https://clairepemberton.com/blog Essays by product designer Claire Pemberton on interface psychology, AI, research and the small decisions that shape how a product feels. en Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://clairepemberton.com/posts/it-started-with-a-sun-emoji https://clairepemberton.com/posts/it-started-with-a-sun-emoji Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT My pen pal in Sudan and I didn’t share a language, so we built one from emojis. Five years on, that friendship shapes why I design for people, not numbers. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/when-ai-acts-for-us https://clairepemberton.com/posts/when-ai-acts-for-us Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT As AI moves from answering questions to taking actions, the design problem shifts from capability to control: when it should act, when it should ask, and how people can see and undo what it did. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-last-human-decision https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-last-human-decision Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT As AI makes better and better recommendations, which decisions should stay meaningfully human, even when automation would be faster? https://clairepemberton.com/posts/ai-can-design-a-thousand-interfaces https://clairepemberton.com/posts/ai-can-design-a-thousand-interfaces Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT As generating screens, prototypes and code gets cheap, product judgment becomes the scarce skill: choosing what to test, catching what only looks finished, and letting evidence decide. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-languages-our-phones-cant-spell https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-languages-our-phones-cant-spell Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Almost half the world’s languages are endangered. Languages fade when families stop passing them on, and keyboards, forms and AI now shape which ones feel worth keeping. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-next-social-network-might-not-have-a-feed https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-next-social-network-might-not-have-a-feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT What if social platforms were designed around the relationships they strengthen, rather than the content they distribute? Plans, small groups, mutual first moves and better measures. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/why-social-platforms-want-us-to-perform https://clairepemberton.com/posts/why-social-platforms-want-us-to-perform Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT What if social software were designed for understanding rather than visibility? Interfaces that reward listening, vulnerability and real connection over posting and engagement. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/study-the-contradictions https://clairepemberton.com/posts/study-the-contradictions Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Research looks for recurring themes. But sometimes the most revealing insight comes from the one participant who behaves differently from everyone else. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/almost-clicking https://clairepemberton.com/posts/almost-clicking Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT A cursor hovering over a button, a message typed and deleted, a basket left full. Hesitation is a signal, not just a failed conversion. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/interfaces-that-make-you-capable https://clairepemberton.com/posts/interfaces-that-make-you-capable Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT Some products leave you feeling capable. Others leave you feeling dependent. How structure, feedback and progressive disclosure shape a person’s sense of competence. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/who-owns-an-idea https://clairepemberton.com/posts/who-owns-an-idea Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT A designer asks a question and AI generates dozens of directions. Where does authorship begin? A case for originality as judgement, not generation. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/designing-for-curiosity https://clairepemberton.com/posts/designing-for-curiosity Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT Most interfaces help people finish tasks quickly. What would a product look like if its purpose were exploration, discovery and unexpected connections? https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-right-to-be-unoptimized https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-right-to-be-unoptimized Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT If AI can keep optimizing our schedules, purchases and habits, should good design protect room for spontaneity, inefficiency and surprise? https://clairepemberton.com/posts/useful-imperfection https://clairepemberton.com/posts/useful-imperfection Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Not every irregularity is a flaw. How asymmetry, texture, personality and well-chosen friction make digital products more memorable without hurting usability. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/loading-screens https://clairepemberton.com/posts/loading-screens Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT A three-second wait can feel reassuring, frustrating or suspicious. How anticipation, effort and uncertainty change the way we experience time. https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-ux-of-changing-your-mind https://clairepemberton.com/posts/the-ux-of-changing-your-mind Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT Online conversations rarely let you revise an opinion without losing face. Interaction patterns that could make changing your mind visible and socially acceptable.