The UX Kitchen Podcast: Recent Episodes
Csaba Házi
The podcast takes you inside the minds and behind the scenes of successful designers and their freelance businesses. My goal is to teach you everything you need to know to become a well-respected top-tier product designer and grow your freelance business.
In this episode we are going to look at: what service design is. We're gonna define it together, right? We're going to make distinctions between what UX is and what service design is? What are the overlaps? What are the differences? We going to talk about collaboration with UX and service designers. And what skills do you need if you, want to go into service design.
In this episode I going to chat with a black-belt UX pro Anfisa Bogomolova who can give you another perspective on imposter syndrome, because yes, pro designers also experienced imposter syndrome. And we're going to talk about this.
Company looking for designers like junior designers, but then it turns out that they have unrealistic expectations. They already want you to have a lot of experience as a designer.
In this episode, what I wanted to do is to dig into this topic, look at like, why this problem exists, what are the probable causes? And if there's anything we can do about it.
In this episode, we're going to talk about what a hypothesis is. And what would be the ideal scenario to work in a hypothesis driven design. And then we're going to look at the reality.
Today I wanted to talk about UI user interface, design, and how to become better, more specifically, how can you really become a UI pro like UI professional. In this episode, we are going to discuss like:
👉 What makes a UI professional.
👉 What about UI theory?
👉 Is that any helpful?
In this episode, we are going to talk about analyzing competitors because this is a very important topic and it's definitely a skill you need to master.
In this episode, we are comparing some of the well-known freelancing platforms:
- Upwork
- Freelancer.com
- Fiverr
- Toptal
We'll discuss the pros and cons and how to be successful on these platforms as well as figuring out if it's for you in the first place.
Grids can be confusing. Grids can be counterintuitive when designing. But grids can be beautiful... no, not that. But grids can be REALLY useful.
Join me in this episode where we discuss...
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What are grids
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Dive into the jargon (columns, margins, gutters, DPs and scaling)
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When to use grids
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When NOT to use grids
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My specific templates for grids
A freelance portfolio is different from one you create when applying for a position. Talking to clients VS recruiters is not the same. In this episode we are diving into what makes a freelance portfolio successful and discuss ways to get more eyes look at your portfolio.
Do you need a website? Should you upload stuff to Dribbble and Behance and use it as your portfolio? How about PDFs?
In this episode, I'll teach you everything you need to know about the different portfolio formats and when to use each. I'm only sharing tactics I tried and it worked for me, so tune in for this super information-packed episode!
In a previous episode (uxkitchenshow.com/016) we discussed what design systems are and how to build one.
This time, we are doing a specific angle on this topic:
- Should you create one from scratch
- Or use a library?
We'll look into libraries like...
- material design
- ant design
- tailwind css
And discuss questions like...
- pros and cons of using a library
- coded vs design-only libraries
- what process to use to build up a design system
I get many questions about:
- How to do a case study?
- What to include?
- What to do if I didn't do research?
- What if I haven't documented my process?
In this episode, we are going to explore a very simple and straightforward way of building up an effective case study for your portfolio.
It can be tough to convince stakeholders and clients to do user research. There can be a lot of pushback which isn’t good for the UX process.
In this episode with diving into how to use empathy to understand where stakeholders are coming from. Then use a step-by-step process to make them fall in love with research bit by bit.
How would I start a UX career in 2021 knowing what I know today? Let's explore together!
We'll review the key ingredients to get started and be successful in UX. Designing your own learning path!
We'll cover:
- Where to learn UX (courses or books?)
- Do you need a mentor?
- How to find your strengths?
- How to land a first UX job or freelance gig?
Do you know salmon sushi wasn't originally 'japanese'? And how that relates to UX? You'll find out in this episode!
I'm going to walk you through my process for creating websites including gathering insights and requirements, designing information architecture, wireframes, visual design and testing!
How it’s like working in the edtech space as a UX designer?
Are you wondering about which industry or space to go after?
What’s the difference between a B2B and a B2C business in terms of UX?
In today’s episode, I’m covering all these questions, to help you get a better understanding of UX in different industries.
What does a freelance designer do during the week? How a typical day looks like? What tasks and activities we do on a daily basis?
I got this question a lot, so I decided to do a sneak peak into my every day life. It's like a documentary without... cameras
Some key findings from today's UX Kitchen episode:
⭐️ Why should you do less meetings (and how to do it)
⭐️ How to batch time and focus on priorities
⭐️ Balancing between building your freelance business VS client work
⭐️ What is your chronotype?
Actually, you are not going to learn your chronotype from this episode. BUT... you will learn WHAT a chronotype is and why is it so cool.
Empathy is key in UX, but it can be also confusing. What is empathy in design? Is it a skill or a given we are born with? What is service design? How empathy plays role in service design and UX?
We are doing a deep dive into these topics with Berlin-based service designer Rubab Paracha.
You will learn...
- what is service design
- service design VS UX
- how empathy plays a key role
- how to exercises empathy to move things forward with your team
Learn more about Rubab: https://solair-aesthetics.com/
When you start out as a designer, you have these awesome processes and cool techniques in your arsenal ready to take on the world. But once you land your first UX job, it turns out it's not so simple.
Designers often feel they are in the back seat. Not having real influence on the process and decision-making.
If you ever struggled getting your voiced heard and you want to have a better UX process for your company or clients, listen in and learn techniques to step up your game as a designer.
Companies are looking for designer leaders who are proactive and can come forward with spot on ideas on how to approach problems.
In this episode, we are diving into what ideation is, how to fit it into the UX process and share our favorite techniques with UX expert and innovation consultant Agata Braja.
Ideation helps designers and teams come up with awesome ideas by giving a framework and a safe space to brainstorm freely and ensure you'll discover something tangible.
If you heard about ideation and you always wanted to try, this episode will help you get started! And if you already do workshops and ideation sessions, pop in today and learn some additional techniques that can supercharge the process.
We will cover...
- What ideation is
- When to do ideation in the UX process
- Brainstorming
- Hybrid brainstorming
- Bodystorming for service design
- Design studio
- Worst possible idea
- How to ensure quality
- Pitfalls of ideation sessions
Follow Agata on Instagram @uxbyagata and join us every Wednesday 4pm GMT on Clubhouse for a free form converstion on UX, service design and innovation.
Building an agency is tough. I loved building the team, working with various clients, but it was a really challenging business venture overall.
I cannot tell you how to build a 7-8 figure agency business, because I couldn't make it there. But I can save you from the mistakes I made and share the lessons learned from building a UX agency with international clientele and a team over 10.
Join us for this conversation with lead frontend engineer Daniel Knaust, a great friend of mine who has tons of experience with channeling in data to make more educated decisions.
In this episode, we will talk about...
... What validation is
... Misunderstandings around validation
... How to use quantitative and qualitative data and research to make better decisions
... Stories from our own experience
... Shipping today VS refining the product until it's perfect
What to do if your client doesn't want to follow your UX process? What can you do if there's a pushback on user research? In this episode we are diving deep into how the transition to UX happens!
In this episode you can learn...
- Understand UX transition - what it takes to follow process
- How to develop empathy
- Strategies to take steps towards UX process
Key takeaways:
- Know it's a process and takes time
- Coffee example - don't expect to jump to level 100
- Find those low-hanging fruits
- Empathise with stakeholders - understand their frustrations
- Stick to the process long enough
Complete shownotes: https://uxkitchenshow.com/020
There are many ways to start freelancing. If you want to do it on the side, or expand it to be your full-time income, this episode will have actionable strategies for you to implement.
I started my career as a freelancer. Then built an agency. Then went back to freelancing.
Freelancing is awesome, but it's not for everyone - at least doing it full time.
Doing SOME freelancing is a great experience that every designer should try at some point in their career.
In this post I highlighted the key questions you need to ask and some hard truth you need to accept when going into freelancing.
I know it might seem like an oversimplification - but hey it's just a 10 slide carousel :) But if somebody told me all this when I was starting out, that would save me from years of trial and error.
Episode 19 of the UX Kitchen podcast is going into all the details what I highlight here in this carousel.
So if you...
... want to do freelancing on the side
... don't know how to start
... don't know if freelancing full time is for you
... how to get clients
... how to beat frustration
come join me and I'll share my lessons learned as a freelancer so that you can avoid the mistakes I made :)
In this episode, I invited my friend Dan who works as a Lead Frontend Engineer at Smallpdf to share his experience and stories about how they use data and support tickets to make a better product. Dan is a superb engineer who is also very experienced in UX - the best of both worlds :)
You will hear lots of first-hand stories with actionable tips and tricks. Here's what we will cover:
- How a data-driven process looks like in action
- How to use support tickets to build better features
- UX is NOT the sole responsibility of designers
- Discuss the pros and cons of freemium models
If you want to learn more about Smallpdf, check out there website (tons of free tools to help you work with documents): https://smallpdf.com
- We will cover...
- What to do when a client reaches out
- How to guide clients
- How to extract the information
- How to scope the project
In this episode we will cover:
- What is a design system
- When to build one
- Tools of the trade
- How to create a design system
- Dangers of creating a design system
I wanted to talk about getting clients for a long time, because you guys often ask me like how to get freelance projects, how to get clients and what to do.
In this episode, I want to talk about like how we can harness the knowledge that you already have, the experience you already have, or maybe even the job you already have and use it as a vehicle to get you to a more UX focused job or getting to the UX space
Today what we're going to discuss is we'll be going through how the hiring process looks like, like recruiters and hiring managers and what recruiters are looking for in a UX and UI portfolio.
In this podcast, we're going to continue expanding your skills as a designer to really be like a top tier designer and be very comfortable and happy in your everyday work.
Today I have one of my favorite topics, which is redesigning a complex SAS products, SAS, as in software, as a service.
In this episode we are going to talk about do you need to learn UX as a UI designer and the other way around, which is do you need to learn UI as a UX designer? What are the pros and cons?
In this episode, I will show you six plus one tangible and actionable ways, how you can improve your UI designs, and your skills.
I have one of my favorite topics for today, which is sketching. I love sketching because it's fast, it's efficient. In this episode, I'm going to teach you three techniques, how to do them step-by-step.
How to kickstart a project, how to get into the middle of things and get to the point where you can actually start designing. It's kind of a cornerstone of my process but it wasn't always like that.
What should I do after learning the basics of UI/UX design?After learning the basics of UX, how do I move on? How do I land a job?How do I get clients as a freelancer?These questions I get asked a lot. Today's episode is about how you can...👉 land a job as a UX designer👉 how to become a freelancer👉 how to land contracts
It's important to be clear on your goals. What do you want to do? Do you value freedom over a single reliable job? Or is it more important to fulfill your dreams, being your own boss, and deciding which projects to take on?You will walk away, knowing...
- what to land a job as a junior designer
- what to do if you have a weak portfolio (or nothing at all)
- what it takes to be a freelancer
- what's the strategy that will guarantee you will be successful in freelancing
- should you be a freelancer or independent contractor
Today I have a special guest. She is Kinnari Parikh and she's a product designer and UX thinker. In this episode, we are going to look at a day in a life, as well as talking about career and how to get into UX.
You need to have 3 versions of your portfolio:
⭐️ Website Portfolio
⭐️ PDF portfolio
⭐️ Slide deck
In this episode, I'm going to walk you through when and how to use each version to get the most out of any job opportunity and sales pitch to win over clients.
In this episode we are going to cover some fatal mistakes to avoid when creating or updating your portfolio:
👉 Mistake #1 - Overwhelming and hard to scan case studies
👉 Mistake #2 - Low-quality visual appearance
👉 Mistake #3 - Failing to pitch yourself clearly
👉 Mistake #4 - Lack of Call-To-Action
👉 Mistake #5 - Bad usability
👉 Mistake #6 - Featuring subpar projects
👉 Mistake #7 - Not explaining why you did what you did
👉 Mistake #8 - No targeting
To download the freebie for the episode go to: https://uxkitchenshow.com/003
If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe! ;)
In this episode you will learn how to get projects for you portfolio:
- How to reach out to fellow designers and collaborate
- How to harness your network
- How to create fake projects that makes a difference
There's a special freebie at the end to help you create stellar portfolios even if you don't have clients or projects.
The UX Kitchen podcast will be a deep dive into product design and how you can build up your freelance business. I'm going to teach you step-by-step techniques on how to get clients, how to build up your portfolio, and show up as a design pro. We will discuss design systems, design sprints, and remote collaboration, and improve yourself as a UX/UI designer.