Users First - a UX Design Podcast

Alan Pan, director of User Experience for over 10 years comes to talk about you can simplify communication by using powerful visuals. Alan's website: https://alanpanux.com/index.html

Learn how to become more confident in presenting your best self. With Brandie Janow, Digital strategist, we discuss useful tactics and methods to achieve a strategic mindset both on and offline that will result in a professional, creative disposition that helps establish you as both a subject matter expert and thought leader. Getting started in UX? Read the following list of articles:(https://balsamiq.com/learn/resources/advice-for-UX/)

Joey Kilrain, FET UX professor and founder of his own digital experience design company DED, is teaching us about empathy, common sense, negotiation and diplomacy. Hear how you can use these soft skills in your toolkit to get from a good designer to an effective one. Learn more about this topic here: https://balsamiq.com/learn/articles/soft-skills-ux-designers/

Eva Li, a former UX designer who turned into a Product Manager, and now runs her own startup www.immisearch.ca; describes how to manage stakeholders, the agile concept of working with developers, and how to navigate your career. Learn more on how to improve your relationship with product managers: https://balsamiq.com/learn/articles/product-managers-relationships-designers/

Jochem, Co-founder and CEO of https://www.theydo.io/, talks about how to bridge the gap between agile workflows and customer-centric workflows. He shares how understanding the three stages of Journey Management (Mapping, Frameworks, Prioritization) helps to build solutions in line with opportunities. Learn about service blueprints on Balsamiq Wire-framing academy: https://balsamiq.com/learn/articles/wireframing-service-blueprints/

Sarah Doody, a UX Researcher, Experience Designer, and Founder of Career Strategy Lab, gets in a conversation with Alessio on what hiring managers at top brands are looking for, and how you can design your own career. YouTube videos of hiring managers Playlist of interviews with UX hiring managers: https://bit.ly/3JdyYPt How to write an effective LinkedIn headline: https://bit.ly/3NSgJmb Articles Should you choose a UX specialization or remain a generalist https://bit.ly/3Jd8iy3 How to write a resume that showcases your skills and experience https://bit.ly/3r4aqlw More advice by Balsamiq Wireframing Academy on how to get started in UX: https://balsamiq.com/learn/resources/advice-for-UX/.

An insightful conversation on how to make flexible to the market, actionable, and targeted personas to bring product innovation. "Ask questions and push your status quo" - Brandon Comstock, Director of Experience Strategy and Service Design at Mad Pow - To learn more about Madpow Health Design Conference, visit HXDConf.com. and Use code UsersFirstPodcast for $100 off.

Vidhya Ravi, UX researcher with over 14 years of experience in strategy, research and marketing, shares with us how to reposition your background, rebrand yourself, and overcome major difficulties when transitioning to UXR. To learn more about Madpow Health Design Conference, visit HXDConf.com. and Use code UsersFirstPodcast for $100 off.

When presenting your portfolio, you have the opportunity to sell yourself and your uniqueness. Having the right content in your portfolio is crucial, but how you narrate its story, is the cherry on top of this portfolio cake. Listen to how Jannis Hegenwald, Design Manager at Atlassian filters out candidates in the interview process

Kristine Yuen, Senior Design Manager at Linkedin, takes us through the interview steps at large tech organizations and shares insightful information with us on how you can successfully overcome these challenges. From portfolio presentations to app critiques, take-home tasks and whiteboard challenges

Camren, User experience designer on web 3 spaces, traveler and Career Foundry mentor, talks about average UX Design salaries, how much you should get paid for your job, how to convince potential employers that you are the real deal, and a few innovative ways on how find job opportunities via web3 spaces

Paul Boshears, lead UX researcher and award-winning designer talks about how you can transition from Academia to UX Research and how impactful mentorship and networking can be for your future career.

Ale, Head of UX at Noon and ex-IDEO & General Assembly comes to the show to talk about how you can succeed in working as a solo UX Designer. It's much simpler than what you thought it would be, empathise with your peers, have fun in the process, and build a culture of communication and understanding....UX methods will follow along.

Jered Odegard, career mentor, leadership coach (CPCC, ACC) and former Head of Product Design at RedFin and Expedia, comes to the show to talk about: 1. Three paths to start learning UX 2. How to maximise your learning from the program you choose 3. Experimenting in UX. Should you do ux? Research? UI?

Asking Joe Cahill, a product design manager with over 20 years of experience, how you can successfully land your first UX role with the help of recruiters in 2022. Be honest with your expectations, do your homework on your market value and build empathy with the recruiter following up with your application.

Founder of design agency useractive.io, Peter Loving, defines the role of a product designer in SaaS.

Conversating about UX writing with San Francisco's content strategist Katherine Karaus Topics we covered in this episode: • Katherine's career transformation from medical receptionist to UX writer at the biggest tech companies • The role of a content strategist / UX writer • Free resources and cheap alternatives to learn content strategy • How to build a UX writer portfolio as a beginner to get your first job • Career advice Read Katherine's article on she got into UX writing: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-get-ux-writing-field-guide-katherine-karaus

I and Eleni dived into a full conversation on the whole process of website redesigns from the perspective of a strategist/design director, and discussed the following topics: • The role of a design director • Discovery phase and research • The entire process of website redesigns, from beginning to end • Communicating with stakeholders, clients, and other departments • How to build a foundation for a website that can last several years • What service design is and where we see it going

I am back to the podcast after a couple of months off and it feels awesome! Took this opportunity to ask Perry Birbrager, UXR lead in Atlanta, about his work methods and what helps him define a successful research/design plan. Key highlights from our episode: • Interpersonal skills to be a designer/researcher • How the needs of the person meet the needs of the business • Research's Impact on Businesses • How to define a successful research plan by identifying risks and set expectations from the beginning of a project • Choose the right method & define objectives • Tips for new researchers and UXers. • Keep the team involved with scoping workshops Suggested resources by Perry: "Mixed Methods", a user experience research podcast, & "Toast Masters" to help you master your public speaking skills

Kaleb is a UXR lead & Product strategist from the bay area , who has been in the industry for 13+ years. Kaleb took the time to tell us how his background in product management helped him become a strategic researcher, and how he presents research to move the needle in a project. In this episode we'll cover the following topics: Moving from product management and Arts administration to UXR; Relationships between project managers and researchers; Get the right people involved in the research process; How to deal with edge cases; How to present research to make it actionable; How to position yourself for Research roles; Empathy will always be in demand (UX Future)

I and Alessio Romito are both graduates of the UX Design Institute and now full time designers We have taken the time to gather the most common questions that UXDI potential students, and new people to UX have ben asking us for the past year. Make sure to also listen to part 1, released last week, with UX Designer Stephanie Bell

I and Stephanie are both graduates of the UX Design Institute and our goal is to help you be confident in your UX journey. I have taken the time to gather the most common questions that UXDI potential students, and new people to UX have ben asking me for the past year. Make sure to also listen to part 2, coming out next week, with UX Designer Alessio Romito

Priyama is an enthusiastic designer and strategist who is been working at Mad POW as the Experience Strategy Director. She came to speak with Alessio about her experience designing for newcomers, and what we can do to make users interact with products and services seamlessly. Priyama also kindly tells us what the role of a strategist is, and how she lines up research and design with business needs, through her proven methodologies. Topics we cover in this episode: ✔️ How we can improve design for newcomers ✔️ Most affected industries affected financially by bad design ✔️ How to work in collaboration with clients, while aligning business needs and design ✔️ The role of a strategist ✔️ Favourite methodologies to define users journeys

I recorded my live talk at UX Glasgow on November 4th where I gave tips to beginners in Design on how to get into the field. I share my 5 iterative steps to UX Design, and I also share my proven practices to build a network, gain exposure, and still get new opportunities remotely!!! If you want to get a hold of the 50+ networking groups I gathered, please get in touch with me through my LinkedIn and I will send you the full list: https://bit.ly/3mXhzQe If you want to join UX glasgow for our Scottish network events, you can sign up here: https://uxglasgow.co.uk/

Christian Richards is an enthusiastic, strategically minded individual with a passion for solution driven thinking. Christian is a former UX recruiter and a current strategist at Equator. Topics covered in this episode: ✅ Christian's journey to UX Design ✅ Employers expectations when recruiting UX/UI Designers ✅ How to make clients understand the importance in design ✅ Becoming a Strategist ✅ Tips for new designers and graduates Enjoy this episode! Get in touch with Christian: https://bit.ly/381QKGc Get in touch with Alessio: https://www.alessioux.com/

Brandon is a User Experience Designer and founder of "Further.global", a website application for job seekers, recruiters and employers. Topics discussed in this episode today: ✔️ General assembly immersive program ✔️ Ways to document your learning journey in UX, gain exposure and get prospective employers attention ✔️ Events and online groups to join remotely ✔️ The design process behind the making of Further.global, a job seeking web application on its way to expansion. ✔️ The importance of Research when building a product Links mentioned in the episode: Further Global: https://further.global/ Brandon's journal: https://www.brandonreynolds.design/general-assembly-journal Brandon's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonreynoldsdesign/ Diamond design process

Adam is design and product lead at AstraZeneca, one of the world's foremost bio pharmaceutical companies, and he is also a former interaction design leader at Fjord, a global design firm with 27 studios and over 1,000 design professionals. Today we'll talk about how Adam can turn ideas into life-changing medicines and digital products that improve patients' lives and benefit society, and we'll also touch base on his past experiences in the design industry, mentoring, teaching, volunteering, and much more. Adam is a volunteering mentor at ADP List with InVision, and at UX coffee, where he co-leads the Black solidarity initiative, and he is also a product design teacher at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Adam has decided to open his own Podcast and share other people's journeys in a Podcast called “ Still iterating” where he chats about mentorship, growth, and design trends with other amazing people. Enjoy this episode! You can listen to Adam's Podcast here: https://www.stilliterating.com/ You can visit's Adam blog and his contribution to Design at: https://adam.design/

David works as a consultant for start-ups and large corporations and he is also a design advisor, providing feedback to designers on their work. David is a UX specialist and his favourite areas of UX involve research, and usability testings. In this episode David shares with us what it takes to conduct a successful usability testing and the power of this research method. Get in touch with David: https://www.upux.biz/ Read his articles on Medium: https://medium.com/@david.hamill David Travis UX course: https://www.udemy.com/user/davidtravis/

What does it take to become a good User experience designer? Marcos sets the example of an excellent work ethic, taking his 12 years of digital expertise all the way from Brazil to Ottawa. We also discuss how important it is to have accredited certificates, receive awards to gain exposure, and always be looking for Constructive feedback. Marcos also shares a book with us that lets you practice your design thinking with UX exercises. Moreover he explains why he made some changes in the industry, along with what a mature company to work for should look liike The design thinking process is different in some countries, but why? and how can you find a company that suits your design skills? Find out the answer to these questions in the full audio of the podcast episode. Book mentioned in the podcast episode: https://productdesigninterview.com/ Marcos website: https://bit.ly/3ichghE

In this episode we talk about how users can be making decisions in a very simple way, and how they can feel more in control of the product they are using. We also touch the topic of remote research and collaborative design sprints / workshops through online whiteboards like Miro. If you want to learn more about Simplified decisions and choice architecture, Rob explains these topics very well during a workshop: https://www.madpow.com/insights/2019/11/simplifying-decisions-and-choice-architecture If you would like to get know Rob and see his top notch case studies, you can visit his site at https://www.giffordux.com/ If you would like to get in touch with me, we can can connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessio-ferracuti-100ba4169/

New season of users first. Contact me for feedback, improvements, or if you would like to suggest a guest! you can fill out the form at the end of this page: https://www.alessioux.com/about

Uizard's Co - Founder, Florian van Schreven, comes to Users First to talk about the latest up and coming prototyping tool he is been working on for the past 2 years and a half. Try Uizard's private Beta, it's still free for now! https://uizard.io/

Lily is an experience product designer in Silicon Valley as well as a one of the most followed tik tok influencers for product design and UX. In this episode, Lily takes the time to share with us many insights of her mindset and work habits, as well as what is like to be working in the San Francisco area. Listen to the end, as she also gives the titles of her favourite books, and how they helped her make her working style more efficient. Follow Lily on Tik Tok: @designalily Follow her meetup in San Francisco and her other social media profiles: productdesignlife.com/join

Trupti's website: https://truptishirodkar.com/work.html Trumpti's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trupsfolio/ Wonderful chat with Trupti about freelancing, her journey to design and the way she approaches work and businesses.

Today, with Gavin, we'll be talking about agile methodologies that he uses in the industry, tips for businesses and startups during these difficult times of Coronavirus, and why digital transformation is so important in all industries. We'll also talk about the Scottish Tech Army, an organisation that helps businesses with the challenges posed by coronavirus, and also an opportunity for new designers to get exposure. Gavin's contact: https://bit.ly/3fKzGFl Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.scottishtecharmy.org/ Follow Alessio on his Channels Website: https://www.alessioux.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/2UKJ5Uv Twitter: https://bit.ly/2xtpj8e Linkedin: https://bit.ly/2UpYL0l

In this episode we talk about freelancing, books where you can learn design thinking, and how Aga transitioned to UX Design. Aga's Instagram: @aga.ux Alessio's Instagram: @alessio.ux

Theo Jhonson is a master graduate in Human-Computer Interaction and holds a Bachelors degree in cognitive psychology. He has been researching users for many years, especially in the emerging industry of AR and Virtual reality! Get in touch with Theo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theojohnson3001/ Theo's portfolio: https://uxfol.io/theojohns91

Sara is a Product Designer with 5 years of experience, and she is currently part of the design team at Crunch, crafting design solutions for their software and website. She also works remotely with individuals, startups and small businesses helping them build websites and digital products that stand out. Enjoy this episode with me and Sara! Sara's Instagram: @saretta.ux

Today We'll be interviewing an experienced 2d artist and UX designer in Toronto, Selina Muriel. Selina is a professional with many hats, she is a UX designers, she has been a 2D artist for over 8 years now, she is an entrepreneur, and she sells art! She has been in the Game Design industry for 3 years, with a focus on She is focused on character design, product design, game art and UI/UX Design in general! today we'll discover what motivates her, and lead her to move into the User Experience Design field, as well as what she does in videogames for User Experience Enjoy this episode with me and Selina! Support Selina! Carmico website: https://www.carmico.ca/ Carmico's twitter: https://twitter.com/carmiico Carmico on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmiico/ Follow me on my Channels Website: www.alessioux.com/ Instagram: bit.ly/2UKJ5Uv Twitter: bit.ly/2xtpj8e

Today We'll be interviewing UX lead in Edinburgh, Jenny Bjorkman, and talk about what motivated her to switch career to User Experience Design. Jenny currently works as UX Lead for Sustainably, she is highly engaged in the UX and tech community as a mentor, facilitator, panel member and guest speaker. Jenny worked many years as Project manager and marketing consultant, and today we'll discover what lead her to move into the User Experience Design field. Jenny shares with us some tricks and tips of her mastered craft, and she also gives some suggestions on how to look for a job during these difficult times. Mentioned websites and links: Research tools: otter.ai/ www.usertesting.com/ Books: www.amazon.co.uk/Mom-Test-custome…ne/dp/1492180742 Jenny's Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jennymoorebjorkman/ Follow me on my Channels Website: https://www.alessioux.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/2UKJ5Uv Twitter: https://bit.ly/2xtpj8e

In this episode, UX recruiter in Scotland, Jack Steven, talks about how the UX market is currently being affected by Coronavirus. We also discuss how companies and recruiters make a decision when hiring a UX Designer. The market is slowing down, but on the other hand, this is also the best time of the year to hire UX designers... and a great opportunity for UX designers to be working on their portfolio. Enjoy this episode with me and Jack!

Learn how design and marketing lead Helen Peak decided to switch career, and began a new journey in UX Design. Get in touch with Helen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-peak-7ba9285a/

Deniz is a Visual Designer who is worked in many Startups, advertisement agencies and the automotive industry. She is a Product Designer master graduate and also a great storyteller, passionate about people and technology. Enjoy this episode with me and Deniz

Experienced graphic designer, software developer and Adobe instructor Alma Strutt shares with us how she used research methods even before the name UX existed, why she decided to make a career change, and what should motivate companies to hire UX Designers. Moreover she also shares tips and tricks on portfolios and networking Links mentioned in this audio: http://almatraining.com/ https://meet.jit.si/ https://www.alessioux.com/podcast