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Fuego’s podcast series interviews design and product leaders and covers the latest in user experience.
Subscribe to YouTube ChannelOn this episode of Design Leader Insights, Alex chats with Jean-Baptiste Kaloya - Head of Product Design at Bpifrance. They discuss Jean-Baptiste's diverse experiences, from disassembling computers as a child to leading design at Bpifrance, a bank dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs. JB shares invaluable insights into the strategic role of design in enhancing user experiences, driving efficiency, and creating impactful solutions, offering a compelling narrative of how design intersects with technology and business to transform industries.
On this episode of Design Leader Insights, Alex chats with Anukriti Verma Product Design Manager at Linkedin. Anukriti shares her experiences transitioning from an designer to managing designers. They chat about how mentorship played a crucial role in her career development. They also discuss how LinkedIn approaches trust and safety in design, especially in the realm of social media platforms. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, Anukriti's advice on focusing on craft, storytelling, and seeking guidance will inspire you on your own design journey.
On this episode of Design Leader Insights, Alex Smith sits down with Kyle LeBlanc, VP of Design at Teradata. Kyle shares his evolution from graphic and web design to leadership roles, emphasizing his passion for advocating for design as more than just aesthetics but as a critical component of problem-solving and user experience. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from an individual contributor to leading teams, emphasizing the importance of trust, delegation, and allowing space for growth through making mistakes.
On this episode of Design Leader Insights, Alex chats with Carol Rossi, User Experience Research Leadership Consulting at Carolrossi.com. They discuss tips for new researchers, and how to approach customers with the right questions. Carol Rossi also emphasizes the importance of methodology in ensuring meaningful data collection while advocating for embracing AI tools and becoming mixed methods researchers. Her approach underscores the significance of demonstrating impact not only at a product level but also organizationally, fostering a culture of research-driven decision-making.
On this episode of Design Leader Insights, Alex chats with Christopher Nguyen, Founder of UX Playbook. They discuss the shortcomings of current UX education, emphasizing the need for practical, real-world experience and soft skills development. Christopher explains his initiative to make UX education more accessible through playbooks, courses, and coaching. Join the conversation as Christopher and host Alex Smith delve into the challenges of UX education.
On this episode of Design Leader Insights, Alex chats with Su Milazzo, Sr Manager of Design and Product Operations. Su shares insights of her journey to Design Ops, highlighting pivotal moments and challenges along the way. She discusses the evolution of her role, emphasizing the importance of addressing communication gaps and streamlining processes within design teams. Su provides valuable advice for individuals aspiring to enter design ops, stressing the significance of understanding change management and fostering empathy towards team members.
On this episode of Design Leader Insights, Alex chats with Louis Rosenfeld, Publisher and Founder at Rosenfeld Media. The conversation delves into Rosenfeld's journey into publishing and the emphasis on publishing books on user experience design. They discuss how to successfully structure a conference environment, and what the next big UX book to hit the shelves should be about.
On this episode of Design Leader Insights, Sam Horner, Head of Apps UX at Google Play, takes us on a journey through his extensive career in design, from his beginnings at the BBC to his current role at Google. Sam shares insights on fostering creativity in UX design teams, emphasizing the importance of finding moments of creative peace and empowerment. He discusses the evolution of mobile devices and the future of user interfaces, highlighting the need for technology to adapt to users' specific needs. Sam also offers valuable advice for both new designers and managers.
On this Design Leader Insights episode, Alex Smith chats with Farid Sabitov, DesignOps Consultant at EPAM Systems. Over the past couple of years, Farid has focused on design operations, particularly in areas like content design, product design, and design systems. His expertise lies in evolving practices and defining metrics to communicate value within large organizations. The discussion touches on the importance of strategic metrics, particularly in the context of design system adoption. Farid advocates for breaking down silos between design ops, product ops, and dev ops, highlighting the need for collaboration and visualizing the product development lifecycle.
In this episode of Design Leader Insights, Alex Smith interviews Ridhima Gupta, Lead Product Designer at Databricks. Ridhima shares her journey in UX, starting as an architecture student and transitioning into digital design during the rise of mobile apps. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the product, domain, and users when designing in complex spaces. They discuss the challenges of catering to diverse user personas in the ML field and she advocates for designers to diversify their skill sets, including coding and technical aspects, to enhance collaboration with engineers and product teams.