In this episode of the UX Fika podcast, I sit down with Vitaly Friedman, UX Lead, founder and editor-in-chief of Smashing Magazine, and curator of the SmashingConf conferences.

Vitaly has spent more than two decades working with large organisations on complex digital systems, helping teams improve the user experience of intricate products while also figuring out how to actually measure the impact of design. In our conversation, he shares why he has always been drawn to complexity — the messy systems, the broken processes, and the difficult stakeholder situations where design often struggles to make progress.

We talk about the evolution of UX over the past twenty years and why many teams still struggle to demonstrate the value of their work. Vitaly shares how measuring UX impact has become an increasingly important part of the role, and why designers need better ways to connect their decisions to real outcomes for users and organisations.

We also dive into AI and what it means to design effective AI experiences. Vitaly explains why many current AI interfaces are still clumsy and confusing, and why designing for AI requires us to rethink how we handle uncertainty, feedback, and user expectations.

Along the way we talk about Smashing Magazine and the community around it, how conferences create spaces for designers to learn from one another, and why writing, teaching, and sharing knowledge has always been central to his work. Plus what the world will be like in 2047, why he’s a fixer, what made him start singing in the shower again. It’s the kind of conversation I did not want to end.

Plus:

☕️ Why a flat white and blueberries are his go to fika

⭐ Why do something today is his advice

What we cover:

00:00 Introduction and Name Origins

05:06 The Evolution of Smashing Magazine

08:16 The Journey of Freelancing and Learning

11:11 The Impact of AI on Writing and Content Creation

14:10 The Importance of Authenticity in Writing

17:12 Complexity in Design and UX

20:13 Navigating Complex Projects

23:08 The Role of Designers as Disruptors

26:07 The Future of UX and Design in a Changing Landscape

43:49 Why Designers Can Be Difficult

46:42 Building Relationships in Design

49:33 The Hero's Journey in Design

50:52 Understanding Stakeholder Perspectives

53:54 Measuring Success in Design Projects

59:47 Navigating Complex Systems

01:02:12 The Importance of Asking the Right Questions

01:04:06 Embracing Complexity in Design

01:07:39 The Role of Journey Maps

01:09:11 The Future of AI in Design

01:14:13 The Evolution of User Interfaces

01:17:32 Reflections on the Future of Work

01:20:33 What Excites Him About the Future

01:21:34 Finding Joy in Problem Solving

01:26:23 Lessons Learned from Entrepreneurship

Where you’ll find Vitaly:

• LinkedIn
• Measure UX
• AI Design Patterns
• SmashingConf
• Smashing Magazine

Where you’ll find Anna & UX Fika:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anna on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠The UX Fika Digest newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠

Here's a taster of what we offer:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Storyboarding Presentations & Deliverables course⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Storytelling For Effective Meetings & Presentations Course⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠5 x One-on-one Coaching Sessions⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Membership to our community the Fika Room⁠