By Jeremy Miller
5
4040 ratings
The podcast currently has 117 episodes available.
I sit down with Dagna Bieda, a software engineer turned career coach and author of “Brain Refactor: Optimize Your Internal Code to Thrive in Tech & Engineering.” Dagna shares her journey from experiencing burnout to discovering the power of “brain refactoring” – a concept that applies software engineering principles to personal growth and career development.
We dig into the four main obstacles tech professionals face: imposter syndrome, burnout, interpersonal challenges, and self-marketing struggles. Dagna offers insights on debugging our mental “code,” emphasizing the importance of psychological distancing, openness to feedback, and developing strong interpersonal skills. We also discuss the often-overlooked value of soft skills in tech careers and how bootcamp graduates often progress faster due to their balanced skill set.
Whether you’re a UX designer, software engineer, or tech professional, you’ll find actionable advice on optimizing your mindset for success. Don’t miss this conversation that goes beyond technical skills to explore the human side of thriving in the tech industry.
Topics:
• 05:08 – Where did Brain Refactoring come from?
• 08:40 – About the book
• 12:06 – How do we debug our brain?
• 12:22 – Psychological distancing
• 13:20 – Be open to feedback
• 14:48 – Are you trying to DIY everything?
• 21:37 – Internal vs external dependencies
• 25:02 – How do we get feedback from colleagues
• 32:10 – Four obstacles that we generally run into
• 43:51 – When it comes to self-promotion, our mental model may be off
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Dagna on LinkedIn
• themindfuldev.com
• Get your copy of Brain Refactor
About Dagna
Dagna is an Engineer turned Coach for Engineers and ambitious professionals in tech. With 10+ years of coding experience and coaching since 2019, she’s the tough love, “been in your shoes” kinda Coach. Her clients’ backgrounds include a spectrum ranging from ICs to CTOs, from small startups to FAANG+ companies, from 2 to 20+ years of experience, and from self-taught devs through career-changing Bootcamp grads to college grads and PhDs. She helps her clients reach their potential and exciting career opportunities by refactoring their brains.
Connect with Dagna on LinkedInHave you been putting off building your portfolio?Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
Get $200 off Mento Design Academy’s course that’s as unique as you are!
It’s not just about learning UX design; it’s about discovering your unique path in it. Their approach is different – it’s personal, it’s tailored to you. They don’t just teach; they inspire students to use their passions as a driving force in their learning. And that is something I’ve experienced firsthand as a mentor.
I’ve been fortunate enough to guide students who are exploring concepts they’re truly passionate about. It’s not just about following a curriculum; it’s about shaping that curriculum around what excites each student. This approach emphasizes not just knowledge, but a deep love for the discipline. Seeing my mentees grow, apply their passions, and craft portfolios that are genuinely ‘them’ has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.
So, if you’re looking for a UX course that’s as unique as you are, check out Mento Design Academy. head on over to beyonduxdesign.com/mento and Just for my listeners, use the promo code BEYONDUX200 to get $200 off the course.
Join Mento and let your passions lead your learning journey.
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
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The post 97. A Software Engineer’s Framework for Design Career Success appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
This week, Joseph Mercieca, a UX designer whose career has spanned multiple European countries, joins us to share his experience applying for jobs across different cultures. He offers a unique perspective on navigating the often perplexing world of international job hunting.
Joseph reveals how expectations can vary dramatically from country to country – from the emphasis on visual design in Germany to the focus on growth design in Poland. He discusses the challenges of language barriers, the importance of understanding local work cultures, and the sometimes surprising criteria that hiring managers in different countries prioritize.
Whether you’re a UX designer looking to expand your career internationally or a hiring manager working with global talent, this episode provides valuable insights. Joseph’s experiences show that understanding different cultures in the global job market is just as important as having technical skills.
Topics:
• 12:18 – What are the challenges of finding work in a place like Europe
• 17:50 – What is finding a job abroad like?
• 26:28 – Some countries are less direct than others
• 31:08 – Spend the first month getting to know everyone
• 34:07 – What do various countries look for?
• 42:44 – UI is subjective, especially across cultures
• 46:59 – Don’t take culture and geopolitics for granted
• 47:47 – Understand the icons you’re using
• 49:40 – Dealing with cross-generational norms
• 55:58 – How do we learn these things?
• 57:02 – You need to be interested and want to learn about other cultures
• 64:39 – There’s only so much you can learn from a book
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Joseph on LinkedIn
• anotherconcept.net
About Joseph
With over a decade of experience, Joseph has guided multinational stakeholders in leveraging UX, CX, CRO, and KPIs to drive growth through optimized products and services, including enterprise SaaS, ML software, web, and apps. His expertise lies in leading research and design initiatives through strategic planning with multi-disciplinary stakeholders, tackling complex challenges, and fostering design culture across diverse settings. His interests encompass design futures, cognitive behaviorism, ubiquitous computing, AI, ethics, and the geopolitical influence on the digital ecosystem. In his downtime, he enjoys traveling, writing articles, volunteering, and performing music.
Connect with Joseph on LinkedInHave you been putting off building your portfolio?Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
Get $100 off any Figma Academy course!
We usually talk about soft skills here on the show, but let’s not forget hard skills are important too. Mastering tools like Figma can be crucial in today’s job market. Figma Academy is your fast track to mastering Figma, and you’ll be in good company—over 4,000 designers from industry leaders like Shopify, Microsoft, and Amazon have already signed up.
And because you’re all awesome listeners, I’ve teamed up with Figma Academy to offer you a $100 discount. Just head to beyonduxdesign.com/figma and use the promo code BEYONDUX at checkout.
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher
The post 96. Steering Your UX Career Across International Borders appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
This week, we dig into the psychological aspects of personal branding with Anais Wittrock-Roske, a UX designer who transitioned to UX design from a career in nursing. Anais shares her insights on the mental hurdles many professionals face when developing their personal brand, particularly in the tech industry.
We explore the concept of “cringe mountain” – the psychological barrier that prevents many from effectively promoting their skills and experiences. Anais discusses strategies for building the confidence necessary to authentically showcase one’s expertise in UX design.
Whether you’re new to UX design or a seasoned professional looking to elevate your career, this episode provides valuable insights into the psychological dynamics of personal branding and how to leverage them for career growth.
Topics:
• 04:42 – Anais’s origin story
• 16:05 – Think of yourself as the product
• 16:32 – If you don’t tell people who you are, they’ll decide for themselves
• 22:41 – reframe it as a positive way to influence the conversation about yourself
• 23:45 – Present your work like you would your colleague’s work
• 25:03 – What is personal brand NOT
• 33:10 – You need to get over cringe mountain
• 45:49 – Tactics to start thinking about personal brand
• 46:33 – Think about what legacy you want to leave behind
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Anais on LinkedIn
About Anaïs
Anais, a dedicated nurse turned product leader, excels in both saving lives and crafting exceptional products. Her leadership extends to cultivating high-performing teams with expertise in product strategy, UX, consumer behavior, human-centered design, and team development.
Connect with Anaïs on LinkedInHave you been putting off building your portfolio?Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
This week’s episode is brought to you by Jeff White’s Storytelling Toolkit.
Lots of people talk about the importance of storytelling, but Jeff brings actionable clarity to storytelling and shows exactly how to do it.
He breaks down different real-world scenarios, like how to use storytelling methods to present your work, how to craft a better case study, and how to prep for interviews.
I love Jeff’s approach to storytelling here. It’s not your simple “once upon a time” stuff.
And since you’re an amazing listener, and I know this course will help you a ton, I’m stoked to get everyone listening a 10% discount.
So head on over to beyonduxdesign.com/storytelling and use the code BEYONDUX to get 10% off Jeff’s course.
Learn some incredible techniques to influence your team and advance your UX career.
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher
The post 95. Embracing Your Authentic Personal Brand with Anaïs Wittrock-Roske appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
Pavel Samsonov is a design leader currently building design practices and leading innovation engagements at AWS. With an extensive background in managing enterprise product teams at Bloomberg and rapid prototyping in startups, Pavel joins the show to give us a reality check.
In this episode, we discuss the pitfalls of focusing on high fidelity at the wrong time. Pavel shares his insights on why many designers fall into this trap and how it can lead to wasted efforts and misaligned expectations. We dive into actionable strategies to flip the conversation and emphasize the importance of low fidelity stages. Pavel’s advice is invaluable for anyone looking to refine their design process and deliver meaningful outcomes.
This conversation is packed with actionable strategies that can transform your approach to how you work with your team. Join us to learn how you can avoid the pitfalls of high fidelity and leverage low fidelity techniques for more effective stakeholder engagements.
Topics:
• 03:39 – What’s wrong with high fidelity?
• 10:16 – how do we flip the conversation?
• 11:36 – Start from the bottom up
• 15:58 – 30% feedback vs 90% feedback
• 27:08 – Stakeholders expected a professional who is responsible for outcomes
• 32:36 – Stakeholders don’t know design, you know design
• 34:26 – Stakeholders are not your professors
• 43:09 – Try, measure, learn instead of build, measure, learn
• 51:25 – Low fidelity and high fidelity tools do different things
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Pavel on LinkedIn
• Follow Pavel’s writings on Medium
About Pavel
Pavel Samsonov is a New York-based UX leader exploring the applications of design as a decision-making framework for all areas of product development. He currently builds design practice and leads innovation engagements at AWS. His approach to product & design draws on his experience managing enterprise product teams at Bloomberg, design-driven rapid prototyping in the start-up world, traditional graphic design education, and an academic background in human-computer interaction.
Connect with Pavel on LinkedInHave you been putting off building your portfolio?Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
Backlog is a community of designers building their businesses together!
Backlog brings together hungry designers turned entrepreneurs, all working to grow their freelancing gigs, content, digital products, and design agencies. Join a network of like-minded folks sharing tactics, strategies, and systems to help you succeed. Head on over to beyonduxdesign.com/backlog and become part of a community that’s building their businesses together.
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher
The post 94. Why Less Can Be More with Pavel Samsonov appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
This week Alison Gretz joins the show to explore the unique differences between individual contributors and managers. Alison is a leadership coach with a wealth of experience in UX design and strategy. Her career journey, which includes leadership roles at major companies like Target and Shutterfly, provides a unique lens through which we examine career progression in the UX field.
Alison challenges the traditional concept of career progression. She introduces the intriguing idea of viewing your career as a playground rather than a ladder, encouraging us to explore various roles and responsibilities without the pressure of always moving “up.”
We dive into the often-overlooked challenges of transitioning from an individual contributor to a management role in UX. Alison shares candid insights about the lack of management training in many organizations and offers practical advice on how to prepare yourself for leadership positions.
Whether you’re contemplating a move into UX management or looking to grow your impact as an individual contributor, this episode offers fresh perspectives and actionable advice. Tune in to gain insights that will help you design a career path that’s as unique and innovative as the products you create.
Topics:
• 06:21 – Alison’s Origin Story
• 08:52 – Manager vs IC
• 15:48 – Your career as a playground
• 17:54 – How do you know if you’d be a good manager?
• 21:15 – When you’ve hit a ceiling as an IC
• 26:23 – Keep an eye out for these things when interviewing
• 28:18 – How do you ask about leadership training for aspiring managers
• 32:11 – There are sometimes training opportunities if you ask
• 35:04 – How to help your leader help you get there
• 44:21 – As a manager, how do you keep your portfolio current?
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Alison on LinkedIn
• designbydesign.co
About Alison
Alison Gretz is a Leadership Coach and Trainer working at the intersection of the future of how we work on digital products, and leading healthy, high-performing teams of humans. Her Training offerings include a Design Leadership Accelerator and an entry-level Manager course. Launching this fall is the Good Manager Operating System – a collaborative tool for Managers and their teams to create healthy, impactful relationships and battle toxicity in their workplaces. Alison possesses over two decades of experience in strategy, Information Architecture, UX design, Product, Marketing, and supporting startups. Her career is marked by impactful achievements such as leading the Target App’s relaunch for increased engagement and digital revenue. Amidst the pandemic, she rebuilt Shutterfly’s Creative Services group, ensuring continuous product photography. Alison expanded the global UX Design team at Thomson Reuters, promoting user-centric design worldwide. She’s on a mission to make leadership less lonely and more human-centered, accelerating us all toward inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Connect with Alison on LinkedInHave you been putting off building your portfolio?Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
Get nearly $25 off UX Playbook’s Fast Track Bundle!
If you want to transform your career from fuzzy to focused, make sure to grab UX Playbook’s Fast Track Bundle. Head to beyonduxdesign.com/playbook, and use the promo code BEYOND for nearly $25 off these examples, videos, and tips hand-crafted by my buddy Chris Nguyen.
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher
The post 93. Why Great Designers Aren’t Always Great Managers appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
How might embracing a generalist approach first lead to greater success and versatility in the long run?
In this enlightening episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Christensen, lead growth designer at Mercury and co-founder of the growthdesigners.co community. Scott’s unique journey from a business degree to self-taught designer to growth design specialist offers a fresh perspective on UX career development.
Scott challenges the popular notion of niching down early in your career, introducing the concept of a “double diamond” for your career instead – going broad before going deep. This approach provides a more solid foundation and opens up more opportunities in the long run.
Whether you’re new to UX or thinking about changing your career, this episode has great advice. Scott’s practical ideas and focus on always learning can help you plan your career in UX design. Listen to learn how to create not just great user experiences but also a rewarding and flexible career in UX.
Topics:
• 13:38 – Scott’s story
• 16:31 – Why is niching down early bad?
• 19:43 – A framework for competence
• 21:53 – Unconscious incompetence
• 22:59 – UX Education vs Law or Medicine
• 25:50 – There are no gatekeepers – Gatekeep yourself
• 30:51 – Specialization IS critical to advance in your career later
• 32:11 – Advice to get the general skill set
• 39:21 – Do what feels right for you
• 41:48 – Take what you have in front of you and learn what you can
• 42:38 – What types of skills should a “well-rounded” UX designer have?
• 46:30 – How to know what to niche down on
• 47:34 – Three Heuristics to know if you’re a good growth designer
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Scott on LinkedIn
• GrowthDesigners.co/school
• GrowthDesigners.co
About Scott
Scott is the Lead Growth Designer at Mercury, the fintech startup bank. He co-founded the GrowthDesigners.co community in 2018, and has helped grow the community to nearly 3000 growth design practitioners, making it one of (if not the) largest community of practice in this niche design field. In his free time, he enjoys doing the “Dad life” with his toddler son and newborn daughter, donning spandex for endurance sports 🏃 🚴, exploring mountains 🏔️, and volunteering at a local youth group in his neighborhood in downtown Salt Lake City.
Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher
The post 92. The Generalist’s Advantage with Scott Christensen appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
Emily Anderson, a product designer with a background in physical product design, joins us to discuss a critical gap in the design industry. With experience across emotionally charged industries like finance, healthcare, and gambling, Emily has observed that designers often focus solely on the “happy path” – the ideal user journey – while neglecting edge cases and real-world scenarios.
Emily shares insights on how this narrow focus can negatively impact both users and the business. She uses the example of offboarding experiences, which are often overlooked but can significantly affect user retention and brand loyalty. We explore strategies for conducting more effective research, advocating for edge cases without being perceived as pessimistic, and reframing user needs as business opportunities.
The conversation also touches on the challenges of the modern UX designer’s role, the importance of service design, and how to navigate the complexities of organizational structures that can hinder holistic user experiences.
Don’t miss this thought-provoking discussion that will challenge you to reconsider your approach to UX design and user research!
Topics:
• 05:47 – Emily’s backstory
• 08:57 – How did the industry get here?
• 12:32 – Is education leaving this out?
• 18:20 – Are we doing research correctly?
• 20:27 – Tips to get participants and understand the context
• 24:57 – Making an assumption can kill the experience
• 28:11 – How do we bring these things up without seeming pessimistic
• 31:13 – How do we reframe user needs as business opportunities?
• 33:08 – How do we avoid the MVP trap?
• 37:33 – the role of service design
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Emily on LinkedIn
About Emily
Emily is the founder of a design studio, Ampersand. Having experience working amongst highly regulated and emotionally charged industries, Emily strongly believes in raising awareness of the positive and negative impacts that products and services can have on users, and how this directly links back to the business too. Coming from a physical product design background, her approach is to design beyond individual screens to understand the overall ecosystem she’s designing in. She regularly creates content to help change the narrative on how we think about users and to help designers bring unhappy paths, context, inclusion, behaviors, and emotions into their day-to-day thinking.
Connect with Emily on LinkedInHave you been putting off building your portfolio?Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher
The post 91. Designing for the Real World: No User Left Behind appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
In this episode, we dive deep into the world of reframing with Kate Pincott, a seasoned design coach and manager. Kate shares her expertise on how UX designers can leverage the power of perspective shifts to build influence and create stronger team dynamics.
Kate introduces three key frameworks: cross-functional reframing, “Me to We,” and “But to Better.” These tools help designers communicate more effectively across disciplines and seniority levels, fostering better understanding and collaboration. We explore how reframing can transform not just conversations, but entire career trajectories in the UX field.
Don’t miss this insightful discussion on how changing your language and perspective can lead to greater impact and success in your UX career. Tune in to learn how to master the art of reframing and take your influence to the next level!
Topics:
• 5:20 – What is a reframe?
• 7:07 – to influence people outside of UX org you need to think like them *
• 8:34 – Design your world inside out *
• 10:48 – When you show that you can quickly change lenses and see from another’s point of view, you build trust
• 14:45 – You can build a huge amount of influence just by changing your language *
• 15:53 – The best influencers listen before speaking
• 24:50 – We can’t control other people’s actions and thoughts, but we can control ours *
• 28:18 – Me to We framing
• 39:59 – But to Better framing
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Kate on LinkedIn
• Reality Prototyping
• Kate’s framework templates
About Kate
Kate is a product design coach at reality prototyping and a Design Manager at Cleo, an AI startup.
Connect with Kate on LinkedInHave you been putting off building your portfolio?Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher
The post 90. The Art of Perspective: Mastering the Reframe with Kate Pincott appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
Shahed Syed, lead designer at Focused Labs, joins us to share his insights on the benefits of working as a design consultant.
Shahed explains the unique challenges consultants face, like building trust quickly and navigating complex team dynamics. He shares strategies for success, including the importance of finding allies within client teams and being transparent about processes.
We also flip the script and discuss how full-time employees can best work with consultants to maximize the value of their engagements. Shahed introduces the concept of “slipstreaming” behind consultants to accelerate your own career growth.
Finally, we touch on the career benefits of consulting and how junior designers might break into this field.
If you’ve ever been interested in life as a consultant, this episode is for you!
Topics
• 04:15 – Shahed’s origin story
• 06:20 – Differences between contractors, consultants, and freelancers
• 08:23 – What is being a consultant like?
• 17:33 – you may be coming in with people already hating you
• 18:26 – Building trust when you are starting from a deficit
• 21:45 – Find an ally and champion on the inside to help influence and get intel
• 24:05 – How do ICs work with consultants?
• 29:52 – Benefits of being a consultant
• 34:51 – How do you break into consulting?
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Shahed on LinkedIn
• The Million Dollar Designer
About Shahed
Shahed is an architect turned product designer. He has 12 years of experience solving problems across diverse mediums and industries, mostly in enterprise Fintech. Shahed currently leads the design consulting practice as Focused Labs, where he creates collaborative environments where both consultants and clients feel inspired and empowered to contribute towards good (and profitable) user experiences.
Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
If you’ve been sitting on building your new website, Wix Studio can help get you there faster. Wix Studio is a powerful platform that lets you create and manage websites easily. With Wix Studio, you can quickly adapt designs for every device, reuse assets, my favorite, export from Figm and much more. Check out beyonduxdesign.com/wix to start creating today!
—
Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.
If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.
• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher
The post 89. The Design Consultant’s Advantage with Shahed Syed appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
Casey Bombacie, a UX designer with over 15 years of experience, joins the show to discuss his unconventional career path and insights into thriving in new industries. Starting with a degree in geography, Casey found his way into UX design through a series of opportunities and a passion for understanding user behavior.
Casey’s journey took an interesting turn when he landed a job in the casino gaming industry, despite having little prior knowledge of the field. He shares how he approached learning about this new domain, from devouring industry publications to conducting in-depth interviews with floor operators. His experience highlights the importance of being adaptable and approaching new challenges with curiosity and humility.
One of the key themes in Casey’s story is the concept of going from “zero to one” – entering a new field or tackling a new problem with little prior knowledge. He emphasizes the value of transferable skills and how principles of UX design can be applied across various industries.
If you’re facing a career switch to a completely new industry or if you’ve been on the fence about switching, this episode is for you.
Topics:
• 04:16 – Casey’s origin story
• 09:07 – Getting from zero to one
• 13:25 – How Casey got into gaming/casinos
• 18:39 – Mastering a new rules and new players
• 22:23 – Lots of things we do can be ported to another industry
• 32:33 – Learning a new industry
• 38:05 – Junior designers supplementing their lack of expericne
• 41:53 – Interesting UX things related to Gaming and Casinos
• 46:15 – Ethical implications of UX of gaming
• 50:53 – Deceptive patterns in gaming
• 55:06 – Lessons from Casey
Helpful Links:
• Connect with Casey on LinkedIn
• HappyDesign.io
About Casey
Casey has been in product and design for over 15 years. He has worked in a lot of different domains and industries; from fit-tech to casinos to enterprise b2b and more. He has won an award for his product design as well as getting patented for another. He is currently the founder of happydesign.io, the Netflix of Design.
Connect with Casey on LinkedInHave you been putting off building your portfolio?Wix Studio can help get you there faster!
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The post 88. A UX Designer’s Guide to Diving Into a New Industry appeared first on Beyond UX Design.
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