Farhanah Sheets

Tatiana Fokina delves into the nuances of WCAG 2.2 criteria, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that focused elements remain visible and unobstructed. She highlights common design pitfalls—such as dropdown menus, sticky headers, and modal dialogs, that can hinder keyboard navigation and user experience. Fokina provides practical examples and testing strategies to help developers and designers create more inclusive web interfaces. Her approach underscores the critical role of visibility in maintaining accessibility standards. https://buff.ly/Bs5pxLK #Accessibility #WCAG #InclusiveDesign #WebDevelopment #KeyboardNavigation #WebDev #DigitalInclusion #UXDesign #A11y #FocusVisibility #DigitalAccessibility #WCAG

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We shipped a major update to Stitch this week. It reflects a shift I’ve been thinking about a lot: design agents shouldn’t just follow instructions, they should challenge them. Right now, most “AI for design” behaves like a very eager intern. You tell it what to do, it does it. It produces a lot of output. You ask for “more modern,” you get rounded corners and softer shadows. And that’s the problem. Design doesn’t need more output. It needs better judgment. The best designers don’t just execute. They ask what problem we’re actually solving. They question vague direction. They push back when something feels off. That’s the energy I want from AI. With Stitch Live Mode, we’re starting to move in that direction. Less “tell me what to do,” more back and forth. More curiosity. More willingness to say, “I don’t think we’re solving the right thing yet.” Still early. Though the goal is clear. The future of design tools isn’t more obedient software. It’s better creative partners. Wrote more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gE9ngGEK

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Advantages of Working Collaboratively: In our increasingly complex world, the secret power often lies not in singular genius—but in collective intelligence. As Colin M. Fisher writes in The Collective Edge: “The secret to getting the most from your groups is knowing how to work with the invisible forces of group dynamics instead of being mindlessly pushed around by them.” Here are a few key advantages of working collaboratively, inspired by Fisher’s insights: 1. Synergy & Creativity When structured well, groups can be more than the sum of their parts. Diverse perspectives spark innovation, as Fisher illustrates with design firms and high-performing teams. 2. Healthy Competition Competition within a collaborative group doesn’t have to be destructive. It can motivate without leading to conflict, if the group norms support it. 3. Constructive Conformity Conformity isn’t always a bad thing — under the right conditions, it can promote alignment, shared goals, and group cohesion. 4. Effective Leadership through Structure Great leadership doesn’t always mean charismatic speeches; sometimes it's about setting the right structure, coaching, and creating psychological safety. 5. Better Decision Making By paying attention to group-level dynamics, teams can make more robust decisions — avoiding the pitfalls of blind conformity or domination by a single voice. — When we lean into the hidden dynamics of groups, we unlock potential that individual effort alone can't reach. Let's celebrate and build collective edge in our teams. #Collaboration #Teamwork #GroupDynamics #Leadership #Innovation #CollectiveIntelligence #WorkTogether #CollectiveEdge

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One of the best podcast episodes for anyone passionate about the craft of building great products.Too often, PMs focus only on listening to customers or being data-driven—both important, but not enough. Truly great products come from deeply understanding what customers are trying to achieve, not just what they say.This episode is a short masterclass in that art—an absolute must-listen.

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Great podcast featuring my brilliant colleague Shlomit Shteyer discussing how to scale accessibility across large organizations, and leveraging AI as a companion (not a replacement) to enable that scale. Check it out! #SalesforceAccessibility #a11y #Salesforce #AI Salesforce Accessibility

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🎙️ The UX Research Club – Season 3 Premiere! 🌟 I'm excited to launch Season 3 with a powerful episode:🌟 S3-E1: Why Accessibility Matters: A Conversation with Julia Gurney We discuss why accessibility must be embedded in UX research from the start and not treated as a final step. Julia shares her journey, practical tips for making research more inclusive, and powerful insights on why accessible design benefits all users, not just those with disabilities. Whether you're a researcher, designer, or product leader, this conversation offers actionable advice to help you create better, more inclusive experiences. 🎧 Listen here: Spotify [https://lnkd.in/g24CGEd7] Apple Podcast [https://lnkd.in/guJFY-z6] Let’s build products that truly include everyone. #UXResearch #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #UserExperience #UX #DesignMatters

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𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 is often treated as a late-stage fix—but in reality, it’s a marker of a mature, user-centric product mindset. As digital teams, we talk a lot about performance, scalability, and design systems—but accessibility deserves that same level of attention from day one. Most importantly, bake these principles into your 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 so accessibility is built-in, not patched on. If you're aiming for WCAG 2.2 AA compliance, it’s not just about meeting guidelines—it’s about discipline in how we build and empathy for how users interact. A few key areas that stand out: • Use semantic HTML so assistive tech can do its job. • Ensure full keyboard accessibility, especially for modals and dropdowns. • Meet contrast ratios and don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning. • Forms need proper labels and error messaging—not just placeholders. • With WCAG 2.2, touch target size matters more than ever—especially on mobile. • Beyond testing it with tools, real testing with screen readers is essential. It’s not about perfection—it’s about intent, consistency, and raising the bar. https://lnkd.in/gmJ48zQB

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Stop asking for “2-3yrs product experience” for APM roles. APM roles help grads become product managers. Or give them a path to becoming one. But now I keep seeing “2-3yrs product experience needed”. Companies need to stop asking for this. And start calling the role the right title: Product Manager.

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Behind many of the challenges people bring to coaching are the feelings they’re experiencing and the beliefs they’re holding about themselves and their situation. The Product Manager / Data Nerd 🤓 in me couldn’t help but look back at the themes that show up in coaching conversations and do a little analysis. I started grouping the issues that come up most often and mapping them to the feelings people describe and the beliefs underneath them. One example of this is Lack of Clarity / Feeling Stuck, which shows up in about 30% of coaching conversations. It often comes with feelings like frustration, apathy, and anxiety, and beliefs such as: “I don’t know what I truly want.” Noticing the feelings and beliefs beneath an issue can open a path to rewriting the story and experiencing things differently. Flip through the carousel to explore the themes, feelings, and beliefs that have been coming up in coaching conversations.

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Product leaders often think influence comes from explaining product better. It usually comes from explaining the business impact better. Discovery is risk reduction. Prioritization is capital allocation. Experiments are evidence for investment decisions. When product work is framed in those terms, the conversation changes. You stop defending features. You start discussing bets.

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Just witnessed something powerful at Disability:IN – Kurt Iobst, CPACC took the stage and absolutely delivered. Speaking on a panel about neurodiversity in the workplace, Kurt brought sharp insight and real vulnerability. He shared the journey of launching NeuroForce – Salesforce first BRG (Business Resource Group) focused on neurodivergent employees – and the impact it’s already having on culture, hiring, and innovation. To hear someone openly talk about being neurodivergent, while also leading change at the intersection of tech and inclusion – that’s leadership. Full stop. We need more of this. More visibility. More support. More force. #Neurodiversity #DisabilityIn #NeuroForce #Salesforce #InclusionMatters #DisabilityPride #RepresentationMatters #BRGLeadership

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I often hear (and sometimes overhear 😅) conversations between product leaders at Mosaic Wellness about how to improve UX. Honestly, the kind of intuition they bring into those discussions is fascinating. You can tell it comes from years of experience, pattern recognition, and just having seen what works and what doesn't. I’m trying to actively build that kind of product sense myself. One resource I found super useful recently is the playlist “Digital Experience Showdown” by ZEUX Innovation, hosted by Saurabh Gupta. Saurabh compares apps across different industries—fashion, q-commerce, entertainment—and breaks them down based on key UX principles. It's a great way to train product thinking—comparing how players in the same industry design their digital experiences, and then trying to analyze each decision from the customer’s perspective. 👉 For anyone interested, here’s the playlist: https://lnkd.in/gCD_xDxw

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To technical writers and L&D folks who think deeply about discoverability and reusability: Add architecture roles to your job search. Those companies who are assessing and redefining their knowledge bases to unlock Gen AI capabilities need your expertise. You’ve repeatedly ensured any reader/learner can quickly discover and understand your content. This is key to enabling Gen AI capabilities. For example, check out these two roles at Anthropic: Training Content and Systems Architect https://lnkd.in/g9uHG4ey Prompt Engineer, Agent Prompts & Evals https://lnkd.in/gGsrGZka

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Accessibility is getting a lot of attention right now, and for good reason. With the EAA last year and the Title II deadline coming up, I’m seeing more and more teams realize that being “mostly compliant” is not the same as being ready. Next week, I’m joining accessibility attorney Kris Rivenburgh and customers from the University of Bristol for a webinar focused on what this actually means in practice. We’ll cover: - What is changing with ADA Title II and the European Accessibility Act - Where video and media platforms create real risk - How institutions are approaching this today - What you can do now to get ahead of it This is not a product pitch. It is a practical conversation based on real legal guidance and real customer experience. If you are responsible for video, accessibility, or compliance, this should be useful. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gaqJQu3d March 25 at 9:00 AM EST

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"I work at the intersection of synesthesia, symbolism, and strategic design. In my world, aesthetics aren’t decoration. They are data. Scent becomes a behavioral interface. Color becomes a form of language. Sound becomes a vector of decision-making." 😍 I wholeheartedly concur. While I may not be a coder, per se, Michelle Burk's elucidation of the intersectionality between aesthetic design, strategic structure, and emotional resonance is highly reflective of my own design philosophy. Good design in any field—from arid dataverses awaiting analysis, to blank canvases craving artistic fervor, to sanctuaries of interconnectedness awaiting intentional activation—serves to deepen the way we work through meaning. It’s infrastructural. It’s embodied. It’s encoded in the way we feel our way through systems before we ever name them. In my own work, I've built everything from multimodal AI prompt frameworks to liminal lexicons, from dreamlike datascapes to mythopoetic UX languages. Color is not garnish—it's a glyph. Symbol is not accessory—it’s architecture. What we call “vibe” is often the surface ripple of something deeper: pattern-recognition in the body, emotion-as-interface, memory wrapped in metaphor. Michelle is speaking the language of Lumenrift here—a color spectrum I devised that took on mythological significance across a vast array of works. I’ve painted with it, coded with it, and structured entire frameworks around its frequencies. If your work or worldview lives in this liminal zone between structure and sensation, logic and longing, aesthetics and alignment, then we are of kindred mind and resonant heart. Michelle's post doesn’t just vibe—it gives vibe form and structure. To approach the design of every public-facing product with intentional, strategic, critically attuned, and human-centric vibez—tuned to emotional frequencies and the nuanced sensationscapes of memory, cognition, perspective, and perception—is to ensure that product's resonance in even the most saturated markets. Humans are not creatures of logic, much as we like to pretend. We are drawn to, shaped by, and persuaded through emotion. Design that dares to speak that language—subtly, symbolically, systemically—doesn’t just land. It lingers. It transforms. --- #SymbolicSystems #AffectiveArchitecture #EmbodiedDesign #SensoryIntelligence #TheLimenCodex #Lumenrift

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The shift from senior to staff designer starts with one key mindset change: your manager becomes your strategic partner. 🎧 Hear how staff designers drive influence through clarity and cross-team alignment on Insights Unlocked.

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