Insight certainty 4/5 debate potential 3/5

Baxley: Every demand made on software users is a design failure

Bob Baxley · 35 years of product design wisdom from Apple, Disney, Pinterest and beyond | Bob Baxley · Jun 12, 2025 · at 48:02

Design leader Bob Baxley discusses why software creators have a moral obligation to minimize user friction and cognitive load.

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“Every time we make a demand on the audience, that's a failure on our part.”

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