🌀 Back to the UX Future – July DJRDU Recap

In our July session, DJRDU welcomed Ryan Wilson, Director of Product at Callibrity, for a sharp and timely discussion on returning to UX fundamentals in the AI era. Ryan argued that today’s industry has strayed from Donald Norman’s original holistic vision, becoming too fixated on interfaces and visual output. He called on UX professionals to reclaim their role as strategic product thinkers—using AI tools to support (not replace) foundational discovery and research practices.

One standout moment: Ryan shared how a 6-week discovery project for the Town of Cary prevented the development of an unnecessary dashboard—proving that thoughtful UX still saves time and builds the right thing.

Huge thanks to Ryan for leading such an insightful session and to all who joined us for the conversation. This is the kind of dialogue that helps move our discipline forward.

🎒 Next up: UX Design Summer Camp

We’re cooking up something a little different for August—a hands-on, small-group event we’re calling UX Design Summer Camp. We are still ideating on things, but it could be a mix of product definition, generative ideation, and fast-paced Vibe Coding challenges. Stay tuned for more details and sign-up info coming soon!

I hope y’all are staying cool & look forward to seeing you at our next event!

-James

James Gartrell - Design Jam RDU Founder - [email protected] 

👥 Bring a Friend + Join the Community

This event is open to friends and colleagues in UX, product, or adjacent spaces. If someone in your orbit would enjoy the vibe, bring them along — just make sure they’re on the list: ✉️ Subscribe to Design Jam RDU

💬 Design Jam RDU Slack

And if you haven’t yet, jump into our Slack so we can keep the conversation going before and after the event:

💬 Join the DJRDU Slack