I recently spent a few days down in Raleigh, North Carolina for the 2026 UX Y'all Conference. Between soaking up the Southern hospitality, connecting with the incredible Triangle design community, and taking the stage to talk about physical-digital ecosystems, it was an inspiring week. The energy in the NC design scene is both inspiring and infectious right now!

‍

‍

My first stop was grabbing some local BBQ (you can't visit the Triangle without it) before heading over to the Marbles Kids Museum, which served as the perfect, creatively charged backdrop for the event.

‍

This was my second time attending UX Y'all, hosted by the Triangle UXPA crew. Huge props to the volunteer team for pulling together such an intentional lineup of speakers, workshops, and community events.

‍

The theme this year was Human. By Design. and it couldn't be more timely. We’re living through the most automated moment in history. Systems are getting infinitely faster and relentlessly logical, built to optimize rather than to understand. But as we all know, humans aren’t logical or linear. We bring context, emotion, and contradiction into everything we do.

‍

Throughout the week, the conversations kept coming back to exactly that: as AI and systems get better at efficiency, the gap between what’s built and what people actually need continues to grow. Designing for that messy, emotional, human gap isn't a flaw to work around; it's the core of the work we do.

‍

‍

I had the opportunity to take the stage and lead a session titled Beyond the Screen: UX Design for Physical-Digital Ecosystems.

‍

‍

At Loft, we’re constantly thinking about how technology and design unite. As I shared with the crowd, you can't just design a digital interface in a vacuum anymore. True innovation happens when the physical hardware and the digital experience are designed in parallel, creating a seamless ecosystem. When the physical and digital teams rally around strong consumer insights and a shared vision, that's when you achieve real product-market fit and deliver an experience that truly resonates.

‍

‍

You can read more about the thought process behind the presentation here!

‍

During the trip, I also got to catch up with a ton of brilliant designers, researchers, and strategists from NC's fastest-growing companies. It's always such a vibe to be in a room full of people who are passionate about advocating for the human experience when no one else is.

‍

‍

What an incredible week overall. Between the inspiring keynotes, the thoughtful conversations on the floor, and the energy around the future of UX, this trip was a perfect reminder of why I love being part of this community. Huge thanks to the UX Y'all team for the hospitality. Already looking forward to seeing what they do next year!

‍

‍