Technically Speaking with Harrison Wheeler

Catt Small is a cat lover, karaoke singer, writer, and gamer. She’s currently leading the design of Goals at Asana and in this episode, we go deep into her vision of design management and the key elements to building a successful design team, as well as senior designers’ leadership. Do you want to know what the day-to-day work inside Asana’s Goals Product Team is like? Get ready to join this interesting conversation and discover it.

Jump straight into:

(01:19) - Introducing Catt Small - How does she get to be so consistent with all her hobbies and work?

(06:57) - Game design: How many games has she designed and what are the genres that they fall into?

(12:42) -  When digital design was just a niche field: Catt shares memories and lessons from her first years as a designer.

(18:56) - On design management, the importance of having a senior designer around and what Catt’s notion of career growth looks like.

(24:46) - The need for a vision: What does Catt’s day-to-day work is like inside Asana’s Goals Product Team?

(31:23) - Think about potential: Where is Catt’s main focus when it comes to building a team with values aligned?

Episode Resources:

Connect with Catt through LinkedIn and Twitter

Catt Small | Homepage

Catt Small TEDx Talk

The Creative Director Dan Mall joins the show to talk about his career path and the moments that led him to start SuperFriendly, his own agency that is all about design systems. Dan shares his ethos and explains why he considers himself as an intentional person. We explore some of the key moments within the foundation of SuperFriendly and we talk about the practices that companies value the most when it comes to working with agencies. Listen and discover what design agencies and Hollywood movies have in common!

Jump straight into:

(01:33) - Introducing Dan Mall: A family man and professional leader who believes that everyone is creative.

(06:52) - Icebreaker questions: A day in Dan’s life, his latest obsession and why people describe him as intentional.

(13:52) -  “People value design”: Dan’s background, influences and events that got him into design.

(19:35) - What is SuperFriendly? Get to know Dan’s agency model and why it’s similar to Hollywood.

(22:48) - A decade in the business: Exploring some of the key moments within the foundation of SuperFriendly.

(31:54) - “Narrow positioning draws more clients”: What is SuperFriendly's main focus in 2022?

(36:19) - A centralized-package-managed-version-controlled-software-product: The evolution of SuperFriendly’s concept for design systems throughout the years.

(43:01) - Try to help people: What is Dan looking forward to in the following years? When is his next book being published?

Episode Resources:

Connect with Dan through LinkedIn and Twitter

Dan Mall | Homepage

SuperFriendly

Thinking is Work - Dan Eden

Design is the Rendering of Intent - Jared M. Spool

Jasmine Orange works as UX lead at Ernst & Young. In this episode, we talk about her background in industrial design and her passion for designing beyond the screens. Jasmine shares her vision on design principles that need to be fixed and the value of open communication within design environments. Join us and connect with Jasmine’s philosophy of hard work (and taking breaks)!

Jump straight into:

(02:15) - Breaking the ice with Jasmine Orange: Meet the talented designer and current UX lead at Ernst & Young.

(07:38) - Context over consistency: Ultramarathons, sign language, quantum computation and the need to improve accessibility guidelines in UX design.

(14:59) - Industrial design (with some digital aspects): Jasmine’s development process to become a lead designer.

(23:31) - Commitment or visualization? What was Jasmine’s intention when she decided out-loud to take the UX design path? 

(24:38) - Better research for new principles: How is Jasmine’s Masters program adding value to what she is doing now (and what she wants to do next)?

(28:03) - AR & VR’s missing layer: What are some other areas of design that Jasmine is passionate about?

(30:43) - Start a conversation: What’s the motivation behind Jasmine’s courage to do a lot of talks? What are the topics that she has covered?

Episode Resources:

Connect with Jasmine through LinkedIn and Twitter

Season 5 is right around the corner. Our featured guests include Jasmine Orange, Dan Mall, Timothy Bardlavens, Catt Small, and Chris Thoms.

The new season kicks off on Tuesday, April 26th with new episodes released every other week.

Jump straight into:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:26) - Figma Config

(02:18) -  The Technically Speaking Product Design Glossary

(02:48) - Jasmine Orange, designer at EY talks about why moving fast and breaking things isn't always a good idea.

(04:27) - Dan Mall, founder of design systems agency, SuperFriendly discusses his design ethos and how he believes that everyone is a creator.

(06:05) - Catt Small, Staff Designer at Asana discusses the importance of senior IC's and the importance in organizations and as a career trajectory.

(08:10) - Timothy Bardlavens discusses his definition of chaotic good and how he applies that to his work at Meta.

(09:35) - Chris Thoms shares how he got in touch with the children and communities that he's designing for and how that is now a part of his purpose at NWEA

Figma Config Register

The Technically Speaking Product Design Glossary: 118 Terms You Need To Know Download

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Join Harrison as he walks through notable moments of 2021 with the Technically Speaking podcast. In this show, he talks about the growth of the pod, most downloaded episodes, some of his favorite things about the internet, tools, and what he's looking forward to touching on next year.

In this episode of Technically Speaking we are joined by the great May Li-Khoe (former Khan Academy and Apple) designer, engineer, DJ, and writing enthusiast. We take a look back at her career and the generational changes that are now leading to a new way of working in the creative industry, as well as the value of creative production and the new possibilities that are rising in the remote work schemes, comparing the situation as it was before when May-Li started working at big tech enterprises. Don’t miss this interesting conversation with an inspiring artist and a beautiful mind.

Jump straight into:

(02:44) - Learning about May-Li's life and spirit. What has she done and learned over the last 15 months?

(11:37) -  May-Li's professional career development among big tech companies and her music passion as a DJ.

(19:02) - Intuition and alignment: Looking for work that brings comfort, joy, and happiness to May-Li and the people that she cares about. 

(23:04) - Being a female designer & engineer coming from an immigrant background: How diversity and workplace culture was functioning 20 years ago. 

(30:37) - Workforce vindication for the future: Human sense of community in safe and comfortable environments.

(39:19) - New stories moving into a new era: The luxury of creativity and what’s next for May Li-Khoe.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Mary through Twitter and Tiny Letter

In this episode of the Technically Speaking Podcast, Harrison Wheeler talks with a designer, creative strategist, and podcaster who doesn’t need introductions, Maurice Cherry. Maurice’s podcast Revision Path is an award-winning weekly showcase of Black designers, artists, developers, and digital creatives from all over the world. Today, Maurice shares his experience going into design, how he found his first big opportunity, and his advocacy work highlighting black designers. Join in and learn about this designer’s approach to design work and how he’s built so many successful events and projects.

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Who is Maurice Cherry? His work as a designer in an Amsterdam-based studio and the growth of his award-winning podcast Revision Path. 

(04:36) - Growing up in Selma, Alabama, and the journey that took Maurice into art, technology, and design.

(10:26) - Math & computers: What would have happened if Maurice didn’t major in Math.

(13:52) - The post-college years: How Maurice waited for an opportunity in design in the early times of the internet.

(17:07) - Everything has changed in the last few years: Atlanta’s tech village and its pool of talent. 

(20:17) - Some of Maurice’s projects and his approach to work: Filling the void for different needs with creativity.

(21:43) - Where are the black designers?: Maurice’s work highlighting black design and how far we’ve come in terms of diversity and inclusion. 

(32:04) - Opening the path for others to continue: What’s the future of black designers? + The future of the Recognize Project. 

(36:57) - Advancing black design: How Revision Path made it into the Smithsonian Museum Collection.  

Episode Resources:

Connect with Maurice through LinkedIn

Maurice Cherry

Revision Path

Where Are The Black Designers?

RECOGNIZE

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In today’s episode our host Harrison Wheeler is joined by David Hoang, Director of Design at Webflow, to have a dynamic conversation around coding, remote work, the importance of community building, and why everyone should have their own “Hype Doc” around. Self gratitude is so important, yet we all tend to care for others while forgetting about our own needs. You don’t want to miss this inspiring episode, so tune in now!

Jump straight into:

(01:34) - The magic behind Webflow: On building online presence without coding.

(05:30) - A day in the life of David Hoang.

(07:03) - A Zoom & Loom company: The art of getting things done remotely. 

(13:47) - How to boost productivity and experiment with creativity through the second brain.

(18:49) - Everyone needs a Hype Doc: The importance of celebrating personal achievements and embracing self-gratitude.

(23:29) - The value of constant learning and deliberate practice.

Episode Resources:

Follow David on Twitter

Subscribe to David’s weekly newsletter here

Webflow

Loom

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In today’s episode our host Harrison Wheeler is joined by David Dylan Thomas, speaker, filmmaker, and author of Designed for Cognitive Bias, to talk about the fascinating world of cognitive biases, how they influence our day-to-day lives, the importance of sticking to a growth mindset and how to deal with impostor syndrome. Googling and learning from Wikipedia will never make you an expert, but it will definitely open doors for you. You don’t want to miss this conversation, so tune in now!

Jump straight into:

(01:33) - A cheerleader for inclusive design: Meet David Dylan Thomas.

(04:57) - On David’s passion for cognitive bias and the birth of the Cognitive Bias Podcast.

(09:38) - The outward effects of cognitive biases on our day to day lives and the problem with binary thinking.

(22:12) - Is a world without biases possible?: On thoughtful decision making and the importance of cultivating inclusion and collaboration. 

(25:33) - Design for Cognitive Bias: How David built an entire platform to share his work and expertise.

(34:13) - The secret sauce: On David’s experience design and the perspectives he brings to the table.

(39:27) - What’s next on David’s agenda?

Episode Resources:

Connect with David through LinkedIn and Twitter

Sign up for David’s newsletter here

Design for Cognitive Bias by David Dylan Thomas

The Cognitive Bias Podcast

Iris Bohnet | What Works: Gender Equality by Design

A Book Apart

Rebuild Black Business

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In today’s episode our host Harrison Wheeler talks to Rafe Chisolm, product designer, twitter veteran, writer and design generalist, to talk about the potential of Twitter’s DMs, the value of networking, his trajectory in design, and the importance of using your talents in smart ways. Join this conversation to learn why a single weekend could transform your entire life if you’re willing to take the challenge. 

Jump straight into:

(01:28) - A serendipitous weekend: Who is Rafe Chisolm and how does one end up with a title like “the Design Generalist”?

(15:20) - Anti-prescribed linear trajectory: How Rafe used law school as a “shortcut” to study design.

(24:55) - The accelerated transformation of the AT‘Lanna design ecosystem.

(30:27) - On Twitter’s Fleets and the experiment that created a backlash around the platform’s accessibility.

(38:59) - The pursuit of the correct integration of new features alongside the evolution of technology and new generations. 

(41: 36) - Writing for Netflix, airdropping scripts, and the art of world-building: How to make the most out of your career by repurposing your talents.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Rafe through his website and Twitter

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