80's kid moved to New York as a pro-breakdance. Escaped to Australia to avoid deportation and picked up gigs as a fire-dancer in a travelling circus.

Moved back to europe into the corporate world. 
Climbed up in a Fortune 500 company, overseeing teams in 7 countries.

Music was the next chapter. Produced 4 albums, toured 10 countries. It was intense, it was a blur.

Then came the startups. Launched a few. Some crashed, others soared.

I hit 40 and said screw it time to go all in. After 10+ years as a psychologist, I realized I didn’t just want to talk about care. I wanted to build it.

So I created Hana a voice-based AI that calls patients, checks in, and helps small clinics deliver real care without extra work.

It gives overworked teams superpowers. Flags risks. Helps clinics get paid. And actually feels human.

That’s the goal. Make care work for the people who usually get left behind.

www.hana.health

Matteo Grassi

I read OpenAI's October disclosure twice.
Thought I'd got the numbers wrong.

1.2 million people per week having conversations that indicate suicidal intent.
Safety referral fails 9% of the time.
...
That's 100,000 people. 
Weekly. Not connected to help.

I've been a psychologist for 15 years.
The kind of sessions where you're watching the clock; 
wondering if they'll make it to Monday.

You learn to spot the difference between validation and sycophancy.

Validation: "Your pain is real."
Sycophancy: "You're right about everything. 
Problem's everyone else."

Good therapy does the first.. then gently challenges your thinking.
Warmth → safety → challenge → growth.

These apps skip step three.
Not because they can't.
Because challenge creates friction.
Friction kills engagement.

Engagement is the number on the dashboard.
So.
Infinite validation.

Warm bath that never ends.
Feels great. Heals nothing. 😬

Had an investor call it "user-centric design" last Tuesday.
I laughed. He didn't.

At Hana we track one thing: did they connect to a human.
The bot's job is to get out of the way.
Weird flex for an AI company.

But that's the point.

I wrote a bit about it.

3X Founder | Building AI Infrastructure For Patient Care | Psychologist | My mum says I am special

Your therapist app doesn't care about you. But hey. It's been trained to seem like it cares. And in tech, that's basically the same thing. I've been a

Open article: The Empathy Trap by Matteo Grassi • 7 min read

CEO at Idealogic.Design

Seasoned professional in UI/UX and Product Design with over 10 years of experience, specializing in crafting intuitive user experiences and innovative product solutions. Experienced across diverse industries including Fintech, Blockchain, Aviation, Social Media, AI, Real Estate, and Education, delivering impactful, user-centered designs. 

Skilled in solving complex challenges with strategic design thinking, enhancing user satisfaction, and driving business growth. A proactive and adaptable approach is emphasized, focusing on comprehensive problem-solving and service design. 

Extensive industry knowledge and attention to metrics contribute to organizational success, ensuring that every design project not only meets but exceeds expectations. As a Senior Product Designer, UX/UI insights are integrated with strategic business goals to deliver high-quality, impactful products, continuously improving design delivery and maintenance for users.

Viktor Zhytomyrskyi

Design lesson I learned the annoying way:

Sometimes your best micro-interaction is born from a mistake.
So I started treating “oops” moments like design candidates, not trash. I used to instantly undo anything that wasn’t “correct”. Now I pause for a second, because occasionally that messy version has better rhythm or even better solve the problem I worked on than the polished one.

My quick checklist before I touch anything:
1. Clarity: does it make the next step more obvious?
2. Flow: does it reduce friction or hesitation?
3. Delight: does it add personality without confusion?
4. Repeatability: can I explain why it works, so it’s not pure luck?

If it passes 2-3 of those, I lock it and validate it (quick hallway test > endless debating).

Perfection is great.
But accidental clarity is gold.

Do you have a “happy accidents” folder in Figma, or am I the only one? 😄

#UX #UI #DesignSystems #ProductDesign

Senior Product Designer | UI/UX Designer | UX Researcher @ HP

“You are not your user” is one of those sentences that hurts… because it’s true.

Designers are trained to explore.
Users are trained to finish.

We hover.
They rush.

We know the product.
They meet it for the first time with 3% patience and 14 open tabs.

So if your interface feels “obvious” to you… that’s not a win.
That’s a warning sign.

Talk to users early.
Not when it’s “almost done”.
That’s when you discover the expensive truths.

#uxdesign #productdesign #ui #userneeds #designers

Design reviews hit different when your concept feels real instead of theoretical.

I keep seeing these new tools that turn a concept into something you can actually experience, not just “look at.” And it’s wild how fast the conversation changes when the work feels real.

It’s not even about making things flashy. It’s that the context does half the explaining for you. Suddenly you’re not defending a design - you’re letting people react to it like a user would.

Also… it makes sharing your work way more fun. As I have said and continue to say feels like we’re moving from “screens” to “scenes.”

Curious: what’s the next format you think becomes normal for designers - interactive demos, 3D/AR, or something else?

#ProductDesign #UXDesign #DesignTools #Prototyping

Dear younger me,

At some point you’re gonna catch yourself getting irrationally annoyed at a self-checkout screen… or a parking meter… or some random hospital portal. And you’ll think, “wow, am I becoming one of those grumpy people?”

You’re not.

Your brain just got trained to notice friction. It’s literally your job. So when something is confusing, slow, or makes you do three extra steps for no reason - you feel it. Especially when there’s a line behind you and someone is breathing into your neck 😅

Here’s what I wish you knew earlier:

1. You don’t have to mentally fix every interface you touch. Not everything needs a redesign in your head.
2. You can be 100% right about what’s broken… and still let it go. Both can exist.
3. If it really bothers you, just grab one quick note: “What was I trying to do? What blocked me?” That’s enough. Save it for later.
4. Also, zoom out for a second - public systems have messy constraints. Old hardware, regulations, vendors, budgets… it’s rarely “someone didn’t care.”
5. And most importantly: protect your energy. Being observant is a superpower. Being permanently annoyed is not.

This curse is real… but honestly, it’s also proof you care about people having a smooth experience.

What public interface gets you every time? Parking meters? Airline kiosks? Self-checkouts? 😄

#UXDesign #ProductDesign #Usability #DesignLife #UX

Most mobile apps lose people in the same place: the form. You can call it onboarding, setup, KYC, profile, whatever… it’s still a boss fight.

Games don’t start with a boss fight. They start with one move, then another, then they let you win fast so you believe the game is fair.

That’s basically what “game mechanics” do well in apps: they break a scary task into small moves that feel doable and even interesting.

Instead of “Complete your profile,” you give a tiny quest: add one photo. Then a second quest: pick one goal. Then a mini reward that matters: “Cool, now we can tailor your feed.” And if you can make it as fun as in the video below, it's the best.

It’s not about points. It’s about pace.

My favorite trick is turning a big setup into a map. People don’t mind work when it looks like a path.

If your onboarding feels like paperwork, don’t add badges. Change the level design.

#ProductDesign #UXDesign #MobileDesign #UX #DesignThinking

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The Battle

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