April 29th, 2025

Want better UX? Expect less from your audience.

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Hi Reader,

Ever click the wrong thing and instantly regret it? Yeah—so has everyone else.

In this week’s episode of Discussing Stupid, we break down the not-so-shocking truth behind most digital failures: people don’t pay attention. At all. And when your site or system assumes they do, that’s when things go sideways.

In Episode 14, Virgil and Cole discuss:
✅ Why designing for inattention is one of the smartest UX moves you can make
✅ How internal teams often design for themselves—not their users
✅ Why user testing and feedback will always beat assumptions
✅ How AI and other tools can create false confidence in bad design
✅ What it really means to design for the “lowest common denominator”

If you’ve ever thought “people just aren’t using this right,” this episode is a must-listen. Because maybe the problem isn’t your users—it’s your expectations.

Best regards,
The Discussing Stupid Team

DIG DEEPER

Designing for clarity means confronting two truths - simplicity is complex, and people don't read.

Simplicity is Not Simple

This piece from Mashable explores why designing for simplicity is surprisingly complex—and how thoughtful UX can prevent careless user mistakes before they happen.

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NN/g: How Little Do Users Read?

A classic from the Nielsen Norman Group that dives into user behavior patterns, skimming habits, and why expecting users to “just read” is a flawed strategy in digital design.

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"Nothing will ever replace user feedback."

Cole Schlotthauer - Episode 14

COMING UP NEXT

Episode 15: What separates good projects from great ones? Proper testing.

Most digital mistakes don’t come from bad ideas—they come from skipped steps. In our next episode, we sit down with High Monkey’s own Seth Moline to talk about quality assurance: what it is, why it’s often overlooked, and how it can make or break your user experience.

Virgil, Cole, and Seth unpack how methodical QA processes, staging environments, and attention to accessibility all play a role in creating polished, credible digital products. And they don’t hold back on the real-world consequences when teams get lazy or rushed.

Releasing May 13th, 2025

OTHER EPISODES OF INTEREST

Keys to balancing aesthetics and accessibility in web design

Accessible design isn’t just about having the right colors—it's about using them correctly

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Finding the metadata "Goldilocks zone"

Why finding the "just right" amount of tagging to do with metadata is crucial.

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The challenges of translating design into a responsive website build

Why making the build look like the Figma is such a challenge.

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High Monkey helps businesses optimize digital tools and platforms for better results. Whether it's improving workflows or building accessible websites, we focus on creating user-friendly, efficient digital experiences.

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