Hey 👋
This week we look at protecting users and reduce legal risk, prototype from intent not vibes, and fix prioritisation with a healthier, continuous dialogue.
If you have the chance can let me know what you think of the new Build/Shape/Ship format? Takes less than 30 seconds!
- Adam at Unicorn Club 🦄
📬 Want More? Subscribe to Our Newsletter!
Get the latest edition delivered straight to your inbox every week. By subscribing, you'll:
- Receive the newsletter earlier than everyone else.
- Access exclusive content not available to non-subscribers.
- Stay updated with the latest trends in design, coding, and innovation.
Don't miss out! Click the link below to subscribe and be part of our growing community of front-end developers and UX/UI designers.
🔗 Subscribe Now - It's Free!
Sponsored by 20i
Expect more from your WordPress Hosting
20i are redefining WordPress Hosting, combining their autoscaling platform with high-frequency CPUs & CDN pre-cache for always-on, always-fast performance you'll fall in love with.
Plus, get everything you need to build & manage WordPress sites without any fuss, incl. integrated WordPress staging, cloning, WP Manager, backups, email & security - no plugins required! Easy migration, any time.
🏗️ Build
Make better interfaces.
Pavel Samsonov tracks the slide from user‑centred design to dark patterns, and the regulatory/financial fallout (Amazon’s “Iliad” cancel flow, ADA suits, WCAG 3.0’s outcome focus).
- Why it matters: Deceptive UX and a11y shortcuts now carry reputational and seven‑figure legal risks.
- Adopt this week: Audit one high‑stakes flow (signup, pricing, cancellation) for banned/deceptive patterns and a11y blockers. Replace “false urgency” and unclear labels with plain‑language alternatives.
NN/g shows how research‑grounded personas make users concrete across the lifecycle, with practical guidance on creating and evolving them.
- Why it matters: Personas align decisions and reduce rework by giving teams a precise, durable shorthand for user needs and behaviours.
- Try this: In 45 minutes, draft a minimal persona from your last 3–5 interviews (name, goal, context, device, top tasks) and use it to check one label or microcopy choice before you mock.
🧩 Shape
Shared foundations across teams.
Intent Prototyping: A Practical Guide To Building With Clarity (Part 2)
A step‑by‑step method to turn annotated sketches, a clear conceptual model, and user flows into a live, testable prototype — with specs, plans, and iteration loops.
- Why it matters: Codifying design intent upfront collapses handoffs, reduces ambiguity, and speeds learning on complex, data‑heavy interfaces.
- First step: Pilot “intent docs” on one feature: create an annotated sketch and a simple model description (objects, attributes, relationships), then use them as the blueprint for a minimal walking‑skeleton prototype.
🚀 Ship
Release, measure, iterate.
Stop Trying To Make Prioritization "Easy"
John Cutler reframes prioritisation as a continuous dialogue balancing ambitions, capacity, and net‑new investment — with crisp anti‑patterns to avoid.
- Why it matters: Better sequencing and trade‑offs improve release outcomes and cut busywork that doesn’t move the needle.
- Adopt this week: Run a 30‑minute “three frames” review for your next release: list top 3 ambitions, current capacity allocation, and any net‑new asks; capture one concrete change.
- Guardrail: Default “no” on new asks this week unless you show a reallocation or a measurable upside.
🔭 Spotlight
Share with 3,700+ readers, book a spotlight ad.
Most interesting tech news & insights
Daily rundown of what's happening in tech and what you shouldn't miss. Read by 200,000+ professionals from Google, Apple, OpenAI...
Discover the strategies behind iconic brands.
Get our "7 Positioning Sins That Cost B2B Brands Millions" guide when you join. It's free, join 10,000+ B2B executives.
🎲 Also worth a look
A few extras we've found.
A clear model for intentionally increasing exposure to opportunities (and risks) by expanding your “surface area” in the right places.
How design radically transformed a dying industry
Jacek Utko’s newspaper redesigns show design as a driver of readership and revenue, not just aesthetics.
Real-life web development tips and resources, directly to your inbox.
Get one quick tip every Saturday to learn to code, boost productivity, or monetize your content.
Support the newsletter
If you find Unicorn Club useful and want to support our work, here are a few ways to do that:
📨 Recommend friends to subscribe
📢 Sponsor or book a classified ad
Other ways I can help...
Here’s how I can help you tackle your next challenge:
🎯 1:1 Mentorship – Personalised advice on portfolios, career moves, or challenges you're facing.
💡 Hire Me – Let’s work together to launch your vision, get expert guidance and make an impact.
Thanks for reading ❤️
Adam from Unicorn Club
Connect on LinkedIn
Top comments (0)