Design in Good Company

In this episode, UX/UI designer Brendan Wu shares his life as a digital nomad and how it shapes his approach to design and accessibility. Brendan explains why accessible design doesn’t mean sacrificing style and offers simple tools and strategies to make digital spaces inclusive for everyone. Tune in for practical tips and ideas on blending creativity with usability!

Connect with us!

• Brendan Wu on LinkedIn
• world.wide.wubs on Instagram
• Design in Good Company Discord Group
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

AI, content strategy, design systems… Keeping pace with the web is hard. We’re here to help.

We help some of the world’s most forward-thinking organizations build digital platforms that stand out and stay relevant. Whether you’re looking for a complete redesign, long-term support, or an extension of your team, we’re here to help you succeed today and lead tomorrow.

Learn more about how Four Kitchens is creating the future of content.

Can Wix or Squarespace affect your online success? In this episode of Design in Good Company, we discuss the pros and cons of these platforms, tips for building a strong brand, and how to choose the right design elements. We also explore how storytelling and thoughtful web design can attract and keep customers. Get insights on everything from font choices to online reviews that can help you improve your business strategy.

• Amanda Walla on LinkedIn
• Design in Good Company Discord Group
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good. 

Remember the thrill of downloading music on Napster, only to find it was a totally different song? Join us in this episode of Design in Good Company as we take a nostalgic trip back to those wild days of mislabeled files and unexpected musical discoveries. We chat about how movie soundtracks in the new Deadpool Wolverine movie and Guardians of the Galaxy change our experience of classic songs. This sets the stage for a fun discussion on managing music collections and digital content in today's content management systems.

Ever wished for a content management system as powerful as Magneto? We explore this humorous idea while reminiscing about CDs, DVDs, and epic X-Men marathons. We also break down the pros and cons of popular CMSs like WordPress and Drupal, emphasizing user-friendly interfaces and automated updates. Tune in for a blend of humor, nostalgia, and practical insights that will leave you appreciating both music and digital content in a whole new light!

• Design in Good Company Discord Group
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good. 

Ever thought about wearing a fake beard? We start with jokes about Randy's changing beard styles and quirky fashion inspired by Moira Rose from Schitt's Creek. Then we dive into our love for Excel, sharing stories of how it saved us in work and school. We explore how Excel and Google Sheets help in the creative process, especially in visual analysis and data presentation. Get tips for using real website content in designs and tools like Google Sheets for Figma!

• Design in Good Company LinkedIn Group 
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good. 

Join us on Design in Good Company as we react to a beardless Randy! We then dive into the overuse of "AI" in marketing, share personal experiences with AI in content creation, and discuss keeping authenticity in the AI age. Don't miss it!

Interested in learning more? Connect with us below! 

• Design in Good Company LinkedIn Group 
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good. 

Should Randy go all out on a fancy office chair or keep suffering with the cheap options?

We also dive into the whole website carousel debate. Why do they often suck? Learn why Netflix gets it right and most websites don’t. Plus, get the scoop on why LinkedIn’s carousels actually work well.

Join us for laughs, design tips, and some real talk on creating engaging content! 🎉

Don’t forget to like and subscribe!

#DesignInGoodCompany #TechHub #EthicalBusiness #UserExperience #CustomerLoyalty 

Interested in learning more? Connect with us below! 

• Design in Good Company LinkedIn Group 
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good. 

Why does moving to the city feel like a whole new world? In this episode of “Design in Good Company,” join Brodrick Lothringer and Randy Oest as they explore Pittsburgh’s transformation into a tech hub and how the city has evolved beyond its steel mill past.

Later in the episode, they dive into the web of manipulative business practices. They share a cringe-worthy encounter with a street fundraiser and discuss the dark side of user experience design. Learn about emotional manipulation, deceptive subscription practices, and the need for ethical business conduct. Tune in to hear the tea about the Wall Street Journal and Adobe, and explore Cory Doctorow’s concept of "enshittification." 

Interested in learning more? Connect with us below! 

• Design in Good Company LinkedIn Group 
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

 Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good. 

In this episode of "Design in Good Company," Randy and Brodrick chat about their favorite days of the week and what makes them special. The conversation then shifts to a popular new show, comparing it to other series. Using this as a backdrop, they dive into imposter syndrome, sharing personal stories and tips for overcoming self-doubt. Inspired by the notorious work ethic of a certain athlete, they offer practical advice on setting expectations, managing conflict, and learning from failures. Join us for a conversation on building confidence and community support!

Interested in learning more? Connect with us below! 

• Design in Good Company LinkedIn Group 
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

 Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good. 

Did you know that your passion for RPGs can make you a better UX designer? Tune in to our live podcast debut where Randy takes us through his journey with live tabletop RPGs and the core UX principles he discovered along the way. From ensuring seamless interactions to crafting enjoyable user experiences, we explore the surprising parallels between gaming and design strategy.

Take a trip back to the early days of web design, when logo placement was a gamble and navigation menus were chaotic. Remember when logo placement was a guessing game and navigation menus were all over the place? Today’s sophisticated design systems and component libraries have streamlined the web, yet present new challenges. We discuss how to stand out in this refined environment, the rising demand for senior UX professionals, and the industry's latest hurdles, including layoffs and the relentless pursuit of that elusive final 20% of design perfection.

Finally, we break down the essentials of UX and UI design, emphasizing why positive user experiences are non-negotiable. Learn how human psychology, basic economics, and systems thinking can predict user behavior and drive business success. Borrowing lessons from Gordon Ramsay and the quirky show "Nathan for You," we highlight the continuous improvement ethos that defines UX design. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just curious about the field, this episode is packed with valuable insights and plenty of laughs to keep you entertained.

Interested in learning more? Connect with us below! 

• Design in Good Company LinkedIn Group 
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

 Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good. 

When was the last time you had a good vent session—professionally or personally? Everyone needs an opportunity to voice their concerns, but to do so, you need to surround yourself with a strong community that supports and empowers you. Sounds super easy… right? This week, Randy Dean Oest and Brodrick Lothringer are on location at DrupalCon 2024, sharing stories of karaoke plights, community spirit, and an insider look into Randy’s presentation, “The 30 Minute Content Strategist -From Concept to Plan.” 

This week is all about keeping the DrupalCon energy alive all year round. From sharing some of our favorite tips for audience engagement to an open invite to our LinkedIn group that promises ongoing collaboration, support, and a touch of the unexpected. 

• Design in Good Company LinkedIn Group 
• The 30 Minute Content Strategist -From Concept to Plan.”
• Content Strategy Workbook 
• Randy Dean Oest’s website 
• Brodrick Lothringer on LinkedIn 
• Four Kitchens 

About Four Kitchens

Your website needs to fulfill your mission and stand the test of time. We have a long history of helping teams like yours — those who educate, advocate, and inform — realize their website’s potential and make a positive change in the world.

At Four Kitchens, we make the web a better place to teach, learn, and advocate for all. Driven by our content expertise, technical excellence, and a shared purpose of doing good, we craft websites that help organizations fulfill their missions.

 Click here to learn more about how Four Kitchens makes websites with love. For good.