Design Meets Business

Ryan is the founder of Accelerate Design Company. He's a Product and Design leader who brought food photography, live-order tracking, and remote driver training to DoorDash, launched step-function improvements to Airbnb's checkout, messaging, search, and host calendar products, and launched products at TechCrunch Disrupt, Dreamforce, and WWDC. Ryan has led teams of all sizes, from two to 200, and is now advising companies on product management, design, and go-to-market strategy, as well as helping mid-career designers develop business skills to do more influential work and have more meaningful careers.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:39 – Ryan's career and his thoughts on design education08:03 – Describing the ROI of Design – his course for designers14:57 – Gaining credibility by connecting design to business metrics24:17 – Tailoring tactics for your specific environment28:28 – Pursuing stakeholders through building good relationships with them30:45 – How does Design work at the different companies he worked 39:00 – The befits of scrapping incremental testing43:34 – Assessing the quality of a team before joining47:15 – On Accelerate Design company, his new business53:06 – End of show questions.Connect with RyanLinkedIn, Accelerate DesignSelected links from the episodeDescribing the ROI of Design, Ryan's course

Doug has been in the Design world for 30 years and is well known for his role as VP of Design at IBM, where he oversaw IBM's design practice, design career and leadership programs, and the scaling of cross-functional design thinking practices. Doug is a role model for many design leaders and someone I've been looking up to for many years. Having him on the show is such an honour.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:32 – The three chapters in Doug's career09:35 – Building good relationships at work13:18 – The environment needed for designers to do great work20:44 – The role coaching played for him and how he's coached others27:13 – How do you know when a report is ready for a promotion36:04 – An overview of the work done at IBM by Design 42:16 – The role of ethics in Design48:13 – Design in the age of AI51:04 – End of show questions.Connect with DougLinkedInSelected links from the episodeThis is a Prototype Podcast (Apple, Spotify, Google)The Making of a Manager, by Julie ZhouThe Total Economic Impact Of IBM's Design Thinking Practice, by Forrester

Dan is a seasoned designer with over 20 years of experience in leading teams at companies such as Farfetch, Just Eat, Wonderbly, and Fresha. Until very recently Dan ran a small design studio – Rubber Studio. In today's chat we get a behind the scenes view into the life of a studio owner, what's important when trying to find work, and how your life as a designer can change if you decide to start a studio yourself.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:38 – Dan's journey into Design05:43 – His thoughts on Design education08:28 – His journey as a studio owner19:44 – What you need to know before starting a studio32:32 – What's important when pitching for work43:39 – On his talk about innovation at Hatch Conference46:36 – End of show questionsConnect with DanLinkedInSelected links from the episodeChris DoJust enough research, by Erika HallSupermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (Documentary Trailer)Dan Tase: Why Innovation Fails? (And what can we do about it) – Talk at Hatch Conference

Dan is a seasoned design executive who's led teams at Microsoft, Google, UnitedHealth Group, Walmart, and Lloyd's, among others. From working on the Surface Tablet, starting Project ARA at Google, leading the efforts to redesign Walmart.com, and more recently writing his own book, Uplifting Design, Dan believes in the importance of Design at the core of any business, and that's what we're talking about today. We also chat in detail about how his design team has doubled conversion for walmart.com, and about why he believes that you should look at your career from a perspective of two year stretches.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:42 – Dan's journey into Design04:06 – Why Dan thinks Design is at the core of business09:11 – The forces that come down to devalue Design15:51 – Companies that show Design matters23:24 – Designing software vs. hardware and how compassion fits into this42:54 – On the redesign of Walmart.com51:29 – Dan's new book, Uplifting Design56:08 – Managing your career in two-year stretches01:04:18 – End of show questionsConnect with DanLinkedIn, Uplifting.Design, WebsiteSelected links from the episodeNeolMcKinsey Design ReportFuelling Creative Renewal Report

Lea is a Product & Growth Consultant with a massive proven track record of helping companies get traction. Today we talk about experimentation frameworks, how to build better relationships with Product, and about what kinds of designers are best to collaborate with.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:36 – Lea's journey into Product03:37 – On working for one company vs. consulting 07:06 – Lea's definition of Product10:50 – Building relationships with Product19:18 – The ideal designer to work with25:08 – On experimentation47:39 – The importance of quality in a product52:39 – End of show questionsConnect with LeaLinkedIn

Maria is a Product Design Leader at Turo and Founder of Careercoach.design. In this episode get to talk about the rise of the Player-Coach Designer, about building better relationships at work, about coaching, and we also talk about practical advice on how to approach your job search. Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:18 – Maria's journey into Design04:28 – On Player-Coach Designers12:43 – Maria's thoughts on Design leadership19:21 – Building relationships at work23:44 – Giving and receiving feedback30:27 – Maria's practice as a Coach34:10 – On finding a job48:36 – Demystifying interview questions54:24 – How to negotiate your salary56:58 – End of show questionsConnect with MariaLinkedIn, CareerCoach.DesignSelected links from the episodeDemystifying common design interview questions, by Maria 

Alastair Simpson is a design leader and mentor, serving as VP of Design at Dropbox. Prior to Dropbox, Alastair was Head of Design at Atlassian, where he helped scale the design team from 20 to over 250. On today's show we chat about craft and how important it is for designers at any level, persuasion, how to present work, and how to deal with puzzling feedback.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:28 – Alastair's journey into Design06:34 – On building the right habits11:24 – Sharing work, getting feedback, and storytelling27:45 – How to get good at presenting work31:44 – Soft skills that are important for designers33:56 – Craft of Design vs. surgical optimisation41:29 – Leading through craft47:16 – The importance of inspiring others50:06 – What Alastair hopes will happen over the next decade52:02 – End of show questionsConnect with AlastairLinkedIn, MediumSelected links from the episodeThe one critical skill most designers overlook, by AlastairInfluence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert CialdiniStart With Why, by Simon SinekAtomic Habits, by James Clear

Sean has spent the past 25 years at the intersection of commerce, consumer behaviour, and data-driven feedback loops. This included working for Tesco, GfK, and two long stints with Amazon, among others. In this chat we talk about how design can better work with product, how to speak the language of our senior stakeholders, and what he's learned about hiring from interviewing over a thousand people at Amazon.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro03:54 – How does Product act differently in small vs. in big companies05:53 – Interviewing others as a Bar Raiser at Amazon10:55 – Portfolios – How do you get to the bottom of study cases?13:24 – The one question Sean likes to ask in interviews17:58 – How does a good relationship between Design and Product look like?29:58 – Challenges that Product faces when they deal with Design49:10 – Making it 'cheap' to be wrong53:23 – Why sometimes Design reports to Product56:53 – End of show questions.Connect with SeanLinkedInSelected notes from the episodeSean's 10 Product Development Principles (to create the right culture and velocity):1. Solve the right user need2. Measurable accountability to outcomes3. Release value in slices (avoid long bets)4. Put data in the hands of decision makers5. Build once, run everywhere6. Make it cheap to be wrong 7. Build it fast AND proper8. Extreme focus on top priorities9. Simplify, simplify, simplify10. Be credible

We're switching gears a little from Design and catch up with Tom Scott, who's sharing his thoughts on building and using your network for your job search, the rise of the player-coach designer, and his thoughts on design education.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro03:52 – Community approach in recruitment09:30 – The current state of design recruitment13:56 – Portfolios – Do you need them?23:04 – How to build and use your network for your job search29:51 – The rise of the player-coach designer36:51 – On design education44:28 – End of show questionsConnect with TomLinkedIn, Verified, Verified Insights, Verified Insider PodcastSelected links from the episodeWhy You Shouldn't Hire Junior Designers, by Christian Vasile

We're launching season 3 together with Nate Langley (Monzo), talking about how constraints breed creativity, the five pillars you want to touch on in interviews, and the importance of an integrated brand experience.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro03:38 – How Nate started out05:50 – On confidence and how to build it14:17 – Best ways to start out in Design21:09 – Individual Contributor vs. Manager track28:45 – How to do well in interviews40:26 – On how constraints breed creativity 45:58 – End of show questionsConnect with NateLinkedIn, ADPlistSelected links from the episodePeak, by Anders Ericsson & Robert PoolThe Rebalancing of Design Management, by Cap Watkins

Jamie shares with us his thoughts on the evolution of the design role, the need to be a good storyteller, and about staying an individual contributor vs. moving into management.Connect with JamieLinkedIn, ADPlist

Get your notebooks out for this conversation, because Alex is sharing all about his experience leading design organisations, and about his management style, and about how to frame design at the C-level.Connect with AlexLinkedIn, Website, MediumSelected links from the episodeThe value of design at the C-level

Dean shares with us his thoughts on how you can put your best foot forward during your job search and how you can make design more transparent through relationship building and collaboration.Connect with DeanLinkedIn, Instagram

On this episode I talk to Ioana about the importance of speaking your stakeholders' language, how you can learn from her career trajectory, and about design education.Connect with IoanaLinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Mento Design Academy, Honest UX Talks Podcast, TikTokSelected links from the episodeUX RescueDemocracy Lab

Roger shares with us the value framework his team uses to quantify design and talks about the 'invisible' work of a design leader.Connect with RogerLinkedInSelected links from the episodeBrian Pagan

This is an insights-packed conversation around how to build better relationships at work, how to use data to your advantage, and about design ethics.Connect with LeonardoLinkedIn, Instagram, Website, ADPlistSelected links from the episode99% Invisible Podcast

Megan shared how the entire 99designs team is involved in research, the challenges of designing for a global audience, and parallels between sports and work.Connect with MeganLinkedIn, Website, Twitter, ADPlistSelected links from the episodeDovetail

Ed talks about the behind-the-scenes work of a design leader, ways of building relationships, and his thoughts on design education.Connect with EdLinkedIn, Website, Medium, ADPlistSelected links from the episodeUndercover User Experience DesignThe Five Dysfunctions of a TeamDaring GreatlyThe Coaching HabitThe Heart Tree Start frameworkThe People Paradox: Human Nature's Impact on Digital TransformationShape Up by BasecampGoogle's HEART frameworkUXClub.comSpotify's Failed #SquadGoals

Our conversation was centered around linking Design with the wider business efforts and round hiring – how to stand out, how to create a better portfolio, and what to ask in interviews. Connect with NatiLinkedIn, Website, MediumSelected links from the episodeThings I wish UX candidates would ask me during interviewsKnowing the business: A must skill for young designers

David shares with us his framework for experimentation and how to build trust with your product team. We also talk about the crossover of skills between entrepreneurs and designers.Connect with DavidLinkedIn, WebsiteSelected links from the episodeArticle on experiment maps

Conor and I talk about how designers can prove their value in larger companies, why working in silos is a thing of the past, and how to transition from a design leader to a business leader.Connect with ConorLinkedIn, TwitterSelected links from the episodeBT's Medium Design blogShook's modelMarty Cagan, InspiredEric Ries, The Lean StartupJeff Gothelf & Josh Seiden, Sense and Respond

Jane and I talk about her opinions of what's the most crucial aspect of being a design leader, quantifying the value of our design work, and what we can do to support designers who are just starting out.Connect with JaneLinkedInSelected links from the episodeJane's Medium articlesThe Intrapreneurs Club

Rochelle and I talk about why being a designer is a huge responsibility, why it's important to understand what matters to people outside of the design team, and how to be more transparent about our work.  Connect with RochelleWebsite, LinkedIn, Twitter

Olivier and I talk about the difference between designing consumer products vs. enterprise software, and how advocating for Design in organisations is supposed to be a long game.Connect with OlivierLinkedIn

On today's show Tommy and I discuss what separates successful designers from the less successful ones, the two viable career choices for creatives, and what he's looking for in a portfolio when he's hiring.Connect with TommyWebsite, LinkedIn, Medium, Cuckoo

Cassius and I talk about why it's important to learn how to learn, the challenges of moving into leadership, and why asking questions is key to solving problems. Connect with CassiusWebsite, LinkedInSelected links from the episodeMark Channon - The Memory Workbook

I talk to Rick about his hustle of becoming a designer, how to deal with tricky client situations, and what are the steps to becoming a successful freelancer.Connect with RickWebsite, LinkedIn, Medium

Rafa and I talk about the blind spots of design education, what's the first thing he does when he takes on a new client, and how design is thought of in different organisations and sectors.Connect with RafaLinkedIn, WebsiteSelected links from the episodeYour Digital Rights

Jiri is a Design Manager at Intuit, the maker of QuickBooks, TurboTax, and Mint.com. In today's episode he talks about doing research when there's not enough time, traps designers fall into when they test prototypes, and about the progression from coming out of school to becoming an entrepreneur-designer.Connect with JiriLinkedIn, TwitterSelected links from the episodeEric Ries, The Lean Start-upArt Lebedev AI-designerDesign at Intuit

Austin is a designer at Google and previously the first UX Designer at HubSpot. We talk about the importance of economics as a designer, why the change to distributed teams is inevitable, and why understanding the value systems of a company you're interviewing for is important before saying ‘yes' to an offer.Connect with AustinWebsite, LinkedIn, TwitterThe UX & Growth PodcastAustin's newsletterSelected links from the episodeAustin's UX Design ProcessLean UX, by Jeff GothelfThe podcast episode with Dan PatiñoIndonesia's top healthcare app