Podcast Archives - User Defenders® – UX Design & Personal Growth: Recent Episodes
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Life and career (re)focus this year have brought me to a place where I need to hit pause on this show’s production, foreseeably throughout 2022. Will definitely revisit cadence in 2023. Check out this broadcast for further info on this. Keep fighting the good fight, dear Defender! 👊 Jason linkedin.com/in/jasonogle Bio I’m a self-aware design […]
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This is the last episode of 2021. After nearly two years of outlining the content for this episode and nearly two months (at time of writing) of recording & editing, here’s everything I know (so far) on landing a job in UX. I hope this content is not only useful to you and anyone you […]
The post 080: Everything I Know (So Far) on Landing a Job in UX with Jason Ogle appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Here’s a fun treat I’ve never done before. In this episode I shine the spotlight on listeners Jordan Burke + Joel Ryerson who recently landed their first job in UX! Hear them tell their inspiring stories of their journey getting here while gaining some valuable insights on how you can too! I was blown away […]
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Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Bob Baxley, a Silicon Valley pioneer, takes us back in time through the history of Silicon Valley and gives us a glimpse into the future of it. Spoiler alert: He’s got concerns. He reveals how every little interaction matters and motivates us to be proud enough of the work we do […]
The post 078: There and Back (and Forward) Again with Bob Baxley appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Josh Mauldin shows us how resolving conflict not only makes us better humans, but better designers. He challenges us to approach conflict with a growth mindset and the question, “What can I learn from this?” to help us become less anti-conflict and more pro-resolution. He articulates the difference between healthy and […]
The post 077: Conflict Resolution for People Who Hate Conflict with Josh Mauldin appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Steve Bromley shows us how to level up our user research skills. He illuminates the path to getting started as a Games User Researcher. He inspires us to use our user research superpower and insights to make things better for our users. He teaches us techniques he’s used to actually enjoy […]
The post 076: User Research? Game On with Steve Bromley appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Jessica Gaddis motivates us to realize that we belong here. Not only in the field of design, but in this often painful and perplexing world we call home. Why? Because somewhere, sometime, somehow…someone needs us. She inspires us to find our community because they’re already out there, searching for us and […]
The post 075: You Belong Here with Jessica Gaddis appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Cesar Lemus Pek Pongpaet teaches us how to be business-minded designers. He reveals how designers with business knowledge and more tools in their tool belt will get hired more often than ones without and with less. He shows us how to get a seat at the table while challenging us to count the […]
The post 074: Designers, Mind Your Business with Pek Pongpaet appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Jeff Gothelf tells us how to be unstoppable designers. He debunks the mythical creature known as Phase 2. He shows us what a designer effectively working in Agile looks like, and enlightens us to how new UX teams can show immediate value. He articulates the need to differentiate between outputs and […]
The post 073: The Unstoppable Designer with Jeff Gothelf appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Jared Spool has been doing and defining UX long before many of us existed and/or even knew what it was. He invites us in to hear his fascinating yet seldom discussed UX origin story. He reveals how and why we’re all UX designers. He demystifies the arduous and often frustrating process […]
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Image credit Joseph Chan This episode is me apologizing for the literal radio silence and filling you in on all the very valid reasons why I’ve been MIA with new content here in this feed, and what the new plan is going forward. I miss you, and I miss putting content out regularly, but there […]
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Prefer to watch the video from An Event Apart? I had the great honor of being invited back to An Event Apart Denver (2019) to record a live podcast episode with Mina Markham, Farai Madzima, & Derek Featherstone on the important topics of Accessibility, Design Inclusion & Ethics, Hiring & Retaining Diverse Talent and Landing […]
The post 071: User Defenders Live – A Panel on Design Accessibility, Diversity & Ethics with Mina Markham, Derek Featherstone and Farai Madzima appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Shaheena Attarwala defends a woman’s right to design her own future, especially in the face of fierce adversity and opposition. She champions living ruthlessly amid oppressive whims and societal precepts. She’s a magnet that brings the issues forward and carries the water for anyone who dreams of raising their standards and […]
The post 070: Harnessing Life Experiences in Design with Shaheena Attarwala appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Sophia Prater reminds us that we’re all pioneers in a field that is changing every minute. She encourages us to use forcing functions by getting the gig first, and then figuring it out. She introduces us to a design philosophy she pioneered called Object-Oriented UX which is all about taking really […]
The post 069: We Are All Pioneers with Sophia Prater appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Dr. John Whalen teaches us what it means to design for how people think. He reveals the powerful principals behind what he calls the six minds of user experience, and explains how anybody can harness them to build better products (no doctorate degree required!). He reminds us that it takes serious […]
The post 067: Design for How People Think with John Whalen appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Cesar Lemus Jeffrey Zeldman answers the provocative question, “Is Web Design Dead?”. He enlightens us to what the Web was, where it’s at now, and where it could go in the future. He touches on the many short-sighted predictions that tend to prod our delicate psyches such as automation and new technologies poised […]
The post 066: Is Web Design Dead? with Jeffrey Zeldman appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Jasmine Oh informs us that AI will one day replace our current jobs as designers. She challenges us to adapt to AI since no career field is exempt from its influences. She also reminds us not to fear AI but to harness it to our advantage instead. She reveals that AI […]
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Nir Eyal teaches us how to harness the skill of the century… becoming Indistractable. He reminds us that distraction is an action that starts from within. He motivates us to take command of our personal development in a world that is frequently competing for our attention. He encourages us to recognize the external triggers that […]
The post 064: How to Become Indistractable with Nir Eyal appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Jessica Ivins schools us on the critical value of a growth mindset in UX Design. She teaches us how to learn how to learn. She enlightens us as to why it’s always better to generalize before specializing. She reminds us introverts that we can only truly succeed by extroverting. She also […]
The post 063: Mindset & Learning How to Learn with Jessica Ivins appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Welcome to Joe Natoli’s UX School of No B.S. Class is now in session. Joe reveals that there’s no limit to how far any UX’er with a healthy dose of grit and resilience can go. He puts jargon in a choke-hold, then proceeds to drop-kick it in the privates! He inspires […]
The post 062: UX School of No B.S. with Joe Natoli appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Jason Ogle proves that empathic design is not only possible, but essential in creating life-changing products and services. He enlightens us to our seldom talked about mirror neurons and the critical role they play in user testing. He shines a spotlight on incredibly powerful and moving examples of empathy in design. He also teaches us […]
The post 061: Empathy as a Design Superpower with Jason Ogle appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Original photo by Ged Carroll Mike Gorgone unleashes his impromptu playbook to rescue us from our most unwelcome critic…ourselves. He teaches us how marrying the two seemingly disparate concepts of improv & UX, can help us break free from the crippling self-doubt that keeps us from our best collaborations. Yes, and he shows us how […]
The post 060: Improv & UX?! Yes, and… with Mike Gorgone appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Scott Kubie shows us how writing is designing with words. He reminds us that someone has to be the writer, and it’s our job to know who that person is. He calls on us to take up the task of writing when nobody else can, and warns of what leaving it till the end will […]
The post 059: Writing for Designers with Scott Kubie appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Help me keep User Defenders: Podcast on the air…and help yourself to some amazing, exclusive perks! I’ll Fight for User Defenders Creating and running a podcast like User Defenders is not only a ton of work, but also very expensive. Each episode costs $200-300 to put into the world, not to mention the recurring monthly/annual […]
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Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Justin Dauer implores us never settle in our important quest to find the right cultural fit. He reminds us that being human-centered doesn’t just affect our users, but especially the humans we interact with. He encourages us to think hard about where we choose to hang our hat, & understand what […]
The post 058: Finding the Right Cultural Fit with Justin Dauer appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Andy Vitale teaches us all about how to interview for our next UX job like a boss. He emphasizes the importance of avoiding jargon, and at all costs the temptation to conflate confidence with arrogance. He reminds us to be prepared to get way out of our comfort zones, and even […]
The post 057: Interviewing Like a Boss with Andy Vitale appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Sarah Doody challenges us to think of our portfolio as one of the most important products we’ll ever create. She urges us to not only communicate our contributions, but to both show and tell the story of each project. In the end, she teaches us that using the right process is […]
The post 056: Building an Effective UX Portfolio with Sarah Doody appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Andy Budd reveals what the hiring minds of companies are really thinking. He answers how to navigate the recruitment process and presents an invaluable insight that shows how to subvert it altogether. He urges us to be more of who we are and to recognize that each of us has unique […]
The post 055: How to Get Your Foot in the Door with Andy Budd appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
UD Community is Live! Join the most passionate, empathic, and hungry community of UXers around, now! UD Community is a safe gathering place for Defenders in all areas and phases of UX to connect with other Defenders, ask questions, share knowledge, and offer inspiration to help us not grow weary in our important mission of […]
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Artwork by Eli Jorgensen | Photo by Brian Bloom Seth Godin shows us what radical empathy looks like. He reminds us to do work that matters, for people who care by focusing on serving a minimum viable audience. He teaches us that the way to stay indispensable in our work is to do work where […]
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Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Becca Kennedy teaches us how to do UX research on a budget. She encourages newer designers to demonstrate their problem-solving superpowers by redesigning sub-par experiences they use regularly. She reminds us that users are human before they’re users. She also shows us how we can have anything in life we want, […]
The post 054: UX Research on a Budget with Becca Kennedy appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Imposter Syndrome is a very common and unwelcome condition especially among creative people. In Jason Ogle’s very first monologue episode, he…wait, it’s me writing this (and my voice matters, dog gonnit!)…I tackle the important, and very common condition among creative people known as imposter syndrome. I address what it is, why we have it, and […]
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Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Be sure to check out Part I Denise Jacobs teaches us how to banish our inner critic. She motivates us to realize what we’re capable of creatively. She encourages us to overcome the fear of the unknown by turning that fear into curiosity. She also guides us into how to ask […]
The post Banish Your Inner Critic with Denise Jacobs (Part II) appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Don’t miss Part II after this! Denise Jacobs teaches us how to banish our inner critic. She motivates us to realize what we’re capable of creatively. She encourages us to overcome the fear of the unknown by turning that fear into curiosity. She also guides us into how to ask for […]
The post Banish Your Inner Critic with Denise Jacobs (Part I) appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Josh Clark enlightens us to everything we need to know about the current state of UX in AI. He takes us on an unsettling stroll through uncanny valley. He encourages us to let machines do what they’re really good at, and humans do what they’re really good at. He guides us into how to begin […]
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Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Be sure to check out Part I Alan Cooper teaches us what it means to be a good ancestor. He enlightens us to why it’s so hard to build good software. He reveals how money trumps good UX and ethics far too often. He explains why UX is not about finding […]
The post 053: Be a Good Ancestor with Alan Cooper (Part II) appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Check out Part II after this. Alan Cooper teaches us what it means to be a good ancestor. He enlightens us to why it’s so hard to build good software. He reveals how money trumps good UX and ethics far too often. He explains why UX is not about finding the […]
The post 053: Be a Good Ancestor with Alan Cooper (Part I) appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Tim Hykes shines a light on black designers. He shows us how an inspiring idea, and a lot of hard work can make a huge impact. He inspires us to challenge everything, especially the status quo. He motivates us to not wait to be asked to solve a problem, but to […]
The post 052: Shining a Light on Black Designers with Tim Hykes appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Just a small taste of what’s to come in what could possibly be the best season yet. Season 5 of User Defenders podcast begins 08.27.17 Featuring in order Alan Cooper, Tim Hykes, Denise Jacobs, Jason Ogle, Josh Clark, Alan Cooper. Be sure to subscribe to automatically receive the incredible new episodes. The dope song playing […]
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Here’s a bit about what’s been going on with me, and what’s to come with the show and the forthcoming/exciting Season 5. Bi-Weekly Bugle edition where I go into a lot more detail about my slip on ice/injury and immediate trip to SoCal for my wife’s Uncle’s Memorial service, and what it all made possible. […]
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Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Derek Featherstone teaches us how designing for people with disabilities is really just better design for everybody. He shows us how people with disabilities aren’t different from us, they just use different tools to accomplish the same things. He encourages us to apply empathy to grow our skills in learning how […]
The post 051: Accessible Design = Better Design with Derek Featherstone appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Liza Kindred challenges us to be more mindful in how we use and design technology. She offers us a value system on how to do just that. She encourages us to slow down and incorporate meditation and mindfulness practices into our daily lives. She reminds us to connect more with the […]
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Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Jason Ogle shows us how we can all be design superheroes with the right mindset. He reveals how grit trumps talent, every day. He reminds us of the peril that bad leadership and ego can have on a team and organization. He challenges us to never stop fighting for our users. […]
The post 050: We Can Be Heroes with Jason Ogle appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Steve Portigal challenges us to enjoy the silence when interviewing people. He teaches us the importance of rapport-building, and offers sage advice on how to do it. He shows us how sticking with an interview even when it’s not going well can sometimes bring forth the best data. He also reveals […]
The post 049: User Research War Stories with Steve Portigal appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Cassie McDaniel inspires us to get away from the ‘pick me’ mindset, and to pick ourselves. She challenges us to be willing to kill our darlings so that something better can emerge. She teaches us the importance of knowing our values, but also embracing the fact that they are going to […]
The post 048: Pick Yourself with Cassie McDaniel appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Prefer to watch the video? I was so delighted when at the beginning of 2017, Eric Meyer + Jeffrey Zeldman asked me if I wanted to record a live episode at my favorite design conference–An Event Apart. User Defenders Live! was perfect—hilarious, honest, unpretentious, direct, and filled with memorable insights from four very different, very […]
The post Live Recording at An Event Apart Denver (2017) with Luke Wroblewski, Cassie McDaniel and Chris Coyier appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Jeremy Keith reveals how the web is neither good or bad, nor neutral, but an amplifier. He inspires us to not let the future be just something that happens to us, but rather something we make with the small things we do today. He encourages us to build software ethically with […]
The post 047: The Web is Neither Good or Bad…nor is it Neutral. It’s an Amplifier with Jeremy Keith appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Joe Johnston inspires us to embrace the superpowers of curiosity and empathy for our users and business owners. He motivates us to always stay curious, and ask why to get to the heart of the problem faster. He encourages us to make sure we use the shiny objects available to us […]
The post 046: Good Design Favors the Curious with Joe Johnston appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
“Designers are the architects of human behavior. With a consolidated tool like Studio, designers are going to be able to focus a lot more on designing…as they should.” — Tom Giannattasio In this very special episode, I had the great privilege of talking to Studio mastermind Tom Giannattasio all about what went into building what’s […]
The post Designing for Designers: Building InVision Studio with Tom Giannattasio appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Alexa Roman motivates us to prove the value of design and contribute to it every single day. She encourages us to always be learning new things since designers work across many different fields. She inspires us to get more excited about analytics and measuring our designs. She also challenges us to […]
The post 045: Criticize by Creating with Alexa Roman appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Artwork by Eli Jorgensen Welcome to this very special, quite literally out of this world episode with my father, Jim Ogle. You know how they say it doesn’t take a rocket scientist? Well, my Dad is one. On a recent vacation to Florida to celebrate his 80th birthday, he spent nearly three hours telling me […]
The post Feet on the Ground, Eyes on the Stars: The True Story of a Real Rocket Man with Jim Ogle (8/3/37 – 8/15/20) appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Joshua Oluwagbemiga motivates us to allow different inputs to influence our visual outputs. He shows us the effective power of determination when pursuing the craft of design. He also reminds us that inspiration is all around us…if we’re looking for it. Joshua Oluwagbemiga is a User Experience Designer currently working at Intelia in Lagos, Nigeria. […]
The post 044: Different Inputs = Different Outputs with Joshua Oluwagbemiga appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
On this special episode, Eric Meyer, Jeffrey Zeldman and I discuss the premiere web and UX design conference they started over a decade ago. We talk about the game-changing innovations that have come out of An Event Apart, as well as what to expect at the very first Denver appearance on December 11-13, 2017. WHO […]
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Rachel Nabors gives us a deep-dive into the art & science of web animation. She motivates us to sell animation as a UX enhancement, rather than a delight factor. She also exhorts us to animate ethically and responsibly. BIO Rachel Nabors began telling stories online as a teenager with her award-winning web comics. Her love of […]
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Laura Klein shows us how User Experience happens whether we design it intentionally or not. She paints a picture of what the the future of UX Design looks like. She teaches us if we’re too close to a project, we ought to step back and let others do the research. She also uses a really […]
The post 043: Making New Designers with Laura Klein appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Dan Brown inspires us to get great at asking questions because ‘the question’ is one of our most invincible resources. He reminds us to maintain a spirit of collaboration with the the team members we’re struggling with since they care as much about the project as we do. He encourages us to always peer beneath […]
The post 042: Practical Design Discovery with Dan Brown appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Matt Griffin shows us how empathy and sensitivity to the world around us is the key to great design. He teaches us how as a leader, the worst decision is no decision. He explains how hands are his most invincible UX resource or tool. He also inspires us starting out to take ‘every damn opportunity […]
The post 041: Everything’s Terrible, and That’s Great with Matt Griffin appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Laura Elizabeth reveals how developers can learn design. She articulates the importance of reflecting on our users’ needs more than our personal tastes. She touches on how making a product makes us better designers. She also inspires us to always be genuine in our dealings with our customers if we want to build (and keep) […]
The post 040: Should Developers Design with Laura Elizabeth appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Joe Leech shows us how psychology helps frame what we’re seeing in user research. He articulates why the superpower we need is understanding how business works. He inspires us get out of our seat and talk to executives in the organization more about the business. He also challenges us to not just always be shipping, […]
The post 039: Good Designers are Good at Business with Joe Leech appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
In case you missed Part I “Do yourself a favor and show this to as many people as you possibly can, because this is going to be the world that we’ll be living in. Being able to show this to somebody and see that click happen, and hear them say, ‘Oh my God, my whole […]
The post Part II: Mixed Reality & the Future of Design with Austin Knight appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Don’t miss Part II. “We are now in the midst of the largest technological revolution of our lifetime. Like that of the dawn of the PC or smartphone. It’s not so much of a prediction as an observation we can make. We can see that it’s actually happening before our eyes.” – Austin Knight This […]
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Femke encourages us to take pride in our process by being willing to show our crappy work. She shows us how every small step can lead to something big. She teaches us how we can achieve anything in life, if we’re willing to take action. She also challenges us to wake up early to get […]
The post 038: We Need More Crappy Work with Femke appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Andy Vitale is using design to literally save lives. He shows us how empathy is the key to any product’s success. He motivates us to stay driven, and bring our own seat to the table. He shows us how true leaders take the time to understand what drives their team. He inspires us to always […]
The post 037: Design in Life or Death Situations with Andy Vitale appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Buy the Book Buy Justin’s great book through my Amazon affiliate link, and help User Defenders at no additional cost to you. Win/win! Buy the Book “We create human-centered interactions and experiences in our field. Empathetic purpose drives our every decision. Mobile First? In reality, it’s humans first. This same mentality, turned inward, forms the […]
The post Cultivating a Creative Culture with Justin Dauer appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Nick Finck teaches us the value of being a connector, and mentoring other designers. He gives us a really compelling, dare I say accurate look into the future of UX. He inspires us to make sure we unplug every once in a while. He also motivates us to find the sweet spot between users, the […]
The post 036: No Designer Left Behind with Nick Finck appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Samuel Hulick shows us how to build bridges for our users. He motivates us to make sure that the effort put into building the software is not wasted in the onboarding experience. He also inspires us to stay curious, and always be learning. Samuel Hulick is the man behind UserOnboard.com where he creates popular teardowns […]
The post 035: Minding the Product Gap with Samuel Hulick appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
New Season Starts 6/12 If you’re seeing this on your podcast player, you can also watch the video here. Greetings User Defenders! The new season is starting June 12th and I could not be more excited to share it with you. So much so that I put together a teaser reel. Oh, and I put […]
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Jonathan teaches us how product managers are the glue between design and engineering. He reminds us that the most important role we can play in the success of a product is being a voice for the customer. He encourages us to never give up on our personal projects. He also motivates us as designers to […]
The post 034: Great Products Start with Empathy with Jonathan Pimento appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
“I saw a study that said speaking in front of a crowd is considered the number one fear of the average person. I found that amazing. Number two, was death. Death is number two? This means, to the average person, if you have to be at a funeral, you would rather be in the casket […]
The post Demystifying Public Speaking with Lara Hogan appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Andrea Picchi reminds us that the core of design is always about people. He dives deep into the importance of design thinking. He motivates us to embrace ambiguity, and to fail as often as possible without losing the job. He also inspires us to believe in design and to always defend the user’s point of […]
The post 033: Design is About People with Andrea Picchi appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Sarah Doody inspires us to break out of our comfort zones early & often if we want to achieve great things. She teaches us that our drawings should serve more as a communication tool than an art project. She encourages us to tap into our superpowers of using both sides of our brain. She also […]
The post 032: There is No There with Sarah Doody appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Mat Marquis reminds us that web design is scrappy business. He inspires us to fight for what we truly believe in. He shows us how we can take our designs and skills further by learning a little code. He motivates us to continue to hone our communication skills by writing a lot. He also encourages […]
The post 031: Getting Scrappy with Mat Marquis appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Aaron Gustafson inspires us to build a web for all people. He encourages us to keep an open mind about perspectives that are different than our own. He motivates us to keep focused on context when it comes to the users we’re designing for. He also challenges us to plant seeds of growth in others […]
The post 030: Content for All with Aaron Gustafson appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Ling Lim inspires us to be relentless in our pursuit of the person we want to become. She teaches us to create products that connect with our users and their lives by becoming them as much as possible. She challenges us to not sacrifice the sentimental quality of a product when we design for it […]
The post 029: Be Relentless with Ling Lim appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Chris Coyier teaches us that if we care about succeeding in something, we need to be willing to persist for a long time. He inspires us to grab hold of the joy that comes from building for ourselves, too. He encourages us to not just use a framework because we’re “supposed to”, but to use […]
The post 028: Be Persistent with Chris Coyier appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
After nearly a year of consistent podcasting, it’s time for me to hit pause… You can also read about this.
The post Hitting Pause… appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
I have a listener survey and one of you suggested Nir Eyal as a superguest. Today (thanks to your suggestion) I got to interview the man himself. Nir is the author of the buzz-worthy book Hooked: How To Build Habit-Forming Products. Nir Eyal did not disappoint. The guy is a wealth of knowledge and you’ll […]
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Aarron Walter inspires us to always try and see the big picture. He challenges us to produce more grounded work by getting outside our bubbles, and feeling a bit more pain. He shows us how storytelling is central to the human experience and transcends our medium. He also inspires us to maintain plenty of inputs […]
The post 027: Looking Down the Road with Aarron Walter appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Nikkel Blaase reminds us that we are not our users. He encourages us to make time for deep thinking. He teaches us that without failing, there’s no learning. He guides us to not spend too much time figuring out a solution if we don’t know what the problem is. He shows us how creating value […]
The post 026: We Are Not Our Users with Nikkel Blaase appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Ashley Karr teaches us that we can’t be exceptional at generalizing. She encourages us to always work with the people for whom we are designing. She motivates us to always trust ourselves and our instincts. She shows us how planning and organization are key contributors to success. She also inspires us to give back by […]
The post 025: UX Designers Work with Users with Ashley Karr appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Francisco Inchauste teaches us that the best design is invisible. He enlightens us to how we can learn something from anyone, and to appreciate the people who surround us. He reminds us of the importance of validating our work. He also inspires us to always add value to even the smallest things and to not […]
The post 024: Seeing the Invisible with Francisco Inchauste appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Austin Knight motivates us to just start making things. He encourages us to keep designing, even if it isn’t our job yet. He teaches us how the future of UX is all about expansion and that there’s never been a better time to be a designer. He also inspires us to not only fight for […]
The post 023: Good Design is Humble with Austin Knight appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Jordan Dobson inspires us to never stop learning and be generous in sharing knowledge with others. He encourages us to craft prototypes in order to gain valuable insight early and often. He challenges designers to gain empathy for their developers by learning a bit about code. He also shows us how the little details can make […]
The post 022: The Little Details can Make a Big Difference with Jordan Dobson appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Drew Lepp encourages us to learn the business side of technology in order to achieve greater success with our designs. She encourages us to always know why we’re doing what we’re doing, and to be able to clearly articulate why every element on the page is there. She inspires us to fight on in our […]
The post 021: Designing for Happiness with Drew Lepp appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Don’t miss Part I of this unforgettable interview with Jeffrey Zeldman. Jeffrey Zeldman inspires us to not underestimate our users by always testing our assumptions–because we’re often wrong. He reminds us of the tremendous value of writing and synthesizing our thoughts. He teaches us to never underrate our gut instincts. He also encourages us to […]
The post 020: Stay Enchanted with Jeffrey Zeldman (Part II) appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Don’t miss Part II of this unforgettable interview with Jeffrey Zeldman. Jeffrey Zeldman dives deep into his origin story to enlighten us on how he got started on the Web. He inspires us to not get caught up in the buzzwords, but to keep it simple and clear. He also gets vulnerable to reveal how […]
The post 020: Stay Enchanted with Jeffrey Zeldman (Part I) appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Design for Real Life is a profound and inspiring book. The more things become automated and robotic, the more evident the need to remain human becomes. This book compels us to strive to stay human especially in our approach to how we design for other humans. It deeply challenges the long-held status-quo of resistance to […]
The post Design for Real Life with Eric Meyer & Sara Wachter-Boettcher appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Pek Pongpaet teaches us that the key to successful UX is in pattern recognition and application. He reminds us of the power of visual hierarchy in that if something’s important, it should never be buried. He reminds us of the power of observation and in testing our product with users. He also inspires us to […]
The post 019: The Power of Design Patterns with Pek Pongpaet appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
David Demaree reminds us of the value of simplicity, brevity, and editing. He encourages us to know who are users are and where they’re coming from. He inspires us not to get too wrapped up into the closeness of our own material and not take the criticism of our work too personally. He also teaches […]
The post 018: The Beauty of Simplicity with David Demaree appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Victor Yocco teaches us that standing out in our work involves identifying human needs, and always being willing to address them. He enlightens us that failure leads to greater things, but our motivation should be not to fail. He shows us how practicing perseverance is a great habit to get into because it always pays […]
The post 017: The Value of the Theory is in the Application with Victor Yocco appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Alexa Leigh Herasimchuk inspires us to go find our why and to not fear reaching out to people who inspire us. She teaches us that the future of UX should be integrated into our education system. She reminds us that we can’t make people care, but we can build things people care about. She also […]
The post 016: Meaning Comes from Making with Alexa Leigh Herasimchuk appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Rachel Andrew inspires us to understand people who are not like us because most often the products we design are not for us. She motivates us with her successful habit of GTD (Getting Things Done). She teaches us that solid attention to detail and ability to execute can be more important than specific technical skills. […]
The post 015: Going the Distance with Rachel Andrew appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Khoi Vinh teaches us that designers can do their best work by drawing on many different sources and working on different challenges simultaneously. A big fan of breaking large problems up into actionable chunks and making lists of all those things that need to get done, Vinh enjoys articulating the value of the design process […]
The post 014: Design Write with Khoi Vinh appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Dan Mall inspires us to get really good at what we do by constantly practicing it. He reminds us of the importance of work/life balance and setting the right priorities. He also reminds us that there’s a big difference between being a leader and being a boss, and how great leaders are always looking for […]
The post 013: Practice What You Do with Dan Mall appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
KaL MichaeL teaches us that empathy is less of something we practice and more of a result of patience and perseverance. He challenges us to remain humble enough to know that we do not know everything, and what we don’t know will always far surpass what we do know. He also encourages us to own […]
The post 012: You Can Only Keep What You Have if You’re Willing to Give it Away with KaL MichaeL appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Golden Krishna teaches us that it’s possible to reduce our amount of screen time and still solve people’s problems elegantly in the background. He enlightens us to how much we’re all drowning in screens. He also shares with us that our stuff isn’t good enough, and it never will be because as designers we’re always […]
The post 011: The Best Interface is No Interface with Golden Krishna appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
In lieu of our normal episode, I wanted to do a quick Year End Review to offer a retrospective of 2015 and a glimpse into 2016 by addressing these three things: Things Accomplished Top 3 Learnings From Guests This Year What to expect from UX/UD in 2016 I can’t thank you enough for your enthusiastic […]
The post 2015 Year End Review appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Jeff Barnaby inspires us to pay attention to the unseen and always keep it simple. He shares with us that organization is the most important factor to success. He also encourages us to keep ourselves and our clients educated and that ours and our clients personal preferences should come last and our users’ should come […]
The post 010: Pay Attention to the Unseen with Jeff Barnaby appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Josh Clark inspires us to not forget to splash in puddles and give ourselves permission to play in our work. He encourages us to not just tell our story, but to find out our users’ story and craft our experience and technology around that. He also shares with us that the things we make are […]
The post 009: There is No “Big Time”, There’s Always Something Ahead with Josh Clark appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Ben Callahan inspires us to be passionate about the interfaces we design and put ourselves in the shoes of the people who are using them to do amazing things. He shares a really interesting parallel from Jazz music to the work we do. He reminds us to make every day count by first thinking about […]
The post 008: There’s a Lot of Opportunity for Those Who Are Willing to Take Some Risks with Ben Callahan appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Rafal Tomal inspires us to focus more on solving complicated problems for clients, and less on Dribbble likes. He also emphasizes the importance of keeping our UI and layouts minimal to make room for typography and especially to limit the number of choices we want our users to make to the most critical ones. He […]
The post 007: Focus More on Solving Problems and Less On Dribbble Likes with Rafal Tomal appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Chloë Bregman inspires us to not get caught up with titles like UX Designer, but to find what we’re great at and focus our energy on building those strengths to build products that not only solve problems, but bring happiness to people. She reminds us to focus on the team and that all ideas are […]
The post 006: Let Go of the Things You Can’t Control…Focus On The Things You Can with Chloë Bregman appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Andi Galpern inspires us to ask where do we want to go, and then encourages us to meet a mentor who can help take us there. She states that community is the key to becoming all we can be and that five minutes with the right person can change our lives. Andi Galpern is founder […]
The post 005: Surround Yourself with People That Reflect Who You Want to Become with Andi Galpern appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Christopher Schmitt reminds us to use the materials that we’re given and that we can learn something from everybody if we keep an open mind. He also encourages us to share what we know through exercising our superpower of writing and we can never go wrong with practicing kindness in our field. Christopher Schmitt is […]
The post 004: Use the Materials You’re Given with Christopher Schmitt appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Craig Morrison inspires us to know why we’re building what we’re building by looking for an opportunity in a market that needs something, and then by giving it to them. He also reminds us to do all the user research needed until we’ve built a product that people want to use. Craig Morrison (Validation Man) […]
The post 003: Don’t Launch Anything. Validate and Test Everything with Craig Morrison appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Josh Tucker shares with us the importance of determination and resolve when building whatever it is you desire to build. He also stresses the importance of knowing everything you possibly can about your users and designing experiences that delight them and improve their lives. Josh Tucker (The Interactioneer) is an Interactive Designer at Google and […]
The post 002: Don’t Let Anything Get in the Way of What You Want to Build with Josh Tucker appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
Daniel Hooper declares that any designer who desires to code, can and even should. He shares about how the industry still has a lot to learn from the amazing things that have been accomplished (and sadly forgotten) by the brilliant software design engineers of old. He also shares his excitement of how prototyping really is […]
The post 001: The Lines Between Designer and Developer are Starting to Blur with Daniel Hooper appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.
The story behind the mission, the host and the future of User Defenders Podcast.
The post 000: Welcome to the User Defenders Podcast! appeared first on User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth.