Tentative

This week Jaclyn & Kyle catch up on streamlining UI, building landing pages in Hubspot CMS, first impressions of Tailwind, and auto-layout in Figma. Also, we reminisce as we say adieu to Kyle and his tenure on Tentative.

This week Jaclyn & Kyle discuss neglecting your backlog, the emotions around a design sprint, and changes to the design and development team structure at thoughtbot. Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Nelsy Hubb, Product Manager at Neocova, joins Jaclyn to discuss engaging with outside partners, maintaining a design system, customer feedback, trusting your subject matter experts, design debt, and many, many allusions to The Lord of the Rings. Neocova (https://neocova.com/) Spotlight AI (https://neocova.com/solutions/spotlight-ai/) Tiger King meets Lisa Frank (https://www.reddit.com/r/TigerKing/comments/fsmeep/tiger_king_meets_lisa_frank/) Nelsy on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsy-hubb-403823188/) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

To wrap up our year, this week Kyle & Jaclyn run a retro for 2020. So put on those comfy pants and join us while they reflect on their most used tools, new amenities, and favorite hobbies of the year; as well as air some behind the scenes goodness. This episode is brought to you by HelloFresh (http://HelloFresh.com/tentative80): Enter code TENTATIVE80 to get a total of $80 off, including free shipping Miro (https://miro.com) Between the World and Me (https://amzn.to/38kdUGt)- Ta-Nehisi Coates The Lord of the Rings (https://amzn.to/34vF9g6)- J.R.R. Tolkien The Queen's Gambit (https://www.netflix.com/title/80234304) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Lloyd Bennett, designer at thoughtbot London, joins the show to discuss Tones & Shades, his new digital magazine, as well as designing a brand identity, prototyping early in the design process, and animating with intent. This episode is brought to you by: ExpressVPN (https://www.expressvpn.com/tentative): Click through to get three months for free Remote Works Podcast (https://link.chtbl.com/remoteworks_cyoa?sid=podcast.Tentative) Tones & Shades (https://tonesandshad.es/) "The Three-Hour Brand Sprint" (https://library.gv.com/the-three-hour-brand-sprint-3ccabf4b768a)- Jake Knapp "Reinvention & the Creative Journey" (https://tonesandshad.es/reinvention-and-the-creative-journey/)- an interview With Helen Cammock Offscreen Magazine (https://www.offscreenmag.com/) Tones & Shades on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tonesshades/) Lloyd on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/designbyljb/) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Adekunle Oduye, UX Engineer at Mailchimp, discusses working on a design-system team, setting goals for 2021, storing documentation in Figma, and conducting user research for design systems. This episode is brought to you by: ExpressVPN (https://www.expressvpn.com/tentative): Click through to get three months for free HelloFresh (http://HelloFresh.com/tentative90): Enter code TENTATIVE90 to get a total of $90 off, including free shipping Mailchimp Style Guide (http://ux.mailchimp.com/) Essentialism (https://amzn.to/2UDdapA) Adekunle on Twitter (https://twitter.com/adekunleoduye) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Ryan Rumsey, founder & CEO of Second Wave Dive, discusses building programs that solve systems problems through design thinking, and struggling with critique. This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN (https://www.expressvpn.com/tentative). Click through to get three months for free. Second Wave Dive (https://www.secondwavedive.com/) Business Thinking for Designers (https://www.designbetter.co/business-thinking-for-designers)- Ryan Rumsey Ryan's Personal Site (https://www.ryanrumsey.com/) Ryan on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ryanrumsey) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Senongo Akpem, author of Cross-Cultural Design, joins the show to discuss design in civic-tech, ways to include cross-cultural design thinking into short engagements, staying dedicated to long-term projects, and memories of Dreamweaver. This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN (https://www.expressvpn.com/tentative). Click through to get three months for free. Cross-Cultural Design (https://abookapart.com/products/cross-cultural-design)- Senongo Akpem A Civic Technologist's Practice Guide (https://amzn.to/31rkIPV)- Cyd Harrell curry.cafe (http://curry.cafe/) Senongo on Twitter (https://twitter.com/senongo) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

From User Interviews, Erin May (VP Growth & Marketing) & JH Forster (VP Product) join the show to discuss hiring during Covid, onboarding remotely, using GitHub for documentation, backlog management, managing team morale while remote, and work on diversity & inclusion initiatives. User Interviews (https://www.userinterviews.com/) Awkward Silences (https://www.userinterviews.com/podcast)- User Interviews Podcast Being There (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_There) Remo (https://remo.co/) The UX Research Flex Stack (https://www.userinterviews.com/lp/ux-research-flex-stack) Rocket Emoji App (https://matthewpalmer.net/rocket/) JH on Twitter (https://twitter.com/jhforster) Erin on Twitter (https://twitter.com/erinhmay) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Hannah Yang, Product Manager of Provider Experience at Oscar Health Insurance, joins us to discuss feature prioritization during COVID, designing towards a KPI goal, customer relationships at small & large companies, qualitative vs quantitative data in health-tech, and the hurdles of working in a regulated industry. This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN (https://www.expressvpn.com/tentative). Click through to get three months for free. TheShareWay (https://www.theshareway.com/) Oscar Health (https://www.hioscar.com/) Hannah on Twitter (https://twitter.com/hannahcyang) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Elaina Natario and Vendela Larsson join us to discuss the research, procedure, and findings, that went into their Glides project for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. "Gliding to Success" (https://designmuseumfoundation.org/gliding-to-success/)- Design Museum Magazine MBTA Case Study (https://thoughtbot.com/case-studies/mbta) Just Enough Research (https://abookapart.com/products/just-enough-research)- Erika Hall What the heck is a bomb cyclone? (https://www.popsci.com/bomb-cyclone/) Elaina on Twitter (https://twitter.com/elainanatario) Vendela on Twitter (https://twitter.com/vendelalarsson) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Hey Tentative listeners, this week we're bringing you an announcement of upcoming changes to the format of Tentative. We'll be exploring more focused topics, bringing in guests from around the design community, and discussing the intersection of design and business; all while bringing our true and silly selves that make Tentative what it is today. So come join us on the ride, and tell a friend! Also, conference call fatigue, an internet outage during a remote design sprint, and embracing async communication. Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

This week, Kyle updates case studies in our CMS and Jaclyn returns from PTO. Also, tips & tricks for Alfred, working in non-traditional design tools, and a design-team book club. Alfred (https://www.alfredapp.com/) Prismic (https://prismic.io/) Cross-Cultural Design (https://abookapart.com/products/cross-cultural-design)- Senongo Akpem

This week, Jaclyn volunteers on a design sprint and prepares for PTO, while Kyle preps for a website redesign workshop. Also, collaboration vs customization in presentations, preparing a 2 day Pre-MVP workshop, approaches to editing, and balancing experimentation with expertise. The Code Cooperative (https://codecooperative.org/) Website Redesign Workshop (https://thoughtbot.com/events/website-redesign-workshop) Upcase (https://thoughtbot.com/upcase/) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

This week, Kyle works on documentation and updating pages in our CMS, while Jackie hosts an internal trivia game as well as troubleshoots her terminal setup. Also, avoiding burnout, extending Covid protections, and Zoom fatigue. Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

This week, Jaclyn conducted a remote design sprint and Kyle utilizes "no Slack" communication on a project. Also, cutting scope, the importance of the human element in product validation, and the varied usage of "It depends". Remote Design Sprint Template (https://miro.com/templates/remote-design-sprint/) The Agile Bicycle (https://m.dotdev.co/the-agile-bicycle-829a83b18e7) Double Denim Outfits (https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/britney-spears-justin-timberlakes-double-denim-outfits-15th-anniversary-w451495/) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

This week Kyle discusses his iterative approach to everything, and Jaclyn discusses take-aways from her Lightning Design Jam. Also, a design-thinking escape room, life lessons learned from previous jobs, and human corn. Lightning Design Jam (https://info.thoughtbot.com/unstick-your-product-strategy-recording) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

We are pushing back our normally scheduled podcast in support of the protests this week and the Black community as a whole. To give space for their words, their actions, and all of the grieving caused by the killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Too many members of the Black community have lost their lives through racial injustice. For those that are mourning and those that are fighting for equality: we see you, we love you, and we support you. Black culture matters. Black communities matter. Black lives matter. The systemic racism that plagues our nation NEEDS to come to an end. We've included a short list of resources in the show notes of ways each of us can take action. We ask everyone to research ways to get involved in a way they feel they can have the biggest impact. What follows is an episode from our sister podcast, Giant Robots Smashing into Other Giant Robots with Gareth Burrowes, focusing on removing unconscious bias from the hiring flow and the importance of diversity at every level of a company. Fighting for equality falls on each of us, regardless of race or position, to work together to fight racism and unequal treatment. Giant Robots: Seeking Strengths (Gareth Burrowes) (https://www.giantrobots.fm/312) Black Tech Twitter (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BlackTechTwitter&src=saved_search_click) Black Tech Pipeline (https://www.blacktechpipeline.com/) Black Lives Matter (https://blacklivesmatter.com/) Resources provided by Diversify Tech (https://twitter.com/DiversifyTechCo/status/1266797966498684928) Original Notes from Giant Robots Episode 312 Gareth Burrowes, Co-Founder & Head of Product and Marketing at The Tech Connection, discusses employment screening focused on candidate strengths, removing unconscious bias from the hiring flow, and the importance of diversity at every level of a company. The Tech Connection Gareth on Twitter

This week we contemplate how people see their time, posture tips to reduce physical stress while working from home, and conducting a 'consulting skills' workshop. Here Are Some Excellent Zoom Backgrounds (https://www.themarysue.com/best-zoom-backgrounds/) How China is using QR code apps to contain Covid-19 (https://technode.com/2020/02/25/how-china-is-using-qr-code-apps-to-contain-covid-19/) The 20-20-20 Rule: Preventing Digital Eye Strain (https://us.discovericl.com/blog/the-20-20-20-rule-preventing-digital-eye-strain) Lightning Design Jam (https://info.thoughtbot.com/unstick-your-product-strategy-recording) Jeff Goldblum "Talking to Myself" (https://youtu.be/zDfBLFyTBM4) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Kyle serves as interim Design Director for London while Jaclyn prepares for a design workshop. Also, shifting locations to improve focus, the importance of ergonomics, content audits, and an impromptu live-feedback session. Unstick Your Product Strategy Workshop (https://info.thoughtbot.com/unstick-your-product-strategy-recording) Google Meet Grid View Extension (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-meet-grid-view/bjkegbgpfgpikgkfidhcihhiflbjgfic) JQBX (JU·KE·BOX) (https://www.jqbx.fm/) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Kyle gets stressed out by grocery shopping, and prepares for a workshop. Jaclyn finishes a draft on a case study and benefits from the value of time-boxing. Also, tricking Zoom, staying productive, the importance of routine, and little things to break up your days. This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN (https://www.expressvpn.com/tentative). Click through to get three months for free. World Famous Abbey Road Crossing Is Repainted During The London Lockdown (https://www.forbes.com/sites/oisinlunny/2020/03/27/world-famous-abbey-road-crossing-is-repainted-during-the-london-lockdown/#55db09375eea) The Future of Facilitation (https://voltagecontrol.com/blog/the-future-of-facilitation-virtual-workshop-recap/) Procreate App (https://procreate.art/) Being Human in the Absence of Humans: A Q&A for Product Teams (https://info.thoughtbot.com/remote-product-team-resources) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

As thoughtbot transitions to working remotely, we discuss the tools and tips we use when conducting remote design sprints. Enroll in our free online-workshop on going remote Being Human in the Absence of Humans: A Live Q&A for Product Teams (https://info.thoughtbot.com/being-human-in-the-absence-of-humans?utm_source=Tentative&utm_medium=Podcast) Running design sprints and kickoffs remotely (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/running-design-sprints-and-kickoffs-remotely) MURAL (https://mural.co/) Miro (https://miro.com/) Invision Freehand (https://www.invisionapp.com/feature/freehand) Play 'Sorry' 'Online (http://sorry.eeimer.de/) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Kyle kicks off a new project, and Jaclyn plans a design sprint workshop. Also, remote camera etiquette, the labels of 'designer' & 'developer', and creating professional bios. This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN (https://www.expressvpn.com/tentative). Click through to get three months for free. Kyle's Blog Posts (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/authors/kyle-fiedler) "Get Your Type Back in Shape" (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/get-your-type-back-in-shape-with-these-simple-tricks) "The mess of web font services" (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/the-mess-of-web-font-services) "User Testing Gone Wild" (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/user-testing-gone-wild-a-guide-to-course-correction) See open positions (https://goo.gl/AAazrT) at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Jaclyn shares insights from running a large design-thinking workshop, Kyle discusses the methodology of the new thoughtbot.com redesign, and the highs & lows of the Frosty™. Shape up (https://basecamp.com/shapeup) thoughtbot.com Redesign (https://thoughtbot.com/)

Jaclyn plans an intimate design sprint exercise for developers as well as a large design-thinking workshop, discusses why you can't just start ideating, and getting a large group to converge on a problem-statement. 3-12-3 Brainstorming (https://gamestorming.com/3-12-3-brainstorm/) Royal Tenenbaums Tracksuits (and other styling tips from Wes Anderson) (https://coolmaterial.com/feature/wes-anderson-style-tips/) See open positions (https://goo.gl/AAazrT) at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Tentative!

Happy new year! We welcome back Jaclyn, refreshed after her break, and discuss burn-out, task prioritization, MVP-ing your mental load, and setting goals & themes for the new year.Yard 'O TwixHow Long is Fruit by the Foot?Buc-ees Jerky ParadiseImpact/Effort MatrixGetting Things Done- David AllenSee open positions at thoughtbot!Become a Sponsor of Tentative!

Miles Johnson, designer at thoughtbot London, joins Kyle to discuss leveling-up sales skills, when to introduce clients to your process, maintaining the focus of development & design as a cohesive unit, and the joy of being a 'generalist'.

Elaina Natario enlightens Kyle on all things jazz hands, as well as discusses Storybook, documenting design, working effectively alongside development, and how to use emoji.StorybookThe Hot Potato ProcessThere are many ways to spell ~~tszuj ~~

Chris Schnaars joins Kyle to discuss computational design, creative control, design vs art, and the nature of design tooling.Sol Lewitt: A Wall Drawing RetrospectiveBret Victor - Inventing on PrincipleThings for macOS & iOSChris on Instagram

Skipper Chong Warson, Design Director of thoughtbot San Francisco, joins Kyle to discuss the psychology of podcast recording, overcoming awkwardness in communication & public speaking, and avoiding proxies when engaging with clients.“Steve would really like you to get 5 stars…”Full EpisodeJustice Sonia Sotomayor on Sesame StreetSkipper on Twitter

Live from New York, it's Keiran King & Tyson Gach! They join Kyle to discuss designing apples, comparing and contrasting jobs-to-be-done to other frameworks, and defining 'customer success'.Jobs-to-be-done Workshop ReplaySolving Real Problems With Design- Keiran KingWhen Coffee and Kale Compete- Alan KlementCompeting Against Luck- Clayton M. ChristensenShape Up- Ryan SingerKeiran on TwitterTyson on Twitter

Jaclyn is taking a break for a little bit and Kyle sets a course for happiness. We talk about embracing change as an opportunity to define yourself, and having a similar mindset to build good habits between projects. Also, experimenting with and evolving process, and reflecting on the importance of collaboration.The Science of Well-BeingAtomic Habits- James ClearPractical Applications of Jobs-to-be-Done for Designing Successful ProductsSee open positions at thoughtbot!Become a Sponsor of Tentative!

Kyle has fun with a hiring-promo read, while Jaclyn dislikes the polling system in Slack. Also, presenting visual design to clients for feedback, frameworks for critique, and fostering creativity through constraints. This episode of Tentative is sponsored by Indeed Prime Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light: A Design Exercise for Getting Feedback From the Team See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Tentative!

While Jaclyn gives interview tips (both user and hiring), Kyle does his best Michael Keaton impression. Also, active listening, pizza facts, trying to keep a work / home balance when working remotely, and interview horror stories. This episode of Tentative is sponsored by Indeed Prime Fun

Jaclyn puts together a role-playing workshop for consulting your way through difficult conversations, and building empathy for the other parties. Kyle discusses conducting team 11's all on one day vs spreading them throughout the week. Plus, some techniques for dealing with context switching, blocking off time, and calendar hacks. This episode of Tentative is sponsored by Indeed Prime

Jaclyn designs wristbands for a 5k, fiddles around with CSS Grid, and kicks off a new project. Meanwhile, Kyle attends many serious meetings. We discuss up-front user-research, timeline interviews, and pacing interviews for sustainability. J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Wristbands

This week Kyle follows his calendar, while Jaclyn wraps up a research project and celebrates a fruitful sales-call, and we discuss trying to focus on positive reinforcement, the importance of being able to communicate your design work, and 'clicking' with the sales process. Designers Who Code Meetup

Jaclyn is frustrated with calendars, and Kyle continues work on the thoughtbot.com redesign. Also skills evaluations, and lots of interviews. Calendly 15Five Put a Bird on It

Kyle deals with a "dentist situation" and writes a blog post, while both he & Jaclyn return to IC design work. Also, manager training, partnering with an offshore development team while on a tight deadline, and the "good problems" of a large design sprint. Plucky Manager Training Jennifer Dary, founder of Plucky, on Giant Robots Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light: A Design Exercise for Getting Feedback From the Team French Fries

Jaclyn goes on a ski trip, Kyle eats cake on the microphone (sorry). Also, de-stressing techniques, Austin weather (surprise), daylight savings time, the UI of car clocks, making the most of small gaps in your schedule, enriching collaboration with developers, clarifying the title of "designer", and iterating on podcast recording. Plus, the introduction of a new segment "good, bad, and ugly". Press Me The Case of the 500 Mile Email King Cake

Jaclyn hosts a cooking show while Kyle does what his calendar tells him to. Also, being excited by invalidating ideas, devoting more time to synthesizing, taking TL;DR level sprint-notes, how switch interviews can influence your design sprint, and end of week recuperation strategies. Ralph's Kitchen Delicacies Swedish Fish Sandwich Recipe

Jaclyn starts a new Meetup and wonders about ice-breaking activities & community building. Kyle tries his hand at video editing after filming a skill interview, and starts work planning a thoughtbot.com redesign. Also, stress around social media email / notifications and why we should design them more humanely. Designers Who Code (Boston) Previous thoughtbot.com Redesign on Tentative Why Does McDonald’s Use the Colors Red and Yellow? Blue-plate Special Jobs @ thoughtbot Tropical Storm Jackie

Jaclyn and Kyle discuss remote interview methodology, skillset tracking, Design Sprint 101™️, and Kyle's skills as a Beer Ninja. Zoom Kyle During Usability Tests Plucky Cards

Jaclyn & Kyle wish you a (very belated) Happy New Year, and discuss the shortcomings of video-chat during interviews, using GitHub as a project management tool for company policy, the weirdnesses of user-interviews, and de-jargoning the term "prototype".

Jaclyn sells some art, kicks off a giant design sprint, and prepares a presentation on how to co-facilitate a design sprint. Kyle deals with new-office echoes & internet woes. We share the projects that we worked on for this year's Ralphapalooza; plus, reactions on designing for React Native. Jaclyn's Art Show! Vendela's Ice Cream Blog thoughtmoji CSS Grid Segway Mall Store

Jaclyn & Kyle discuss the value of in-person meetings, the philosophy of Trello backgrounds, nostalgia for antiquated recording mediums, refining thoughtbot's designer hiring process, and design implementation. Squad Goals Background bikeTunes The ZIP Disk Jaclyn on Awkward Silences Podcast See open positions at thoughtbot!

Jaclyn & Kyle chat about the new thoughtbot Austin office, designing for Android, feelings on maintaining Sketch file tidiness, trying to make tabular data exciting to present, and commiserate over call-center software workflows. Material Design for Android Abstract- Sketch Version Control

Jaclyn wraps up a project to hand off to a client's design team, Kyle looses his voice after giving a design sprint presentation, plus personal habits to pursue before speaking engagements or while in Product Design Sprints, design patterns in children's apps, and screen-time controls in iOS. Kyle's Star Wars PJs Product Design Sprint - 5 Phase Breakdown Video

Jaclyn & Kyle discuss prototyping with a different tool, providing feedback for teammates, and practice spooky voices for Halloween / team 1-on-1 purposes. Medieval Times An Everyone Culture- Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey Creativity, Inc.- Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace 15Five

Jaclyn & Kyle discuss disrupting a good flow state, quitting coffee, balancing support & client work, and negotiating a healthy work/life balance. Kyle near a segway Kyle on a segway

Jaclyn & Kyle record in person (for the first time ever!) as thoughtbot gathers for our annual Summer Summit, and discuss the language around design / development, switch interviews, opinions about post-it notes, and the point of design sprints. Wanna Go on a Segway Tour? Rocketship.fm Bob Moesta Interviews: part 1, part 2 Mastering Jobs-To-Be-Done Interviews Workshop Kyle & His Clapper