EdTech Connect — Episode Summary

Episode Title

Melanie Lindahl: Beyond the Red Stapler, Budget Friendly UX Strategies for Higher Ed

Host

Jeff Dillon

Guest

Melanie Lindahl, Senior User Experience Designer, University of Texas at Austin

Date

September 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features an insightful conversation with Melanie Lindahl, a celebrated UX designer in higher education recognized for her hands-on, budget-friendly approach to user experience (UX). Melanie shares practical strategies that empower even lean teams with limited resources to make meaningful improvements to digital experiences on campus. The episode delivers actionable advice, unpacks the complexities unique to higher ed UX, and dispels common myths, with plenty of memorable analogies and candid insights.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Fine Arts to UX: Shifting Mindsets (03:06)

• Melanie’s creative background in art differs significantly from her user-focused design approach.
  • Quote (03:10):
    "When I create art, I create art for myself. ... With UX work, it's the exact opposite. I have to remove myself from that experience and only focus on building things for other people." — Melanie
• Transitioning into higher ed UX was natural but challenging due to the lack of user-centered thinking.
  • Early experience:
    Quote (04:24):
    "I made a comment, I think it was my first week, that something wasn't user friendly. And they said, 'We don't care.' And it was like this Bon Jovi moment—shut through the heart." — Melanie

2. Demystifying UX in Higher Ed: Why It’s Needed (04:45, 08:46)

• Higher education often lacks mature UX practices or dedicated budgets.
• Melanie frames investment in UX as an avenue to meet core university goals: higher enrollment, better student engagement, less staff workload.
• Quote (08:52):
  "UX can help with those pain points...through thoughtful research and identifying issues, requirements, solutions—it's here for all of it." — Melanie

3. Budget-Friendly UX Strategies (09:36)

• Most effective UX activities are inexpensive and simple.
  • User interviews, quick surveys, real-time feedback during design—not just post-launch fixes.
  • Quote (09:44):
    "It's cheaper to do UX now versus shoving it in after you launch...Let’s just start doing more of it because not enough is being done in higher ed." — Melanie

4. Hands-On Tactics: Pizza, Donuts & Conversation (10:44, 11:42)

• Small incentives (like pizza/donuts) make focus groups work.
• Face-to-face conversations (tabling events, hallway intercepts) yield valuable feedback.
• Melanie’s lean approach: often avoids expensive tools, relying instead on Excel, hands-on note-taking, and human interaction.
  • Quote (11:42):
    "My tool set is my brain. ... I'll just set up a table in the building with some donuts. ... We'll just talk and go through pain points." — Melanie

5. The Role of AI in UX (05:36, 14:01)

• AI is useful for ideation, summarizing user testing, and drafting reports, but lacks the nuanced judgment required for human-centered design.
  • Cautious optimism about AI Personas for feedback—concerns about "sycophant" feedback loops (06:20).
• Gen X skepticism: both speakers favor tried-and-true analog notetaking over AI solutions for critical moments.
  • Quote (15:54):
    "A lot of us are in the same boat...It's some kind of weird race, but we don't know where the finish line is." — Melanie

6. Common Myths & UX Advocacy (16:06)

• Major myth: UX takes more time and money—opposite is true.
  • Cookie Analogy (16:37–17:32):
    "If you forget the chocolate chips and try to shove them in after the cookies are baked, they're going to break apart…Would you ask me to do that again? No. You just lost trust." — Melanie
• UX done iteratively reduces risks, saves time and resources, and builds trust.
• Data from UX research is powerful when advocating with skeptical leadership.
  • Quote (18:08):
    "UX does not do well with assumptions." — Melanie

7. Empowering Non-UX Teams (20:02)

• Don’t wait for permission or dedicated staff—just start!
  • Ask users about their pain points and iterate from there; results snowball into bigger support over time.
  • Quote (20:02):
    "The best small step...It's just do something. It’s better than nothing. Just go talk to users about their pain points, about their pain points. Just start asking questions." — Melanie

8. Real-World Impact: Small Changes, Big Wins (22:00)

• Example: Redesigning a dashboard to show law students their specific exam dates instead of just a generic finals week.
  • Increased student satisfaction by reducing the mental load.
  • Quote (22:43):
    "It's actually kind of a bigger impact because it saves people time or mental load." — Melanie

9. Personalization in Higher Ed UX: Striking the Right Balance (24:00)

• Personalization can be valuable for users but must avoid the "creep factor" and unnecessary complexity.
• Start with personalized touches only when it clearly aligns with user and institutional goals.

10. Complexities Unique to Higher Ed (25:57)

• Highly siloed environments, multiple Personas, limited digital governance.
  • Quote (26:54):
    "It's not like...Apple, it's technology products, right? There's your product. But no, we have so many products...for people. ... It is very hard." — Melanie

11. Final Practical Advice (27:24)

• Most important first step: talk to users about their pain points—digital or not.
  • Quote (27:27):
    "That's where a lot of your solutions are going to start coming from... Just start talking to people about their pain points. That's a great starting place." — Melanie

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "When I create art, I create art for myself ... but with UX work, it's the exact opposite." – Melanie Lindahl (03:10)
• "I made a comment ... that something wasn't user friendly. And they said, 'We don't care.'" – Melanie Lindahl (04:24)
• "It's cheaper to do UX now versus shoving it in after you launch." – Melanie Lindahl (09:44)
• "My tool set is my brain... I'll just set up a table in the building with some donuts ... and we'll go through pain points." – Melanie Lindahl (11:42)
• "The myth that it takes longer and it's more expensive to do UX—it's totally the opposite." – Melanie Lindahl (16:11)
• "Would you ask me to do that again? No. You just lost trust. Is a user going to go and buy your product again when they can't use it very well?" – Melanie Lindahl (17:14)
• "UX does not do well with assumptions." – Melanie Lindahl (18:08)
• "The best small step...is just do something. It's better than nothing. Just go talk to users about their pain points." – Melanie Lindahl (20:02)
• "It's actually kind of a bigger impact because it saves people time or mental load." – Melanie Lindahl (22:43)
• "You’re not selling one product. ... We have so many products that we’re trying to give people ... It is very hard." – Melanie Lindahl (26:54)
• "Just start talking to people about their pain points. That's a great starting place." – Melanie Lindahl (27:27)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:06 | Art vs. User-Centered Design | | 04:00 | Early challenges in higher ed UX | | 05:36 | Role of AI & emerging tools in UX | | 08:46 | Making the case for UX with leadership | | 09:36 | Budget-friendly UX activities | | 11:42 | Practical tools: “My tool set is my brain” | | 16:06 | Myths about UX in higher ed | | 17:14 | The “cookie analogy” for late-stage UX | | 20:02 | Steps for teams without a UX specialist | | 22:00 | Small UX changes with significant outcomes | | 24:00 | Personalization, the “creep factor,” and goals | | 25:57 | Complexity of digital experience in higher ed | | 27:24 | Melanie’s one tip: talk to your users |

Memorable Moments

• Melanie’s “cookie analogy” (17:14) vividly demonstrates how retrofitting UX at the end damages trust and effectiveness.
• The episode’s recurring theme: UX is an accessible, iterative mindset, not a high-cost luxury.
• Real-world implications: Donuts and pizza are sometimes the most effective UX tools on campus!

Takeaways for Higher Ed Professionals

• Start UX—even small steps—now; don’t wait for budget or permission.
• Focus on user pain points through direct conversation rather than fancy tools.
• Use data from these conversations to build persuasive cases for leadership.
• Embrace lean, authentic approaches to UX: simple, ongoing, and led by curiosity.
• Beware of overpersonalization and the “creep factor”—always ask why and for whom.

For more on Melanie Lindahl’s work and conference sessions, check the show notes for links to her bio and UT Austin resources.