Bear Academy

Bear Academy Season 4. Lee Young spent nearly 20 years as a designer, most recently as Product Design Director at Xero in Auckland, where he and Bear were colleagues. Then he left, retrained, and became a creative arts therapist.

He now works at two ends of life: neurodivergent children at Rainbow House, and hospice patients nearing the end at Dove Hospice, while running his own private therapy practice.

In this conversation we discuss why his 20-year detour through web design, e-commerce, product design, and design leadership was not wasted but necessary. We talk about the illusion of corporate job security, why "design is creating for others and art is creating for yourself", the relationship between creativity and play, and practical ways to find presence in a distracted world. Lee also shares stories from his practice: the woman who spent an hour filling a page with yellow pastel, the six-year-old who released his anger by throwing clay at a tree, and his involvement in New Zealand's first psilocybin-assisted therapy programme.

Chapters

00:00 Intro: Lee made a choice most of us think about but rarely make

00:52 Monday mornings now vs as a designer

01:12 The 20-year detour: web design to product to leadership to coaching to art therapy

03:00 Was the career counsellor's advice a wrong turn?

04:30 Trust your gut at each stage

05:20 What transferred: Double Diamond and the coaching process

07:30 Freelancer skills that most therapists do not have

08:20 Corporate salary as a runway for career change

09:50 The first weeks after leaving: freedom or void?

11:20 Golden cage: high salary makes it hard to leave

14:00 The illusion of corporate job security

15:50 Freelancing gives you more transparency and control

17:00 Creativity in corporate vs agency vs independent work

18:30 "Design is creating for others. Art is creating for yourself."

20:00 Creativity and play share the same root

22:00 Xero Design Jam: the most fun project was in month one

23:00 What is art therapy? Using things other than words

26:00 Pastels, clay, twigs, drama, dance: all languages

27:30 An art therapist is a guide, not a fixer

28:30 The woman who filled a page with yellow pastel for an hour

30:30 The six-year-old throwing clay at a tree

33:00 Measuring impact: why CBT gets funded and art therapy struggles

36:00 How therapists maintain their own wellbeing

38:00 Systemic challenges for neurodivergent children

41:00 Working with adults vs children: adults have more wiggle room

42:00 Hospice work: a privilege and an honour

44:00 Presence is a rare commodity

46:00 Anxiety lives in the past and future; presence anchors you

48:00 Neurographic drawing: a 5 to 10 minute stress release

50:00 The simplest reset: face the sun, close your eyes, two minutes

51:00 Mini nature therapy: prioritise touch, sound, smell over sight

53:00 What's next: peer supervision training and psilocybin-assisted therapy

55:00 Dr Fee Caracott and NZ's first psilocybin prescriptions

56:00 Possibly returning to Whitecliffe as a guest lecturer

57:00 "Enjoying beginner's mind, not rushing to the next step"

Hosted by Bear Liu. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FFu5nH4V_tA

More at https://bearliu.com

Most designers spend their careers shipping other people's products. Xinran Ma decided to build one of his own. He trained as an architect at Columbia, moved into product design, and spent four years in a stable remote role at Redfin before walking away to run Design with AI full time. The newsletter now reaches more than 40,000 designers, alongside a Maven course and three books.

This conversation is about the thinking behind that move. Xinran talks about the exact night he resigned, the moment his wife showed him a finance app where his side income had passed his salary, and why he refuses to turn any of it into a "quit your job" sermon. The throughline: build a safety net for your own growth while you still have the job, follow your curiosity rather than the trend, and keep the feedback loop short enough to stay motivated.

Chapters

00:00 From architecture to product design

16:40 Leaving a stable job

24:52 Books, then newsletter, then course

31:26 Input and output

33:24 The newsletter takes off

35:46 Growing intentionally and sustainably

38:16 AI, design, and what lasts

46:15 What sustainability really means

49:27 Start small, start early, start hungry

56:48 Finding clarity and your North Star

Resources

Design with AI newsletter: https://designwithai.substack.com/

Maven course (AI for Product Designers): https://maven.com/xinran

Xinran on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaxinran/

Xinran's website: https://www.xinranma.com/

Hosted by Bear Liu. More at https://bearliu.com

Felix Lee from ADPList on vibe coding, why 30% of Figma might disappear, and how founders become translators between design and business.

Luca runs Skarlo, a London-based product studio now taking equity in YC and Antler companies. We unpack how he went from selling $1,000 websites to sharing cap tables with venture-backed startups, and why the game has shifted from "why design" to "why you."

This episode unpacks essential AI terms using insights from the AI-powered NotebookLM, designed to make understanding artificial intelligence accessible for everyone. With trusted insights from the Nielsen Norman Group, we clarify complex terms like algorithms, machine learning, and deep learning. Whether you’re on the go or taking a break, tune in to explore AI jargon in an easy-to-follow, conversational format. Ideal for design and tech enthusiasts looking to deepen their knowledge of AI concepts!

Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/artificial-intelligence-glossary/

In this episode, Bear breaks down essential UX and product design terms, providing a roadmap for anyone starting their journey in the field. From “Agile” to “Kanban,” “UX” to “UI,” we dive into practical definitions, explore how these terms play out in real-world projects, and discuss the critical role of shared vocabulary in building cohesive, user-centered products. Disclaimer: This content was generated via NoteBookLM AI and based on NNGroup’s UX glossary pages, intended purely for learning. There may be occasional AI-generated inaccuracies, so please consult the original articles for accurate details. Links to the original NN Group glossary articles are available in the show notes.

Show Notes:

Highly suggest reading the original Nielsen Norman Group articles for accurate information:

• Agile Glossary

• Research Methods Glossary

• Quantitative UX Glossary

• Typography Terms in UX

• Visual Design Cheat Sheet

• UX Deliverables Glossary

• Product UX Glossary

I. Agile Development (Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/agile-glossary/)

• Agile Development: Defines Agile as an iterative approach to software development that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and customer value.
• Scrum: Outlines the Scrum framework, a popular agile methodology with specific roles, events, and artifacts.
• Sprint: Details the sprint cycle within Scrum, a time-boxed period for completing a set amount of work.
• Kanban: Explores the Kanban method, a visual system for managing and improving workflow.
• Lean UX: Explains Lean UX principles and practices, focused on minimizing waste and maximizing user value.

II. User Research Methods (Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/research-methods-glossary/)

• Usability Testing: Defines usability testing as a method to evaluate a product or service by testing it with representative users.
• Heuristic Evaluation: Explains heuristic evaluation, a method where experts identify usability issues based on established principles.
• Eye Tracking: Describes eye tracking, a technique for measuring eye movements to understand user attention and behavior.
• Card Sorting: Defines card sorting, a method used to understand users' mental models and group information.
• A/B Testing: Explains A/B testing, a method for comparing two versions of a design to see which performs better.
• Tree Testing: Defines tree testing, a method for evaluating the findability of information within a website or app’s structure.

III. Quantitative UX Research (Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/quant-ux-glossary/)

• Statistical Significance: Explains the concept of statistical significance and its role in determining the reliability of research findings.
• Confidence Interval: Defines confidence intervals and how they are used to estimate the range of possible values for a population parameter.
• Sample Size: Discusses the importance of sample size in quantitative research and how to determine an appropriate sample size.
• Conversion Rate: Defines conversion rate as the percentage of users who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase.
• Task Success Rate: Explains task success rate as a measure of how effectively users can complete specific tasks within a product.

IV. Typography in UX Design (Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/typography-terms-ux/)

• Font Family: Defines font families and explores the different types, including serif, sans-serif, and display fonts.
• Font Weight: Explains font weight, the relative lightness or darkness of a typeface, and its impact on readability.
• Line Height (Leading): Defines leading, the vertical space between lines of text, and its effect on readability.
• Kerning: Explores kerning, the adjustment of space between individual characters, to improve legibility.
• Tracking: Defines tracking, the adjustment of space between characters across an entire block of text, to influence density and readability.

V. Visual Design Principles (Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/visual-design-cheat-sheet/)

• Visual Hierarchy: Explains the use of visual cues like size, color, and contrast to guide users' attention and understanding.
• Gestalt Principles: Outlines Gestalt principles, such as proximity, similarity, and closure, and their application in design.
• Color Theory: Discusses color theory, including color harmony, contrast, and emotional associations of colors.
• White Space (Negative Space): Explores the use of white space to improve readability and create visual breathing room.
• Grid Systems: Defines grid systems as frameworks for organizing content on a page, enhancing consistency and visual flow.

VI. UX Deliverables (Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-deliverables-glossary/)

• Persona: Defines user personas as fictional representations of target users, capturing their characteristics and needs.
• User Journey Map: Explains user journey maps as visualizations of a user’s interactions with a product or service over time.
• Wireframe: Defines wireframes as low-fidelity representations of a design’s structure and layout.
• Prototype: Describes prototypes as interactive representations of a design, allowing for testing and user feedback.
• Usability Test Report: Explains usability test reports as documents summarizing findings and recommendations from usability testing.

VII. Product UX (Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/product-ux-glossary/)

• Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Defines MVP as a version of a product with just enough features to attract early-adopter customers and validate a product idea.
• Product-Market Fit: Explains product-market fit as the degree to which a product satisfies market demand and meets customer needs.
• User Onboarding: Discusses user onboarding as the process of helping new users get started with a product and understand its value.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV): Defines customer lifetime value as the predicted net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Explains Net Promoter Score as a metric that measures customer loyalty and satisfaction.

In today’s episode, we dive into the insightful journey of Ray Tiong, Senior Design Researcher at Xero. We'll explore his career transition from graphic design to UX research, and share his valuable advice for professionals embarking on similar paths. Ray opens up about his beginnings in the design world, his strategic shift to UX research, and how his art history background has enriched his approach to research. Plus, we'll discuss the evolving landscape of UX in light of AI advancements and what skills are essential in staying ahead.

Highlights:

• Ray’s transition from graphic design to UX research
• The critical role of communication and creative thinking in UX
• How to start in UX research without formal training
• Embracing AI in UX research for future-proofing careers
• Ray’s advice on cultivating long-term skills that withstand industry shifts

Ray's Recommended Resources

Ray shared these gems for anyone keen on UX research:

• Book: "Just Enough Research" by Erika Hall. A must-read to grasp UX research basics.
• Courses: Courses from the Interaction Design Foundation, great for deepening UX knowledge.

As Ray bids farewell to Xero and embarks on a new chapter in the UK, we reflect on the insights and stories he's shared. Join us for an episode that’s as much about embracing change as it is about staying grounded in the fundamental principles of design and research.

A full episode of 3 topics: Adobe acquires Figma, Tips for getting a Design job, Digital hygiene.

1. A few thoughts on Adobe acquiring Figma - some of them might be unpopular from other designers’ opinions.

2. I mentored 10+ juniors and helped them transition from different industries to land a design job offer, including working at multinational companies. Here're a few things I noticed that all job-landing designers have.

3. While you are working, you will need to eliminate (or at least reduce) the interruption from your phone, as it’s the most distracting device in your workspace. But How? Here are a few simple tips that you can do to immediately increase your productivity.

Armando Torrealba is an Experience Design Manager at Atlassian, and I worked with him while he worked at Xero as a Product Design Director. He came from Chile (as a non-native speaker) and thrives as a design leader in New Zealand, which was one of the reasons I invited him to join my podcast. While I worked with Armando at Xero, I noticed he is really great at communication, design intention and mindfulness. I’ve learned a lot from him and I believe you will get some takeaways from this podcast as well.

Highlights

💡 Design is an intention

💡 Think of what the value you can bring to the company helps you get confidence for design interviews

💡 Tips for non-native speakers at work

💡 Don't only consider companies with great design to work and why

💡 Mindful design and a mindful life

Who is Armando Torrealba

Armando Torrealba is an Experience Design Manager at Atlassian, and he has a passion for many things including(but not limited to) medication, mountain bikes, photography and hot sauce. Check his website for more details.

Website: https://armandotorrealba.com//

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armandotorrealba//

Life Coach Ciao Chen shared her ways of working as a digital nomad travelling in China(currently) and running an international coaching business. It all started because of COVID :)

Highlights

💡 Being a coach is as being a possibility enabler for others, and a coach needs to enable him/herself first.

💡 Coaching is a blessed job - I can talk to many smart people and get inspired on solving my problems, and I get paid for that!

💡 Listening is critical and the 3 levels of listening - Deep listening

Who is Ciao Chen

ICF registered Life Coach with 600+ coaching hours A CMW (Creating Meaningful Work) catalyst A digital nomad that lives in New Zealand and China A Vipassana meditation practitioner A cancer survivor A wisdom seeker A music, yoga and food lover

Website: https://lifepotentialnz.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qiaochen

Links

• Deep listening - The Coaching Tools Company
• The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying（西藏生死书）
• The Book of Life (生命之书)