Photo of Christopher Kobar

Hi, I’m Christopher Kobar

I love sharing the product of my imagination with others to make their lives more enjoyable.

Featured
No, UX Design careers are not in trouble

Perhaps it’s the algorithm, but lately I’ve noticed a boom in designers declaring that UX design as a career is suddenly in serious trouble. Like everyone else in our profession, I too have some concerns about all these things, and I’ve had some close calls that made me question my vocation.

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Design for heroism

The relationship between a user and a product is one that too often falls short. Even if the product is easy to use and get the job done, it can feel neutral, as if the user is simply using a tool.

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Pragmatism is not the enemy of innovation

Do we prioritize innovation and ignore constraints or do we do whatever it takes to get our products out the door, even if we have to sacrifice what we believe to be the best design?

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The Future of Design

We will never cede complete control to our apps, even if we are promised that they will use all our personal information just to benefit us. We’re not that trusting, and in return for some increase in efficiency, we lose all the joy of a great user experience.

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Creating Unfriendly Interfaces

The customer did not want people using this application to feel good about the person in the photo. On the contrary, they wanted a very neutral reaction from users, and were even willing to go with a negative reaction rather than one that in any way felt positive.

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  • Chris is a powerhouse! I’m always thrilled to work alongside him as he is always enthusiastic, deeply knowledgable, involved, and full of innovative ideas.

    Molly Goss, Sr. Product Manager
    Oracle

  • Chris goes out of his way to help out the team. He does his research, takes feedback positively, is easy to talk to and reliable.

    Shravani Beeravelly, Product Manager
    Oracle

  • We would be so behind without Chris. He has become our go-to expert for taking advantage of our new Redwood components and pages, and bringing all our designs into a coherent process.

    Raymond Weikel, Manager, Design Ops
    Oracle

  • Chris is committed to crafting concise, friendly, and engaging experience for our users. He has a calm and pragmatic disposition and keeps the team motivated and encouraged.

    Tanya Rost, Sr. Principal Technical Writer
    Oracle

  • Chris has contributed immensely while responding to near-infinite feedback from the product management teams. I appreciate his perspective, as he’s easy-going and enjoyable to work with.

    Andy Dutton, VP, My Oracle Support Development
    Oracle

  • Chris is an agile, innovative, hands-on self-starter who served as a trusted advisor that I would recommend to anyone looking to challenge the status quo to achieve effective user experience outcomes.

    Jonathan Distler, Manager, eGovernment Services
    Arlington County Government

  • Chris is a visionary designer. He puts himself in the shoes of the customer in everything he does. I’d happily work with him again.

    Paul H. Parry, Manager, Data & Application Architecture
    Arlington County Government

  • A team player and straight shooter, Chris is an exceptional UX architect, designer, and project manager with broad real-world experience that makes him a tremendous asset to any organization.

    AJ Malik, Director, Business Relationship Management
    Arlington County Government