UI Narrative: UX, UI, IxD, Design and Research

Episode 53 Show Notes:

To jump from HR to the research ladder is nearly impossible at Google,

especially for someone who doesn't have a Master's or PhD. However, Morgan Ramsey proved all the critics wrong by planning her unconventional way into UX Research. She started her career as an HR Analyst but quickly realized that her true passion was UX.

In this episode, we discuss her resilient journey to becoming a UX Researcher. It took years of dedication and strategically mapping out her plan to obtain her dream job in research. I'm so inspired by Morgan's commitment to utilizing the resources around her to create her career path to UX Research, and I think she'll inspire you too.

We also discuss what it's like being an AIUX Researcher!

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

Morgan's links:

Website

https://www.morgancramsey.com/services-1

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgancramsey/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/_Morgan_Ramsey

The Pocket Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems

https://bookshop.org/a/13365/9781631593741

Universal Methods of Design Expanded and Revised:

https://bookshop.org/a/13365/9781631597480

Clubhouse: UX Research Corner

https://www.clubhouse.com/club/uxresearchcorner

Unpacked Angles - Youtube by Nannearl LeKesia Brown

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCum8djro0z8MuZJ9afFVGxQ/featured

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 52 Show Notes:

Preparing for a job interview can be one of the most stressful parts of the job search. There's a lot of pressure to make a great first impression and convey that you are the perfect fit for the job. The key to any interview is to prepare in advance by writing down your answers to questions. Are you prepared for your interview? Do you know what you're going to say? Have you even practiced?

In this episode, I'm narrating a parody UX mock interview with two characters. Yemi 🇳🇬 is interviewing Ade 🤠 for a UX Designer position at Wayne Enterprises. As we progress through the interview, I call out the faults in Ade's answers to questions.

This episode is much wackier than usual since I'm doing a Nigerian and Country accent. 🤣 I will probably never do this again, so enjoy this special edition podcast episode.

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

The Essential UX Interview Questions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu3xcQm7cEo

UI/UX Design Job Questions and Answers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OzTi0iUMlE

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 51 Show Notes:

I think it's essential to improve your work rhythm as you progress in your career. But, first, you must understand how you work best and your method for problem-solving. Of course, you should use the design thinking process for problem-solving, but you've got to know what you need from your clients to provide value.

In this episode, I'll be going over how I lead a UX project—basically going over my entire thought process from the beginning, middle, and end. I also cover how to manage your time on a project which will help improve your workflow and efficiency. You should learn how to lead a project because I want you to aim for career growth and not be a mediocre designer or researcher.

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

The UX Process podcast episode with Shanisha Collins

https://www.uinarrative.com/podcast-posts/episode23

A simple UX exercise to validate product features and requirements

https://youtu.be/PnC1gM6YlEo

How to improve your visual design

https://medium.com/facebook-design/how-to-make-your-not-so-great-visual-design-better-67972eee3825

What is an MVP?

https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/process/prototyping/mvps-in-ux-design/

Prioritization Matrix (MVP Chart)

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/prioritization-matrices/

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 50 Show Notes:

We've made it to the 50th episode of the UI Narrative podcast!!!! 🎉 I started this out as a hobby, and now I've made it a business. I will forever be thankful for you all listening and supporting my niche podcast. It means so much... truly.

The moments that have brought me the most joy on this podcast are connecting with people worldwide. From different countries, backgrounds, and hearing their stories of getting into UX is hugely inspiring.

I had to do something special for the 50th episode, so I brought listeners, like you, onto the show for a Q&A episode. I had a lot of fun talking with you all and answering your questions.

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

Mobbin

https://mobbin.design/browse/ios/apps

Land-book

https://land-book.com

Apple Human Interface Guidelines

https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/

Material Design

https://material.io

How To Improve Your Design and Research Portfolios

https://www.uinarrative.com/podcast-posts/episode44

The UX Designer Salary Talk

https://www.uinarrative.com/podcast-posts/episode38

How to Land a Product (UI/UX) Designer Job

https://www.uinarrative.com/podcast-posts/episode34

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 49 Show Notes:

As a designer, a lot of my podcast topics are about design. However, some of you may be struggling more than others with design, or you're finding that your day-to-day pixel-pushing isn't making you happy. So I must ask you, have you considered that maybe you're not supposed to be a designer? Perhaps it's UX Research that you're genuinely passionate about.

Nandi Manning is currently a UX Researcher at Mailchimp, but she didn't start her career out as a UX Researcher. She was previously a UX Designer! In this episode, she walks us through her process of transitioning from UX Designer to UX Researcher.

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

Nandi's Social

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nandimanning?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nandimanning/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandi-manning-bb7a7593/

UX Her Social

UX Mentorship Program (I highly recommend): https://www.uxher.com/mentorship

Website: https://www.uxher.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareuxher/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareuxher

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weareuxher

Mobbin

https://mobbin.design/browse/ios/apps

Land-book

https://land-book.com

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 48 Show Notes:

I've talked a lot on the podcast about how crucial it is to become a multitalented UXer to stand out amongst the competition. A way to do that is to have T-shaped skills.

T-shaped skills mean having deep expertise in one particular area but also broad experience across the field.

As an engineer turned designer, Donald Burlock shares in this episode the skills he's gained over the years that help organizations understand the value of the design process.

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

Book: Superhuman by Design

Website - Include a Post-it Note highlighter

Superhumanbydesign.com - Amazon & Kindle

@MrBurlock Instagram & Twitter

@Superhumanbydesign Instagram

I, X, and T-Shaped Designers: What's the Difference?

UX Terms Glossary - Strings article

The Different Types of UX, UI, and Product Designer Roles - Podcast ep 28

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 47 Show Notes:

Randall Wilson has been a designer for several years and has spent a decade working at Capital One. I was surprised when I saw his long tenure with a company because I've had to jump to new positions to achieve growth opportunities and salary increase in my career. His response to why he's stayed so long was, "People don't leave jobs, they leave managers," and that phrase has stuck with me because it's so genuine.

There's a lot more I'd love to share with you about Randall's career experience, like being on the hit TV Show Lego Masters and how his background in architecture influences his design.

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

Randall Wilson's Social

Instagram @therockfiles

Linkedin @randallwilson

Twitter @RW2Designs

Most Incredible - Website

Most Incredible on Instagram @mostincrediblestudio

HUE Design Summit - Website Twitter Instagram @huedesignsummit

Lego Masters Interview

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 46 Show Notes:

You can indeed start your career in UX with no college degree, but how is it possible to land a job afterward? In this episode, Jeremy Gaston and I discuss his journey to becoming a UX Designer with no college degree. He stresses the importance of understanding the value you bring to your clients and finding education tailored to your learning needs. We also break down methods he used to grow and how he learned to excel with imposter syndrome. Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

Jeremy Gaston's social

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrmygstn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrmygstn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jrmygstn

Uballn app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uballn-organize-play-earn/id1457252158

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 45 Show Notes:

Omar Tosca was born an engineer but was raised between designers. He has over seven years of experience as an interaction designer in Mexico, working with almost fifty companies. In this episode, we discuss his journey and the impact a mentor can have at all stages in your design career.

"I always thought that you always needed to manage people all the time to improve. Some designers just want to improve their skills. They want to be better at illustration or managing colors. And that's good too. If that's the way, you want to go at that time of your life." Omar Tosca

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

Polywork

https://www.polywork.com

Omar's LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/omartosca/detail/contact-info/

Omar's Twitter

https://twitter.com/omartosca

Omar's Dribbble

https://dribbble.com/omartosca

Omar's Website

Omartosca.com

Omar's Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/omar.tosca/?hl=en

Omar's podcast: Diseño con Ñ

https://open.spotify.com/show/0OkPACgPsJlQT4fvDjIUAS

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco

Episode 44 Show Notes:

I recently reviewed over 200 portfolios for a Junior Product Designer position we needed to fill. As I was going through these portfolios, I noticed a common problem. A lot of candidates don't know what to put in their portfolio or how to keep a hiring manager on their portfolio for at least 2 minutes.

This episode will be me ranting and providing guidance for anyone who is a designer or researcher with a portfolio. After reviewing these portfolios, I understood what most junior Uxers portfolios look like after finishing an online boot camp or college degree. I hate to break this to you, but they suck, and nobody's told you this. I even hate having to say it out loud because it makes me the bad guy. 😩

I'm not going to be judging you this whole episode; instead, I will be giving you clear steps on why it sucks and how you can make it better because I want you to land the interview.

Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or comments.

Mentions:

Website Building Tools:

Squarespace

www.squarespace.com

Webflow

https://webflow.com

Wix

https://www.wix.com

Elementor for Wordpress

https://elementor.com

Mentor Resources:

ADPList.org

Designed.org

Rookieup.com

And of course you can always chat with me at uinarrative.com/workwithme or email me at [email protected]

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Today's sponsor, Google Design, produces original content like articles and videos to show how Google's products come to life—and to inspire designers everywhere. Head over to goo.gle/UINarrative to get inspired.

Podcast Info:

Transcripts available on episode web page.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

RSS feed: https://uinarrative.libsyn.com/rss

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear.

Announcements:

Join the UI Narrative Email Club to be the first to hear about weekly blog posts and exclusive podcast recaps. You can sign up at uinarrative.com/emailclub.

Want to become a Product Designer? Or need a portfolio review? Learn more at uinarrative.com/workwithme.

Let's Connect:

Have a question for me? Email me at [email protected].

Let's connect! #uinarrative

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn @uinarrative

Twitter @uinarrativeco