In both my previous experience working with her company as a consultant and this conversation, it becomes very clear very fast that Tanya Netayavichitr is someone who lifts every person she comes in contact with to greater heights. As you'll hear for yourself in the way she describes her experiences, it's never about her — it's about the people she's working with, guiding and advocating for.

Tanya's quick ascent to leadership positions in the worlds of UX and Product Design is testament to her formidable skill, impeachable integrity and steadfast kindness.

Twitter:
@Netayavichitr

LinkedIn:
tnetayavichitr

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor, Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. 

My guest for Episode 18 of Making UX Work is Will Sykora, who’s been working in design for over a decade, from a start in traditional graphic design to immersing himself in digital and web experiences. He’s worked in a multitude of industries, including hospitality, financial services, and government. He’s also worked independently as a freelance consultant, and launched his own startup along the way.

Suffice to say Will is no stranger to taking risks, particularly when doing so means being true to himself.

Twitter:
@WillSykora

Facebook:
will.sykora

LinkedIn:
willsykora

Websites:
willsykora.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor, Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. 

For this first episode of Season 3, I'm breaking my "no rock stars" rule. Because although he would never describe or consider himself as such, Nick Finck is a rock star — in the absolute best sense of the word.

For over 25 years, Nick has helped businesses build, grow, train, and support UX teams so they can focus on creating great products. And the core reason he's been so successful at doing so lies in his character, integrity and heart. Anyone who follow Nick on Twitter knows full well just how generous, selfless, supportive and wise he truly is.

 As you'll hear, Nick was one of the people who, along with Alan and Sue Cooper, had enormous impact on my path as an independent consultant. Had I not stumbled across his example nearly 15 years ago, I think my career would have taken a very different path.

I am beyond fortunate to call him my friend — and I am truly honored to share this incredible 1.5 hour conversation with you all.

Twitter:
@nickf

LinkedIn:
nickfinck

Websites:
CraftAndRigor.com
uxseattle.org

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor, Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. 

My guest Rich Harrison has 15 years of design leadership experience, partnering with over 50 organizations. He has served as a UX lead, team leader, and senior designer for higher education, Fortune 500 companies, government, nonprofits, startups, and small businesses. He's spent the last 5 years supporting UXPA Minnesota as a board member and UX mentor and serves on the advisory board for the technical communication program at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Rich's core philosophy is that design is service work; we are in this together! Empathy and relationships come first; as designers, we are responsible to the users we serve. Successful design is evidence-based and outcomes-focused.

Twitter:
@wakinginfinity

LinkedIn:
blueskyvisions

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor,Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. 

The Stache mantra is  that even in the darkest times, there is a light revealing prosperity; find your light and let it guide you through the darkness. Visit https://www.stache.studio/ to check out their incredibly well-designed products and learn more!

Helen Arvanotopoulis describes herself as a Design Thinking Preacher, UX Evangelist and Service Design Advocate. She is currently Head of UX for the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Aegon NV, working across Europe, Asia and America helping businesses and teams build and grow their capabilities and transform their organisations.

Her passion and belief in collaboration and a multi-disciplinary approach comes through loud in clear in this conversation, and I have no doubt that the organizations and people she’s helped over the last 13+ years have benefitted greatly from that conviction. Helen is a born storyteller whose outgoing personality shines through at every turn.

In her own words:

"For design to really make an impact it must ultimately serve a purpose, it must also be well researched, ideated, concepted and delivered. This has been my design mantra since stepping into the UX field and one I still proudly resonate with today."

So today, my friends, you get TWO preachers for the price of one — enjoy!

Twitter:
@HelenArvan

LinkedIn:
helen-arvanitopoulos

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor, Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. 

The Stache mantra is  that even in the darkest times, there is a light revealing prosperity; find your light and let it guide you through the darkness. Visit https://www.stache.studio/ to check out their incredibly well-designed products and learn more!

Russ Troester is still very new to UX, but he's definitely in the right place because, in his own words, he has a passion for “helping to make things suck less.” While he especially enjoys the research-related portions of the UX design process, Russ has had a very wide-ranging career across multiple industries.

But the one constant, and the thing that I really believe led him to UX is his very real, and very honest empathy and concern for his fellow human beings.

Like a lot of folks right now, Russ is currently looking for his next UX gig, and a great deal of our conversation revolved around the struggles and challenges inherent in that search. So if you're struggling as well in these uncertain times, I truly hope you'll find inspiration and encouragement in this episode.

Twitter:
@RussTroester

LinkedIn:
russtroester

Websites:
The World Over There Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor, Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. 

The Stache mantra is  that even in the darkest times, there is a light revealing prosperity; find your light and let it guide you through the darkness. Visit https://www.stache.studio/ to check out their incredibly well-designed products and learn more!

My guest today is Hida Behzadi. While she is a graphic designer by trade, she’s also worked as a creative director, a UX strategist, a design lecturer, and continues to work as an art instructor. 

In addition to her design acumen, Hida is an accomplished fine artist whose beautiful work possesses remarkable emotional and visual depth. And as I think you’ll hear over the course of our 80-minute conversation ( ! ), she approaches all things with a wonderful, positive curiosity, passion and great care.

For Hida, any job that is closer to design, to service, to culture and to helping humanity is an ideal job. I couldn't agree more.

Twitter:
@hidabz

LinkedIn:
hidabehzadi

Facebook:
Art & Design with Hida Behzadi

Instagram:
hida.be

Websites:
Behance

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor, Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. 

The Stache mantra is  that even in the darkest times, there is a light revealing prosperity; find your light and let it guide you through the darkness. Visit https://www.stache.studio/ to check out their incredibly well-designed products and learn more!

My guest today is Rajeev Subramanian, who describes himself as the "poster child" for continuous career evolution, and after talking to him I agree with that description. 

From gigs in sales, marketing, software development, entrepreneurship ventures and of course, design, one thing has remained common over his last 16 years: an unrelenting appetite to understand human behavior and leverage that understanding to deliver value to organizations of all shapes and sizes. 

And as I think you’ll hear, he is a firm believer in rigorous collaboration and a "what have I done for you lately" approach to his daily work.   

Here’s my conversation with Rajeev Subramanian — on Making UX Work.

Twitter:
@rajbajbone

LinkedIn:
rajeevsubramanian

Facebook:
rajeev.subramanian.395

Instagram:
rajbajbone

Websites:
InformedXP

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor, Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome.

The Stache mantra is  that even in the darkest times, there is a light revealing prosperity; find your light and let it guide you through the darkness. Visit https://www.stache.studio/ to check out their incredibly well-designed products and learn more!

My guest today is Jason Ogle, who describes himself as a passionate user defender — fighting for users who are victims of bad design decisions. 

He's an influential podcaster whose amazing USER DEFENDERS podcast is continuing to inspire and equip an audience of hungry, ambitious designers and UXers. 

Jason believes in failing early, and learning often. And as you’ll hear, every one of those failures has only pushed him to bigger, better and more incredible things. 

Jason Ogle, as the podcast title suggests, truly has a gift for turning a mess into a message.  

Twitter:

@jasonogle

LinkedIn:

Jason Ogle

Instagram:

highgrown

Websites:

User Defenders Podcast
User Defenders Online Community

If you enjoyed this episode, please check out our good friend and sponsor, Stache Studio — a streetwear clothing brand focusing on quality products with a positive message, inspired by the resilience to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. 

The Stache mantra is  that even in the darkest times, there is a light revealing prosperity; find your light and let it guide you through the darkness. Visit https://www.stache.studio/ to check out their incredibly well-designed products and learn more!

My guest today is Kristin Currier Ludlow, a Digital Designer with over 20 years of helping people shop better online and in stores.

In my experience, retail is one of the toughest industries to advocate for and create UX change, but as you'll hear, it's a challenge Kristin has risen to — and overcome.

Kristin believes that everything in retail — and life — is user experience. Whether you're resetting a store or an building an online shopping cart, it's the same thing. And as you'll hear, she's applied that belief to every task she's ever tackled.

From companies like Office Depot, Home Depot, CompUSA and Levenger to her current gig with a small UX team at City Furniture, Kristin has carried the DIY spirit and positive, can-do attitude of punk rock into everything she does.

That being something we share, this was an absolutely inspiring conversation for me.

Twitter:

@kristincurrier

Facebook:

Kristin Joy Currier Ludlow

LinkedIn:

Kristin (Currier) Ludlow, UXC

Instagram:

kristincurrier

Websites:

http://source-studio.com
http://kristincurrier.com/

The Stache mantra is  that even in the darkest times, there is a light revealing prosperity; find your light and let it guide you through the darkness. Visit https://www.stache.studio/ to check out their incredibly well-designed products and learn more!