The Feed & The Thread - February 23, 2026

This episode covers Catherine Chu's argument against VR for cognitive empathy, Carrie Webster’s guide to eco-friendly web designs, and highlights from Nielsen Norman Group, CSS-Tricks, and more. It also features practitioners discussing honesty in portfolios and preparing for high-stakes interviews. Lastly, it announces the free UX Camp Summer event on May 30th with an open call for speakers. Show Notes In This Episode The limitations of VR for creating lasting cognitive empathy. Designing eco-friendly interfaces to reduce environmental impact. Insights from various design blogs on practical applications and considerations. Community discussions around honesty in portfolios, UX interviews, design inspirations, maintaining consistency in design systems, and the effectiveness of digital whiteboards. Articles Mentioned "No, VR can’t make you walk in others’ shoes" by Catherine Chu (UX Design.cc) "A Designer’s Guide To Eco-Friendly Interfaces" by Carrie Webster (Smashing Magazine) Additional articles from: Nielsen Norman Group CSS-Tricks Intercom Blog Community Discussions r/UXDesign - Whether being too honest is hurting their portfolio r/UXDesign - Preparing for an interview with the Director of UX r/design - Concept idea inspired by engine cowling design r/designsystems - Preventing developers from approximating components under pressure r/design - Digital whiteboards not being great for turning ideas into wireframes Announcement Chicago Camps is hosting UX Camp Summer on Saturday, May 30th. There's an open call for speakers—submit your idea today! It’s an online event, so you can join from anywhere in the world. Tickets are free, but if it’s within your budget, a general admission ticket costs $13.50. Get tickets now About The Feed & The Thread The Feed & The Thread is a daily summary of UX articles found in the industry and some light-touch updates from the UX Community found in online forums. It’s brief, and meant as a light-touch overview of what’s happening across UX.