Tom McCormack is a human centered career coach and fellow podcast host of Work Ethics. In this episode, Nadia and Tom discuss weighty topics like the ethics surrounding the impact and regulation of AI, how to approach ethics questions around the work you’re doing, and how to figure out if a potential employer is ethically aligned with your values and beliefs. Here’s a look at our discussion: 1:00 : Considerations around AI ethics & regulation 18:00 : How AI will impact the design industry and careers 33:00 : The ethics of designing products that automate jobs & how to address those kinds of questions in your workplace 44:00 : Trusting your gut: how to discover if there is ethical alignment between you and a future employer Links mentioned in this episode: Tom's LinkedIn Profile Work Ethics Podcast Disconnect Newsletter by Paris Marx Ezra Klein Show Podcast Episode: How China Went From Economic Superstar to Faltering Giant

Radu Vucea is a seasoned design leader & mentor. After spending much of his career working in design for large organizations like Adobe and Fitbit, Radu pivoted to founding his own design studio, Ixperi, as well as his own bootcamp training & mentorship program, Mento Design Academy. In this episode, you’ll learn about Radu’s career trajectory, why he became a founder, and more. Here’s a look at our discussion: 1:00 : Radu’s background, career trajectory, and what he is currently working on 7:00 : The management style at Radu’s design studio, Ixperi 11:00 : Operating with trust as a design manager, and how Radu approaches hiring 25:00 : How Radu went from a design leader to owning & running his own design businesses 39:00 : Radu’s bootcamp program, Mento Design Academy, how it started, and who it serves 50:00 : How to learn more & get in touch with Radu, Ixperi, Mento Design Academy Links mentioned in this episode: Ixperi Design Studio Mento Design Academy Radu’s LinkedIn Profile

Jonah McLachlan, Producer & Mentor of the UX Energy Mentoring podcast, newsletter, & mentoring platform, joins us on today’s episode. Nadia and Jonah talk all about managers in this episode - how to work well together, make sure you’re getting the most out of your managers, and the most important qualities to look for in your next manager. Here’s a look at our discussion: 1:00 : The impact of good managers on employee happiness and turnover 7:00 : How to help your manager manage you well in your job and the impact of diversity and inclusion on management tactics 17:00 : Trust & openness as cornerstones of management 27:00 : The give and take of manager/employee recognition and empowerment 34:00 : How to get in touch with Jonah Links mentioned in this episode: Jonah's LinkedIn Profile Jonah’s Twitter UX Energy Mentoring Good Boss vs. Bad Boss Infographic Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by dale Carnegie

Following up on our previous conversation about inclusive hiring practices for neurodivergent candidates, Sam Daugherty joins us as a special guest host interviewing Paul Radliff. Paul is a Digital UX & Design Leader with years of experience both hiring for his teams and going through the recruitment process at other organizations. During this conversation, Sam and Paul chat about how to create an effective and inclusive hiring environment, while also advocating for the unique place of design within your organization. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : An introduction to Sam and Paul & their backgrounds 4:00 : How to create an inclusive hiring environment for neurodiverse or introverted individuals 12:00 : Hiring entry level designers who may not have fully honed their technical skills 16:00 : Finding the root cause of hiring process challenges & the place of design within an organization 31:00 : Sam & Paul’s thoughts on creating an effective design hiring process 40:00 : Making accommodations for candidates before, during, and after interviews 58:00 : Closing thoughts & how to get in touch with Sam & Paul Links mentioned in this episode: Paul's Portfolio Site Paul's LinkedIn Profile Sam’s LinkedIn Profile Sam's Portfolio Site

Formerly a teacher, Sam Daugherty fell into the design world by accident and is now a Senior Designer at a FinTech company. In this episode, you’ll hear about his career journey, how he thinks about hiring and developing early career designers, balancing work and personal life, and much more. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:00 : Letting your personality shine through 5:00 : What Sam’s been up to recently & how he got into design 12:00 : Teaching early career designers to communicate with engineers & stakeholders 25:30 : Hiring for team and personality fit vs. hard skills 28:00 : Hiring for cultural diversity and neurodiversity 40:00 : What qualities Sam & Nadia look for when hiring early designers 51:00 : Convincing hiring managers that you don’t need to hire senior designers for every role 58:00 : Acknowledging that design is hard work, but there are some pretty great benefits to the flexibility you have in many design roles Links mentioned in this episode: Sam’s LinkedIn Profile Sam's Portfolio Site Behind the Bastards Podcast A Bit of Optimism Podcast

Marc Fonteijn is a veteran service designer who co-founded the first service design studio in the Netherlands. His passion for all things service design inspired him to start his own podcast, the Service Design Show. The podcast has quickly grown into a community and resource hub for those who are looking for careers in service design. In this episode, Nadia and Marc chat about what service design is and how to articulate the value of service design to your organization’s leadership, your team, and more. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : A little bit about Marc and what service design is 8:30 : Making a case for the value of service design 15:30 : How to learn more about service design and get your team to engage with the concept of service design 21:00 : Understanding the financial value of the design work you’re doing 31:00 : Getting your team to adopt a more service-oriented mindset 34:00 : How to get in touch with Marc Links mentioned in this episode: Marc’s LinkedIn Profile The Service Design Show The Circle Professional Learning Community Marc’s YouTube Channel ServiceDesignJobs.com

Corey Nelson has worn many hats - UX design lead, manager, career coach, podcast host, teacher, and more. In this candid conversion, Corey and Nadia chat about merit increases and performance ratings, being a manager to others, and creating support systems for yourself on your career journey. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : AI Photoshopping and honesty vs. being mean 7:00 : What’s new with Corey & his move to Tulsa 11:00 : Design therapy & support systems 15:00 : Dissecting merit increase and performance review ratings and conversations 24:00 : Your responsibilities to your team as a manager 36:00 : What’s up next for Corey & how to get in touch Links mentioned in this episode: Corey’s LinkedIn Profile Corey’s Career Coaching Business, UX Design Job Subscribe to the UX Design Job Newsletter by Corey Nelson The UX+1 Podcast Corey’s Masterclass, UX Advanced Individual Training Design Hires’ Side Hustle Summit

Mitchell Clements, a Sr. Product Design Manager at Simple Nexus, chats with Nadia about how he has approached social media as a tool to grow your network in an impactful way. This discussion delves into the best ways to ask for help or mentorship on social media, how to find strong mentorship early in a design career, and online vs. in-person networking. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : Building a presence on social media to grow your network as a hiring manager 8:15 : The cultural shift toward networking online vs. networking in person 14:30 : How having an online presence has positively impacted Mitchell’s personal career 20:00 : The importance of finding strong mentorship relationships for accelerating design career growth and how to ask for help finding it 35:30 : How to get in touch with Mitchell, and the best way to make an ask via social media Links mentioned in this episode: Mitchell’s LinkedIn Profile Mitchell’s Twitter Profile Mitchell’s Website

In today’s episode, we chat with Chad Johnson, a Principal Product Designer at OJO. Chad co-founded his own real estate software company, Digs, and managed to sell it to OJO in funding rounds and make the transition from founder to full time employee. You’ll hear about the lessons and discoveries that Chad made along the way, as well as Chad’s passion for helping designers realize their entrepreneurial streak. Here’s a look at our discussion: 1:00 : How Chad decided to start his own business, Digs, and how he scaled that business 12:00 : Hiring engineers as a non-technical founder 15:00 : How Chad sold Digs to OJO during the pandemic, and the transition from founder to employee 21:30: Chad’s current side gig - his personal brand 25:35 : What’s on the horizon for OJO and Chad 28:00 : How to get in touch with Chad and learn more Links mentioned in this episode: Chad’s LinkedIn Profile Sign up for Chad’s newsletter OJO Website Digs, the company Chad previously founded that was acquired by OJO in 2020. See below for links to pr about the acquisition: https://www.inman.com/2020/10/15/ojo-labs-acquires-fintech-startup-digs/ https://www.housingwire.com/articles/ojo-labs-acquires-personal-finance-platform-digs/ https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ojo-labs-ranks-no-49-110000943.html https://www.builtinaustin.com/2020/10/15/ojo-labs-acquires-digs-hiring-growth

John Lovig is a Design Recruiter at TDA Creative, a global design, technology, product, and data staffing agency. In this insightful conversation, John and Nadia discuss the ins and outs of transitioning into a design leadership role, how to navigate titles and position leveling for your experience, and how John builds relationships with candidates who he is working with, as well as clients. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : The current state of the design hiring market 4:40: Transitioning from a senior design position to a leadership or management role 7:30 : Leadership Portfolios 10:00 : Navigating the confusing structure of design position leveling & role titles 17:00 : Ageism in the design industry and leveraging the wisdom of more experienced designers 22:00 : How John builds relationships with his clients & candidates and works with them 30:00 : Startups vs. enterprise design 39:00 : How to get in touch with John and roles that he hires for Links mentioned in this episode: John’s LinkedIn Profile Talent Driven Agency (TDA Creative)

Trigger Warning: Mention of suicidal ideation occurring from 45:46-48:17. Please take care of yourself, and if you need to, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Resources can be found at SAMHSA.gov. In today’s episode, we chat with Tommy Geoco, a U.S. Marine turned designer and startup founder. Tommy shares his insights and experiences with finding the right work-life balance, entrepreneurship as a designer, and giving back to your community. We also discuss protecting your mental health while participating in hussle culture and how identity and profession interconnect. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : Creating community for designers 4:00: The future of the creator space 7:30 : Tommy’s career trajectory and journey into design roles 17:00 : Lessons learned as a first time founder 21:00 : Protecting your mental health and hustle culture 26:00 : Work-life balance & tying your identity to your profession 43:30 : Being open & authentic on social media 47:00 : What’s coming up next for Tommy & how to get in touch Links mentioned in this episode: Tommy’s Book, Making Design Decisions Tommy’s LinkedIn Profile

Our friends Colton & Ludovic join Design Hires for a second episode! The co-founders of Kickass UX, a program that offers UX education tailored specifically to creatives, give us an update on how far they’ve come since last year, why now is the best time to up your design skills, and what’s coming up in the future. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : Redesign & rebrand of Kickass UX 11:00 : What’s coming up next for Kickass UX, and the vision for expansion 16:30 : Why NOW is the best time in the job market to improve your design skills 23:00 : Creating a more sustainable future for Kickass UX & fostering a good relationship with a co-founder 36:00 : Colton & Ludovic’s 5 year plan Links mentioned in this episode: Kickass UX Website Colton Schweitzer’s LinkedIn Profile Ludovic Delmas’ LinkedIn Profile Design Hires’ Previous Episode with Colton & Ludovic Book: The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone Kickass UX Partnership: Tech Fleet Community DAO

Andy Vitale is deeply immersed in the design world as a design leader at Rocket Companies, a professor of UX Design at Kent State, a public speaker, and co-host of Surfacing Podcast. In this episode, Andy shares his experience working in a design leadership role, the lessons he has learned along the way, and design opportunities that his team is currently hiring for. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:00 : Intern program & recruiting process at Rocket Companies 5:00 : Andy’s design leadership style & opportunities he is working on 17:30 : Working with an executive coach and how Andy helps guide senior designers into their next career step 22:30 : Andy’s experience speaking at conferences and what topics he is most interested in talking about 26:30 : The most important things someone should learn as they transition into a design leadership role 32:30 : What Andy has coming up in 2023 38:00 : Current roles Rocket is hiring for and how to learn more Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Managing Chaos by Lisa Walshman Surfacing Podcast hosted by Andy Vitale and Lisa Welchman Rocket’s Design Careers Page Rocket Companies on LinkedIn Andy’s LinkedIn Profile Andy’s Website

Brian OKelley is the Founder, President, and Chief Strategist at Futuredraft, an innovative product design agency that centers its work around problem solving. A problem solver by nature, Brian and Nadia discuss how to help stakeholders and leaders better understand the value of emerging technologies, creativity in roadmapping, finding mentors to grow your career, how to overcome differences of opinion through testing & validating ideas, and so much more. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : Web3 and design 10:00 : How to sell stakeholders & leadership on emerging technologies 12:30 : The creative nature of roadmapping and vision work in design 21:00 : Having passion to solve problems as an early designer & the value of gaining experience 29:00 : The importance of having mentors throughout your career & how to find them 35:30 : Validating ideas as a means of solving problems or overcoming disagreements 44:30 : The future of IT culture & service-based architecture 49:00 : Finding ways to connect with other designers 54:30 : How to get in touch with Brian Links mentioned in this episode: Brian’s LinkedIn Profile Futuredraft Website Brian’s Email

Morgan Denner, founder of Tech Fleet, joins us again for a follow up conversation about failing forward, overcoming the fear of allowing others to fail, and what’s in store for Tech Fleet in 2023 and beyond. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:20 : Picking up from our previous conversation: overcoming the fear of allowing others to fail 10:00 : How failure as a learning moment plays out at Tech Fleet 11:00 : Coaching vs. constrictive management styles 12:45 : What’s new at Tech Fleet in 2023 14:00 : How Tech Fleet works 23:00 : How Tech Fleet decides upon growth & development 27:00 : How the design community can support Tech Fleet 31:00 : Tech Fleet’s sustainability model & the future Links mentioned in this episode: Tech Fleet Website Medium Article: Beans and Noses by Jared Spool Medium Article: Introducing the Tech Fleet Community DAO by Morgan Denner Morgan’s LinkedIn Profile

Thought leader & design innovator David Butler has spent years translating design into business strategy and vice-versa. With deep experience in helping organizations move from Web 1 to Web 2, David has worked with some pretty major companies. Hear David’s career story, his thoughts around using design to create transformative shifts in your organization, and learn about what he is currently working on in his own entrepreneurial ventures. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : David’s career journey 6:30 : Designing with a capital, “D” 12:30 : Creating a framework for innovation & system design 15:00 : David’s book, Design to Grow: How Coca-Cola Learned to Combine Scale and Agility (and How You Can Too) 17:00 : The decision to move from working at large scale organizations to starting an agency 29:00 : What characteristics David looks for when hiring new designers & career guidance for designers 33:30 : David’s new business for design leaders, Veep Links mentioned in this episode: Book: Design to Grow by David Butler David’s LinkedIn Profile David's Design Agency, SoWhat FastCompany Article: Masters Of Design 2009: Why Coke’s David Butler Is The Real Thing

Bill Kurland, a Lead Content Designer, takes us through his career journey and the things that have shaped him along the way. Nadia and Bill talk about everything - from forming a UX-themed band to the importance of investing in people. Check out this inspiring and funny conversation to learn more! Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : Bill’s journey from music to design 9:30 : Defining your personal brand and finding community 19:00 : Content design as a form of creative exploration 23:15 : What Bill is currently working on & how he spends his free time 34:00 : How being a manager has changed Bill’s mindset 45:30 : How to get in touch with Bill Links mentioned in this episode: Bill’s LinkedIn Profile Bill’s Portfolio Site

Chris Shepard is a co-founder of Wisiwig, a brand new no-code UI development platform. In this episode, we learn about Chris’ career journey from designer to startup founder, what’s in store next for Wisiwig, and lessons learned along the way. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:20 : An intro to Chris, Wisiwig, and the transition from design to building a startup 6:30 : Chris’ experience with the accelerator application process 14:15 : Wisiwig’s goals for 2023 18:30 : How to decide on when to get feedback from users 23:20 : What Chris will look for in future hires at his startup 32:10 : What made now a good time to found a company for Chris 37:00 : How to learn more about Wisiwig & get in touch with Chris Links mentioned in this episode: Chris Shepard’s LinkedIn Wisiwig Website Wisiwig for Chrome Wisiwig Slack Community 5 Tips for Landing Your First UX Design Role MassChallenge Accelerator Wisiwig on Twitter Wisiwig on LinkedIn

Elena Haskins, founder of Cipher Studio and Anele Product Design shares her experience with being a relatively new designer and founding her own businesses early on in her design career. Hear Elena’s wisdom about leadership opportunities for junior designers, apprenticeship opportunities, time management, and much more. Elena also discusses how to get involved in her mentorship program through Anele. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:01 : Starting an agency as a designer & the apprenticeship models of the future 3:25 : How to know what to pay junior designers and giving feedback 11:00 : Time management while owning your own business 16:00 : Learning & reusing tactics from past projects and teams 19:00 : Leadership and management opportunities early in your design career 24:50 : Advice for designers considering starting a design business 30:02 : How Elena assesses designers who she is looking to hire 35:00 : How to get involved & in touch with Elena 38:00 : How to set your expectations around bootcamps & setting yourself up for success 47:00 : Spotting good & bad UX as a designer Links mentioned in this episode: Elena's LinkedIn Profile Anele Website Anele Resources for Junior UX Designers Converge Guide

Dan Mall wears many hats - he is a designer, teacher, author, entrepreneur, father, and much more. In this episode, Dan and Nadia discuss different design leadership theories such as how to create psychological safety for yourself and your team, decision making, and how and when to form design principles. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:30 : What lead Dan to start his own agency and then pivot to his newest venture, Dan Mall Teaches 6:00 : The importance of pricing in design 8:30 : Decision making & choosing between a lot of good options 13:00 : Giving people permission to try things and do their best work 18:15 : Creating personal psychological safety through taking risks 24:00 : Finding balance while working multiple design jobs 28:00 : Managing/Coaching people for their next job 34:00 : Forming your own design philosophies & principles 41:30 : How to get in touch with Dan Links mentioned in this episode: Dan’s Website Dan’s Book: Pricing Design Book: The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking Book: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk Dan’s Twitter Dan’s Instagram Dan’s LinkedIn Dan’s YouTube Page