Shows
Designer & DesignerGrowthMentionedMedium’s Snowflake Growth Tool (original GitHub repo) Stanford Product Design Rubric (Stanford Design Program)I, X and T shaped DesignersBook: Radical Candor by Kim ScottBook: The Visual MBA (or Creative MBA — verify the exact title)Short Story: The Swimmer by John CheeverNewsletter: Good Work by Joe Alterio – goodwork.isTopics Discussed Growth ladders: how to define and measure designer growth Craft vs. Influence vs. Ownership vs. Communication vs. Engagement Developing fair, non-linear growth frameworks (including a Medium-inspired "Snowflake Tool") Challenges of upper-level design leadership (craft ≠ promotion criteria) Managing biases and subjectivity in design career advancement Im...
2025-04-2544 min
Designer & DesignerPrompts vs PixelsMentionedV0 by Vercel that generates front-end codeBuilder.io for creating UI flows from language promptsUXPilot for generating UI from specsLovable for different design stylesPerplexity as a tool that bypasses SEO spamWhy do AI company logos look like buttholes?Jakob's Law of Internet User Experience23:48 Brian says he didn’t do a great job unpacking the confusion and buzz around “agentic AI” and that many people conflate multi-shot prompts, agentic AI and AI agents. Most real world “agentic AI” today doesn’t exactly match the definition used in research papers around AI agents.38:00 Great story of a UX designer usi...
2025-04-1946 min
Designer & DesignerMini Episode: Zuckerberg, AI, and the Long GameMentionedArthur C. Clarke did die in 2008. Brian has no idea what he saw now.The Tech Oligarchy ArrivesMark Zuckerberg's political shiftMeta's Llama AI models versus other foundational models"Making the world a better place" from Silicon Valley TV showThe world is not as bad as we think it is. HyperFixed: Kristen Has DoubtsAlternative social platforms (Bluesky, Glass, Pencil Booth)Starting a Series B CompanyClimate tech investmentsTopics DiscussedBig tech's rightward shiftCorporate motives behind progressive policiesTech's abandoned idealismReclaiming technology for social goodFinding hope in alternative platformsPull Quotes"There was all this optimism...
2025-04-1113 min
Designer & DesignerBig Rooms, Small RoomsMentionedOranssi PazusuMIke SugarmanBlackgazeContext CollaspeDesigning for the PluriverseEnshittificationProSocial MediaKala, the Suburban MinerTopics DiscussedHow did we get to this place of totally siloed communal activity?Big Rooms and Small RoomsWhere the Weird Still IsMaking the web civic-minded againEthan Link'sEthan's Personal WebsiteThe Initiative for Digital Public InfrastructureFreq.SocialGobo.socialConnect with Joe & BrianWebsite: designer.fmEmail: designer@designer.fmDon't forget to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!Outro music: Delirium Tremens by Protector✌️When in doubt, PLUR.✌️
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2025-04-0445 min
Designer & DesignerPresenting DesignMentionedWhat Was the TED Talk? from our super smart friend Jay Fienberg (who you should hire!)Topics DiscussedWhy don't designers learn how to present design?Do's and Don't for design presentationsTo Neg or Not to Neg? That is the question.The exhausting reality of "performing"Pull Quotes"Amateur hour is when someone spends all their bullets in the first minute... You got to keep some in reserve." –Joe"If you act like you've done this so many times that you know what the problem is and you are bored by the details, you...
2025-03-2835 min
Designer & DesignerThe Burn BookBurn Victims• FAANG as a validator• FAANG's lack of innovation• Armchair Logo Art Direction• Amateur hour in the design space• MAU/DAU is a broken concept• Uber is the ultimate example of enshittification• An attempt to not look at my phone•"Chimping"• Text messaging needs a reinvent• What's App is terrible• "Founder Mode"• Alegria Art is an abomination Pull Quotes"I've seen incredibly talented people passed on because they don't have a FAANG background.""If tomorrow they found out burning kittens in a barrel would...
2025-03-2129 min
Designer & DesignerRiskMentionedMythic Quest episode: Dark Quiet DeathThe pram in the hallTim Van DammeXOXO FestivalCrazy Boat!Topics DiscussedThe delicate balance between following established patterns and advocating for innovative design solutionsHow life circumstances (family obligations, debt, financial security) fundamentally change our relationship with riskThe consulting advantage: why outside perspectives have more freedom to propose radical ideasThe shifting landscape of design opportunities from the mobile revolution to today's uncertain AI frontierWhy designers often self-censor their most authentic work out of fear or practicalityPull Quotes"Every big moment in my career was when I took one...
2025-03-1443 min
Designer & DesignerThe Future of Design with Dave MillerIn this episode, Brian and Joe welcome back Dave Miller from Design Citizen to discuss the evolving landscape of design as a profession and what the future designer might look like. Dave shares insights from his recent LinkedIn article exploring design from 2025 through 2040, discussing how AI and accessible tools are transforming creative capabilities and what skills tomorrow's designers will need to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.MentionedWhat’s Next for Design? Predictions for 2025 to 2040 - Dave's article on how design will evolve over the next 15 years as AI transforms the field.How are we do...
2025-03-0850 min
Designer & DesignerThe Dunning-Kruger EffectThe Dunning-Kruger Effecthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effectThe Continuity Girlhttps://womensfilmandtelevisionhistory.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/continuity-girl/Joe's Latest Web Comic, The Custodianhttps://goodwork.is/TheCustodian/Design is Storytelling, by Ellen Luptonhttps://www.cooperhewitt.org/publications/design-is-storytelling/"Everyone thinks they have a sense of humor and good taste, but we can't all have good taste"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW8zvaTRuGoMedieval Guildshttps://www.thoughtco.com/medieval-guilds-4147821Outro SongEt moi et...
2025-02-2842 min
Designer & DesignerWhat Will Product Design Look Like In A Year?"Meta’s Terrible AI Profiles Are Going Viral":https://lifehacker.com/tech/instagram-has-official-ai-accounts-and-they-are-weirdAI2:https://allenai.org/The Singularity Reddit:https://www.reddit.com/r/singularity/Charles Baudelaire on Photography:https://www.csus.edu/indiv/o/obriene/art109/readings/11%20baudelaire%20photography.htmKlout:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KloutA Gentleman in Moscow:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Gentleman_in_MoscowSam Altman's Popped Collarshttps://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/sam-altman-samaOutro SongTime Hard - Th...
2025-02-2134 min
Designer & DesignerAI-ay-ay"Generative AI fuels creative physical product design but is no magic wand"https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/generative-ai-fuels-creative-physical-product-design-but-is-no-magic-wand"Graphic design among most at-risk jobs from AI – report""https://www.designweek.co.uk/graphic-design-among-most-at-risk-jobs-from-ai-report/""Dieter - Your Virtual Head of Design"https://chatgpt.com/g/g-LQEv5avuV-dieter-your-virtual-head-of-design
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2025-02-1440 min
Designer & DesignerThe New Design EnlightenmentEp 40 Show Notes CZ is Going to PrisonR/workreformThe Need for Climate OptimismThe Economy, StupidThe Strauss-Howe Generational TheoryYou’re Can’t Let Mom’s Death Be An Excuse for Getting the Ol Job DoneHow the Internet Makes Money by Making Us Feel BadLibrary of Congress, Cartoon CollectionThe Electric Wire PanicN/N: “AI: First New UI Paradigm in 60 Years”Jakob’s Law Frutiger AeroPainter Bill BraunThat Dickhead VC Dude Song Credit: “Auld Lang Sign” Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest In Funk & Soul 1965-75https://lightintheattic.net/products/wheedles-groove-seattles-finest-in-funk-soul-1965-75
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2024-02-2250 min
Designer & DesignerThe Dark Age of UXLinkedIn People who talk about this topic:Hang Xuhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/haxuco/Peter Merholzhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/petermerholz/Manuel Limahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mslima/Erika Hallhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/erikahall/-Indeed UX Job Reporthttps://indeed.design/article/ux-job-listings-plunged-in-2023Joe’s Small Jobs, Small Dreamshttps://uxdesign.cc/small-jobs-small-dreams-7ed46faf46b0Facebook is Chairshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSzoDPptYNARunway AI Mo...
2023-10-2042 min
Designer & DesignerVisual ThinkingTemple Grandin: Society Is Failing Visual Thinkers, and That Hurts Us AllAmerican schools are screening out too many of our visual and spatial thinkers.A Comparative Study of Colour Effects on Cognitive Performance in Real-World and VR EnvironmentsThis research explores the influence of colour on cognitive performance and intellectual abilities (i.e., logical and lateral thinking abilities and people’s attention to detail) in a conventional laboratory setting and an approximately identical ...Visual Thinkers Online TestBuy Temple's book here!
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2023-05-0451 min
Designer & DesignerLayoffs!Show NotesWorkism Is Making Americans Miserable https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/religion-workism-making-americans-miserable/583441/Some decent Job Boardshttps://www.ixda.org/jobs/https://www.uxjobsboard.com/https://dribbble.com/https://www.earlystagedesignjobs.com/https://www.krop.com/creative-jobs/ux-ui-designer/https://jobs.smashingmagazine.com/jobs/If you ever want a portfolio review, email us! designer@designer.fmStay strong out there ❤️
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2023-03-2739 min
Designer & DesignerWeirdosMentioned in this episode:Stephen Gates Crazy Ones Podcast
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2022-12-3138 min
Designer & DesignerA View from the C-Suite with Gina TrapaniBrian and Joe talk to Gina Trapani, CEO of the digital product shop Postlight. Postlight has been unlocking solutions for clients for the past 10 years, and we ask Gina to let us in on the insights of a running a successful design and engineering business. We talk about moving from a Doer to a Leader, the importance of Discovery, and why it’s important to do the work special to you on the weekend.Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us
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2022-12-1348 min
Designer & DesignerAre The Tools Driving Us?Joe and Brian discuss the dispiriting trend of the current tech stack driving how products are built. What does it mean when a product is designed not for the user, customer, or output, but for ease of technical deployment? What will the future hold if that trend continues? Should try and stop it?Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us
at designer@designer.fm
2022-11-1553 min
Designer & DesignerQuick HitsAdobe buys FigmaMissing Kara Swisher contentA simple way to make HTML websitesOrg Design for Design OrgsWhy Designers QuitWhy corporate America broke up with design thinkingThe T-Shaped Designer
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2022-11-0251 min
Designer & DesignerIs IA Eating The World?Kelli Goto's Web ReDesign:https://www.powells.com/book/web-redesign-20-workflow-that-works-9780735714335Gen Z Searches For Online Content Differentlyhttps://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-gen-z-searches-for-contentEli Parser's Filter Bubbles TED Talk:https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=enJames Burke's The K-Webhttp://k-web.org/O'Reilly's Information Architecture (The Polar Bear Book)https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/information-architecture-4th/9781491913529/Ask A Librarian:https://ask.loc.gov/Stuart Brand's How Buildings Learnhttps://www.powells...
2022-01-2944 min
Designer & DesignerWhy Do You Do What You Do?Brian and Joe break down whether creative work is calling, or just a job? Can a creative person be just as happy keeping their creative work to their hobbies? Is making money as a creative part of what being a professional creative is? And where do blenders come in to all of this?Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us
at designer@designer.fm
2021-11-0938 min
Designer & Designer'How are we doing out there?' with Dave MillerFind Dave at designcitizen.comDave's Original Linkedin PostJared Spool Tweet
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2021-04-1548 min
Designer & DesignerEgo & EmpathyMentioned in this episode:Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion by Paul BloomStop Whining About Big Government by Kara Swisher featuring Mariana Mazzucato/r/learnart & /r/drawing
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2021-03-2531 min
Designer & DesignerThe Craft of Design with Aaron DraplinDraplin Design Co.Pretty Much Everything by Aaron James DraplinField NotesPick up Draplin Design Co. merch
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2021-02-1642 min
Designer & DesignerWhat is the Role of the Designer?Mentioned in this episode:Amanda Gorman's inaugural poemEpisode 1: Design ThinkingThe Highly Sensitive PersonEpisode 21: Observation in Design
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2021-01-2834 min
Designer & DesignerThe Check-InBrian and Joe check-in with some designer friends and see how they’re holding up in this never-ending zoom call.Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us
at designer@designer.fm
2021-01-1533 min
Designer & DesignerSemiotics with Josh GlennFind more information about Josh Glenn and his work in semiotics at http://semiovox.com
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2020-11-2448 min
Designer & DesignerDesign ToolsIt's a Design Tools “Ball of Death” Match! Brian & Joe compare the pros and cons of common design tools like Sketch, Figma and Photoshop. They share their experiences of finding the right tool for the job and their preferred tools for getting sh*t done.Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us
at designer@designer.fm
2020-10-2238 min
Designer & DesignerIterations with Jacob CoveyYou can find more about Jacob Covey and his work at https://www.unflown.com
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2020-10-0736 min
Designer & DesignerBlack Lives MatterMentioned in this episode:- Black Designers of Seattle- Institutionalized Racism: A Syllabus- Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Ezra Klein Show- So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Oluo- White Fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism by Robin DiangeloAdditional resources:- Black Lives Matter & Black Lives Matter Seattle- How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates...
2020-06-1034 min
Designer & DesignerObservation in DesignMentioned in this episode:- Joe's Original Post, Observation As A Prerequisite For Design (https://formidable.com/blog/2019/design-observation/)- Ira Glass on the Taste Gap (https://vimeo.com/85040589)- History of the Ampelmann (https://www.ampelmann.de/en/a-brand-with-a-history/)Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle (www.cloudstudiosseattle.com).
Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us at designer@designer.fm
2020-03-1741 min
Designer & DesignerWhat does it take to create a design-led company?Mentioned in this episode:- Are you asking enough from your design leaders?- Design Maturity Model by InVision- Future of Design in Start-Ups- There's no guarantee your product strategy will work. Here's how to de-risk itSpecial thanks to Catleah Cunanan for producing this episode. Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us at designer@designer.fm
2020-03-1038 min
Designer & DesignerCan We Design A Better FutureSpecial thanks to Catleah Cunanan for producing this episode. Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2020-03-0329 min
Designer & DesignerHow to Talk About Race & Design with Bekah MarcumConnect with Bekah Marcum on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekahmarc/And if you are a black designer in Seattle, be sure connect with Bekah's group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13668366/Special thanks to Catleah Cunanan for producing this episode. Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2020-02-2427 min
Designer & DesignerBurnoutMentioned in this episode:- Frank Chimero's Burnout List is a great primer for this discussion- The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10 by John Gruber- Second Wave Gentrification by Charles Mudede- Designers’ job satisfaction is plummeting. But why?Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us at designer@designer.fm
2020-02-1332 min
Designer & DesignerDesign For GoodMentioned in the episode:- Design Gigs for GoodRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2020-02-0637 min
Designer & DesignerHow Do You Get Started?Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2020-01-2131 min
Designer & DesignerCan Anyone Be A Designer?Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2020-01-1535 min
Designer & DesignerData vs. IntuitionRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2020-01-0928 min
Designer & DesignerEverything is on Fire: A Guide to Product ManagementRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-12-1835 min
Designer & DesignerDefending Your DesignRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-12-1030 min
Designer & DesignerMistakesRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-12-0332 min
Designer & DesignerA Designer&Designer ThanksgivingRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-11-2519 min
Designer & DesignerHow Deep Does Design Go?Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-11-1937 min
Designer & DesignerWhat is Good Design?Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-11-1229 min
Designer & DesignerImposter SyndromeRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-11-0235 min
Designer & DesignerWhat is IA, UX, and UI?Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-10-1127 min
Designer & DesignerThe Design InterviewRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-09-2737 min
Designer & DesignerMake the Web Weird AgainRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-09-1324 min
Designer & DesignerFailureRecorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-08-3135 min
Designer & DesignerDesign ThinkingMentioned in this episode:- Natasha Jen's talk "Design Thinking is Bullsh*t"- Design thinking origin story by Jo Szczepanska- Khoi Vinh's "In Defense of Design Thinking, Which Is Terrible"Recorded at Cloud Studios in Seattle.
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2019-08-2828 min