this is not another tech newsletter
or so I would like to think
I feel disconnected from a lot of newsletters, especially business focused or tech newsletters. They feel very academic, very “official.” I mean, I guess that makes sense considering they’re written by serious people, or so it seems. I guess I don’t consider myself so serious even though I’m a still-very-young-year old Associate Director of Information Architecture and User Experience.
Realistically, calling a newsletter about what are considered more serious topics “tech brat” makes me unserious. I don’t mind it though, because I’m tired of the usual positioning of these topics. Yes, there should be tough and serious conversations around AI but I also believe that in order to spearhead adoption and help peers adapt to the changing landscape of technology, we should make learning about AI more accessible and more fun.
So, welcome to tech brat, a weekly newsletter rounding up resources about AI and related tech topics meant for designers and other non-technical tech creators, operators, and leaders.
Let the record show that I named this tech brat before Charli XCX came out with her LP “brat.” The unfortunate reality is that I waited over 6 months to start writing, hence why I went back and forth deciding if I should keep the name. I felt connected to it, so I’m keeping it.
What makes this newsletter bratty is that it’s written by me, but also, it will probably evolve from a “for AI newbies” newsletter to something else, as my knowledge of the space evolves. You will also notice that I take some pretty bratty stances around AI, like for example, my disdain of conversations around Generative AI.
I believe having a beginner sharing resources makes this publication stand out from others that have experts talking to beginners. Nothing wrong with experts trying to share ideas, knowledge, and guidance, there’s major benefit in such publications. However, I think there’s something more approachable and more fun about learning together.
So here’s the first of hopefully many weekly roundups that will include links I’ve found helpful or interesting throughout the past week, and the occasional opinion section or wild piece, sent directly to your inbox.
Current Learning Phase: Research and Information Absorption
Educational Resources
The recipe for building AI Models
Recently I started seriously reading about AI in relation to How AIs are built. I wanted to read more about what the current process is like because I realized that through conceptualizing new products and working on the initial experiences and Information Architecture (IA) concepts for their MVPs, I myself have lead the ideation of a few AIs.
The first article that really confirmed I have gone as far as identifying what type of Algorithm might be appropriate for a certain AI was this LinkedIn article by Daniel L. Building Your First AI Model: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide
This had me wondering how the role of UX Designers might evolve. Consequently, it also had me wondering if my involvement in these types of projects was more by accident. Is it due to my Information Architecture background? Is it due to me just being the go-to person to bring on when conceptualizing products and digital solutions and not an indication of where the industry is moving? Will positions such as “AI Architects/Designers” be a thing in the near future? Something to think about.
That topic aside, here is another valuable link on Building AI Models:
How to Create Your Own AI Model from Scratch? - This one breaks down the steps a little more and also starts including some code snippets. I personally have some experience with Python and some other coding languages so the snippets actually give me a little bit of context to “visualize” what might be going on in the background. However, even if you don’t it’s a valuable resource to kick off further research.
The main types of AI Models
After the epiphany that any good strategic thinker with a semblance of creative problem solving talent can work on designing an AI Model (controversial opinion?) I started looking at different types of AI Models.
This random blog post that’s intended to drive traffic to this company’s enterprise solution was a surprisingly good jumping off point to start my research around the different types of AI Models. Now it’s time to really do my homework and provide some, maybe actual academic resources(?) for next week.
I would like to see where these links might lead you in your research, so please share what you find helpful in the comments or chat. The point of tech brat is to create a community of newbies that share valuable info with each other, so let’s get cookin’!
Interesting Opinion Pieces
The rise of the Model Designer
In my search for any indication of what the industry thinks about UX moving into “AI Model Design” I have found a lot of articles about how UX Designers should be utilizing AI in their work, and not many on how they should be learning about designing AIs. However, this gem of an opinion piece from Paz Perez for UX Collective on Medium, makes me think that I just might be ahead of the game (along with her) when thinking about the future of our work.
GenAI Will Change How We Design Jobs
Even though I have a certain aversion towards many Generative AI topics, Paz Perez linked this Harvard Business Review article as a source in her opinion piece. It’s a valuable read on the general state of how GenAI will change how we design jobs.
How Do You Change a Chatbot’s Mind?
Now this is the type of content I want to see about GenAI. NYT’s Kevin Roose wrote about changing ChatGPT’s, Llama 3’s, and other GenAI’s opinion of him. An interesting quote popped up here as well:
“Profound does what it calls “A.I.O.” — A.I. optimization — on behalf of Fortune 500 companies and other large businesses. (…) Mr. Cadwallader and Mr. Babbs believe that A.I.O. is the natural successor to S.E.O. — search engine optimization”
You best believe this quote alone will keep me busy this week.
Make your life easier
AI Powered Budgeting Tools
I’ve been out of school for years now but I can’t escape the back-to-school feeling I get every September. I was always a fan of Fall. September 1st to me is what January 1st is to most people. I stumbled upon this Substack Note by
outlining pros and cons of AI Budgeting Tools and I restacked it immediately to have it handy for when I’m ready to reevaluate my monthly budget, which is definitely on my list sometime this month. If you check out any of these or already use them, share your thoughts!News You Shouldn’t Miss
OpenAI agrees AI generated content needs designer label treatement
Investors are shorting AI companies
Android Gmail users are one step closer to the 21st century
Voldermort of the design world is making a lot of social media managers really mad
Are you smarter than an A.I.?
Here’s a fun quiz to test your eye sight and how well your “Where’s Waldo?” skills have improved since grade school - Quiz: Fake or Real Images?
In another universe…
This past August there have been many shakeups that I personally thought were interesting for the future of business and possibly design.
Starbucks hires a remote CEO
An interesting topic that popped up on my LinkedIn the week the newest Starbucks news dropped was “How to Fix the Starbucks Experience”.
Starbucks has an opportunity to adapt their customer experience to changing times. Their customers rely heavily on ordering through the app because the in-person ordering times are unreliable. However, the app has also been lacking, contributing to overall customer dissatisfaction. Instead of brainstorming what the next pumpkin spice latte concoction should be and how it could be marketed, why not bring some AI innovation to the app and extend it to their in-store experience?
Got beef?
Feel free to send hate mail directly to hello@jelenacolak.com.
Nice, I like this idea. I'm afraid I'm at the other end of the experience spectrum. Worked in tech all my life but hate what the tech bros are doing. More of a tech grump therefore.