Klaviyo Design Podcast

Illustrations are exercises in summary. The ability to take goals, proposed feelings, and aspirations into something visual that can be universally understood across languages and cultures is very challenging… how do people do it? Klaviyo designers Charlie Coombs, Gui Schmitt, and Sam Beachell take a look behind the scenes and talk about the process and challenges of creating illustrations for branding purposes. We also highlight some of our favorite pieces of branded illustrations done by other companies. Getting visual on a podcast is not easy, so make sure to refer to the links below! ================ Material Design / Google Illustrations • https://mayastepien.nl/googlecalendar.html Sno-Cone Klaviyo Shirt Illustrations • https://dribbble.com/shots/5630486-Email-Sno-Cone Klaviyo 2020 Product Illustrations • https://dribbble.com/shots/14835043-Klaviyo-Iconography-2020 Hipmunk mascot • http://files.guischmitt.com/iblzdk Color theory • https://99designs.com/blog/tips/the-7-step-guide-to-understanding-color-theory/ ✨ Recommendations ✨ Blush Design • https://blush.design/ The Noun Project • https://thenounproject.com/ Foundation • https://foundation.app/ Communication Arts Magazine • https://www.commarts.com/magazine/2021-illustration Field Notes • https://fieldnotesbrand.com/ Featuring Charlie Coombs - Senior Visual Designer Gui Schmitt - Product Designer Sam Beachell - Lead Designer II Music credit: Christian Gentry, Muzak 1 Edited by: Aaron Goeglein

When pursuing a career in design, there are many paths that you can take  - which one is the right one for you? Be a freelancer and chart your own path? Find a job on an agency and explore a wide range of assignments with the same team? Get a job on an in-house team and go deep into a problem space? Ah, the dilemma! Tune in, as Karen Muller, Charlie Coombs, Sam Beachell, Tim Dwyer, and Gui Schmitt share their experiences and tips navigating the maze of job opportunities. ✨ Recommendations ✨ Eric Singer Explainer Videos • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvDvESEXcgE&list=PLt-UvOEPhKmgSOcAqtjRSxSUqTrkPvzXo Good One Podcast • https://www.vulture.com/news/good-one-podcast/ LogoLounge Book 12 • https://www.logolounge.com/book12winners Muzli Extension • https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/muzli-2-stay-inspired/glcipcfhmopcgidicgdociohdoicpdfc CleanShot X • https://cleanshot.com/ Xbox Game Pass • https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass Featuring Karen Muller - Senior Copywriter Gui Schmitt - Product Designer Charlie Coombs - Senior Visual Designer Sam Beachell - Lead Designer II Tim Dwyer - Senior Digital Designer Music credit: Christian Gentry, Muzak 1 Edited by: Aaron Goeglein

For e-commerce centric companies like Klaviyo, Black Friday / Cyber Monday is considered a "Super Bowl type event".  How do we get ready for the big day?  Designers Adeniyi Sonoiki, Ally Hangartner, Bram Oosten, and Gui Schmitt chat about the importance of those days to our customers and how the reality of 2020 changed everything this year. We also talk about Klaviyo's culture for BFCM and, as the new year starts, some resolutions we have for 2021.

Trends in design come and go. But… where do they come from? How do you know which ones are worth paying attention to and not just some fad? Is everything a never-ending cycle? In this episode of the Klaviyo Design Podcast, we discuss how design trends play a role in our work. We also reflect on which upcoming trends in style and user experience are worth paying attention to and which ones are better left behind in the fad category. ===

The journey of learning more always starts with a question. But requesting feedback is only part of the puzzle of building better designs. Properly interpreting any input to our work is just as important. In this contemplative episode Klaviyo designers Gui Schmitt, Marissa Mac, and Robert Yu discuss how to overcome our natural blind spots, reject spontaneous reactions of defense and bring a growth mindset to feedback discussions. ✨ RECOMMENDATIONS ✨ Codenames • https://www.amazon.com/Czech-Games-00031CGE-Codenames/dp/B014Q1XX9S Adobe Lightroom for iPhone • https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-lightroom-photo-editor/id878783582 Sister Sister on Netflix • https://www.netflix.com/title/70157256 Downeast Cider • https://downeastcider.com/ Loom • https://www.loom.com/ Among Us • http://www.innersloth.com/gameAmongUs.php Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well • https://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Feedback-Science-Receiving-Well/dp/0670014664 Villagers Boardgame • https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sinisterfish/villagers-card-drafting-and-village-building-for-1 Have any feedback for us here at the Klaviyo Design Team? Send an email to designpodcast@klaviyo.com. If you like the show, consider leaving a review on the Apple Podcasts, it really helps!

With 2020 bringing a set of new challenges to design teams everywhere, the designers at Klaviyo took the opportunity to rethink our career progression system. In this self-reflective episode, we dive deep into how that process went about, and how other teams might tackle this challenge.  We chat about career progression in design, how to measure change as you grow, how management path should be considered, and how designers should focus on growth and learning over meaningless titles. === RECOMMENDATIONS === Poolside.fm • https://poolside.fm/ DBBD The Design of Business | The Business of Design Podcast • https://designobserver.com/designofbusiness Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace • https://www.amazon.com/Orbiting-Giant-Hairball-Corporate-Surviving/dp/0670879835

A good design is centered on clear communication and words are one of the key vehicles to achieve it. Acting as the bridge between minds, words can excite, motivate, and guide people when used right. However - words can frustrate, confuse, or worry users about not doing things the right way if they are not used properly. In this episode of the Klaviyo Design Podcast, we have special guest Karen Muller - Klaviyo’s Senior Copywriter - to talk about the importance of copywriting in design, myths around the job of a copywriter and tips for anyone interested in becoming a better writer. We also touch upon brand identity and how language in social media is changing the way we communicate IRL. === Links === Twitter's... Twitter account • https://twitter.com/twitter Wendy's Twitter account • https://twitter.com/Wendys Duolingo's April Fool joke • https://push.duolingo.com/ The Reformation • https://www.thereformation.com/ Spreadsheet that tracks terms across languages • https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EBNCqbiK-X-DljBD1WhfmsLXaO4iJYGe0Mi5yTuiUb0/edit Simple English Wikipedia • https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page === Recommendations === Hanabi • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanabi_(card_game) The Last of Us Part II • https://www.thelastofus.playstation.com/ Grammarly • https://app.grammarly.com/ Roam Research • https://roamresearch.com/ Because Internet • https://www.amazon.com/Because-Internet-Understanding-Rules-Language/dp/0735210934 Blue Land cleaning products • https://www.blueland.com/ Fonts for Instagram • https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kz.nur4i.ifonts&hl=en_US

What is the role of an Engineer? In the second episode of the "Working with X" series, we interview engineers Noah Durell and Jordan Griffin on how development has evolved, the challenges of collaborating via lines of code, and the thrill of finding solutions to hard problems. We also dive into how engineering and design relations should unfold for an outcome that works for everyone. ✨ Recommendations ✨ Tame Impala - The Slow Rush • https://smarturl.it/TheSlowRush Genius Verified video series • https://genius.com/shows/verified Drawing 101 Skillshare • https://www.skillshare.com/classes/Learn-to-Draw-Daily-Practices-to-Improve-Your-Drawing-Skills/1948270521 Figma • http://www.figma.com Maze • https://maze.design/ Drawabox • https://drawabox.com/ Parasite • https://www.parasite-movie.com/ American Factory • https://www.netflix.com/title/81090071

In the first episode of our new "Working with X" series, we interview Klaviyo Product Manager ( a.k.a. PM) Hansen Liang (https://www.hansenliang.com/) on what product management is and what it isn't, how strategic product management can make or break a product's outcome, and how designers and PMs can collaborate effectively. We talk through Hansen's journey to become a product manager and share tips for finding out if product management is something people would like to do for their careers. === RECOMMENDATIONS === The Short Game • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRpG00kNdF4 Renting digital books and Libby app • https://libbyapp.com/welcome Apple Archive (UPDATE: it's down ☹️)• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind •https://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-Humankind-Yuval-Noah-Harari/dp/0062316095 Brief Answers to the Big Questions • https://www.amazon.com/Brief-Answers-Questions-Stephen-Hawking/dp/1984819194 HBO's Watchmen • https://www.hbo.com/watchmen

Klaviyo designers Alex Korth, Don Ton, Gui Schmitt, Julie Lungaro, Marissa Mac and Zack Breakstone share their top recommendations across a wide selection of categories, including design gear, desk accessories, drawing essentials and favorite apps!  We have links for all items discussed below if you'd like to learn more. ===

The Creative and Brand design team at Klaviyo reflects on designing Klaviyo’s conference for year 2 - with special guests!

"We all stand in the shoulders of giants" - while that phrase is usually applied in a general sense to knowledge as a whole, there's truth that looking for and providing advice can move humanity forward. In careers, this is found in mentorship. Klaviyo designers set to tell their personals stories learning from and passing knowledge forward in this inspiring conversation. Recommendations ------------------------- The Year of The Looking Glass • Julie Zhuo • https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass Designing Design Mentorship • Dropbox Design • https://medium.com/dropbox-design/designing-design-mentorship-3bc796a16634 The Making of a Manager • Julie Zhuo • https://juliezhuo.com/book/manager.html Radical Candor • https://www.radicalcandor.com Subverted Design • Joel Califa • http://joelcalifa.com/blog/subverted-design/ AirPods Pro • https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/

In the summer of 2019, Klaviyo hosted our 2nd annual design event: DESIGNIVAL: It's a Design Event. In this post-mortem episode, we dive into the challenges of event planning, how to plan for unknown unknowns, and how collaborating with other design-centric companies worked out. Company Shoutouts ------------------------- Appcues • https://www.appcues.com Catalant • https://gocatalant.com Chewy • https://www.chewy.com Drift • https://www.drift.com EzCater • https://www.ezcater.com Formlabs • https://formlabs.com Hopper • https://www.hopper.com HubSpot • https://www.hubspot.com Recommendations ------------------------- Small Great Things Book • Jodi Picoult • http://www.smallgreatthings.com Inflorescent • Friendly Fires • https://open.spotify.com/album/1rt1wud5H03IsmAx29ysJp?si=bBHbMpxYSi2wbn_wxztF2Q

There are many design jobs out in the world, so there must be some value in them, right? In this existential episode, Klaviyo designers Don Ton, Gui Schmitt, Robert Yu, and Marissa Mac dive deep on the philosophical question - what is the importance of design in a company? Once established, how do we communicate it to our peers? We also tackle trends in design, and who is doing a great job advocating design's importance in the industry. Company Shoutouts ------------------------- Criterion • https://www.criterion.com Netflix Originals • https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/839338 Apple • http://www.apple.com Google's Material Design • https://material.io/design/ Lush • https://www.lushusa.com Carrot Weather App • http://www.meetcarrot.com/weather/ Pretend Store • https://pretendstore.co Recommendations ------------------------- Veronica Mars Season 4 • https://hulu.tv/2lHfHRc Flighty App • https://www.flightyapp.com How Uber designed its Lite app for the rest of the world • https://www.fastcompany.com/90375845/how-uber-quietly-redesigned-its-interface-for-the-rest-of-the-world History of Smartphone Notifications • https://www.wired.com/story/history-of-notifications/?verso=true

Values, beliefs, practices - all its part of culture. But how does that apply for design teams? In the 10th episode of the Klaviyo Design Podcast we delved into how to establish, nourish, and maintain a healthy design culture inside companies. We talk about the importance of a cohesive voice in times of brand activation and how a strong design culture can change organizations for the better.

Product design is solving problems, but a solution is only as good as it is useful and understandable for its users. On episode 9, the Klaviyo Design Team talked about the strategies and struggles in understanding who you are designing for - the never-ending search to build user empathy. From user testing tips to getting on the phone with actual, real people. Design assumptions not welcome. Recommendations ------------------------- Arrive App - https://tryarrive.com Summer Grilled Pizza - https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/how-to-make-grilled-pizza Obstacle Is The Way book - https://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Timeless-Turning-Triumph/dp/1591846358 Game of Thrones: The Last Watch - https://play.hbonow.com/feature/urn:hbo:feature:GXKNzTAQOfcJzwwEAAAAL Facebook's 2G Tuesdays - https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-2g-tuesdays-to-slow-employee-internet-speeds-down-2015-10?op=1 Booksmart movie - https://www.booksmart.movie

Some say that everything creative is a remix of something else - but in the vast ocean of content that modern life offers to build those mixes - how do you find inspiration? Klaviyo designers come together to discuss how they keep their creative inspiration juices flowing, from traditional to unexpected places. Lastly, we briefly touch on how do we keep our teams in sync, to ensure cohesion, even when people are doing individual assignments. From Pinterest boards to Slack etiquette, KDP EP 8 is here. Recommendations ------------------------- Notion - https://www.notion.so The Wander Society by Keri Smith - https://www.amazon.com/Wander-Society-Keri-Smith/dp/0143108360 Are.na - https://www.are.na Eagle - https://eagle.cool Everything is a Remix - https://www.everythingisaremix.info/watch-the-series Whimsical - https://whimsical.com Brand New - https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/

Robots are coming for our jobs! Or... are they? In this broad conversation, Klaviyo designers Julie Lungaro, Sam Beachell and Gui Schmitt talk about how automation can impact creative fields in the near and far future. From data-informed decisions, seemingly random algorithms, to Design System's role in facilitating some of the more laborious challenges of design, we start to get more comfortable with our imminent robot overlords. Recommendations ------------------------- John Oliver's automation episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=_h1ooyyFkF0 Automate Sketch plugin - https://github.com/Ashung/Automate-Sketch/ Airbnb automated wireframe concept - https://airbnb.design/sketching-interfaces/ High Resolution podcast with Rochelle King - https://www.highresolution.design/9-rochelle-king Designers: Robots Are Coming For Your Jobs - https://www.fastcompany.com/3057266/designers-robots-are-coming-for-your-jobs Full Frontal on biases in technology - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxpWvMrPqVs Microsoft Tay - https://www.theverge.com/2016/3/24/11297050/tay-microsoft-chatbot-racist

Have you ever sat through a bad presentation? Maybe the speaker wasn't engaging or maybe the slides were too distracting. Lots of pressure goes into a well-rounded presentation, the last thing you want to stress over is how your slide deck looks. In episode 6, the designers at Klaviyo discuss what made some presentations memorable and provide some advice on how to design a presentation that will captivate viewers. Recommendations ------------------------- Canva - https://www.canva.com/templates/presentations/ Apple iPhone 4 Antennagate Presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IorfYuF4gMM Cutthroat Kitchen - https://www.hulu.com/series/cutthroat-kitchen-e499b744-cb1b-4727-9552-1b232e41b350 Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable - https://www.netflix.com/title/80166467 TED Talk: Forget the pecking order at work - https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_why_it_s_time_to_forget_the_pecking_order_at_work?language=en

There are only 24 hours in a single day, how do you spend them? In our 5th episode, the designers at Klaviyo found some time to come together to discuss time management. From trendy new tools to simple habits, find out what we do to stay focused and best manage our time amidst the overwhelmingness of the modern world. Recommendations ------------------------- Pomodoro Technique - https://www.marinaratimer.com Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day - https://maketimebook.com Tidying Up with Marie Kondo - https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379 KonMari Method - https://konmari.com Toggl - https://toggl.com Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less - https://gregmckeown.com/book/

In our 4th episode, the recently expanded Design Team at Klaviyo met up to talk about portfolios and job interviews. What recruiters look for? What should your portfolio include? In interviews, how can you send the right message? We tackle perspectives of both interviewer and interviewee in this broad, wide-reaching conversation. Recommendations -------------------------------------------------- Semplice - https://www.semplice.com Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - https://letterboxd.com/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse/ Brand New, Under Consideration - https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/ Things 3 - https://culturedcode.com/things/ Design Systems Repo - https://designsystemsrepo.com

Recorded during Klaviyo:BOS, our live conference with 350+ customers, partners, and ecommerce companies. We took a little time during the event to chat about seeing the real-world impact of our work, building trust with our non-designer clients and coworkers, and the use of the understanding, helpful "no".

In the second episode of the Klaviyo design podcast, we talk about what life is like on the other side of the proverbial fence - reflecting on our experiences as designers at agencies, as freelancers, and life as part of an in-house team. www.klaviyo.com

The design team at Klaviyo is thrilled to release episode #1 of the Klaviyo Design Podcast. This podcast will hopefully serve the broader world of design and the creative community navigating through conversations about graphic design, digital design, career advice, and other topics that are sure to be of interest to designers looking to grow professionally in their careers. This is a deep dive into what got us interested in design, what our first design jobs were and we talk about the mistakes we've made. We answer the question "If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself". www.klaviyo.com