79. UX Lessons from Life’s Little Moments with Frankie Kastenbaum

Frankie Kastenbaum is a senior UX designer and content creator. We explore how everyday experiences can provide valuable UX insights, the power of analogies, and Frankie’s approach to teaching junior designers.
How can everyday experiences like cooking or working out help you learn UX design?
Frankie is a senior UX designer and a twice-named LinkedIn top voice, known for her insightful and relatable content on social media.
Frankie has a unique approach to sharing UX design, finding insights in everyday activities, and using analogies to explain complex concepts. Frankie shares how she transitioned into UX through a boot camp and has since worked in various environments, from startups to corporate settings.
One of the highlights of our discussion is Frankie’s use of analogies. She explains how a good analogy can make UX concepts more relatable, especially for beginners or those outside the field. We discuss her favorite analogies, like comparing the UX process to cooking a meal - understanding user needs as ingredients, iterating like tasting a dish, and ensuring a delightful presentation.
Frankie also shares her thoughts on the common misconceptions about UX that analogies can help clarify. She talks about the challenge of explaining UX to non-designers and how breaking it down into familiar terms can bridge that gap.
Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting out, her methods can help you see your daily experiences in a new light and apply those lessons to your work. By using relatable analogies, we can make UX design more accessible and engaging for everyone.
Topics:
• 07:08 - The value of analogies
• 13:48 - Frankie’s favorite analogy
• 19:11 - Common misconceptions that analogies have helped to change perspective
• 23:05 - Analogies for explaining our job to non-designers
• 27:41 - Analogies for career shifters
• 32:33 - The pitfalls of symbols