Brave UX with Brendan Jarvis

Dave Hoffer shares why design demands empathy

Josephine Wong challenges us to design with intention, build cultures that care, and recognise the quiet power of everyday interactions to create truly meaningful work. ====== Episode chapters 00:00 – Welcome and Introduction 04:42 – Jo's Unexpected Start in Advertising 09:26 – A Multicultural Upbringing in Hong Kong 14:18 – From Melbourne to Apogee: Founding a UX Consultancy 21:35 – Building a Life and Business Partnership with Dan Szuc 26:04 – Understanding Systems: Politics, Economics, and Research 33:50 – The Problem with Feature-Centric Thinking 40:44 – Opening Stakeholder Minds Without Judgement 49:16 – What Deng Xiaoping Taught Jo About Leadership 58:33 – East Meets West: Bridging Philosophical Differences 1:06:18 – Make Meaningful Work and the Power of Micro-Interactions 1:13:57 – Bringing Human Skills to Kids Through Sparkle Studio 1:22:42 – The Contribution We Owe the World ====== Who is Josephine Wong? Josephine Wong is a co-founder and principal at Apogee, a pioneering user experience consultancy founded in 1998 with a vision to bring human-centred design to Hong Kong and the wider region. Over the past 25 years, Apogee has played a significant role in advancing UX across Asia. She's also the co-founder of Make Meaningful Work, a studio and learning platform helping people unlock their potential by focusing on meaningful work in environments where they can learn, improve, and thrive together. If that wasn't enough, Jo is also the co-founder of UX Hong Kong, an annual learning event that brings together passionate practitioners from across product and service design to explore and celebrate exceptional experience creation. A committed and influential contributor to our field, Jo has shared her expertise on global platforms including Beat Camp, We Can Do Better, the Reorient podcast, and UXpod. Her work is deeply informed by her multicultural upbringing and global perspective, allowing her to bridge cultural nuance and inspire designers and researchers around the world. ====== Find Josephine here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-wong-6801922/ X: https://x.com/igiwong Apogee: https://www.apogeehk.com/ Make Meaningful Work: https://www.makemeaningfulwork.com/ UX Hong Kong: https://uxhongkong.com/ ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn TikTok Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Roberta Dombrowski invites us to rethink success, tune into our intuition, and lead with intention —sharing how mindfulness, healing, and self-compassion can transform the way we work and live. ====== Episode chapters 00:00 – Welcome and Introduction 04:25 – Being a Transracial Adoptee and Finding Voice 14:11 – The Restless Career Journey and Job-Hopping 22:54 – Lessons from Anxiety, Burnout, and Slowing Down 32:25 – Mindfulness, Somatic Work, and Coaching Practice 42:46 – The Challenges Facing UX Researchers Today 50:42 – Systemic vs Individual Burnout 58:10 – How to Navigate Red Flags in Hiring 1:06:01 – The Role of Intuition and Inner Wisdom 1:15:51 – Rediscovering Fun and Joy at Work ====== Who is Roberta Dombrowski? Roberta Dombrowski is a certified leadership coach and experience strategist, dedicated to transforming the way people live, learn, and work. She is the founder of Learn Mindfully, a coaching and training company she launched in 2022. Since then, Roberta has supported hundreds of leaders from companies such as Adobe, Instacart, ServiceNow, Zapier, and Zoom. Previously, Roberta was a Research Partner at Maze, where she helped clients maximize the platform's potential. Before that, she was VP of User Research at User Interviews, where she built and scaled the research function while tackling the meta-challenge of researching researchers. Roberta is also the author of Consciously Crafting Your Career Path, a self-reflection and career planning workbook designed to help people shape fulfilling and intentional careers. Her insights have been featured on podcasts like Lead the People and BLOC, and at events such as Rosenfeld Media's Advancing Research conference. ====== Find Roberta here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertadombrowski/ Company website: https://learnmindfully.co/ Personal website: https://robertalearns.com/  ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn TikTok Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Gloria Osardu urges researchers to slow down, understand the business, and partner with intention—sharing why empathy, alignment, and asking the right questions are the foundation for research that matters. Highlights include: 05:02 – How did your parents shape your worldview and curiosity? 15:22 – Why is success as a research leader about facilitating others? 24:26 – What does “understanding the business” really mean? 30:43 – What does “skin in the game” mean for stakeholders? 45:24 – How has embracing slowness changed your approach to leadership? === Who is Gloria Osardu? Gloria is a Senior Director and Global Head of UX Research, Brand, and Consumer Insights at Yahoo!, where she leads initiatives to deepen Yahoo's understanding of consumer behaviour, aligning the company's brand, product, and marketing strategies with these insights. Before joining Yahoo!, Gloria was Senior Director and Head of UX Research and Insights at Gusto, where she built and led Gusto's Global Product Experience Research Team, overseeing both research and research operations professionals. She has also held senior research roles at Amazon Web Services, where she led UX Research Operations and Programs, and at Capital One, where she headed UX Research for their Enterprise AI and ML Platforms. With extensive commercial experience in customer insights and analytics, Gloria also brings an impressive academic background, holding a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, a Master of Science in Applied Health Informatics, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. A committed contributor to our field, Gloria is a long-standing mentor with the Computing Research Association and has been featured in User Weekly, as well as on podcasts like Black Stories and Saving UX. === Find Gloria here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaosardu/ ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn TikTok Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Esther Ahn reflects on the twists and turns of her creative journey, shares how critique can unlock better design without breaking spirits, and reveals why embracing the oops is essential for building resilient teams and products. Highlights include: 12:13 – How do you make sense of your career's twists and turns? 28:52 – What does a healthy culture of critique look like? 35:24 – What works best when presenting design work to executives? 42:19 – Where is the most tension between business goals and user needs? 01:06:36 – How is the children's book Beautiful Oops! relevant to your career? === Who is Esther Ahn? Esther is the Director of User Experience for YouTube TV and Primetime Channels on YouTube—a role in which she brings deep expertise in human-centered design and research to enhance the viewing experience across platforms and at scale. Throughout her career, Esther has pioneered new participatory design methods and conducted global research across the US, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Before YouTube, she was Director of Digital Health UX at Stanford Health Care and a Creative Director at the world-renowned innovation firm Frog Design. She's also worked at two other giants of design—IDEO and Smart Design—where she shaped experiences through multidisciplinary practice. Esther holds a BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley and a Master's in Interaction Design from Carnegie Mellon University. === Find Esther here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherahn/ ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn TikTok Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Meryl Evans shares why accessibility is everyone's responsibility, how captions can create connection—not just convenience—and why progress over perfection is the mindset that drives lasting inclusion. Highlights include: 11:30 – How did publishing your first video in 2018 change everything? 20:28 – Why progress over perfection is essential in accessibility 29:06 – How do you carry the responsibility of being an advocate? 49:34 – What does it take to build a culture of accessibility? 59:15 – Why equitable design matters for dignity and inclusion ====== Who is Meryl Evans? Meryl is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC), a sought-after speaker, trainer, and accessibility marketing consultant who has spent over two decades championing inclusive digital experiences. Named one of LinkedIn's Top 12 Voices for Accessibility Advocacy, Meryl's work has been recognised by organisations such as the North Texas Disability Chamber and featured in The Wall Street Journal, MarketingProfs, and The Dallas Morning News. She's the author of The Brilliant Outlook Pocketbook and co-author of Adapting to Web Standards: CSS and Ajax for Big Sites, and her speaking credits include TEDx, SXSW, and the American Marketing Association. Beyond her consulting and speaking, Meryl is a passionate volunteer, contributing to the W3C's Immersive Captions community group and XR Access, helping ensure emerging technologies are accessible to everyone. === Find Meryl here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meryl/ Website: https://meryl.net/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/merylkevans/videos  X: https://x.com/merylkevans ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn TikTok Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Felix Lee shares how ADPList is democratising mentorship, the lessons he's learned from failure and resilience, and why clarity beats cleverness in design. Highlights include: 02:14 - How did you come to own uber.com? 15:27 - What does performance have to do with UX? 28:54 - How do you identify the best executive champion for performance? 35:24 - Is measuring the business impact of performance as easy as it sounds? 46:37 - Why aren't designers more involved in performance? ====== Who is Tammy Everts? Tammy is the Chief Experience Officer at SpeedCurve—a platform that enables organisations to unlock the full potential of their web performance. In her role, Tammy champions the connection between site speed, user experience, and business success, working closely with customers to deepen their understanding of how people use with their websites. Tammy's career journey also includes senior UX roles at Soasta and Radware, and over two decades of pioneering research involving EEG headsets, facial action coding, and advanced machine learning. She is the author of “Time is Money: The Business Value of Web Performance” and a sought-after speaker, having shared her expertise at prominent events like Chrome Dev Summit, Smashing Conference, and Beyond Tellerand. Tammy also co-chairs the annual performance.now() conference in Amsterdam and co-curates WPO Stats, a valuable resource of web performance case studies. Find Tammy here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammyeverts/ Website: https://tammyeverts.wordpress.com/ Mastodon: https://webperf.social/@tammy X: https://x.com/tameverts ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn TikTok Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

In this episode of Brave UX, host Brendan Jarvis interviews designer, author, and educator Carla Diana, a leader in human-centered product design and technology. Carla is the D Designer-in-Residence and Head of Program at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and works part-time as the Design Advisor at Diligent Robotics. Join Carla and Brendan as they explore the future of smart technologies, including Carla's work on humanizing healthcare robots and her project "Mobility Town," which reimagines public transportation in Detroit. Carla also discusses the challenges of designing relatable robots, societal misconceptions about AI, and the ethical implications of technology. The conversation delves into the roles of designers in shaping how people interact with technology innovations like autonomous systems and social robots, urging a thoughtful consideration of technology's impact on society.   Highlights include: 00:00 - Getting to Know Carla Diana 05:31 - The Importance of Critical Engagement 12:01 -  Mobility Town: Reimagining Transportation in Detroit 18:01 - The Social Aspects of Public Transport 24:01 - The Narrative Around Robots 30:01 - Designing Relatable Robots 36:01 - Ethical Implications of Design 42:01 - The Role of AI in Robotics 48:01 - Autonomous Vehicles and Society's Responsibility 55:01 - Reflections on Design Education and Technology Who is Carla Diana Carla Diana is a highly influential designer, author, and educator known for her work at the intersection of technology and human-centered product design. She is the founder and designer-in-residence of the Interaction Design Programme at Cranbrook Academy of Art, where she leads an innovative exploration into smart objects, immersive environments, and intelligent systems. Carla also serves as a design advisor at Diligent Robotics, shaping healthcare robots to assist workers better.  Her extensive experience includes roles at Smart Design and Frog Design, where she worked on diverse products, from robots to connected home appliances. Carla authored "Leo, The Maker Prince," the first children's book about 3D printing, and "My Robot Gets Me," which focused on intuitive design for intelligent technologies. She's a frequent speaker at prominent events like TEDx SXSW, and her writing has been featured in Fast Company, The New York Times, and Popular Science. Find Carla Diana Here Carla Diana on LinkedIn Cranbrook Academy of Art Website Diligent Robotics Website Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website  

In this episode of Brave UX, Brendan welcomes Kelly Goto, CEO and Founder of gotoresearch and gotomedia. Kelly is a trailblazer in web and UX design with nearly 25 years of experience. She shares her inspiring journey as a fourth-generation Japanese American and discusses her work with major brands like Netflix and Samsung. They delve into the importance of emotional connection in product design, the impact of technology on attention spans, and the evolving methodologies in research, especially in light of generative AI. Kelly also reflects on cultural lessons and the significance of continuous learning in design. Don't miss this insightful conversation packed with valuable perspectives on UX and the intersection of culture and innovation!   Highlights include: 00:00 - Introduction 05:30 - Cultural Identity and Heritage 12:00 - Emotional Connection in Product Design 18:45 - Generational Technology Use in Design 25:15 - Insights from Japanese Culture 31:30 - The Role of Generative AI in Research 37:50 - Evolving Client Attitudes Towards Research 43:10 - Continuous Learning in Design 49:00 - Diverse Perspectives in UX 55:30 - Closing Thoughts and Engagement   Who is Kelly Goto Kelly is passionate about helping organizations truly understand and empathize with their customers so they can deliver products and services that are genuinely meaningful. After over 20 years on the digital frontier, Kelly knows user experience (UX) better than most. As a design ethnographer, she focuses on uncovering how people integrate products and services into their daily lives — what those experiences mean to people and how to shape that meaning better. Kelly heads up gotoresearch, the global leader in research-driven strategy and solutions for digital products and connected experiences. The gotoresearch team dives deep into the customer's world, translating unspoken wants and needs into UX realities. This enables clients such as Samsung, Hyundai, Sony, Target, Verizon, and Pearson Education to relate with customers in new and innovative ways. Her book, Web Redesign 2.0: Workflow That Works, is an industry classic translated into 22 languages. Find Kelly Goto Here Kelly Goto on LinkedIn Gotoresearch Website Gotomedia Website Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn

In this episode of Brave UX, Brendan welcomes Lawton Pybus, Principal and Co-Founder of Drill Bit Labs. Join them as they dive into the evolving landscape of UX amidst recent tech layoffs. Lawton shares insights from his extensive research on UX job markets and discusses the importance of valuing UX in organizations. With a blend of personal anecdotes—including a ‘fun' story about a venomous snake—this conversation highlights key trends, challenges, and the potential role of AI in UX. Listeners will find valuable advice for navigating their careers and fostering resilience in the UX field. Don't miss this insightful and entertaining discussion!   Highlights include: 00:00 - Introduction 02:15 - Job Market Analysis 05:45 - Real-Time Tracking of UX Roles 10:30 - Lawton's Personal Journey 15:00 - Impact of Recent Layoffs in UX 20:40 - The Demand for UX Skills 25:15 - The PAIR Framework and AI in UX 30:00 - Ethical AI Use in UX Research 35:10 - The Importance of Independent Thought 40:00 - Closing Thoughts Who is Lawton Pybus Lawton is a Principal and Co-founder of Drill Bit Labs. With a background in human factors, he has prior experience leading UX research teams at UserTesting, UserZoom, and MeasuringU and executing research on teams at Charles Schwab and Cabela's. He is the author of many insightful blog posts and regularly speaks at industry conferences like UXPA.   Find Lawton Here Lawton Pybus on LinkedIn Drill Bit Labs Website Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Brendan Jarvis delivers an inspiring talk at Design Outlook 2024. He outlines how self-reflection, clarity, and courage can help designers navigate uncertainty and shape a meaningful future. Highlights include: 02:07 - Observations on the current state of design and the rise of AI. 06:00 - Story 1: A dystopian AI scenario. 12:55 - Story 2: Lessons from Miyamoto Musashi. 20:57 - Story 3: A personal story of resilience and gratitude. 26:58 - Reflections on adversity and meaning. ====== Who is Brendan Jarvis? Brendan Jarvis is the managing founder of The Space InBetween, New Zealand's first world-class UX research and innovation lab. At The Space InBetween, Brendan helps enterprise leaders navigate complexity and achieve internal alignment through a human-centred approach to research and innovation. Brendan is also the host of Brave UX, an internationally acclaimed podcast that dives deep into the minds of global leaders in UX research, design, and product management. With over 150 episodes and listeners in more than 50 countries, Brave UX has been described as “courageously insightful,” “thought-provoking,” and a must-listen for anyone passionate about improving user experiences. In addition to his work with The Space InBetween and Brave UX, Brendan is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. His thought-provoking talks challenge designers and product leaders to reflect, adapt, and embrace the opportunities presented by change, including the rise of AI. Brendan's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the human side of design and to inspire a future that is both innovative and impactful. Find Brendan here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ X: https://x.com/brendanjarvis ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Felix Lee shares how ADPList is democratising mentorship, the lessons he's learned from failure and resilience, and why clarity beats cleverness in design. Highlights include: 03:58 - What parallels can you draw between your athletic career and leading ADPList? 09:42 - What is the fear you most often contend with as a young founder? 13:57 - What is the broader vision for ADPList beyond design? 15:19 - Why is it important for ADPList to be seen as a community rather than just a platform? 32:28 - How do you know if you are solving the right problem at ADPList? ====== Who is Felix Lee? Felix is the co-founder and CEO of ADPList, a global mentorship platform connecting expert designers, technologists, and professionals across more than 150 countries. With over 27,000 mentors, ADPList has made possible an incredible 100 million minutes of mentorship annually. In just three years, Felix has raised $1.3 million in capital, built a community of 120,000 LinkedIn followers, and launched the world's largest 24-hour design super-conference. Beyond design, ADPList has expanded to include product management and engineering, reflecting its mission as a human transformation company. Felix's journey hasn't been without challenges. As a young founder, his resilience has been shaped by early entrepreneurial setbacks and a drive to democratise mentorship. Featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia List and Tatler Asia's Gen-T List, Felix continues to inspire a global community with his clear and ambitious leadership style. Find Felix here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixleezd/ Website: https://adplist.org/ ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

In the second part of their conversation on Brave UX, Brendan furthers his conversation with Tamara Adlin, President of Adlin Inc. Tamara shares her journey of overcoming challenges like sexism and ageism in the tech space, advocating for user-centered design amidst a disconnect with Web 3 teams. They discuss the misconceptions around venture capital and the need to balance data-driven decisions and intuitive design. Plus, Tamara offers valuable job-seeking advice through her involvement with the "Never Search Alone" initiative, emphasizing a user-centric approach. Tune in for insights on innovation, adaptability, and creating meaningful connections in today's fast-paced tech landscape! Highlights include: 00:00 - Introduction to Web 3 and Blockchain 03:15 - Tamara's Reluctance to Engage with Web 3 08:00 - The 18-Month Confidence Knock 12:45 - Disconnect Between UX and Web 3 Mindsets 19:30 - Misconceptions About Funding and Success 24:00 - The Balance of Data and Intuition in Innovation 30:15 - Involvement with the "Never Search Alone" Initiative 35:50 - Crafting an Effective Elevator Pitch   Who is Tamara Adlin Tamara Adlin is a seasoned UX consultant with over 25 years of experience helping companies create better products. A former UX leader at Amazon, Tamara has worked with top tech enterprises, specializing in startups and Web3 projects for the past 20 years. She co-authored The Persona Lifecycle books and developed the "Executive Alignment in Five Conversations" framework, which helps teams refocus on user needs and improve product outcomes. With expertise in product strategy, UX diagnostics, and leadership alignment, Tamara's approach drives rapid improvements and long-term success for companies navigating disruptive technologies like blockchain and AI. "I like to use the metaphor of a 'tornado' to describe the chaos that ensues when executive opinions change rapidly. One moment, you're moving forward, and the next, everything is flipped upside down. It's crucial to understand those stakeholder assumptions upfront rather than letting the storm dictate the direction of your project." Tamara Adlin Find Tamara Here Tamara Adlin on LinkedIn Adlin Inc Website   Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

In the first of a two-part episode of Brave UX, Brendan Jarvis interviews Tamara Adlin, President of Adlin Inc. Tamara Adlin is a thought leader and a seasoned UX consultant with over 25 years of experience helping companies create better products. Tamara reflects on her time at Amazon, lessons from leadership, and her pioneering work with personas. She highlights how executive misalignment can derail projects, emphasizing that personas alone can't fix underlying communication issues. Tamara introduces her “Executive Alignment in Five Conversations” methodology, a framework designed to align teams and ensure project success. The conversation also touches on the importance of ongoing alignment and how well-crafted personas can be transformative when supported by clear, cohesive leadership. Highlights include: 00:00 - Introduction and Background 05:30 - Tamara's Journey into Animal Rescue 12:15 - The Persona Life Cycle Books 18:45 - Alignment Insights from Amazon 26:00 - The Importance of a Support System 32:30 - Diversity in Tech 40:15 - The Challenges of Executive Misalignment 46:00 - Executive Alignment in Five Conversations 55:30 - Case Study: Zillow 1:02:15 - Conclusion and Teaser for Part Two   Who is Tamara Adlin Tamara Adlin is a seasoned UX consultant with over 25 years of experience helping companies create better products. A former UX leader at Amazon, Tamara has worked with top tech enterprises, specializing in startups and Web3 projects for the past 20 years. She co-authored The Persona Lifecycle books and developed the "Executive Alignment in Five Conversations" framework, which helps teams refocus on user needs and improve product outcomes. With expertise in product strategy, UX diagnostics, and leadership alignment, Tamara's approach drives rapid improvements and long-term success for companies navigating disruptive technologies like blockchain and AI. "I like to use the metaphor of a 'tornado' to describe the chaos that ensues when executive opinions change rapidly. One moment, you're moving forward, and the next, everything is flipped upside down. It's crucial to understand those stakeholder assumptions upfront rather than letting the storm dictate the direction of your project." Tamara Adlin Find Tamara Here Tamara Adlin on LinkedIn Adlin Inc Website   Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram TikTok Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

In this episode of Brave UX, Brendan Jarvis sits down with Jen Briselli, Co-founder of Topology, to discuss how embracing uncertainty and complexity is essential in design. Jen shares her journey from physics and teaching to strategy consulting, drawing parallels between her love of extreme metal music and her approach to learning and exploration. They dive into the importance of systems thinking, navigating ambiguity, and how designers must embrace the unintended consequences of their work. Jen emphasizes the value of curiosity, self-reflection, and continuous learning as tools for thriving in an ever-evolving world. Highlights include: 00:00 - Introduction to Jen Briselli and her love for extreme metal music 02:31 - Jen's career path and the need to pave your path in design 08:11 - Embracing uncertainty and developing a tolerance for ambiguity 15:21 - Navigating ambiguity and getting comfortable with uncertainty 21:46 - Design as a white-collar or blue-collar field 26:56 - Complexity and systems thinking in design 31:41 - Embracing uncertainty and chaos in design 37:11 - Reconnecting with complexity and the importance of learning 42:21 - The importance of teams and organizations learning together 46:56 - Learning as the meta superpower for individuals   Who is Jen Briselli Jen Briselli is a multifaceted strategist, researcher, designer, and educator who thrives at the intersection of diverse disciplines. With a passion for risky play and transdisciplinary collaboration, Jen partners with brave individuals to co-create innovative services, experiences, and environments that empower people to live on their own terms. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, she uncovers hidden patterns across disparate domains and uses these insights to enable others. Inspired by the philosophy of R. Buckminster Fuller, Jen believes in unlocking individual potential to create a collective realization for all. She is dedicated to connecting ideas and people in meaningful ways. "It's become my professional mission to provoke, construct, and sometimes subvert to codesign services, tools, and experiences that enable people to live well on their own terms." Jen Briselli Find Jen Here Jen Briselli on LinkedIn Topology Website   Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

In this special bonus episode of Brave UX, Nitzan Shaer speaks candidly about the future of UX research, why simulated audiences are a step beyond synthetic, and how UX professionals can leverage them effectively. Highlights include: 15:12 - What's the vision you're building towards with WEVO? 22:56 - How would you define the difference between synthetic and simulated research? 25:44 - Could simulated research eventually surpass human research in accuracy? 34:50 - What does the near future hold for UX research with AI advancements? 58:00 - How can simulated audiences help accelerate innovation? ====== Who is Nitzan Shaer? Nitzan is the CEO and co-founder of WEVO, a user research platform that leverages AI to deliver reliable insights to designers, marketers, and product managers—in a fraction of the time that traditional research requires. Before co-founding WEVO, Nitzan was the co-founder and managing partner of High Start Group, an innovation consulting firm dedicated to helping companies create and launch breakthrough products. He also led product management, partner relationships, and defined Skype's strategy for mobile phones as head of the Mobile Phones and Product Group, where the challenges of working with customers across 150+ countries sparked his vision for WEVO. Complementing his hands-on experience in building and scaling products, Nitzan holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Technion, Israel's Institute of Technology. An active contributor to the broader product and business community, Nitzan has shared his insights on stages such as The Product Podcast, Product-Led Summit New York, and at Harvard Business School. Find Nitzan here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nshaer/ Website: https://wevo.ai/ ====== Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Today, our special guest is Greg Nudelman, a Distinguished Designer at Sumo Logic. In this engaging episode of Brave UX, Brendan interviews Greg about the role of UX in the age of AI. They discuss the potential impact of AI on society, the need for designers to adapt and incorporate AI into their work, and the importance of focusing on customer needs and ethical considerations. They also touch on the challenges faced in design projects and the need for trust and clear goals. Overall, this podcast offers valuable insights on the evolving role of designers and the potential consequences of AI on democracy. Highlights include: 00:00 - Introduction to Greg and UX forAI 01:45 - AI's Potential Impact on Society 05:32 - Perspective on the World Our Children Will Live In 07:15 - Critique of Education System and the Role of AI in the Classroom 10:32 - Shifting Role of Designers in the Age of AI  14:48 - Importance of Shifting Design Conversations 18:02 - Training AI Models for Positive Design Outcomes 20:42 - Challenges in Design Projects and the Role of Trust 24:15 - Designers as Contributors and the Importance of Humility 28:05 - AI's Impact on Democracy and the Role of Individuals   Who is Greg Nedelman Greg Nudelman is a seasoned UX leader with 24 design patents, six featured mobile apps, and five design books in three languages. Known for generating hundreds of millions in design ROI, Greg specializes in crafting AI/ML-powered products that inspire a "When can I buy this?" reaction from customers. A Gartner Cool Vendor™, Greg's expertise spans UX for AI, Lean Product Design, and DesignOps. He has delivered over 100 executive-level keynotes and workshops in 18 countries, guiding UX teams across biotech, finance, and IoT industries to create innovative digital solutions that surpass business goals and elevate user experiences. Find Greg Here Greg Nudelman on LinkedIn Sumo Logic Website DesignCaffeine, Greg's Website   Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Today, our special guest is Abby Covert, Chief Sensemaker at the Sensemaker Club. Join Brendan as he interviews Abby, an information architect, author, and community leader in UX design. Abby shares insights into her work in UX design, the importance of customer feedback, and her journey as an author. They discuss topics such as misdiagnosis, neurodivergent experiences, the evolution of information architecture, ethical responsibility in tech, and effective communication through diagrams. Take advantage of this insightful and thought-provoking conversation. Highlights include: 0:00 - Introduction and Abby's Accomplishments 3:17 - Abby's Experience of Buying a House 6:45 - Abby's Book "How to Make Sense of Any Mess" 13:01 - Friendship with Christina Wodtke 16:56 - Abby's Work and Life OKRs 20:45 - Decision to Become a "Digital Recluse" 26:10 - Experience of Being Diagnosed with ADHD 37:56 - Abby's Journey in Information Architecture (IA) 44:28 - Challenges in Promoting Ethical Responsibility in UX Design   Who is Abby Covert Abby Covert is an information architect, writer, and community organizer with two decades of experience helping people make sense of messes. In addition to being an active mentor to those new to sensemaking, she has also served the design community as President of the Information Architecture Institute, co-chair of the Information Architecture Summit, and Executive Producer of the I.D.E.A Conference.   Abby is a founding faculty member of the School of Visual Arts' Products of Design graduate program. She also managed the team that helped Rosenfeld Media start the Design Operations Summit and Advancing Research Conference. Her most proud achievement is coming up with the idea for World Information Architecture Day, which brings accessibly priced education to thousands in their local communities annually.   Abby has written two books for her students. In 2014, she published How to Make Sense of Any Mess, a book to teach IA to everybody. In 2022, she released her much-anticipated follow-up, Stuck? Diagrams Help. She currently spends her time making things that help you make the unclear clear, many of which she makes available for free on her website, abbycovert.com or at accessible price points in her popular Etsy shop, AbbytheIA.   Find Abby Here Abby Covert on LinkedIn Sensemaker Club on LinkedIn Sensemaker Club Website Abby Covert's Book How to Make Sense of Any Mess Subscribe to Brave UX Like what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Today, our special guest is Whitney Hess, Founder and Executive Coach of Vicarious Partners Inc. We discuss the power of bravery, vulnerability, and personal growth. Discover how to overcome fear, cultivate self-awareness, and embrace failure as a stepping stone toward success. With practical tips and inspiring stories, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to live a more courageous and purposeful life. Highlights include: 0:00-4:25 - Whitney discusses her perspective on failure 04:26-8:17 - Whitney shares her backstory, including living on a sailboat 08:18-14:03 - The importance of being present and fully engaged with clients 14:04-19:48 - A closer look at the power dynamics in coaching relationships 19:49-24:12 - Whitney shares a personal anecdote 24:13-29:45 - More on coaching, UX, and the challenges facing the field 29:46-33:58 - Whitney's perspective on the risks of pursuing the management track  33:59-38:20 - Coaching dynamics and the importance of an opt-in relationship 43:03-46:26 - Brendan and Whitney highlight the importance of self-reflection Who is Whitney Hess Whitney Hess is a coach, writer, and designer on a mission to put humanity back into business. She believes empathy builds empires, and she helps progressive, creative leaders design their careers and accelerate their missions. Her techniques help people gain self-awareness, identify blind spots, navigate obstacles, and bring their whole selves to their work.   Whitney has been a user experience (UX) consultant for over a decade, hired to make technology easier and more pleasurable. She has been recognized for her work with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Foundation Center, Seamless, Boxee, and WNYC. She is named as a co-inventor on a U.S. patent with American Express.   Whitney is a two-time Carnegie Mellon University graduate with a Master's in Human-Computer Interaction and a Bachelor's in Professional Writing and HCI. She is a Certified Integral Coach through New Ventures West and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation. She writes on her blog Pleasure & Pain, co-hosts the podcast Designing Yourself, and speaks at conferences and corporations worldwide.   Find Whitney Here: Whitney Hess on LinkedIn Whitney Hess Website Whitney Hess Blog Vicarious Partners Inc. on LinkedIn Whitney Hess Email   Subscribe to Brave UX Like what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Today, our special guest is Doreen Lorenzo, Assistant Dean at the University of Texas School of Design and Creative Technology. Doreen discusses the challenges and opportunities in the design industry and shares her insights as a design leader while emphasizing the importance of training and skill development. They also explore her journey from Frog Design to the University of Texas and her passion for education and diversity in design. Highlights include: 03:15 - Introduction and Doreen's background 10:52 - Doreen's decision to pursue a career in design 15:50 - Challenges of managing a large design firm 24:59 - Benefits of promoting diversity in the design industry 26:39 - Importance of confidence in design 31:29 - Doreen's Journey from Frog to the University of Texas 44:04 - Doreen's leadership philosophy and balancing profitability with risk-taking Who is Doreen Lorenzo Doreen Lorenzo is a successful leader of global creative firms who advises and consults with companies from Fortune 100 to startups on design and innovation issues. The former president of the global design firms Frog and Quirky, she is now the Assistant Dean in the School of Design and Creative Technology at the University of Texas, a co-founder of the mobile video insights firm Vidlet, a board member and advisor of several startups, and a columnist for Fast Company Co.Design.  A recognized thought leader on business and design issues, she speaks publicly about her signature leadership style and the power of empathy to drive business results. Most recently, Texas Monthly named Doreen one of the 15 innovators reshaping Texas, a testament to her innovative leadership approach. Doreen is an ardent believer in the advantages of “soft skills” like empathy and humor in business. She speaks at industry conferences, at private events, and to the media about her experience using these often overlooked skills to understand and motivate creative people. A driven and successful woman in a male-dominated industry, Doreen also speaks about women in leadership and coaches aspiring women leaders to help them find their own paths to success.  Find Doreen Here Doreen Lorenzo on LinkedIn University of Texas School of Design and Creative Technology Website Quirky Website Doreen's personal Website   Subscribe to Brave UX Like what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram The Show is hosted by Brendan Jarvis, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Today, our special guest is Nick Fine, PhD, Principal UX Research Consultant and Strategist at Adaptavist. Nick touches on several topics, including dealing with ADHD, why user-centric design has lost its way, and the impact of economic cycles and AI on the industry. Nick also talks about the need for UX researchers to focus on insight rather than ‘depth', stating that the goal is to “get the gold and get out.” And that's just the start! Highlights include: 00:00 - Guest introduction 02:31 - Discussion on ADHD and "Chorus of Bastards" 09:15 - Nick's background in hacking and hyperfocus  17:56 - Frustration with the current state of UX 23:50 - Future of UX and AI agents 30:31 - Making yourself indispensable in UX 35:16 - Over-intellectualization of UX research 39:31 - The role of managers and leaders in UX 44:11 - Conclusion and key takeaways Who is Nick Fine, PhD Nick is a user experience researcher and designer with 20 years of experience in digital and over 12 years of experience as a practitioner. He holds a PhD and MSc in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and a BSc in Psychology. He successfully defended his PhD thesis in 2009, entitled “Personalizing Interaction Using User Interface Skins,” where he established a novel means for determining personality type from keyboard and mouse usage and discovered relationships between design elements (color, shape, meaning) and personality type.  By combining academic research skills and HCI knowledge with commercial UX experience, Nick has successfully delivered a number of complex and mission-critical projects, including air traffic control, financial systems, and pharmaceutical R&D. He has led UX on projects for a number of brands, including Coca-Cola, SAB Miller, Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, EY, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, BT, Virgin Media, Camelot, and both the Home and Cabinet Office. Find Nick Here: Nick Fine, PhD on LinkedIn Adaptavist Website Proskin.org Website Subscribe to Brave UX Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn Instagram The Show is hosted by Brendan Jarvis, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Q Walker draws a line between circus and UX, shares their experience of being cyber stalked, and unpacks the IA intricacies of emojis. Highlights include: What can designers learn from circus performers? Why did you start researching the information architecture of emojis? Are changes to emojis a form of benevolent censorship? What makes the presentation of the gun emoji interesting? How has embracing your queerness helped you reclaim your bravery? ====== Who is Q Walker? Since late 2023, Q has been the General Manager of The Circus Hub, the centre for circus arts in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Before joining The Circus Hub, Q was an Experience Lead at PaperKite , where they plied their trade of UX strategy and UX research to helping brands like the All Blacks, Volkswagen, The New Zealand Ministry of Health, and Hell Pizza, to better serve their customers. Q's career in design started in the United States at Fidelity Investments in 2012, where they worked as a Communications Design Manager and - among other things - used UX and graphic design skills to create data visualisations, interactive reports and web app interfaces. It was during their time at Fidelity that Q both started and completed a Master of Science in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.  They have also shared their expertise and experiences with audiences at UX New Zealand (more than once) and UXPA's Boston conference. ====== Find Q here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/q-walker/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Greg Petroff discusses the practicalities of executive design leadership, why he believes in ‘make to think', and the ins-and-outs of working with product and engineering. Highlights include: How much advocacy for design is too much? Why do you prefer project-based teams over product-based teams? How do you align the engineering, product and design organisations? How have your recent experiences in the labour market changed you? What does effective compromise look like in enterprise software design? ====== Who is Greg Petroff? A 25 year veteran of the design field, for the past 10 years Greg has led significant design organisations at some of the world's largest and most recognisable companies.  Until recently, he was the vice president and chief design officer of Cisco Secure, where he led the design innovation and transformation of one of the world's largest cybersecurity solutions providers. His highlight reel also includes being the chief experience officer at GE Digital, managing director of Google Cloud, vice president and global head of design at ServiceNow, and senior vice president of design at Compass. One of the early members of our emerging field, Greg is a founding board member of the Interaction Design Association, where he also contributed as the treasurer and as an early conference chair.  A generous contributor to the field, Greg has shared his insights on stages across the world, including at TedX, the Interaction conference, UX Australia, Enterprise UX, and on the most-excellent Finding Our Way podcast. ====== Find Greg here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gpetroff/  X: https://twitter.com/gpetroff ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Ari Zelmanow shares insight into his life as a police detective, how he transformed into a PhD and then UX researcher, and how researchers can become strategic partners. Highlights include: What insight did your time as a detective give you into your fellow humans? How do you communicate the value of research to the business? What is the most impactful way to present research findings? Why is it important to associate a level of certainty with research findings? What is the most important thing for researchers to focus on right now? ====== Who is Ari Zelmanow? Ari is he Head of UX Research at Twilio, where he leads the ‘small but mighty' research and research ops teams for the industry-leading platform that efficiently powers customer engagement, marketing and innovation. He is also the Managing Director of Customer Forensics, where he helps companies to capture and keep more customers - informed by his time in the research field, and former life as a metropolitan police detective. Ari has also held a number of senior research roles, including as vice president of analytics, research and insight at Gtmhub, As a UX research manager at Indeed, a director of analytics, research, and insights at Panasonic, and as a UX and Market Research Lead at Twitter. Complementing Ari's decade of experience as a police detective and years in the field as an applied researcher and research manager, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, and a PhD in Cognitive Psychology. ====== Find Ari here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zelmanow/ Personal website: https://arizelmanow.com/ Customer Forensics: http://customerforensics.com/ Blog: https://zelmanow.medium.com/ X: https://twitter.com/arizelmanow The Influential Researcher course: https://maven.com/interrogate/the-influential-researcher ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Vidya Dinamani shares important strategies for building belief, healthy product cultures, and positive cross-functional relationships.  Highlights include: How have you increased your chances of your initiatives being supported? How do you determine what is needed for a product org to improve? What do you do when a leader is preventing the product org's success? How do the best leaders manage the demands on their team's time? What advice do you have for teams being crushed by their backlog? ====== Who is Vidya Dinamani? Vidya is the co-founder of Product Rebels, a company that has provided world-class and hands-on product management coaching, by tenured product management executives, to over 1,200 product leaders and founders. She is also a founding partner of Ad Astra Ventures, a specialist early-stage venture investment firm and accelerator that helps female founders to get funded. Before founding Product Rebels, Vidya was the VP of Innovation and Design at Mitchell International, where she established and grew a team that was focused on new growth products and the development of an innovation framework, metrics and process. Vidya also spent a little over a decade at Intuit, where her last role was as the Director of Product & Customer Experience Development for TurboTax. She holds 9 US software patents. Is a member of both GroupSolver's and Sash Group's board of directors. A limited partner of the Neythri Futures Fund. A mentor for Techstars and GrowthMentor. And the founder and lead organiser of Product Tank San Diego. ====== Find Vidya here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vdinamani/ Website: https://vidyadinamani.mystrikingly.com/ X: https://twitter.com/vdinamani Product Rebels: https://productrebels.com/ Ad Astra Ventures: http://www.adastra.ventures/  ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Suj Premachandran shares how Digital Influx brings UX to children, how they integrate Eastern educational philosophy, and the challenge of changing archaic education systems. Highlights include: How are you helping children to become creative thinkers and designers? Are some of Digital Influx's practices too ‘foreign' for UK educators? How are you bringing design to people of colour through Digital Influx? What inspiration have you taken from non-Western education systems? Why do students create projects related to UN Sustainable Development Goals? ====== Who is Suj Premachandran? Suj is the CEO of Digital Influx, an international, industry-led, and interactive EdTech platform that helps children, teens and adults to develop UX design skills and to think differently about problems, large and small.  Suj is also the Vice President of the recently established Digital Influx Foundation; a US based non-profit that aims to make design education accessible to all children, regardless of their socio-economic background. Before founding Digital Influx, Suj worked in design recruitment as a senior talent partner for Revolut, one of the world's first global super apps. And also as a creative talent consultant for product and UX people at Salt in London. Suj is an advocate for design & UX education at Tech London Advocates, a network of more than 15,000 tech leaders, entrepreneurs and experts across the globe. He is also a member of the Design Leadership Forum. ====== Find Suj here: Website: https://digitalinflux.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suj-premachandran-b630b444/ X: https://twitter.com/CEOinflux ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Andy Vitale shares his experiences as an executive design leader, how he's successfully scaled several design orgs, and why a career in pro wrestling wasn't for him. Highlights include: Why do you create a five year plan for the design orgs you lead? How has Grey's Anatomy informed the design of your design organisations? Why go to the trouble of helping someone who's struggling in an interview? How do you navigate the expectations of being the most senior design leader? How do you feel you've enabled people on your team to speak to you as an equal? ====== Who is Andy Vitale? Andy is the Chief Design Officer of Constant Contact, an automation platform that helps small businesses to simplify and amplify their digital marketing. In this crucial role, Andy is responsible for providing executive leadership for the design organisation. A master when it comes to scaling design teams, while at Rocket Companies Andy grew the design team into a multidisciplinary organisation with over 170 people working across design, research and brand. Aside from his busy day job, Andy is also helping to shape the thinking of future user experience professionals, through his work as an adjunct professor for Kent State University's Masters of Science in User Experience Design programme. Andy is the co-host of the Surfacing Podcast where, alongside Lisa Welchman, he engages designers, technologists, and business leaders in inspiring conversations. He is a member of the Fast Company Executive Board, an Adobe Education Leader, and - believe it or not - he still finds time to mentor designers on ADPList. ====== Find Andy here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyvitale/ Website: https://www.andyvitale.com/ Medium: https://medium.com/@andyvitale X: https://twitter.com/andyvitale ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Ben Sauer shares why designers need to be better presenters, how to keep stakeholders awake and engaged, and what to do when disaster inevitably strikes. Highlights include: Is how design is presented more important than the design itself? How do you help stakeholders to relate more powerfully to design work? What is the Goldilocks Zone and how can designer's find it quickly? Why can it be useful to show stakeholders design work bit-by-bit? How do you deal with difficult people when presenting design work? ====== Who is Ben Sauer? Ben is an independent product and design strategist, coach, and trainer, helping companies to craft the vision for their products, and to inspire better internal processes and practices. Drawing on over 20 years of experience, he has written and spoken about strategic storytelling, voice UI design, and how slowing down can help organisations to speed up. And his insights have been put to use at organisations such as NASA, Amazon and the BBC. Ben's most recent mission is helping designers to become more influential by becoming more confident communicators of their work. That's why he's recently published a book called “Death by Screens”, a practical how-to guide for presenting high stakes design work. Before becoming an independent consultant, Ben worked at Babylon Health, where he was first a Director of Design and then a Director of Product. There, he led a large team of over 100 designers, clinicians, data scientists and engineers. He has also been a Senior UX Designer at Clearleft, the world-renowned and perhaps first UX design consultancy in the United Kingdom. ====== Find Ben here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bensauer/ Website: https://bensauer.net/ X: https://twitter.com/bensauer Death By Screens: How to Present High-Stakes Digital Design Work and Live to Tell the Tale -  https://bensauer.net/deathbyscreens/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Aylin Uysal shares her story of leading enterprise design, the reality of being an exec and a parent, and how patience and perseverance have served her well. Highlights include: Why is it important to have a good grasp of the details as a senior design leader? How do you know when you haven't got the work-parent balance quite right? What changed at Oracle to enable the culture to significantly support design? How do you work across Oracle to ensure that users' experience great design? Why can't business apps be as simple and delightful as consumer apps? ====== Who is Aylin Uysal? Currently the VP of User Experience for Cloud Applications at Oracle, Aylin is at the forefront of design at one of the tech industry's most established companies, helping its customers to see data in new ways, discover insights and unlock endless possibilities. During over two decades at Oracle Aylin has held several senior leadership roles, serving previously as a Senior Director of User Experience, a Director of Applications User Experience, and as a Senior Manager of HCM User Experience. Before her long-standing tenure at Oracle, Aylin was a valued member of the design team at SAP, where she was a lead designer. She also made her mark as a senior designer at Silicon Graphics, a legendary Silicon Valley icon. Originally from Turkey, Aylin graduated from Middle East Technical University with a Bachelor's in Industrial Design. She further honed her craft, obtaining a Master of Fine Arts from San Francisco's Academy of Art University. Aylin's influence is not just corporate; she's been celebrated as one of the top thirty influential Turkish-American women by Turk of Amerika, she is a board member of the TUSIAD Silicon Valley Network, and is credited on 8 US patents.  ====== Find Aylin here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aylinuysal/ X: https://twitter.com/aylinuysal ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Monal Chokshi shares the lessons learned from growing three UX research orgs, what makes research impact a reality, and reflects on the next step in her career. Highlights include: What do you wish you knew about management before becoming a manager? What do researchers leaders need to do to increase their impact and influence? Did you become a manager to have more influence on product decisions? What do you look for in a company when deciding whether to apply for a job? What is the right way to socialise and influence partners with insights?  ====== Who is Monal Chokshi? Until recently, Monal was a Senior Director and Head of Research & Insights at Dropbox, the company behind the cloud-based file storage and synchronisation service that helps over 700 million people, in over 180 countries, keep life organised. At Dropbox, Monal led an organisation with researchers embedded in teams working across the company's diverse range of products. As well as a centralised research team that contributed to Dropbox's strategic direction through foundational research. Before joining Dropbox, Monal was the Head of UX Research at Lyft. It was here that her visionary leadership enabled the discipline to grow from just her, to over 30 researchers, design strategists, and research operations specialists, working across all of the company's products and services. A generous contributor to the community, Monal has shared her insights at popular events, such as at UX Live's UXR Conference, and on podcasts like the UX STRAT Podcast, Noam Segal's UXR Conversations, and UserZoom's UX Peditious. ====== Find Monal here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monal/ X: https://twitter.com/MonalChokshi How to Succeed as a UXR Manager:  https://youtu.be/JhjCOljQDHA ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Jakob Nielsen addresses some of the criticism he's faced, calls on UXers to urgently adopt AI, and shares why he believes the commoditisation of UX is a good thing. Highlights include: Are you surprised by how much you've offended some people? Why do UXers need a greater sense of urgency about adopting AI? Were the hiring practices at your previous company elitist? What is the state of UX today and where is the growth potential? Will AI impede our ability to develop our professional judgement? ====== Who is Jakob Nielsen, PhD? Jakob is the founder of UX Tigers, the website and associated substack he uses to bring his 41 years of UX knowledge and experience to the world, in what he has described as a plainspoken, hard-hitting and not bowing to orthodoxy kind-of-way. Before founding UX Tigers, Jakob was the co-founder and principal - for 25 years - of a rather well known UX consultancy, the Nielsen Norman Group. His other notable roles include being a distinguished engineer at Sun Microsystems, and a member of the research staff at Bell Communications Research - one of the world's top three HCI labs in the 1990s. Jakob is known for many other things, among which are being the founder of the discount usability movement, the foundational 10 usability heuristics for user interface design, and the eponymously named Jakob's Law of Internet User Experience.  He is the holder of no less than 79 United States patents and the author of 8 books, including the best-selling “Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity”, “Usability Engineering”, and the pioneering “Hypertext and Hypermedia”. In 2013, Jakob received the Lifetime Achievement Award for HCI Practice from ACM SIGCHI and in 2024 he was named a “Titan of Human Factors” by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. ====== Find Jakob here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakobnielsenphd/ Website: https://www.uxtigers.com/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Justin Dauer shares how he conquered his ego to become a better designer, why he's left executive design leadership, and how unfulfilled designers make bad products. Highlights include: Has digital visual design become a little bit boring? Why is humility the most important trait for a designer? What made you realise you were done with in-house design leadership? Why is it unacceptable for design leaders to ‘coast' in their careers? How have you've been able to reach a high level of professional fulfilment? ====== Who is Justin Dauer? Justin is the Founder of Anomali by Design, a consultancy specialising in design strategy, product design, and engagement. Through Anomali, Justin helps organisations to develop their design leaders, so that they in turn foster healthier processes, methods, and cultures. Before founding Anomali, Justin was the Vice President of Human-Centred Design and Development at bswift, a tech company owned by CVS Health, that transforms the way millions of employees perceive and engage with their benefits. Justin also spent a number of years as Design Director of Nansen, a Swedish-American design firm. In this role, he established the Chicago office and managed a multi-disciplinary team of designers, front-end developers, and UX architects. He is the author of two celebrated books on design. His first, the beautifully illustrated “Cultivating a Creative Culture” was published in 2017, with a second-edition released in 2020. His latest book, “In Fulfillment: The Designer's Journey” was released is early 2022. ====== Find Justin here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pseudoroom/ Website: https://anomalibydesign.com/ X: https://twitter.com/pseudoroom Books: In Fulfillment: The Designer's Journey -  https://www.in-fulfillment.com/ Createive Culture: Human-Centered Interaction Design & Inspiration - https://www.the-culturebook.com/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Rob Hamblen shares his insights on effective sprint facilitation, why he asks clients if they're designing for today or tomorrow, and why design sprints have a PR problem. Highlights include: What do you do when senior leaders aren't willing to be wrong? What types of business challenges are most suited to a design sprint? What have you learned from facilitating sprints with tricky team dynamics? Does dot voting to enable effective group decisions to be made? Does it matter if design sprints are performative if alignment is the result? ====== Who is Rob Hamblen? Rob is the Founder of Be the Leap, a company specialising in the combination of rapid innovation frameworks, like the Design Sprint and Design Thinking, with leadership accelerators. Why? To help product teams launch more successful products! With over three decades of experience working in and leading teams that make digital products, Rob has worked with clients like AMEX, Adidas, HSBC Bank, McKinsey and ‘that company formerly known as Twitter'. Before founding Be the Leap, Rob served as a Product Design Director at AJ&Smart in Berlin. In this role, he honed his facilitation expertise, leading the B2B sprint team and overseeing both the client experience and the development of the product offering. Prior to that, Rob spent some time in sunny Dubai as the Creative Director of UX for IBM iX, where he helped to establish IBM Studios and managed a cross-functional team that supported clients as they sought to transform their businesses. ====== Find Rob here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robhamblen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betheleap/ Website: https://www.betheleap.com/ X: https://twitter.com/bamberlingling ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Adam Perlis shares why it's important to always treat interns well, how he's trying to solve bad recruitment practices, and some practical advice for navigating the job market. Highlights include: How did an intern play a pivotal role in your career? What do the most successful design portfolios demonstrate? Why are you deeply surprised that you've become a design recruiter? How do you assess a candidate before deciding to present them to a client? Where and how should designers go the extra mile when applying for jobs? ====== Who is Adam Perlis? Adam is the CEO and founder of Academy, a flexible staffing and recruitment agency that helps companies like Under Armour, NBC Universal and Wish.com, to scale their UX orgs and UXers to further their careers. Before founding Academy, Adam spent a decade working in various design roles in New York, including as a Head of UX for AKQA, Head of Design for B-Reel and notably, Head of Design for TIME magazine, where he led the team responsible for TIME.com, FORTUNE.com and MONEY.com. Adam has also been a Creative Director at AT&T, guiding the design of AT&T AdWorks and AT&T AdWorks Lab, and at Dish Network, where he was a manager of Interactive Television. A dedicated contributor to the field, Adam has spoken at events around the world, such as SXSW, Web Summit and Tech Open Air. He is also the host of “How We Scaled It”, a podcast that explores the journey of growing a successful design practice from 0-100. ====== Find Adam here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamperlis/ Website: https://adamperlis.com/ X: https://twitter.com/AdamPerlis Academy - UX Staffing & Recruiting Agency: Website: https://www.academyux.com/ Blog: https://blog.academyux.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/academyux/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8wVKD8NG7uhrcPSuylrPnQ X: https://twitter.com/academyuxdesign ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Ash Ivory shares what they've learned from burning out as a product leader, why gender and orientation can't be left at home, and why inclusive design matters. Highlights include: Why is it important not to seperate personal from professional values? What work experiences made you feel you had to keep your identity at home? Why is it important to get comfortable with saying ‘no' in a product role? How can not celebrating wins negatively impact a product team? Do people need to take self-responsibility for avoiding burnout? ====== Who is Ash Ivory? Ash is the newly minted Chief Product Officer at Ivory Common, after recently wrapping up their role as Head of Product at Askable, a global participant recruitment and research platform that empowers organisations to make better product decisions. In their role as Head of Product, Ash led the product vision as well as the people responsible for delivering on that vision, including product managers, designers, engineers, and researchers. Before joining Askable, Ash was the Head of Product at Outfit, an automation platform for large-scale brand management and production, and which was recently acquired by Smartsheet for an undisclosed sum. When Ash is not enabling great product to be built, they can be found coaching others in the office in the art of brewing great coffee, or riding their motorcycle in an act of active meditation.  ====== Find Ash here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashivory/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Rakesh Patwari shares what's made him a better manager, why a career in acting wasn't for him, and how designers can give better portfolio presentations. Highlights include: Is Information Architecture still relevant in today's practice of UX? What has and hasn't worked well for you when facilitating 1-on-1's? How do you engage with your team on the topic of work-related stress? How do the dynamics of product and engineering change how you lead design? What's the biggest mistake you see designers making in portfolio presentations? ====== Who is Rakesh Patwari? Rakesh is a Director of Product Design and Research at Cisco, a NASDAQ listed company that was founded in 1984 by a small group of Stanford computer scientists, and that helped to create the IP networking technologies that power today's Internet. Before joining Cisco, Rakesh was a Product Design Manager at Meta, where he supported the design organisation working on privacy infrastructure. Rakesh has also been a Director of Product Design at Salesforce, where he led the design team working on the experience platform. Prior to that at Salesforce, Rakesh served as a Product Design Lead, focusing on B2B commerce products. A dedicated member of the design community, for the past five and half years Rakesh has been a UX Instructor at UC Berkley Extension, designing curriculum and delivering lectures on information architecture. He is also a member of the Design Leadership Forum, an advisor at Berkley SkyDeck, where he provides guidance to startups, and a speaker, mentor and coach for Startup Weekend. ====== Find Rakesh here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rakeshpatwari/ Website: https://rakeshpatwari.design/ X: https://twitter.com/rakeshpatwari ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Janna Kimel shares her remarkable story of meeting Stephen Hawking, how she's growing grassroots accessibility, and how to better navigate today's job market. Highlights include: How did you come to meet Stephen Hawking? What approaches to increasing inclusive design have worked for you? Do people without accessibility needs care about accessibility? Why should people bring some of their personal life into job interviews? How can people paint a flattering self-portrait of their work in a job interview? ====== Who is Janna Kimel? Janna is the founder and principal of Third Brain Studio, the consulting practice through which she mentors current and aspiring UX researchers, and helps organisations to plan and execute UX research and inclusive design. Alongside her consulting, Janna is also the founder and principal researcher at the Chronic Pain Project; a personal initiative that she hopes will bring visibility to the experience of people living with chronic pain, like her. Until recently, Janna was a senior manager of UX research at Hinge Health, where she built the UX research practice from the ground up. She has also led design research at Dexcom, overseeing the company's software, hardware, and overall experience projects. Winding the clock back a little further, Janna worked in digital health design and research at Intel, conducting a range of research studies that helped seniors stay in their homes for as long as possible, and it's during this time that she crossed paths with Stephen Hawking. ====== Find Janna here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannakimel/ Website: https://www.jannackimel.com/ Chronic Pain Project: http://www.chronicpainproject.com/ Resource Bank for Job Seekers: http://tinyurl.com/4m89trcx ====== ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Alen Faljic shares the gap he observed between design and business while at IDEO, what he's doing to address it, and how quantitative data can lead to greater empathy. Highlights include: What does a business confident designer look like? Where does the disconnect between design and business come from? What do designers who have the most business impact do differently? What is the difference between being strategic and understanding strategy? How do designers and business people view the value of design differently? ===== Who is Alen Faljic? Alen is the Founder and CEO of d.MBA, a company he started in 2017 to help designers become business confident, which is part of d.MBA's mission - to show that companies can be run more thoughtfully and also be financially successful. d.MBA seems to be making progress in that mission, with a 97% completion rate and a 9+ out of 10 student rating. That's been achieved from over 600 designers, hailing from more than 60 countries, and who work at companies like Apple, Frog, Google, Logitech and Amazon. Before founding d.MBA, Alen was a Business Designer at IDEO in Munich, Germany, where he practiced human-centred design, while working on digital experiences, services, physical products, and new ventures for Fortune 500 companies. Alen is a generous contributor to the field, sharing his insights freely through d.MBA's podcast and other online resources. He has also been a guest on the Disco, Design MBA, and Bonanza podcasts, as well contributing his thoughts to UX Collective on Medium. ====== Find Alen here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alenfa/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/alenfaljic Website: https://d.mba/ Prototyping with numbers: https://d.mba/webinars/prototyping-with-numbers ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

This is a special archived episode of Brave UX. Christina Wodtke reminds us to stop carrying the weight of the world, to start giving others the benefit of the doubt, and to make the most of the gift that is feedback. Highlights include: What did you learn about collaboration from swing dancing? Why do we need to give other people the benefit of the doubt? What was it like being an executive in big tech? Where can people start to develop more confidence? What is important to remember when giving feedback? ====== Who is Christina Wodtke? Christina is one of the most impactful, established, and original thought leaders in Silicon Valley. There won't be many of you listening who haven't at least heard of her groundbreaking and bestselling book on OKRs, Radical Focus - now in its second edition! A self-described “curious human” with a serious big-tech resume, her work in design and product has included redesigns and IPOs at companies such as LinkedIn, MySpace, Zynga, and Yahoo! But those big names only scratch the surface of Christina's professional story. She has co-founded a tech startup, co-founded the Information Architecture Institute, founded and was the original publisher of Boxes and Arrows, and is the founder Women Talk Design. Christina is currently preparing the next generation of product and game designers, as a full-time lecturer at Stanford University. Previously, Christina was an Associate Professor at California College of the Arts, where she taught creative entrepreneurship. ====== Find Christina here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinawodtke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cwodtke Website: https://cwodtke.com/ Blog: https://eleganthack.com/ Christina's books: Radical Focus (Second Edition) - Achieving Your Most Important Goals with Objectives and Key Results:  https://amzn.to/3Sc82o4 Information Architecture - Blueprints for the Web:  https://amzn.to/3UknzUL Pencil Me In - The Business Drawing Book for People Who Can't Draw: https://amzn.to/2WOBNP7  The Team That Managed Itself - A Story of Leadership: https://amzn.to/3QRyXo6 Women Talk Design: Website: https://womentalkdesign.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/womentalkdesign LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-talk-design/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/  ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

This is a special archived episode of Brave UX. Jesse James Garrett reminds us that once we were pirates, encourages us to understand how soft-power works, and to know and be true to our red-lines. Highlights include: How are UX designers like classical composers? What is the role of personal preference in design? Should design leaders leave strategy to product leaders? Is design leadership about actively resisting the status quo? What have you learned as a result of the “no's” in your career? ====== Who is Jesse James Garrett? Jesse is the Principal Leadership Coach of Intentional Associates, the executive design leadership coaching practice that he founded in 2020. And it's through his coaching work that he is helping design leaders to develop the skills to lead with greater purpose, intention and creativity. Many of you may know Jesse for his influential model from the year 2000, “The Elements of User Experience”, and his book of the same name. It's this foundational thinking, at frontier of UX, that has helped to inform, inspire and enlighten multiple generations of UX designers. Jesse was also a Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Adaptive Path, one of the original and most renowned User Experience consultancies. At Adaptive Path, Jesse worked tirelessly for 13 years to put UX design on the enterprise map. Throughout the years, his writing, teaching and public speaking has been unfailingly generous, taking him all over the world, including to events such as UX Lisbon, UX Salon, and USI.  Jesse's contributions continue through the “Finding Our Way” podcast, a show about design leadership that he co-hosts alongside Peter Merholz, his good friend, fellow Adaptive Path Co-Founder, and Brave UX alumnus. ====== Find Jesse here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-james-garrett-1341/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjg Website: https://jessejamesgarrett.com/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/  ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Clara Kliman-Silver shares how she brings together humour, people and cognitive psychology for research impact, and how teams can make the most of their design ecosystems. Highlights include: How do you use cognitive psychology to support your findings? What is a design ecosystem and why is it a helpful framing for our work? How have you used humour when engaging with stakeholders? What is the right balance between AI and human agency within design tools? How much does research impact rely upon how it's orchestrated? ====== Who is Clara Kliman-Silver? Clara is a Staff UX Researcher at Google, where she manages a team of UX researchers, and leads company-wide strategic research projects

Hang Xu shares why he's trying to make recruitment more ethical, how candidates can secure the best possible compensation, and what to watch out for when working with recruiters. Highlights include: Why is it important to always go for the maximum salary available? What can a candidate do to positively influence a levelling decision? Why do candidates with the same skills get paid vastly different amounts? Do you still believe that candidates should sometimes go back on their word? What is pre-closing and why don't you feel that it's a fair recruitment practice? ====== Who is Hang Xu? Hang is a former product designer who, in late in 2022, became the founding talent agent of Collective Supply

A'verria Martin shares her remarkable story of reinvention, the challenges of establishing a global ReOps practice, and how she's making the ‘seat at the table' her own. Highlights include: How did you become a licensed marriage and family therapist? How did you navigate the transition from academia to industry? How have you worked with UXR leaders as you've built ReOps? How have you been developing your executive presence? How do you work with stakeholders to achieve your objectives? ====== Who is A'verria Martin, PhD? A'verria is the Director, Chief of Staff, and Head of Research Operations and Strategy at ServiceNow, a global enterprise software company that's busy making the world of work better, for everyone. Performing a multi-faceted role, A'verria is responsible for leading strategic initiatives, building bridges across functions, directing financial strategy, supporting the growth of other UX leaders, and acting as a trusted advisor to the VP of UX Research and Insights. A'verria also continues to lead ServiceNow's ReOps team; a team that she established after joining the company in late 2018. Before ServiceNow, A'verria was a Director of Research at UC San Diego, where she led the operations of a multi-million dollar endowed research unit, comprised of 120 faculty and focused on geriatric mental health and aging. ====== Find A'verria here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/averriamartin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/averriamartin ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Alla Weinberg constructively unpacks unsafe workplace cultures, shares her thoughts on how we can change them, and why we should do just that. Highlights include: Why is the opposite of fear safety and not courage?   What do you focus on first when changing a culture? How can people read between the lines to better understand a culture? What have corporations forgotten about the humans that work for them? Can you create safety only as long as you don't make your boss look bad? ====== Who is Alla Weinberg? Alla is the CEO and Culture Designer at Spoke & Wheel, the specialised culture design company that she founded in 2019. Through Spoke & Wheel, Alla provides culture consulting and leadership development expertise to companies like Docusign, Uber, Salesforce, Target and Zendesk; helping them to create work environments where people can think, collaborate, and innovate. Alla is also a Principal of Design Operations at Harmonic Design and before starting Spoke & Wheel, she worked in executive leadership development and learning and development at Salesforce, in the Bay Area. The author of “A Culture of Safety”, Alla has leveraged her own personal experience, that of others and the latest research in neuroscience to produce an actionable guide for leaders who want to create safer and more innovative work places. ====== Find Alla here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allaweinberg/ Website: https://www.spokeandwheel.co/ Alla's talks: Culture Design:  https://youtu.be/pae7HHdwdqY Fear: The Human Barrier to Innovation: https://vimeo.com/752662160 ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Jane Portman shares the twists and turns of becoming a founder, how it has changed her view on design's value, and the role of writing in career success. Highlights include: Why is it best not to know in advance how difficult something is? What made you realise that UX is not a big part of startup success? Why is a product's marketing website more important than the product? Why do designers need to understand their contribution to revenue? Why is it important for designers to also be good writers? ====== Who is Jane Portman? Jane is the co-founder of Userlist, an email marketing and in-app messaging platform that's built with B2B SaaS in mind: enabling companies to onboard, engage, and nurture customers and leads.  Before Userlist, Jane was the founder of Tiny Reminder, a SaaS product that helps busy creatives and consultants to send automated notifications to their clients about the things they need from them. She is also the founder and host of UI Breakfast, one of the world's longest running and most successful design podcasts. The show has been on-air since 2014 and boasts over 260 conversations with a wide-range of industry experts. Given Jane's talent and track record as a podcaster, it's no surprise that she hosts another podcast. This one's called “Better Done than Perfect” and it explores email automation, marketing, content and product strategy for founders and product people. ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Wendy Johansson shares some of her leadership learnings, speaks frankly about the challenge of changing the status quo, and what she's observed in the best designers. Highlights include: How do you balance your personal views with what's best for your business? What can people ask themselves if they're not able to effect change at work? Why is it important to focus changing the minds of the people in the middle? What can we do when we're asked to do something we strongly disagree with? Why is it important for us to speak up when we see injustices happening? ====== Who is Wendy Johansson? Wendy is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Experience Officer at MiSalud, a company that's on a mission to provide affordable, culturally-authentic, physical and mental healthcare for the Latinx community in the USA and Mexico. Before starting MiSalud, Wendy worked at Amazon, where she launched the inaugural UX Design and Research Apprenticeship Programme; a programme that provided a pathway to UX careers for people from underrepresented communities and non-traditional backgrounds. Wendy has also been the Global Vice President of User Experience at Publicis Sapient, where she led a team of over 1,000 designers and partnered with then CXO, Dr. John Maeda, to transform a largely traditional agency into an experience-led consultancy. Back in 2013, Wendy co-founded Wizeline, a global product development company where she was also VP of UX, managing a global team of over 75 designers, and VP of Academy, where she led the global expansion of Wizeline Academy.  ====== Find Wendy here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyjohansson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxwendy Website: https://www.wendyjohansson.com/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Ronnie Battista shares why it's important to be true to yourself, how designers can maintain their relevance, and what separates pretenders from innovators. Highlights include: How did you come to play in a British punk band? Should more designers be taking on product management roles? Is UX strategy as relevant today as it was five years ago? What distinguishes those who innovate from those who don't? What is Shoshin and why should we embrace it, right now? ====== Who is Ronnie Battista? Ronnie is a Senior Director of Global Experience Design at Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company that helps organisations to dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. At Slalom, Ronnie leads a team that supports the strategic experience design efforts of the company's 40+ offices across North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Germany. Ronnie is also the Program Director and Adjunct Professor of the Master of Business and Science programme at Rutgers University, an institution that he has had a longstanding and deep commitment to. Between 2010 and 2013, Ronnie served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the User Experience Professionals Association, or UXPA as it's more commonly known. An experienced strategic designer and design leader, Ronnie's has shared his perspectives across the globe, most notably at UX STRAT, on the Thinking & Doing podcast, as a former columnist for UXmatters, and - of course - at Rutgers University. ====== Find Ronnie here: LinkedIn:

Jon Fukuda illuminates the dark corners of enterprise DesignOps, reinforces the importance of connecting design to value, and shares what's kept him consulting for nearly 20 years. Highlights include: What is the big lie of enterprises' adoption of DesignOps? Why has IT largely left Design to implement its own systems? How do you frame the value of DesignOps to your customers? What does it mean to be culturally ready to embrace DesignOps? Are designers being laid off because their orgs. don't value design? ====== Who is Jon Fukuda? Jon is the Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Limina, a professional design services firm that specialises in design operations and that's on a mission to unleash human potential at the nexus of information, technology and people. At Limina, Jon focuses on leading the company's human-centred design practice, including aspects such as design strategy, design systems, and interaction design. Jon's contributions to advancing the field of design operations led to his recent appointment as the Curator for Rosenfeld Media's 2022 DesignOps Summit, the premier annual conference for the discipline. Before going full-time with Limina, Jon was the Director of User Experience at AddThis, where he was responsible for the website and product experience of what was one of the world's most popular social sharing tools.  Jon has also generously shared his insights on platforms provided by organisations like NoVA UX, Rosenfeld Media, Friends of Figma and 24 Minutes of UX.  ====== Find Jon here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonfukuda/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jkooda Website: http://www.limina.co/ Podcast: https://limina.co/insights/the-limina-podcast/ The Design-Integration Report (2020) -  https://limina.co/the-design-integration-report/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Satyam Kantamneni shares how he articulates the value of design, why design is a profession and not a skill, and why there's no such thing as a UX/UI designer. Highlights include: Why does the profession of design find itself in crisis? What surprises you about design leaders' understanding of business value? What is the difference between design as a skill and design as a profession? Why do you want to be in the pain killer and not vitamin business? How do you encourage senior leaders to separate fact from assumption? ====== Who is Satyam Kantamneni? Satyam is the Managing Partner and Chief eXperience Officer at UXReactor, the fastest growing specialised UX design firm in the United States, where he leads a global team that helps large and complex B2B enterprises to become truly user-centred innovators. Before co-founding UXReactor in 2015, Satyam was the managing director of user experience and design at Citrix. In his six years there, Satyam went from being the first designer, to growing and leading a UX and design team of over 50 people. Satyam has also previously been a user experience manager at PayPal, where he managed a global team and was responsible for establishing the company's India Design Centre, which grew to over 30 people by the time he left. The author of “User Experience Design: A Practical Playbook to Fuel Business Growth”, published in 2022 by Wiley, Satyam is on a mission to raise the profile, depth of understanding and appreciation that business people have for design. ====== Find Satyam here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kantamneni/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ksnprasad Website: https://uxreactor.com/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Irene Au shares some of the learnings from her stellar career, the early life experiences that have helped her to succeed, and the importance of sweating the right stuff. Highlights include: What role does the C-Suite play in a company's ability to realise good design? How did you navigate the strong points of view of founder executives? What did you see in the designers you've hired that wasn't in those you didn't? Why do design leaders need to carefully choose their stakeholders? Why do you wish the job title UX Designer would disappear? ====== Who is Irene Au? Irene is a Design Partner at Khosla Ventures where she works with early-, mid- and late-stage startup CEOs to help them realise the value of design through better methods, practices, processes, leadership and talent. Irene has been one of Silicon Valley's most successful design executives and has played an important role in shaping and elevating design within several influential technology companies. She was the VP of Design at Udacity, where she helped the leadership team to find product-market fit and to define the company's strategy, vision, mission, and values. Irene also led the design and research efforts for the company's first product offering. Irene was also the Director of User Experience (Global Head) at Google for nearly 6 years. During her time there, Irene scaled and led the design team to over 350 people and transformed the way the famously engineering-driven company valued and operationalised design. Her success at Google was in part enabled by her prior experience as VP of User Experience at Yahoo!, where for four years she was the design leader responsible for the company's user experience across all of its products and design infrastructure efforts. ====== Find Irene here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ireneau/ Medium: https://medium.com/@ireneau Twitter: https://twitter.com/ireneau Website: https://ireneau.com/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

Sara Wachter-Boettcher inspires us through her actions, reminds us why it's important to see shades of grey, and helps us to design the careers we actually want. Highlights include: Is it career limiting to enforce a work/life boundary? Do we have to accept that companies exist to serve shareholders? Should we ever sacrifice our wellbeing to solve important problems? Who or what inspired you to become a feminist leader? Why are some people uncomfortable with life's shades of grey? ====== Who is Sara Wachter-Boettcher? Sara is the CEO of Active Voice, a leadership development company that's on a mission to make work culture better for everyone - in particular those of us working in design and tech.  Through Active Voice, Sara helps organisations - like LinkedIn, Etsy, and Mastercard - to build radical and courageous leadership practices, the kind needed for today's world. She does this through 1-on-1 coaching, workshops and the facilitation of strategy sessions. Before starting Active Voice in 2020, Sara was the Principal of Rare Union, a content strategy and user experience consultancy. Sara also ran a feminist leadership community and event series called Collective Strength, and hosted a podcast for feminists called Strong Feelings.  She is the author of three influential books, Content Everywhere: Strategy and Structure for Future-Ready Content, Design for Real Life, and Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech. ====== Find Sara here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraboettcher/ Medium: https://medium.com/nice-work-from-active-voice Website: https://www.sarawb.com/ ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/