Design Downtime

Ermi Isais joins us to share her fitness journey; from viewing it as a mere obligation to discovering its transformative power. Through the unexpected challenges of obstacle course races, Ermi found joy and fulfillment in pushing her limits. Now, she reflects on the importance of embracing new experiences and viewing failures as valuable lessons. Throughout her journey, Ermi learned to overcome inhibitions and fear of failure, finding strength in vulnerability.

Guest Bio

Ermi Mendoza-Isais (she/her) is a design leader with over 20 years of experience, (15 years in visual design, branding, studio management and 7+ years in UX/UI design), working with agencies, corporates, fintech and small startups and has managed a freelance business. She's built design teams from the ground up and established cross-team collaboration processes to help companies with low UX maturity digitally transform and elevate their products and services.

Ermi's an active mentor of the global design community, ADPList, where she shares career advice and EQ skills not taught in UX boot camps. She is a keynote speaker and is regularly invited to speak on design panels and podcasts to share valuable insights through her diverse journey to help inspire designers to thrive in their careers. When Ermi’s not designing, she challenges herself in her fitness journey, an experience that has been life-changing and helped her develop a “fit for life" mindset.

Links

Ermi’s fitness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ermi_fitness

Ermi’s design Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ermi_isais

Ermi’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ermiisais

Ermi on ADPList: https://adplist.org/mentors/ermi-isais

City2Surt: https://city2surf.com.au/

Spartan race: https://au.spartan.com/en

True Grit: https://truegrit.com.au/

Credits

Cover design by Raquel Rubio Breternitz.

We talk with Raquel Breternitz about her love for comics. Raquel has a particular interest in indie comics and autobiographical work, appreciating how they can tell unique and often painful stories. She recounts her personal history with comics, starting with reading them as a child, and rediscovering her passion for them during college through works that profoundly impacted her life. She reflects on how comics blend the literary and visual arts, creating a unique medium that matches the complexity of human communication. The conversation touches on the comics community's openness and supportiveness, Raquel's evolving taste in comics, and her current reading list.

Guest Bio

Raquel Rubio Breternitz (she/they) is an award-winning designer with a unique bent for research-driven work built with craft and polish. She is dedicated to inclusion, accessibility, and keeping tech human (and human-focused).

With a diverse background in purpose-driven work across product design and brand, Raquel has served as Design Director for Senator Elizabeth Warren and has contributed to organizations including the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Shopify, the New York Times, Pivotal Labs, and IBM. Currently, they are a founding lead designer at GoodDay software.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Raquel is a writer, public speaker, panel moderator, and sketchnoter. In their free time, they draw comics, tear through fiction novels, play rhythm guitar, and take waaay too many photos of their cat.

Links

Raquel on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/RaquelDesigns/

Raquel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raquelbreternitz/

Alison Bechdel and Fun Home: https://dykestowatchoutfor.com/fun-home-2/

Black Hole: https://50wattsbooks.com/products/black-hole-pantheon-graphic-library

Ghost World: https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/ghost-world-softback

Adrian Tomine: http://adrian-tomine.com/Booksandcomics.html

Lenore Yerkes: https://lenorayerkes.com/about

Jillian Tamaki: https://www.jilliantamaki.com/books;

Mariko Tamaki: http://marikotamaki.blogspot.com

Squire: https://sara-alfa.com/books/squire/

- and writer Nadia Shammas: https://www.nadiashammas.com/comics

Eden ii, K. Wroten: https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/eden-ii

Tillie Walden: https://www.tilliewalden.com/books

Credits

Cover design by Raquel Rubio Breternitz herself!

In our first episode, we talk with Emilie Mazurek about her passion for travel. Emilie discusses her first time traveling solo, and how that adventure has shaped her approach to life. She highlights the importance of adaptability in addition to planning, the joys and challenges of traveling with others, and her preference for quality experiences over quantity in her travels. Emilie also shares surprising destinations she's visited and her future travel aspirations.

Guest Bio

Emilie Mazurek (she/her) grew up thinking she wanted to be a doctor. She received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from University of Calgary, worked in a microbiology lab, wrote the MCAT, volunteered in Guatemala and even won two World Champion marching band titles. However, when the application cycle rolled around, she had more anxiety that she would be accepted rather than rejected–that’s when she knew something wasn’t right.

When she discovered UX Design it was like a lightbulb went on. After graduating bootcamp she landed a full-time, remote role in less than 3 months and was promoted to senior designer in just over a year. Now she’s helping others do the same.

When she’s not working you can find her arguing with her parrot Cheeto, giving unsolicited hot chocolate reviews, or finding any excuse possible to book another vacation.

Links

Emilie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilie-mazurek

Emilie’s website: https://www.dandydesign.ca/

Credits

Cover design by Raquel Rubio Breternitz.

Have you ever felt the pressure to constantly hustle, grind, and push yourself to the limits in your design career? I know I have. In a world where hustle culture reigns supreme, it's easy to get caught up in the frenzy of productivity, always striving for that next big breakthrough.

But here's the thing – it's okay to hit the pause button. It's okay to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life beyond the confines of our screens and workstations. That's why I created "Design Downtime".

This podcast is a sanctuary for anyone in the realm of product design who believes that life is about more than just work. It's about rediscovering the joy of hobbies, passions, and interests that light up our souls and feed our creativity in unexpected ways.

Credits

Cover art by Raquel Rubio Breternitz.