Opacity

It's been a while, but we're back. After taking a few months off from the podcast, Craig and Tom are back in the podcast saddles to discuss the state of being a designer and person in these troubling times. We discuss Tom's burnout, which led to us taking the break from recording as well as the general anxiety that we're all dealing with through this time of COVID19. Working from home, home schooling kids and the importance of looking after yourself and others. Not just your immediate family but the wider world. Hope you enjoy.

You can reach out to Tom, Craig, and the official account for Opacity. And, of course, subscribe to Opacity everywhere audio is distributed. Share with others who you think would enjoy too. 

Helping designers have more fulfilling careers is like being a baker. An artisanal bread baker, where the designer is the dough in your hands. Or maybe the job is the dough... Regardless, the analogy is oven-proof. 

This week, we talk with an expert baker. From hospitality, to design recruitment, to building a design community with InVision, Mindaugas Petrutis has baked a lot of loaves over the years. We talk about the insides of design recruitment, the concept of dream jobs, and other related ideas.

Connect with Mindaugas on Twitter at @MindaugasLT or on LinkedIn. 

While you're at it, check the rest of us out as well. Tom, Craig, and the official account for Opacity. And, of course, subscribe to Opacity everywhere audio is distributed. 

With over 700,000 podcasts in the world, why make another one?

Early in 2019, Tom and Craig decided to get together to create Opacity, a podcast framed around the general topic of working in design. 18 episodes and 8 months later, they reflect on how it started, what they've learned along the way, and why they keep doing it. 

Podcasting is technically simple, but many things about it aren't that easy. If you've ever wanted to start your own, or have enjoyed listening to Opacity, this episode sheds more light into how they've tried to learn with each step of the journey. And, most importantly, how they keep it fun and interesting.

Thanks to everyone who listens. For newcomers, subscribe to Opacity anywhere you get podcasts. 

Is composure underrated?

One thing's for sure. Working nicely with others can be a challenge. And when we lose our composure, we can lose a lot more in the process. 

The modern work environment is full of tense moments, difficult conversations, and unreasonable egos (our own included). When passion is high, inter-personal tension can follow close behind. Maintaining composure amidst your own strong opinions and lizard brain impulses is a skill worth developing.

In this special episode we talk about all this, and more. Ben Taylor, Senior Product Designer at HubSpot, joins Craig and Tom. Ben brings a composed self-awareness, and some great insights on ways he's developed this over the years. 

(You can find Ben on Medium or connect with him on LinkedIn.)

Enjoy the episode, and don't forget to subscribe to Opacity anywhere you get podcasts. Follow us on twitter at @Opacitypodcast. And leave us a review on iTunes!

How do you feel when you hear these statements and questions? 

If you're like most, you probably get a little too worked up. We all do, and that's natural. In this episode, Tom and Craig talk about these questions. They try their best not to fall into the trap of actually giving their stances on them (and fail a bit in the process). Instead, they reflect on why we ask these questions to begin with. And, why so many of us foam at the mouth when these topics come up. 

Let us know what you think about these questions, and what it says about us as individuals, our identities, and our industry. 

Find us on our new official twitter handle, @opacitypodcast. You can also connect with Tom @tomcdesign and Craig @ycphillips over yonder.

ALSO! Tom is speaking at Glug Dublin on August 22nd, 2019, at The Sugar Club. Come say hi! Learn more about the topic and other speakers on the event page. 

Time and energy are the elusive fuel for projects, both personal and professional. In this episode Craig and Tom discuss their thoughts on how to deal with finite resources and getting things done.

Thanks for listening—share and subscribe! 

Kim Lenox currently heads up the product design organization at Zendesk, a global company that builds software for the best customer experiences. She is responsible for driving strategic priorities and scaling the impact of an international team of product designers, researchers, content strategists, and front-end developers as the company moves upmarket. Prior to Zendesk, Kim led the design of product experiences for 24 years at technology companies like LinkedIn, Samsung, and Palm/HP. 

In this episode we were lucky enough to speak with Kim about her career path, how she got to where she is, and the fundamental elements that made her the design leader she is today. It's chock full of sage advice—relevant for designers at any stage in their career. 

To connect with Kim, and learn more about what her team is up to at Zendesk, here are some places to check out:

Kim on Twitter

Zendesk

Zendesk Creative

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