excited to see their continued impact.

“I love dealing with chatbots 🤖!” said no customer ever. However, AI chatbot use by brands has surged by 92% in recent years, and this trend is only accelerating. As we've designed various chatbot experiences, we've faced numerous design decisions: How human-like should it be? What personality should it have, and how do we visually convey that? Should it look more like a bot or a human? To answer these questions, we delved into research to find out. #userexperience #uxdesign #chatbots

🚀 New Research Shows Being Design-Driven Pays Off 🌟 How to articulate the business value of ease-of-use? A recent three-year study on Airbnb users sheds light on this. 🔑 Key Insight: Researchers surveyed hundreds of Airbnb users over the course of 3 years. Their goal was to understand what makes Airbnb trustworthy for booking. After running a series of statistical models, they found that the ease of use of Airbnb significantly boosts user satisfaction, trust, and booking intent. This research underscores the tangible benefits of prioritizing user-friendly design in digital products. When platforms are easy to navigate and use, the psychological benefits can indeed translate to business success! ----------------- Research: Yenjou Wang, et al. “Design of TAM-Based Framework for Credibility and Trend Analysis in Sharing Economy: Behavioral Intention and User Experience on Airbnb as an Instance.” Computer Science & Information Systems, vol. 21, no. 2, Apr. 2024, pp. 547–68. 

Two weeks ago I gave a talk at UXPA 2024 about starting a design business titled "6 figures in 6 months". The title makes me chuckle because it perfectly reflects our journey at Koi Studios. Sure, the title is a bit clickbaity, but that's exactly how we need to be resourceful at times. It's money-focused, and that's because we do set ambitious financial goals for ourselves. And finally, while we have our achievements, I often feel the anxiety that I'm not doing enough. During the talk, I shared insights on everything from optimizing our sales process to setting up our own OKRs. Special shoutout to Andrea Nguyen who created the content with me. Thank you to everyone who attended the session and took the time to chat with me. ❤️