Reframing UX – The Power of Cognitive Shifts in Behavioural Design

The event

Join us for an insightful evening with Deirdre Kelly, PhD, a cognitive scientist specializing in decision-making and UX design.

Cognitive reframing is a powerful tool in behavioural design, shaping how users perceive challenges, make decisions, and engage with products and services. This talk explores reframing as a practice—not just as a psychological concept, but as a strategic approach in UX design. By shifting perspectives through language, visual structure, interaction patterns, and contextual cues, designers can reduce cognitive friction, enhance usability, encourage positive behaviours, and create better experiences. Through case studies and hands-on techniques, we’ll uncover how reframing can be used to improve our UX design practices. Attendees will leave with practical methods for integrating reframing into their UX practice, enabling them to design experiences that guide perception, influence behavior, and create meaningful user interactions—ethically and effectively.

About Deirdre Kelly
Deirdre Kelly, PhD, is a cognitive scientist who applies her expertise in human decision-making and user experience design to help people, teams, and organizations find novel and innovative solutions to complex challenges. She is currently leading research in the design of healthy and effective organizations and sustainable organizational culture at NAV CANADA. She is a neurodiversity advocate and she and her collaborators recently launched a tool to empower people with ADHD to make sustainable and goal-aligned choices.

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A Space for Community and Support

Beyond the talk, we recognize the importance of fostering a strong UX and design community—especially in light of the recent news about Algonquin College suspending its Human-Centred Design program. The decision to halt new student admissions after Fall 2025 is a significant loss to the local UX ecosystem.

Now, more than ever, we must come together to support, uplift, and advocate for the growth of human-centered design. Events like this serve not only as learning opportunities but also as spaces for connection, mentorship, and solidarity.

We hope to see you there. Let’s keep the spirit of UX alive.
Spread the word and bring a friend!

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We look forward to seeing you there!

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Our Sponsors

We are extremely grateful to these organizations for their generous support of CapCHI and the local UX community.

Design Centered Co.
[https://designcentered.co/ ](https://designcentered.co/)
We use design to enable organizations deliver value by focusing on opportunities that align with their purpose, understand the people they aim to serve, and define processes that are sustainable and impact focused.

DFFRNT
https://dffrnt.ca
We’re an exceptional team of highly experienced behavioural researchers and design strategists. We apply a fundamental understanding of human behaviour, strategic design and human-computer interaction to deliver product and service design value.

Human-Centred Design Lab
[https://www.human-centred.ca](https://www.algonquincollege.com/applied-research/)
An interdisciplinary applied research lab at Algonquin College focused on community-based research and experience design. We situate evidence-based product and service transformation within complex environmental, social and economic systems.

Jumping Elephants
https://www.jumpingelephants.ca
A full-service, consulting group based in Ottawa and specializing in user-centred solutions design and business process management for the public and private sector.