Hustle

In this episode, we chat with Brian Simpson, a creative professional who took the leap from Florida to Austin, Texas, back in 2008. Brian started in flash design and later co-founded an experiential design agency, showcasing incredible innovation and adaptability along the way. We'll hear about his work on high-profile projects, including a groundbreaking app for Rupert Murdoch, and dive into the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Things get personal as we discuss how parenthood and a pandemic-inspired move to small-town Wimberley have shaped his journey. We'll also explore Brian's latest passion project, Small Town Locals, which is all about supporting rural communities through commerce and storytelling. So join us for an inspiring conversation on risk-taking, continuous learning, and finding balance in the ever-evolving world of creative business.Follow Brian and Small Town Locals on Web: www.smalltownlocals.comInstagram: @smalltownlocals @whatsupwithbrian----Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Ten years ago, Funsize launched the Hustle Podcast. Since then, we have had nearly one hundred conversations with exciting people in the design industry.Today, we're excited to announce and discuss the next generation of the Funsize podcasting, The Funsize Show!This podcast, now rebranded as The Funsize Show, is a variety show with many exciting segments hosted by many brilliant people at Funsize. The content will span the gamut of design leadership to design expertise, conversations with our clients about our relationship and our work, taking risks and trying new things, fun and inspiring conversations with our team,  and more.We're about to launch a new website for the show and will be making that announcement on our social media and on future podcast episodes. Please stay tuned. We think you'll like it. Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Juliana Vislova is the VP of Design at Mercury, an all-in-one banking platform for startups. A former linguistics major, Juliana is career switcher who spent time as an art director for a digital marketing agency before her design career. After moving to the U.S., she stumbled upon product design and immediately loved its intersection of pscyhology, art, storytelling and problem-solving. Her design path has taken her from the founding designer at Mercury to now leading a team of 20. In this episode we cover: Career SwitchingBurnoutPersonal agency in workGiving up control and trusting othersMeetings as workAnd more!Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

During our party for SXSW 2022, we interviewed designers and tech workers to understand how their careers were affected by the pandemic and what it means for their futures. We'd like to extend a huge thanks to Johnny Abowd, Carlos Menchaca, Dina Williams, Ali Metall, AC Cowart, Steven Parvaresh, Rick Messer, Isabelle Encela, Steven Ray and Katy Beightol for sharing their perspectives on this unique episode. In this episode we cover:How people's work was affected by the pandemicThe differences in team dynamics created over the last two yearsWhere designers see their careers headed nextAnd more!Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

Brian Peterson is a a multidisciplinary creator supporting, connecting, and empowering organizations through strategic design. Brian's background is in fine arts with a brief stint in animation/illustration. His path to design has taken him through freelance visual design, to a founding team startup, to the design studio at Funsize. Currently, he leads design teams at Affirm, where he works to bring honest financial products to the world.Brian is a strong believer in collaboration and he sees design as a vehicle for connecting people and transforming organizations. When not thinking about design management, operations, methodologies, etc., Brian likes to build worlds through drawing.In this episode we cover:Design managementIndividual contributorsGrowthManagementDesign operationsLeveling upAnd more!Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

Kevin Hawkins is the director of product design at BookClub—an online platform that brings authors and readers together. He is also an award-winning, multi-disciplinary design leader and educator with over 12 years of experience building communities and launching products.Kevin is a self-taught front-end developer and started his career doing freelance web design for local businesses and science NGOs in his home town: Washington D.C. He transitioned to his first full-time job in UX at 16. Since then, he's been a UX leader for Booking.com, PwC, EY, Gap Inc., and more. Kevin now resides in Amsterdam where he teaches UX and directs the production and launch of innovative products. In his spare time, he likes to travel, learn new perspectives, and desires to be challenged while doing good work. In this episode we cover:Outcome vs. intentWorkaholism Cultural inspiration20% timeSofas  & interior designHyggeAnd more!Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest 

Michael Holzer is the director of UX at Google Payments and has been at Google for over eight years. He is a passionate, entrepreneurial design leader currently focused on building and operating large-scale creative teams working on new mediums and technologies.Michael grew up in Silicon Valley and started his career studying mechanical engineering and industrial design by prototyping bicycle helmets for Bell Sports. After dropping out, he pivoted to designing irrigation systems for a landscape architecture firm and soon found himself exploring and learning more about web design while working on the company's first website.When not "working" in the traditional sense, Michael is passionate about biking and building his athletic cred.In this episode we cover:Technology & securityPOS systemsGovernment incentivesSociety at largeBuilding teamsAutonomous teamsAnd more!Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

Alli Metall is a husband, father, and designer living in Reykjavík, Iceland. He was born in Húsavík, Iceland--a small town on the northern coast (also famed as the setting of Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest). He began his career playing guitar in death metal and jazz bands and soon combined his interests in music and computer games to a career in design. After a brief agency stint as an intern in New York City, he returned home to work at a game company, a fin-tech startup, and an airline. Nowadays, Alli is the owner, founder, and creator of his own studio: Metall.Alli shares his fears (running out of $$$) and dreams (surfing in Hawaii before turning 80) and what he's seen as the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic.In this episode we cover:Job  switchingAgency formationEgo vs. teamworkThe pandemic & the future of workDesigning for screensWhat we're looking forward toAnd more!Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest 

Aaron “Ron” Irizarry, is the Sr. Director, Servicing Platforms Design at Capital One. He loves all things user experience, problem-solving, and design process. Having worked for Fox/IGN, HP, Nasdaq, and now Capital One, Aaron loves sinking his teeth into complex problems. In addition to his day job, Aaron speaks at events and provides training for companies on design team structure, communication, and collaboration. He is also the co-author of Discussing Design.Most importantly, Aaron is a master of the BBQ arts, a lover and player of heavy metal music, and a lifelong Dodgers fan.In this episode we cover:Design systemsThe critiquing processCollaboration between levelsFacilitation techniques and frameworksEstablishing ground rulesIdentifying emotional responsesFeedback vs. critiqueVisit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

In this first episode with Tony Sanchez as an official co-host, we were honored to be joined by a design legend. Toke Nygaard is the Chief Creative Officer at Zendesk. With more than 20 years of experience designing digital experiences, Toke Nygaard oversees Zendesk’s brand and product UX/UI. In this role, he is constantly developing and building the Zendesk brand with his global team of passionate creatives, keeping the product experience true to its origins of being simple and easy to use. Before joining Zendesk, Toke was a founding partner of one of the largest pioneering design communities, K10k. He was also the founder and creative director at Cuban Council, a digital-design company, where he helped design the original Facebook identity, and worked with a range of clients from Tyra Banks and Francis Coppola, to Apple and NASA. Previously, he worked for Danish web-design frontrunner Araneum and later helped start the Oven Digital offices in London. Outside of the office, Toke enjoys spending quality time with his family and is a table tennis aficionado.@tokenygaardIn this episode we cover:The intersection of design and artFantasy illustrationsVisual design educationMoving from a startup to IPOTransitioning from designer to managerIn-house vs. agencyBalancing quality and productionAnd more!Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

For the last episode recorded in 2020, we flip the spotlight onto our founders, Anthony and Natalie Armendariz, to walk us through the challenging, chaotic and — at times — exciting journey that was 2020. In a year that provided surprises and obstacles for just about every human being on the planet, we wanted to tell our agency's part of the story. We hope you enjoy.We cover:Our mindset going into 2020Business and culture goals entering 2020Q1 happenings at the beginning of the pandemicSurprising new client relationships in 2020How/why did Funsize actually grow in 2020?The "staff augmentation" niche during the pandemicThe pandemic's effect on team cultureTeam perspectives during the pandemicExpectations when starting Funsize years agoThe launch of Funsize Ventures and what it meansWork differences between designers and developersWhat will 2021 bring? Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest  

Ted Boda is currently a Product Design Manager on the Well-Being team at Instagram. He is also a former Director of Design at Udacity, former Senior Designer at Nest Labs, former Lead Mobile Designer at Netflix and a former Lead UI Designer for Keynote at Apple (where, interestingly enough, he worked on some of the slides used for Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth). With all that experience to draw on, we loved having Ted on the show — for a second time — to hear what he's been up to and gain some insight into how design management is done at one of the largest social media platforms on earth. We cover:Guesswork at the beginning of design leadershipDesign leadership at InstagramDesign tools at Instagram and FacebookThe Well-being team at Instagram and what they doWhat an average week looks like for Ted.His "cameo" on NetflixQualities to look for in Design ManagersTed's childhood interests

Margaret Lee is the Director of UX Community & Culture at Google. A self-described "reluctant leader," she heads up programs that unite departments across the company and create Google career opportunities for those who might not typically have access. Margaret created this role for herself a few years ago when she noticed there was an opportunity to put more intention behind efforts of inclusion and community within Google. After a manger's encouragement, she took a leap of faith and began sharing her passions on-stage. She hasn't looked back since. We cover: Her path to designGoogle's shift to a design focusHow Margaret created her own niche careerThe differences  intentionality can createHow Google is improving access to UX jobsThe complex challenge of inclusionReluctant leadershipHow her role at Google has changed her personallyConnecting with new team members during the pandemicVisit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest 

Braden Kowitz is a former design partner at Google Ventures, where he had the opportunity to work with startups like ClassPass, Gusto, Slack, Medium, Flatiron Health, TuneIn, BlueBottle Coffee, 23andMe, One Medical Group, HubSpot, RetailMeNot, Nest and more.  He is the co-author of NY Times Best Seller, Sprint, and the co-founder of Range, a tool that keeps teams connected and productive. We're extremely grateful to Braden for sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience with us. Get your notepads out for this one! We cover:Some of the differences in Google design from when he entered and leftHow he got into Google Ventures and whyHis experience watching the explosion of the Design SprintWhat Range does and who it servesThe agency challenge of working with multiple culturesWorking the way clients want to work during COVID-19Testing and validating new work methodologiesVulnerability and connection for teamsThe challenge of jumping responsibilities as a business ownerPersonal manualsMore!Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest  

Douglas Ferguson is an entrepreneur and human-centered technologist with over 20 years of experience. He is the founder and president of Voltage Control, an Austin-based facilitation agency that specializes in helping teams work better together through participatory decision making and design inspired facilitation techniques. He has helped transform teams from U.S. SOCOM, the Air Force, Adobe, Dropbox, Fidelity, Vrbo, Liberty Mutual, Humana, and SAIC. We really appreciated hearing Douglas's thoughts on facilitation in the era of COVID and are excited to see what's next for Voltage Control. We cover: Starting out in developmentHow his career in facilitation has changedBuilding a facilitation communityAdaptability vs DogmaPrescribing different workshopsKnowing when it's time for a design sprintWhat happens after a design sprintVisit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize DigestThe differences in remote sprintsA lot more! 

In a first for The Hustle, we're tackling important subject matter outside the realm of design. In a conversation led by our Guest Host, Tony Sanchez, a Design Lead at Funsize, Chas Moore joined us to discuss the public outcry and wave of activism in the wake of George Floyd's murder. Chas is the Executive Director of Austin Justice Coalition, an activist-led organization that educates and builds community power for people of color who live in Austin, Texas. We're extremely grateful to have him on the show to provide insight into this important time in American history. We cover: Austin Justice Coalition's missionWhy George Floyd's murder was so impactfulWhat it's like to be in the local spotlight during this important movementResulting change from increased attention on racial violenceWhat liberation looks likeBeing authentically engaged with the causeThe current undertakings of Austin Justice CoalitionVisit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

Note: We apologize for the audio quality. There was an issue with the microphone.Justin is a multi-faceted, multi-pierced, multi-tattooed designer, author, and speaker. He wrote the book "Cultivating a Creative Culture", is the Vice President of Human-Centered Design and Development at bswift, the founder of The Dead Pixel Society, and a contributor to A List Apart. Justin had some really intuitive viewpoints on culture that were awesome to dig into and it was a pleasure having him on the show. We cover:Working in the healthcare systemWhy he gravitates to roles that aren't tee'd up and ready to goCreative culture and the golden ruleCreative Inspiration WednesdaysHow designers have an advantage in creating a good cultureTransitioning from getting fulfillment from design to getting fulfillment from others' evolutionLeading with actionThe challenges of remote working 

Funsize friend, Chad Engle, is the Product Design Director at GoDaddy, a company that is rapidly expanding its product offerings and leaning into design with a focus on in-house talent.  He stopped by to share his experience growing design orgs, explain what he looks for in applicants, and provide some insight into how he approaches leadership.We cover:Growing a design practice at GoDaddyTransitioning from designer to Design ManagerUsing a different set of design skills to create a design orgThe value of pier-to-pier conversations and mentoring"Steering the bull" of cultureHiring for aptitude vs. craftGrowing as an ICDesigning design ladders 

Note: We recorded this one before COVID began, so some references (like to our SXSW party) did not come to fruition.Theo Strauss is an 18-year-old product designer out of NYC who's already making waves in the community through his involvement with companies like Apple, Postmates, and Figma. As someone on the bleeding edge of a new generation of designers, we loved having him on the show to share some of his thoughts on where the industry is heading and how young people are getting involved. We cover:Creating an entire portfolio in FigmaGrowing up in New York CityChildhood career dreamsThe evolution of design toolsGoing to college vs. entering the workforceThe ambiguity of "designer"The democratization of designCold emails and personal networksA lot more

Note: We apologize for the audio quality. There was an issue with the microphone.Ash Huang is a designer, illustrator, author, speaker, artist and parent who currently works at Adobe. After finding design at a young age, Ash's career has spanned a wide variety of well-known companies and different pursuits that have left her with some fascinating views on accomplishment, progress, staying curious and more. It took us a while to get this one on the books but the conversation was totally worth it. We cover:Working on the Adobe XD product teamHow to choose what you will devote time toTracking progressHow having kids changes things within your careerSpecialization vs. generalizationStaying curiousManagement vs Individual Contributor tracksAlone time as a parentLegacy

Helen Tran is a designer, CEO, hobbyist writer, traveler and macaroon connoisseur (amongst other things). In this wide-ranging episode, we discuss everything from software design, business ownership and bodybuilding, to wealth and weird Texan habits.We cover:Growing with ShopifyPaying dues before taking big career risksFiguring out what to pursue and deciding to start JupiterWhy there's no such thing as "business vs. personal"Living someone else's life for a yearHow bodybuilding affects discipline and goal settingDefining "wealth"The knowledge gap between CEO generationsBusiness as more than a way to make moneyToronto vs. Texas 

Guigo Sanchez is the Creative Director at THIRD EAR — previously known as LatinWorks — an agency that specializes in creating advertising for the U.S. Hispanic audience. Born and raised in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, he is the husband of Mari Chamoun (Managing Director at Funsize), and father to Julia Elena Sánchez Chamoun. After completing his psychology degree in Puerto Rico, Guigo moved to Austin to study advertising and decided to stay forever (for now). He enjoys dad life, music, computers, food and personal finance.In this episode, we discuss:How studying psychology affects advertisingSpeaking to different audiences and cultures in advertisingThe top skills needed for creative directingImagination as a skillHispanic marketing and advertisingMaintaining belief in the value of creativityThe temporary nature of advertising and designWhat does "partner" mean in the advertising worldCommitment in professional relationshipsThe emotional operations of an organization

Thomas Ewart is an Associate Product Designer at Funsize, where he works with startups and enterprise design teams to craft thoughtful digital experiences. With a non-traditional career path that spans accounting, tattoos and electronic music, Thomas brings a unique perspective to his work and enjoys helping others find their place in the design world. Non-traditional paths to designThe decision to spend the money on General Assembly's design intensiveYear one as a product designerEnterprise vs. startup design workCollaborationThe three stages of design in an organizationFigma and the future of design tools      

Desiree Garcia is a senior designer at Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and most recently, Tumblr. Their goal is to democratize publishing so that anyone with a story can tell it, regardless of income, gender, politics, language, or where they live in the world. She's also an editor at A List Apart, a webzine that explores the design, development, and meaning of web content, with a special focus on web standards and best practices.In this episode, we discuss:How a psychology degree can influence design and teamworkWhat we miss about the old webStar Trek's Kobayashi Maru and how it applies to designHow to respond to situations that can't be wonThe challenges of talking about your workDesigning things that "aren't real"Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

Mike Trozzo is the EVP at Tide University Laundry, a service business disrupting the laundry-norm on campuses around the country. His career trajectory took him from dreams of being an astronaut and doctor, to studying finance in college, pursuing acting in LA and eventually leading design and engineering teams in Waco, Texas.In this episode, we discuss:Connecting the dots between design and P&LBudgeting for designStaffing projectsDesign roles and responsibilitiesBalancing the skillsets and goals of team membersThe shifting need for generalists and specialistsChildhood career dreams vs. adult career realityPersonal values and work valuesHow Funsize's values emergedVisit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest  

Brian Peterson is a former Funsize Associate Design Director with a passion for collaboration and intentional design. He's a close friend and talented designer whose career saw a lot of growth during his time with us. Brian is making the move back home to Chicago, but before he left, he graced us with a send-off podcast to discuss goal-setting — a subject he's particularly passionate about.In this episode, we discuss:The characteristics of a good goal.What it means to work with intent.Goal-setting for teams.The importance of clear communication with clients.Understanding different stakeholders in an organization.Visit the Funsize websiteSubscribe to The Funsize Digest

Joel Beukelman is a Senior Interaction Designer at Google where he works on Chrome. He's also a prolific content creator with a popular YouTube channel and vlog. In this episode, Anthony and Joel cover everything from family life and time prioritization, to health, jacuzzis and — of course – design. On this episode we discuss: Juggling family, travel, a high-level design job at Google and content creation Prioritizing for life satisfaction The importance of health for designers Joel's experience transitioning from startup life back to Google The need for support in your career and personal life The challenges of investing in personal time as a creative The consequences of too much hustling Chasing titles vs. doing work you love What it’s like to work on a product used by 1 billion people. Finding what’s next after you’ve reached your career goals Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Jen Dary is the founder of Plucky, a company that specializes in creating healthy dynamics at work through coaching, consulting, workshops, and education. On this episode of the Hustle she chats with Anthony about how to know if management is right for you, what challenges new and established leaders face every day, and strategies to help along the way. On this episode we discuss: What questions to ask before accepting a management role The most common challenges facing both high-level and new leaders Understanding how management might fit in your career path How to create and communicate vision to your team Dealing with creator grief: not making things anymore The role of trust in management relationships How to gauge and improve employee experience Giving yourself permission to experiment, learn, and find new tools Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Read the article

Katie Dill is the VP of Design at Lyft. Her team includes about one hundred creatives who are part of everything Lyft makes for drivers, passengers, users, and in-house teams. Katie discusses the importance of believing in your mission, how diverse teams benefit companies in multiple ways, staying in touch with users, and how creating and empowering a great design team is, in itself, an amazing design task. On this episode we discuss: Making sure a team is happy, healthy, productive, and doing the best work of their lives Seeing beyond the pixels to the offline experience of users Managing a design team and being farther from the work, but closer to the people who make it happen Defining design beyond a product or object. We design teams, design strategies, we design the way we work Empowering diversity in hiring and beyond and the far-reaching benefits of a diverse team Lyft’s multidimensional goals to improve transportation, environmental issues, and accessibility to make every city more about the people who live there Empathy for users and how Lyft designs for drivers, passengers, and the unique attributes of every city that impacts their experience Advantages and disadvantages of working for an in-house team or an agency Making a positive impact, mentoring, and stepping forward to empower others Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Read the article

Banter is a brand new and exciting social podcast platform for sharing and discussing podcasts, and discovering amazing new content and shows with your friends. Banter's Co-Founders Steve Krenzel and James Reggio join me on this episode to discuss the product's recent launch, their origin story, what makes Banter great, and their vision of the podcasting space. Download Banter for iOS, or Android. “There are more Americans listening to podcasts than being on Twitter... It’s really about connecting people to stories, and connecting stories to people.” On this episode we discuss: The Banter origin story How James and Steve run the company and develop product from opposite sites of the United States How Banter helps people discover new podcast episodes and shows through their friends and social connections Banter's cool Recast feature for sharing awesome content with the community and on social networks The importance of being cross-platform Banter's experience working with Funsize to design the brand, product design, and design system The value of design in the early days, the present, and the future Advise for designers who work with startups, and advise for startups who work with designers Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Eric Bollman is a Design Lead on the Facebook Groups team. Today he stopped by the Funsize studio to discuss his team's approach creating their missions, how they design and evolving the product, and methodologies they leverage to test and validating their design decisions. On this episode we discuss: Eric's experience running and growing a startup called Perkville in the bay area Creating a culture of mentorship Being a Chief Design Officer of one, and how running a startup helped Eric refine his focus and purpose Eric walks us through the Facebook Groups team, their mission and how they work The importance of "north star" concepts and their ability to help you sell an idea and a vision to your team Why shorter (3 day) sprints can be more effective than 5 day design sprints The "People/Problem" framework at Facebook and how Facebook designers drive the products and determine what to ship The value of diverse job experiences and how working in an agency can help you learn skills to create and sell ideas Having a diverse team of designers gives you awesome collaboration and outcomes. Testing incremental changes get you incremental results, but when you test big bold ideas you can see huge angle changes in your metrics Designers need to get out of their bubbles (most of your users are not like you) Tips on user testing when you don't have real user testing support or funding Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Ryan Wilson is a Product Designer on the Day of Travel Team at Alaska Airlines in Seattle Washington. Ryan stopped by the Funsize studio to talk about how Alaska gets people from point A to point B, designing a holistic experience, building trust in your design team, and why he's adamant about being a lifelong learner. On this episode we discuss: Design in the airline industry and at Alaska Airlines Complex service design, ecosystems and designing for consistency in digital and analog experiences User research and advocating for your customers in all you do How context should inform your product, design, and the user experience Why developing trust is critical for success, and how good trust leads to opportunities for your team Why process is more important than product, and why invalidating your ideas is as essential as validating them The role of passion in getting work done and doing it well The importance of lifelong learning, and choosing who you learn from Staying mindful of the people that helped you get to where you are now Visit the Funsize Website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Esteban Marquez is a Product Designer on the Funsize team. He's also a very talented graphic designer and artist. Esteban and I discuss his experience in the various design fields that led to his recent transition to digital product design, the importance of personal branding and differentiating yourself, and much more. On this episode we discuss: Esteban's design career experience and journey Art direction vs. product design The value of both deep focus and variety Onboarding designers and what it feels like joining a new design team What it's like hustling when you're first getting started Creating a personal brand, a persona, and a story that differentiates yourself The value of working in a team setting Managing ego and empathy Designing your life Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

“Until designers can speak the language of business (and to some degree talk their talk), we’re just going to be the people that make things look good." An apology: I had some unknown issues with my gear during this recording so the quality suffered a bit. However, it was such a great conversation I just had to post it! Greg Storey is an Executive Director of Design at USAA, captain of industry, and an all around badass designer and leader of designers. It’s been a while since Greg and I caught up and so we covered a bunch of important design business topics in this extra long episode of Hustle. I hope you enjoy it. Also check out Greg's podcast Sprints and Milestones where he and Brett Harned share war stories, tips, tactics, and anecdotes on navigating the sometimes rough waters of getting digital projects done. On this episode, we discuss: The team that Greg leads at USAA, which focuses on investment products What it was like using Iomega zips and Jaz drives The biggest challenges that design organizations at large companies face Design has it’s seat at the table but we don’t realize that we have to push the campaign further Why designers should look to the IT industry for inspiration for communicating our value, how we impact business, and how to engage The impact of modeling your team and pace after the Bay Area “move fast” culture and failing cheap vs. failing fast Why designers needs to be good at business and be put on the hook and share responsibility for the performance of the things we make How agencies can be more involved in all of the hard design work that's needed after the initial design is delivered Why organizational empathy is just as important as user empathy Developing the skill of asking and understanding the “Why, What, and How” The book “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

“Many designers don’t realize the challenges their leader faces.” Peter Merholz is the VP of Design at Snagajob and co-author of “Org Design for Design Orgs”. He previously co-founded Adaptive Path, which is now part of the Capital One Design. In between all of this, Peter was also Funsize’s first client during his time at Groupon. It’s been a couple of years since Peter’s been on the Hustle Podcast and we’re really excited to have him back. On this episode, Anthony and Peter chat about designing design teams, Peter’s new talk “The Four Archetypes of The Complete Design Leader”, design job titles, why Product Management is the new User Experience, and more. More on Peter’s Four Archetypes of Design Leadership: As designers become design leaders, they need to leave behind what made them successful and embrace new approaches to their work. And when they realize just how much there is to do, it can feel overwhelming. In this talk, Peter draws upon 20 years of leading design teams to provide a memorable framework for understanding all aspects of the role. As a Coach, you manage down to get the most out of your team. The Diplomat manages across, developing relationships with functional peers. The Advocate manages up, championing their team's work to executives and other stakeholders. And the Architect figures out the tools and frameworks necessary to support the design organization as it scales. Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Last year was a really big year for Funsize. Because the agency was growing, we focused 2017 towards designing our design team, hiring, developing employee growth plans, launching new cultural endeavors, developing new services, and investing in our future. Tony Sanchez joins Funsize’s Partners Anthony and Natalie Armendariz to talk about all of this and a recent interview on the InVision blog called “Designing a Design Team”. Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

The intersection of passions is at the center of this talk with designer Greyson. She discusses her journey to learn skills enough to shift from graphic design to product design. After finding employment and working in that field in the bay area for a while she's now pushing herself again. Striking out on her own, she’s established a freelance collective full of designers with varied skill sets called Wild and Grey. Greyson’s work in photography, and specifically portraiture, is a reflection of her passion for people-centered design. Considering her audience as individuals, rather than as generic users, enables Greyson to have deeper connection to the things she’s making. One of the keys to this is cognitive empathy, which relies on understanding, rather than absorbing, someone else’s experience. Greyson discusses her journey and the importance, and challenges, of both finding and facilitating mentorship. Whether looking to gain a new skill, navigating freelance life, or feeling comfortable speaking at conferences, Greyson’s philosophy is: say yes, grab any opportunity you have to learn, and, ultimately, just make shit. “Just make sh*t.” On this episode we discuss : Diversity on design teams Designing for real life Importance of mentorship Human-centered design Advantages and challenges of freelance work Role of empathy and psychology in design Responses to criticism and building relationships with clients You can see more of Greyson’s work, and learn about her freelance collective at her website: www.greysonmacalpine.com Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

Many people lavish in immersive experiences when they hear VR, but companies like Facebook strive to push the boundaries of how people can and will interact with their social network, businesses around them and places around the globe. Gabriel Valdivia talks about his work exploring the possibilities of VR technology for Facebook and the importance of the tools to work in and on VR will be. Coming from a background of product design and visual storytelling, Gabe discusses making the leap to VR, a field that is still being defined. “I am wired this way. I’m excited by new problems that haven't been figured out yet and that’s kind of where I thrive. There’s a lot of people like that in VR today.” In the episode of Hustle, Gabriel Valdivia and Anthony Armendariz talk about his work exploring the possibilities of VR technology for Facebook and how they are seeing an opportunity to introduce the technology in media already familiar to their users. On this episode we discuss: The intersection of design and VR Spectrum of VR and AR technology Rapid growth of VR startups Business challenges of developing new technologies Resources for learning about VR technology Facebook offers resources for design and VR at http://facebook.design/vr You can learn more about Gabe Valdivia and his current projects and podcasts at http://www.gabrielvaldivia.com Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

We don't usually talk about business on the show, but the head of BASIC was willing to talk about how he runs his and we were happy to listen (and take notes). Matt Faulk is BASIC's CEO and executive creative director. He always knew he wanted to do something big and is not surprised he ended up leading a company that does award-winning work brands like Apple / Beats by Dre, Nixon Watches, and BB Dakota. "I had this idea of never settling... I just wanted to do good work — but I don’t mean good work as in creative work, I mean really solving client’s business issues, aligning ourselves as partners..." His career has taken him all over the place, from basketball and professional BMX riding to bartending and graphic design. He says his goal with BASIC was to build a company where everyone involved had a stake in it, a say in it, and helped decide its direction moving forward. Today, BASIC leads creative efforts across traditional and digital initiatives for some of the world's biggest lifestyle brands. Matt says they got there by engulfing themselves in their clients' businesses, becoming experts at doing small things well, and by putting people in the right spot. He also credits his network and the relationships he has built over the years. “I wish in my younger years I would’ve focused more time on networking, which is why I’m trying to do it now. Because your network is everything. You never know when opportunities are gonna come....Just help people out, it always comes back.” On this episode we discuss: Matt’s background and original vision for BASIC. Finding the ideal team size. Investing in growth and following your gut. Constant learning and networking. Finding your competitive edge. The commoditization of design. Focusing on production vs. ideation. Adapting to client needs. How to influence change and growth from within. Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

If you've ever used the hashtag, you've used a Chris Messina creation. For over a decade, Chris Messina has worked to transform and reimagine the way we look at the world and the way we interact with technology. A self-proclaimed “master of none,” Chris focuses on improving behavioral technology and the social web. Chris has worked in large and small operations, from owning Citizen Agency to being a part of large-scale enterprise companies like Google and Uber where he's worked to expand, cultivate, and advocate for the developer community. Chris just parted ways with Uber, where he was the developer experience lead. He is currently focusing on conversational products and, specifically, how the use of artificial intelligence (IA) and bots can profoundly affect self-driving and automated vehicles. He believes that conversational technology is the new wave of contextual design and that speech-based user interface can provide a shift into simpler technologies. "Imagine an army of bots that are your friends, or are essentially extensions of your friends, that allow you to tap into their extensive contextual knowledge about the subjects that you need information about. The biggest question and task is devising a way to bring all this information together and in a form that gives us more power and control over that experience, and can make the most interesting and useful knowledge available to those people into the right times and moments." On this episode we discuss: The hashtag: the idea, the reception, and what it's like today. The early days of the Internet. The cyclical nature of design and how success sometimes comes from defeat. The power of the Internet. Open source and how the idea came about. The ethics of creating bots. Conversational UI Automated vehicles Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

For over 20 years, Marc has been a designer. From working at startups like Designed by Humans, TeeFury to Co-Founding Flick where he worked to redesign Youtube in 2011 after being acquired by Google. When Marc was at Google, he was a very valuable asset and collaborator with teams across Google to design the Google X self-driving car project and Chromecast. After spending 4 years with Google Marc left and started North, then went on to become the CEO and Founder of Design, Inc. "We should all be finding out what is going to make you happy and how are you going to figure out what's going to make you happy. How are you going to figure out how to truly be happy? and be self-aware enough to change things in your life to be grateful and have gratitude.." A designer's work is a direct representation of how they think the world should look and feel and their work is a story of how they were raised, where they grew up, the music they listen to and every piece of who they are. Designers are passionate and emotional about what they do because of the type of person they. To a designer, design is more than just a business. On this episode we discuss: Transparency in client relationships. Self-awareness in the approach of a proposal to a client. Be willing to help people even if it seems shaky because being good to people will usually yield positive results for everyone involved. Be willing to take risks to get a project. Do good work with good people and you'll succeed. Make an agreement on the relationship and how it will work. If it feels fishy, get out! Look inside yourself for the answer. Stop judging each other and stop pattern matching each other. Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

Dan Mall lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the CEO of Superfriendly, a design collaborative that seeks to connect talented and passionate people with design and development projects all around the globe. Since 2012, he and his company have worked with companies like: Google, Apple New York Times, Carnegie Mellon, About.com, Oreilly, TechCrunch, Entertainment Weekly and many more to produce delightful products and user experiences. Before Superfriendly, Dan was at Big Spaceship, Happy Cog and a Technical Editor at A List Apart. Dan is dedicated to elevating our industry and training designers. Right now, Dan is pushing the needle in the way large organizations connect with their users and their devices. From Insurance transparency to understandable and usable weather data to diminishing the barrier to a new career, Superfriendly and Dan Mall are working to widen the perspective of what design means to real people and how real people can impact the future of design. "I think that my mission, at least when it comes to work, is connecting people to opportunities, they wouldn’t have had otherwise. I feel like that’s the thing I’m good at and that’s the thing I can do for people and so that’s kind of what’s been on my mind lately." Dan has a unique perspective on the design community and the industry as a whole and has made it his personal mission to make a difference to improve: diversity in technology, mentorship career transitions and the overall training and building of design team to name a few. As a personal belief, Dan created the Superfriendly Academy to create an apprenticeship program that helps people in the process of making a career transition. He works to not only provide the opportunity for someone to gain a new career skill but the professionalism that goes along with that skill for that person to greatly succeed. On this episode we discuss: The concept and success of a non-traditional design collaborative, Superfriendly. Superbooked and how this product could help him and users like you maintain your professional network. The idea of the human connection and that working together is a good way to get to know each other better. How finding the right project for the right person can produce great results. The lack of diversity in the tech industry. The Superfriendly Academy and their apprenticeship program. The differences between and apprenticeship and an internship. Career transitions and the value of mentorship. The success story of Greg the apprentice. Follow Dan here: @danmall www.superfriend.ly Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

Mike Buzzard is a Design Manager on the UX Community and Culture team at Google where he works on shaping, resourcing, supporting, and guiding a range of programs and projects that are designed to ensure the health and success of UX at Google. He also recently helped design the first of its kind undergraduate degree in User Experience Design at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He’s currently working with other design leaders to elevate the craft of design in emerging design cities and is an investor and advisor to many awesome companies. Previously, Mike co-founded the design agency Cuban Council with his friends and collaborators, Toke Nygaard and Michael Schmidt. They created a company that could focus on making great things the way they thought it should be made. In their 10 year run, they were able to design cutting edge digital product design solutions for companies like Facebook, Google, Zendesk, Rdio, Quora, Evernote, and Epitaph Records. "It's hugely important to understand what you're capable of contributing and being surprised with the outcome when you partner with someone that brings a different aspect to the work.... When you collaborate with people and get their input and perspective it can be extraordinary and that's what gets me out of bed every day." Back in day as a “Creative Developer”, he helped usher in early generations of web designers and digital product designers through his commitment and contributions to sites like k10k.net, newstoday.com, designiskinky.net, and many more. On this episode we discuss: How Mike helps evangelize, elevate, and grow design at Google by working with a wide array of design teams, design leadership, business units, partners, and agencies. What it was like doing web design back in the old school days when folks were hacking art and code to make unique web site and discovering the vast opportunities. Remember pixel fonts? The story of building Newstoday.com. His experience being hired by Brett Gurewitz from Bad Religion (one of his personal heros) to redesign Epitaph Record’s. How Cuban Council was started, how they grew, and why they eventually closed the doors. Why collaboration and a perspective of value is important to doing great work, and why it's important to always be sharing. Why designers needing to trust and believe that we’re “doing what’s right for people most of the time” and that before being able to deliver a argument that's convincing and compelling, you have to be confident. The story about a time when a young Mark Zuckerberg asked him to define design while they were working on the Facebook Logo. Follow Mike here: @mbuzzard www.zopilote.co Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

Mae Reed is an interaction designer at Rackspace, part-time development instructor with Girl Code It and a pillar in the Austin design community. She has a talent for understanding the value of designing through open lines of communication due to her first-hand experiences with designing and developing and feels that both designers and developers should be working together from the onset of the project to consider affordances and constraints. Mae is also an active and organizational member of an Austin meetup group, Fresh2Design, where she seeks to make connections with new designers and help them find their place in the Austin design community. In this episode, Anthony sits down with Mae Reed to talk about how the way communication can not only be the champion of success in a smaller agency but also create a pathway for designers, developers, and clients to accomplish enterprise goals, together. Follow Mae here: Twitter: @maebees web: maekr.co maereed@me.com Rackspace: Twitter: @rackspace web: rackspace.com Fresh2Design: Twitter: @fresh2design web: fresh2design.com Girl Develop It @girldevelopit web: girldevelopit.com Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

As Interaction Design Lead for 3M's Health Care Business Group, Andy Vitale is excited about making an impact in the healthcare space and designing meaningful healthcare solutions at the enterprise level. Andy believes that being proactive in the enterprise environment is the best way to get the conversation started about designing successful solutions for enterprise problems. He also knows that it's important to always inform and educate people on what exactly it is that you do because it's more valuable when other people buy into and support what you do than simply speaking for yourself, especially on the enterprise level. In this episode, Andy sits down with Anthony to discuss his perspective on ways to measure the impact of user experience, UX processes with his team and 3M, and how to grow user experience competency within a large organization like 3M. Follow Andy here: Twitter: @andyvitale 3M: Twitter: @3mdesign Web: 3M Design & Careers Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

Being able to juggle an overwhelming amount of tasks, responsibilities and day to day activities comes down to how well you're able to carve out enough time to do the things that matter most to you each and every day. Charlie Waite started his career with Focus Labs in Savannah, Georgia and learned the value of the hustle and how to make an impact in fast paced high demand, agile environment. After living and breathing the agency world Charlie sought to find a company, role, and environment that he identified with and work with disciplines that he hadn't had a lot of interaction with. Charlie found that opportunity with GoPro as their UX/UI Design Manger for their software team and was able to dig in and work with teams to design consumer facing products and be a part of creating a universal design language that spans the entire company In this episode, Charlie sits down with Anthony to discuss what it meant for Charlie to make the transition from client services to more product focused design, what it means for Charlie to work directly with people, and how what you do outside of work can make a huge impact on your productivity, success, and overall level of happiness. Follow Charlie here: Twitter: @charliecwaite Dribbble: charliewaite Web: charliewaite.me Gopro Twitter: @gopro Focus Lab Twitter: @focusLabLLC Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

From designing things to designing educational training, Travis has a passion for project management and digital solutions. Partnering with his wife Rachel to create louderthanten to instruct a project management curriculum to help improve the way teams work together, streamline their creative design processes and allow insight into how project managers solidify the client relationship; Travis is passionate about creating a culture of education on the web. In this episode, Anthony and Travis get down to the details of dynamic thinking and what it means to Travis to find better ways for teams to work together and pull from different design methodologies to design better solutions to create lasting client relationships. Follow Travis here: @travisgertz @louderthanten travisgertz.com Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

If you've ever shopped online with Nike or booked a cruise with Norweigan Cruise lines you might have used a product that Ben Peck was part of Designing. Ben is a busy guy and he spends a lot of time working with Needle.com to design e-commerce chat interfaces and paradigms that help people feel confident in purchases they make. In addition to his full-time, job Ben has been pivotal in the creation and growth of Frontutah.com and a creator of The Product Design Association. Ben has a passion for elevating his local design ecosystem by providing networking opportunities, educational events and enabling ways for people to share what they're doing, how they're doing it and how they've become better doing what they do. In this, episode Ben and Anthony sit down to discuss a wide variety of topics ranging from the Utah design community to his role in the organization of the Front design conference to what Needle does and how they are designing better ways for conversations between humans and computers. Ben Peck @benpeck benpeck.com Needle @needleit needle.com Front @front frontutah.com vimeo.com/frontutah The Product Design Association @pdautah productdesignutah.org Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

From starting a company with his wife in the basement of his home to presenting his start-up company to a daunting crowd of Canadian angel investors, Mikael Cho of Crew and Unsplash, has been able to consciously push himself and the people around him to new levels of success. In this episode, Mikael and Anthony discuss the journey that Mikael's taken to find his professional path and how that path created his perspectives on growth, success and life as a whole. Mikael believes building trust into new business relationships and knowing that growth is organic and in his eyes, is the most successful way to be true to yourself, your client and your craft. Originating in design and development, Crew seeks to help freelancers and studios establish consistency and Companies in need of Creative talent find the best available to them . Holistically, Crew supports freelancers and studios in removing the troublesome aspects of business in order to focus on letting those people do what they do best, create. Be sure to check out crew.co and unsplash.com Twitter: @crewlabs and @mikaelcho Medium: https://medium.com/@crew Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

Claudio Vallejo is a passionate Freelance Web-Designer and Front End Developer by way of Monterrey, Mexico. Beginning in the Baylor business school and through the Baylor Accelerated Ventures Project, there he discovered design and development and was given his first experience in product design. In this episode, Claudio and Anthony sit down to discuss everything from how a failed college project would ignite his creative passion to his perspective on turning ideas into reality to the challenges faced as a non-us citizen looking to land a design job. Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram

If you know anything about Funsize, you know we love to collaborate and Johnnie Hamn is no different. Through his 16 years of hands-on design experience and believing strongly in cooperative and collaborative design; Johnnie comes to the table with his perspective on what it means to be a design leader and client advocate at Funsize. In this episode, Anthony and Johnnie sit down and talk about his role at Funsize and the idea of selfless leadership, going the extra mile to build trust with the client, what it means to transition a client into a design partner. Anthony and Johnnie have been friends for a very long time so they discuss a wide range of topics in this episode but one topic they focus on is how investing in relationships can elevate client services, and more often than not, make them profitable. Visit the Funsize website Subscribe to The Funsize Digest Check out Funsize on Instagram