Building a better design community together.

1. Our Community Values

The foundation of the UX Crumbs community rests on a few core values that shape everything we do:

• Continuous Learning: We are all here to grow and improve our craft.
• Constructive Growth: We believe feedback is a gift that helps us become better designers.
• Mutual Respect: We treat each other with kindness and professionalism.
• Inclusivity: We embrace diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

2. Be Respectful and Inclusive

UX Crumbs is for everyone. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or hateful conduct of any kind based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, or nationality.

• Use inclusive language: Be mindful of how your words affect others.
• Respect all skill levels: Our community includes complete beginners and seasoned experts. Treat everyone's questions and insights with respect.
• Assume positive intent: Give others the benefit of the doubt in written communication.

3. Give Constructive Feedback

Peer reviews and design critiques are central to learning on UX Crumbs. When reviewing others' work, aim to be helpful, not hurtful.

• Be specific and actionable: Instead of saying "I don't like this," explain why and suggest a potential solution based on UX principles.
• Critique the work, not the person: Focus on the design decisions, layout, or research, never on the individual designer.
• Use the 'sandwich' method: Start with something positive, provide your constructive feedback, and end on an encouraging note.
• Acknowledge effort: Recognize the hard work that goes into creating and sharing case studies and design solutions.

4. Share Authentically

Your portfolio and community contributions represent your personal growth. Honesty is crucial.

• Post original work: Only share work that you created or significantly contributed to.
• Give credit: If you were inspired by another designer, used a template, or collaborated with a team, always provide proper attribution.
• Be honest about your experience: Don't misrepresent your skills or pretend to be an expert if you are still learning. Vulnerability is a strength!
• No plagiarism: Do not misrepresent others' work, articles, or designs as your own.

5. Protect Privacy

Trust is essential for collaboration. We must protect the privacy of our fellow learners and external clients.

• Don't share personal information: Keep others' contact details, locations, and personal data private.
• Respect private conversations: Do not screenshot or share private direct messages without explicit consent.
• Respect NDAs: If you are sharing real-world work for feedback, ensure you blur or redact sensitive details, logos, and proprietary data to comply with your Non-Disclosure Agreements.
• Get client permission: Never share internal client work or research data without authorization.

6. Academic Integrity

UX Crumbs uses quizzes, assessments, leaderboards, and XP to gamify learning. We expect all learners to earn their achievements honestly.

• Complete your own assessments: Do not take quizzes on behalf of others.
• No answer sharing: Do not post or distribute answers to course assessments or challenges.
• Disclose AI usage: While AI is a helpful tool, do not use it to fully generate submitted assignments without disclosure. Use AI to assist, not to do the work for you.
• Honest earning: Do not use scripts, bots, or exploits to artificially inflate your XP, community reputation, or leaderboard standing.

7. Content Standards

To keep our community focused and valuable, all shared content must adhere to certain standards.

• Stay relevant: Keep community posts and discussions focused on UX, UI, product design, research, and career development.
• No spam or self-promotion: Avoid unsolicited promotion of your own products or services outside of designated self-promo threads.
• No NSFW content: Do not post sexually explicit, violent, or overly graphic content.
• Avoid unrelated debates: Refrain from starting political, religious, or highly controversial debates that are unrelated to design and user experience.

8. Reporting and Moderation

We rely on our community to help keep UX Crumbs a safe space.

• How to report: If you see a violation of these guidelines, use the "Report" button on the post/profile, or email us directly at support@uxcrumbs.app.
• Our process: Our moderation team reviews all reports within 48 hours. We handle reports confidentially.
• Appeals: If you believe a moderation action was taken in error, you can appeal by contacting support.

9. Consequences

We prefer to educate rather than punish, but we will take action to protect the community. Consequences escalate based on the severity and frequency of the violation:

1. Educational Warning: A private message explaining the violation and guiding you back to our standards.
2. Content Removal: The offending post, project, or comment will be deleted.
3. Temporary Mute: Loss of community posting and commenting privileges for a set period.
4. Temporary Suspension: Loss of access to your UX Crumbs account for a set period.
5. Permanent Ban: For severe or repeated violations, permanent removal from the UX Crumbs platform.

10. Changes to Guidelines

As our community grows and evolves, so will these guidelines. We may update this document periodically to address new situations or clarify existing rules. We will notify the community of significant changes, but we encourage you to review these guidelines regularly to ensure you are acting in accordance with our shared values.