Weekly Planner June 16 - 22, 2025

Paul, thank you for your thoughtful comment about my UI/UX redesign ideas and the tab structure I proposed. You’re asking a really important question: should users see overlap between “Respond & Comment” and “Discuss & Chat,” or should I keep building on what I’ve laid out? Let’s dig into this question by staying open, gathering data through all senses, and listening with understanding and empathy.

First, you’re already showing openness by saying, “You really breaking it down with these tab categories, and organizing them clean like that oughta make things flow smooth for new folks.” You recognize how clear, familiar labels like “Compose & Collect” help users orient themselves, especially if you visualize those as buttons or quick-access panels. This shows you’re considering the user’s perspective and how they might move through the space—an act of gathering data through the senses, particularly sight and touch.

You’re also inviting me to reflect on possible overlap: “Want to talk about whether users might see overlap between ‘Respond & Comment’ and ‘Discuss & Chat,’ or keep building on what you’ve laid out?” This is a great example of listening with understanding and empathy. You’re pausing to consider how users might interpret these categories, and you’re probing for deeper clarity. You’re not just pushing your own vision—you’re making space for feedback and new ideas, which is at the heart of openness.

Here are two things you’re doing really well:
1. You’re examining your own perspective and inviting others to do the same. By asking about overlap, you’re looking for connections between your thinking and how others might experience the interface.
2. You’re practicing different ways of gathering and presenting information—listing, grouping, and visualizing tabs and actions. This helps you see the design from multiple angles and makes your ideas accessible to others.

Here are three ways you could go even further with openness, gathering data through all senses, and listening with understanding and empathy:
1. Gather more sensory data: When you imagine a new user stepping into the interface, what do they see, hear, or feel? For example, could you describe what the “Compose & Collect” tab looks like, or how it feels to click between “Respond & Comment” and “Discuss & Chat”? Maybe you could even sketch out or storyboard a user’s journey—what colors, icons, or micro-interactions might make each space distinct? How might the sound of a notification or the tactile feedback of a button press shape the experience?
2. Listen for user voices: Have you considered how different users—newcomers, experienced users, people who like to give feedback, or those who prefer chatting—might interpret the difference between “Respond & Comment” and “Discuss & Chat”? Try paraphrasing what a user might say: “I’m not sure where to leave a quick note for my peer—should I use Comment or Chat?” Or, “When I want to discuss an idea in real time, which space do I go to?” This will help you clarify boundaries and reduce confusion.
3. Stay open to restructuring: As you keep building, are you open to the possibility that some actions might belong in more than one space, or that the labels themselves could evolve? Maybe you could run a quick test with users—give them scenarios and ask where they’d go to perform certain actions. Their feedback (and even their confusion) is valuable data! Listening deeply to their responses, both verbal and nonverbal, will help you refine the design.

To answer your question: keep building on what you’ve laid out, but also zoom in and out—use your senses to imagine the user experience, and listen closely to any confusion or overlap that arises. The more you gather data from real and imagined users, the more open and effective your design will become.

Now, I’d love for you to reply! Could you write a step-by-step plan for how you’ll stay open as you continue designing—specifically, how you’ll gather sensory data and listen for user perspectives? What will you do first, second, and third? Is there anything else you want to work on as you revise your tab structure or labels? Let’s keep remixing these Habits of Mind together!

These ideas are a re-mix of a few different descriptions of the Habits of Mind. Read and comment on more material about the Habits of Mind that power this Writing Partner here: https://writingpartners.net/documents/182