UX design journal by Emily Backes — articles on user research, product design, AI, accessibility, and career advice for designers.https://emilybackes.designen-ushttps://emilybackes.design/post/linkedin-export-resume-bullets-aihttps://emilybackes.design/post/linkedin-export-resume-bullets-aiA recruiter-turned-designer explains why pasting a LinkedIn profile link into ChatGPT or Claude doesn't work, and shows two paths that do, a screenshot and the data export, to turn LinkedIn work history into resume bullets without AI inventing details.Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/ats-friendly-resume-templateshttps://emilybackes.design/post/ats-friendly-resume-templates11 free, ATS-tested resume templates for 2026, one for each real situation: entry-level, career change, executive, federal, academic, technical, and more.Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-tailor-resume-with-aihttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-tailor-resume-with-aiA recruiter-turned-designer explains how to tailor a resume with ChatGPT or Claude honestly, what gives AI-written resumes away, and where the line sits.Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/resume-fonts-ats-screeners-rejecthttps://emilybackes.design/post/resume-fonts-ats-screeners-rejectA recruiter-turned-designer breaks down which resume fonts and formatting choices actually break ATS parsing, from custom fonts to headers, footers, and icons.Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/ux-designer-job-outlookhttps://emilybackes.design/post/ux-designer-job-outlookIs UX design still in demand? BLS's 7% job outlook and this week's hiring data seem to disagree. Here's what each number measures, and what to do with both.Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTUX-UIhttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-is-vibe-coding-beginners-guide-for-designershttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-is-vibe-coding-beginners-guide-for-designersA true beginner's walkthrough of vibe coding for designers: what it is, which tool to start with, how to write a first prompt, and how to ship it live.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/ai-burnout-designershttps://emilybackes.design/post/ai-burnout-designersAI burnout is up 11 points in a year, and job loss ranked near the bottom of workers' fears. A product designer breaks down what's actually driving it.Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/ghost-jobshttps://emilybackes.design/post/ghost-jobsGhost jobs, explained by a recruiter who sat in the room. Real survey data on why companies post fake listings, plus the new Texas probe into LinkedIn.Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-quiet-quitting-actually-costs-youhttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-quiet-quitting-actually-costs-youA recruiter's take on quiet quitting, using Gallup and MIT Sloan data instead of manager advice to explain what it actually costs the person doing it.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-a-design-challenge-interview-actually-looks-likehttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-a-design-challenge-interview-actually-looks-likeA product designer breaks down what a design challenge interview actually looks like: the three formats, what panels evaluate, and real red flags to watch for.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/networking-for-jobshttps://emilybackes.design/post/networking-for-jobsHow to network for a job without the cringe. A former recruiter on which outreach messages get replies, why weak ties outside your field beat close ties inside it, and how informational interviews work as the mechanism for both.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/ai-resume-screening-bias-studyhttps://emilybackes.design/post/ai-resume-screening-bias-studyA UW study ran 3M+ AI resume-screening comparisons and found White and male names win by wide, predictable margins. Here's what the research actually shows.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/is-the-job-market-badhttps://emilybackes.design/post/is-the-job-market-badThe current job market isn't in your head. Record applications per opening, AI screening tools rejecting candidates before a human looks, and a white-collar recession nobody wants to name. Here's what's actually happening and why it's not just you.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-structure-a-resumehttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-structure-a-resumeA former recruiter breaks down resume structure for beginners: an interactive diagram, the XYZ bullet formula, and how to format a PDF so ATS can parse it.Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-companies-view-product-roleshttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-companies-view-product-rolesA recruiter-turned-designer read 58 live Product Designer postings for YOE, salary, remote policy, tools, and the requirements nobody expects.Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTUX-UIhttps://emilybackes.design/post/whats-happening-to-entry-level-design-jobshttps://emilybackes.design/post/whats-happening-to-entry-level-design-jobsEntry-level UX designer jobs are shrinking faster than the market overall. A recruiter-turned-designer breaks down the AI, seniority, and hiring data behind it.Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTUX-UIhttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-its-like-to-be-interviewed-by-an-aihttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-its-like-to-be-interviewed-by-an-aiA former recruiter turned AI product designer on why AI interviewers glitch, the data's trust gap, and what to ask before your interview turns out to be a bot.Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/job-search-burnouthttps://emilybackes.design/post/job-search-burnoutJob search burnout rewires your brain. After 241 applications and 156 ghostings, here's how I pushed through rejection, learned helplessness, and kept going.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/why-do-companies-have-so-many-interview-roundshttps://emilybackes.design/post/why-do-companies-have-so-many-interview-roundsA former recruiter on why companies have so many interview rounds: 2026 data on bloated hiring loops, and how to tell a normal process from a broken one.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/career-change-at-40https://emilybackes.design/post/career-change-at-40A midlife career change at 40 through the eyes of a recruiter who's screened hundreds of 40-plus candidates and made her own pivot into design years before that age applied to her.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/burnout-eyesight-recoveryhttps://emilybackes.design/post/burnout-eyesight-recoveryI temporarily lost 70% of my eyesight. A burnout physical symptom I never saw coming. While moonlighting as a product designer, my recruiting day job was destroying my health. Getting laid off was the only way out. Here's how to recover from burnout and recognize the signs you need to quit your job.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-i-actually-look-at-in-a-portfolio-reviewhttps://emilybackes.design/post/what-i-actually-look-at-in-a-portfolio-reviewA senior product designer and former technical recruiter breaks down what actually happens in a portfolio review, and what makes a case study earn a second read.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/ux-case-studies-brokenhttps://emilybackes.design/post/ux-case-studies-brokenUX case study advice for 2026: why the standard portfolio template fails and how to fix your UX case studies with real examples from a working product designer. Stop showing process. Start showing how you think.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTDESIGNhttps://emilybackes.design/post/spiral-career-typehttps://emilybackes.design/post/spiral-career-typeArthur Brooks says careers come in four types. If yours feels like left turns that only make sense to you, you might be a spiral. Here's what that means for job changes, burnout, and happiness.Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/config-san-francisco-designers-guidehttps://emilybackes.design/post/config-san-francisco-designers-guideConfig attendees: skip the tourist traps. A designer's guide to SF Chinatown food, Golden Gate Park walks, rooftop parks, and how to find Config side events that aren't gatekept.Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/figma-icon-library-audithttps://emilybackes.design/post/figma-icon-library-auditI found 786 icons with no index, no naming system, and 80 duplicates. Eight weeks later they were 240 named components in 23 categories. Here's the audit and the ratio that made it work.Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/onboarding-flow-backwardshttps://emilybackes.design/post/onboarding-flow-backwardsI built an onboarding flow that asked new users to add items right away. Eight interviews later, I had to admit the order was wrong. Every single person did the opposite.Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/why-i-code-prototypes-with-claudehttps://emilybackes.design/post/why-i-code-prototypes-with-claudeI build prototypes as real, running apps. Claude makes that fast enough for a designer to iterate. Here's why coded beats fake for the questions I need to answer.Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-apply-for-jobs-in-a-tough-markethttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-apply-for-jobs-in-a-tough-market241 applications. 156 companies never responded. 12 recruiter screens. Here's what I learned to get 2 job offers, so you can too.Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/omg-is-ai-going-to-take-our-jobs-yes-no-maybehttps://emilybackes.design/post/omg-is-ai-going-to-take-our-jobs-yes-no-maybeWill AI take your job? A recruiter-turned-designer's honest take, backed by 2026 data on AI augmentation, automation, and why problem-solvers stay employed.Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTUX-UIhttps://emilybackes.design/post/breaking-the-config-seal---my-first-time-at-the-figma-conferencehttps://emilybackes.design/post/breaking-the-config-seal---my-first-time-at-the-figma-conferenceA first-timer's honest recap of Figma's Config design conference in San Francisco. Why you need buffer days, how to crash side events without an invite, and the argument for just going.Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/beginner-friendly-advice-for-an-impactful-ux-portfoliohttps://emilybackes.design/post/beginner-friendly-advice-for-an-impactful-ux-portfolioBuilding your first UX portfolio? A designer and former recruiter shares how to pick a theme that stands out, write a personal statement no one skims past, and edit case studies down to the four things hiring managers actually care about.Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-create-jr-ux-ui-portfolio-presentationshttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-create-jr-ux-ui-portfolio-presentationsA step-by-step guide to a UX portfolio presentation: the POSTER framework, the best platforms for your deck, and how to tailor slides for each panel.Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-relevant-are-user-personas-a-personal-storyhttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-relevant-are-user-personas-a-personal-storyAre user personas still relevant in UX design? A personal story about buying a road bike and why demographic personas quietly exclude real users, plus what inclusive design uses instead.Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTUX-UIhttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-collect-free-ux-survey-responses-in-24-hourshttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-collect-free-ux-survey-responses-in-24-hoursHow to collect 300+ free UX survey responses in under 24 hours using Instagram Stories. A step-by-step UX research recruitment strategy with real results and a Google Forms template.Wed, 16 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTUX-UIhttps://emilybackes.design/post/ai-chatbots-customer-service-guidehttps://emilybackes.design/post/ai-chatbots-customer-service-guide71% of companies deploy chatbots. Only 16% of users engage. Here are the five UX mistakes that explain why, and what good looks like for retail, healthcare, and e-commerce.Sat, 12 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/the-productivity-hack-that-recruiting-gurus-on-linkedin-wont-give-youhttps://emilybackes.design/post/the-productivity-hack-that-recruiting-gurus-on-linkedin-wont-give-youThe productivity hack LinkedIn recruiting gurus won't sell you: do the thing you dread most, frequently. Practical job search, networking, and time management advice from a former recruiter.Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTTIPS & TRICKShttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-conduct-effective-ux-interviewshttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-conduct-effective-ux-interviewsA former technical recruiter's guide to user interview questions: NN/g's leading-question framework, the count-to-seven silence technique, and a four-part interview structure.Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTUX-UIhttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-think-about-accessibility-as-a-ux-designerhttps://emilybackes.design/post/how-to-think-about-accessibility-as-a-ux-designerA UX designer's personal perspective on accessibility, sparked by a snowboarding accident that caused temporary paralysis and vision loss. Why most industries still overlook disabled users.Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTLIFEhttps://emilybackes.design/post/my-ux-ui-journeyhttps://emilybackes.design/post/my-ux-ui-journeyHow a sociology grad and 13-year technical recruiter changed careers into UX/UI product design. A personal story about starting over, learning design, and why it's never too late.Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTLIFE