Technically Speaking with Harrison Wheeler (Harrison Wheeler)

Harrison sits down with Regine Gilbert, designer, educator, and author of Inclusive Design for a Digital World. The discussion covers a variety of topics on accessibility and inclusion, and they cover the most burning question of them all “where to start? “

Isaac Hayes III, entrepreneur and music producer, discusses the peer-to-peer subscription model and the rise of subscriptions on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. He sees this as a validation of his platform, Fanbase, which aims to uplift creators of color who other platforms have underserved. He believes every social media platform has its time and will eventually be replaced by a new platform geared toward the younger generation. He also talks about the importance of persistence and questioning societal norms in pursuing success. The Fanbase app is available for download on iOS and Android.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover how the peer-to-peer subscription model validates Fanbase as a major social media platform
• Empower your earnings on Fanbase by unlocking monetization opportunities for all, prioritizing underserved creators of color
• Revolutionize social media lifecycles since every platform finds relevance within its generation
• Harness the unstoppable force of persistence that surpasses talent, genius, and education
• Forge your unique path by challenging societal norms and writing your own rules for success

Quotes:

"When you have a platform like Facebook and Instagram combined, worth about a big $700 billion market cap trying to copy what we're doing, that tells me that, 'Oh, you're on the right track in what you're doing.'" - Isaac Hayes III

"I can build everything that Facebook and Instagram and TikTok can build, but they can't build Black culture." - Isaac Hayes III

"Persistence is the most powerful force on the planet, right? It's more powerful than talent. It's more powerful than genius. It's more powerful than education." - Isaac Hayes III

Timestamps:

(01:41) Introduction to Isaac Hayes III

(02:20) What he thinks of social media platforms copying the peer-to-peer subscription model he created

(03:42) His belief that every social media platform will live and die

(04:39) Why Fanbase is the next logical platform for Gen Z and Gen Alpha

(05:05) The importance of providing subscriptions and monetization for ALL users

(05:57) His decision to pursue crowdfunding to raise capital

(07:08) How equity crowdfunding offers the opportunity for everyday people to invest

(08:00) Motivation to allow people to own part of a tech startup

(09:57) The power of persistence and questioning societal norms

(15:12) How to download Fanbase and connect with Isaac Hayes III

About The Guest:

Isaac Hayes III is an entrepreneur and music producer based in Atlanta. He is the Founder and CEO of Fanbase, a social media platform that focuses on peer-to-peer subscriptions and aims to uplift creators of color.

Connect with Isaac Hayes III:

Fanbase

Referenced Links:

Fanbase

What's Next:

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Temi Adeniyi is a design leader and product designer who’s making wonderful things for the internet. In this episode, she takes us through her journey into the design industry, from London to Berlin, always following her curiosity. We also dive further into her four principles, which are: collaboration in all directions openness, giving trust, and fairness. Join us to know more about leadership in the field of design!

Jump straight into:

(00:54) - Introducing Temi Adeniyi: a former product and current design leader who happens to be a candy lover.  

(04:09) - The design scene of the creative and innovative city of Berlin.

(06:16) - Icebreaker questions: her latest obsession, what she thinks people should know more about, and why people describe her as funny and thoughtful. 

(14:09) - Beginnigs, motivations, and next challenges in Temi’s design journey.  

(19:00) - Temi’s four principles of lead can be applied to any industry. 

(25:28) - More information about Temi's article: Do designers who claim to have the impostor syndrome actually have it? How to get out of that?. 

Episode Resources:

Connect with Temi through Twitter. 

Temi Adeniyi | Website.

What we misunderstand about imposter syndrome as design leaders | Article. 

You thought I was only dropping one After Hours segment on you. No, I've got to, you know, in this one, it's one of my favorite guests on the show. It's Theresa slate. She's a design lead at Northern Trust in Chicago.

So this segment is an extension of episode 12, around Enterprising Innovation. And in that discussion, we sent her around building out of legacy systems, enterprise experiences, and the challenges associated with that.  

Our discussion naturally touches on three areas.  The first being around design ethics and what that means, especially in 2021. What does accountability look like? And finally, Theresa reframes the phrase, "getting a seat at the table" to "blowing up the table". So you don't want to miss what she means by that.  

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In this episode of Technically Speaking we are joined by the great May Li-Khoe (former Khan Academy and Apple) designer, engineer, DJ, and writing enthusiast. We take a look back at her career and the generational changes that are now leading to a new way of working in the creative industry, as well as the value of creative production and the new possibilities that are rising in the remote work schemes, comparing the situation as it was before when May-Li started working at big tech enterprises. Don’t miss this interesting conversation with an inspiring artist and a beautiful mind.

Jump straight into:

(02:44) - Learning about May-Li's life and spirit. What has she done and learned over the last 15 months?

(11:37) -  May-Li's professional career development among big tech companies and her music passion as a DJ.

(19:02) - Intuition and alignment: Looking for work that brings comfort, joy, and happiness to May-Li and the people that she cares about. 

(23:04) - Being a female designer & engineer coming from an immigrant background: How diversity and workplace culture was functioning 20 years ago. 

(30:37) - Workforce vindication for the future: Human sense of community in safe and comfortable environments.

(39:19) - New stories moving into a new era: The luxury of creativity and what’s next for May Li-Khoe.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Mary through Twitter and Tiny Letter

Natalie Nixon, Ph.D., is a creativity strategist, keynote speaker, and author. She is the CEO of Figure 8 Thinking and known as the Creativity Whisperer for the C-Suite.

She has been recognized as one of the "Top 50 Keynote Speakers for 2022" by Real Leaders and her book, "The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work," received an award at Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards in 2021.

In this episode we discuss various aspects of creativity, including building curiosity and empathy, productivity solutions, work-life integration, creativity in executive roles, and intuition in business.

About the Guest:

A creativity strategist, keynote speaker, and author, Natalie Nixon, Ph.D., CEO of Figure 8 Thinking, is the Creativity Whisperer for the C-Suite. Through wonder and rigor, she helps leaders amplify growth and business value through transformation.

Real Leaders named Natalie one of the "Top 50 Keynote Speakers for 2022". In 2021, Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards honored her book The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work.

In 2021, Core 77 named Figure 8 Thinking one of the Top 20 Women-Led Innovation Firms. Natalie is a trustee of the Smithsonian's Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Vassar College, and Leadership+Design. She holds a BA (Honors) from Vassar College and a Ph.D. from the University of Westminster in London. She is a Foresight Practitioner certified by the Institute for the Future.

Quote of the episode

“As my mom used to tell us as we were growing up, all learning is interconnected. Everything that we do, whether it's waiting tables or leading a team, is relevant, and we can interweave it into our current work and outlook."

Connect with Natalie Nixon:

• Website: https://www.figure8thinking.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/natwnixon
• LinkedIn Learning Course: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/lead-with-inquiry-improvisation-and-intuition/the-power-of-inquiry-improvisation-and-intuition?autoplay=true
• Fast Company Articles: https://www.fastcompany.com/90721653/your-invisible-work-is-key-to-your-most-productive-self

Timestamps

(00:13) - Icebreaker: Natalie's current obsession that helps build curiosity and empathy.

(02:32) - Icebreaker: The best yet counterintuitive approach to productivity and solution to burnout.

(05:02) - Icebreaker: How to turn work-life balance into work-life integration with daydream breaks, timed walks, and dancing.

(09:04) - Being The Creativity Whisperer in the C-Suite and creativity's role at the executive level.

(12:05) - Natalie's diverse and loopy background in cultural anthropology and fashion.

(13:37) - Common misconceptions about fashion, what it's really about, and how her career in fashion taught her everything about business.

(15:30) - Building a business using intuition and prototyping.

(16:32) - How to gain confidence in your intuition by toggling between wonder and rigor.

(19:30) - Coming up with the name Figure 8 Thinking for her business and the types of projects they work on.

(24:34) - Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work through The Creativity Leap book.

(26:15) - How her podcast guesting for The Creativity Leap book promotion on...

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Chris Do, a personal branding coach and host of The Futur podcast, discusses the importance of personal branding and standing out in a changing market. He emphasizes the need to show up authentically and express your unique perspective and the value of thought leadership and writing in building your personal brand. He also shares his experience with coaching and the benefits of investing in mentorship. He encourages listeners to start now and act toward their goals, reminding them that their future selves will thank them.

Key Takeaways:

• Gain insight into Chris' fascination with luxury goods and brands
• Investigate AI's impact on design and explore alternative approaches
• Identify his most notable 20-year career projects
• Uncover the essence of personal branding and authentic representation
• Leverage social media to enhance your personal brand
• Develop an audience through engaging writing
• Implement a two-step product development approach
• Understand different learning styles and apply knowledge effectively
• Overcome development plateaus by applying learned skills
• Receive his high-level advice: What he would do differently if he could travel back in time

Quotes:

"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." - Simon Sinek

"Your CV are your qualifications, but what perspective do you bring? What about your cultural currency?" - Chris Do

"Every decision you make has a consequence. Otherwise, there's no point to have a lens or perspective on this." - Chris Do

"Develop in public, iterate as you go. Your audience is bought in, and you have great use case and feedback." - Chris Do

"Start now. Your future self will thank you for it." - Chris Do

Timestamps:

(03:01) Introduction to Chris Do

(04:17) Icebreaker: Why he's currently obsessed with luxury goods and brands

(07:57) Icebreaker: How AI replaces designers and why it's essential to shift and explore options

(08:54) Icebreaker: The 2 projects that stood out in his 20-year career

(12:19) What it means to show up and brand yourself

(15:01) How your social media presence can either make or break your personal brand

(20:16) Building an audience through writing

(22:46) Product development in 2 steps

(25:41) The 2 types of learners, why it's essential to apply what you've learned, and how to navigate plateaus through development

(29:41) What he would do if he could travel back in time

About The Guest:

Chris Do is a personal branding coach, renowned designer, and the host of the successful podcast The FuWhat'sth Chris Do. He is also the CEO and Founder of The Futur, a platform providing creative professionals education and resources. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, he has worked on various projects, including music videos and 360 campaigns. He is passionate about helping individuals and businesses build their personal brands and achieve success in their creative endeavors.

Connect with Chris Do:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter

Podcast

Referenced Links:

Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

Catt Small is a cat lover, karaoke singer, writer, and gamer. She’s currently leading the design of Goals at Asana and in this episode, we go deep into her vision of design management and the key elements to building a successful design team, as well as senior designers’ leadership. Do you want to know what the day-to-day work inside Asana’s Goals Product Team is like? Get ready to join this interesting conversation and discover it.

Jump straight into:

(01:19) - Introducing Catt Small - How does she get to be so consistent with all her hobbies and work?

(06:57) - Game design: How many games has she designed and what are the genres that they fall into?

(12:42) -  When digital design was just a niche field: Catt shares memories and lessons from her first years as a designer.

(18:56) - On design management, the importance of having a senior designer around and what Catt’s notion of career growth looks like.

(24:46) - The need for a vision: What does Catt’s day-to-day work is like inside Asana’s Goals Product Team?

(31:23) - Think about potential: Where is Catt’s main focus when it comes to building a team with values aligned?

Episode Resources:

Connect with Catt through LinkedIn and Twitter

Catt Small | Homepage

Catt Small TEDx Talk

Aastha, Director of Product Design at Google, joins us again in this engaging podcast that covers the world of AI at the intersection of customer engagement. In this episode, we cover valuable insights into its definition, the reasons behind its current hype, and the crucial distinction between consuming and creating AI-powered products.

We explore the societal shift from initial resistance and fear towards new technologies to their eventual acceptance and integration into daily life.

Drawing from her experience leading the customer engagement team at Google, Aastha explores the differences between the technology-forward approach versus the customer-back approach strategy in user experience, emphasizing the importance of research, personalization, and AI principles in achieving full-on experience design.

She also sheds light on Google's North Star, the overarching goal that ensures the optimal use of technology, and discusses the pros and cons of the technology-first approach.

Tune in to hear Aastha's deep dive into understanding what is real when it comes to today’s latest tech buzz - Artificial Intelligence! Get ready to be inspired by all that she has shared.

About the Guest:

Aastha Gaur is Google's UX Leader for Customer Engagement. Her team uses sales, support, and marketing for advertisers to elevate the customer experience for Google's business. As a designer, she has worked at boutique design studios and big corporations. Through Leading with Mindfulness, Intuition, Creativity, and Compassion, she brings her experience designing for consumers and enterprise into her passion.

Her values are: Invest in people since focusing on each unique individual makes for a stronger, more connected team; inspire through craft because practicing their art with obsessive attention to detail and deep knowledge of the business earns them the trust and respect of their partners; and Xfn team first since their goals and their PM+Eng partners' goals are the same: No walled gardens.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Anurag, and their two dogs, Gustave and Rumi. She is a trained yoga and fitness instructor who used to co-own a yoga and fitness studio. Her favorite photography subjects are humans together, badass women doing badass things, and bloopers. A total Jungalow fan, she loves to decorate with plants. Her favorite way to de-stress is to play with her boys, Gustave and Rumi, who enjoy learning new tricks.

Connect with Aastha Gaur:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aasthagaur
• Website: https://aasthagaur.com/
• Twitter: @astahearts
• Email: aasthagaur@gmail.com
• IG: https://instagram.com/astahearts

Timestamps

(02:26) - Past and current obsessions: A quick update on her pole-dancing studio, the language she's trying to teach herself because of a reality TV show, and her unique approach to photography

(04:57) - What AI is, why there is so much hype around it now, and the difference between consumption and creation of products using the power of AI

(07:45) - The shift from initial resistance and fear towards new technologies into acceptance and daily life integration and its natural progression that starts with younger generations as early adopters 

(10:15) - Real talk: AI as a threat to livelihood vs. a tool to help enhance work

(14:03) - How she leads the customer engagement team at Google by doing sales, support, and marketing for advertisers, and the difference between AI...

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In this episode of the Technically Speaking Podcast, Harrison Wheeler talks with a designer, creative strategist, and podcaster who doesn’t need introductions, Maurice Cherry. Maurice’s podcast Revision Path is an award-winning weekly showcase of Black designers, artists, developers, and digital creatives from all over the world. Today, Maurice shares his experience going into design, how he found his first big opportunity, and his advocacy work highlighting black designers. Join in and learn about this designer’s approach to design work and how he’s built so many successful events and projects.

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Who is Maurice Cherry? His work as a designer in an Amsterdam-based studio and the growth of his award-winning podcast Revision Path. 

(04:36) - Growing up in Selma, Alabama, and the journey that took Maurice into art, technology, and design.

(10:26) - Math & computers: What would have happened if Maurice didn’t major in Math.

(13:52) - The post-college years: How Maurice waited for an opportunity in design in the early times of the internet.

(17:07) - Everything has changed in the last few years: Atlanta’s tech village and its pool of talent. 

(20:17) - Some of Maurice’s projects and his approach to work: Filling the void for different needs with creativity.

(21:43) - Where are the black designers?: Maurice’s work highlighting black design and how far we’ve come in terms of diversity and inclusion. 

(32:04) - Opening the path for others to continue: What’s the future of black designers? + The future of the Recognize Project. 

(36:57) - Advancing black design: How Revision Path made it into the Smithsonian Museum Collection.  

Episode Resources:

Connect with Maurice through LinkedIn

Maurice Cherry

Revision Path

Where Are The Black Designers?

RECOGNIZE

Automattic

Technically Speaking is a podcast by Harrison Wheeler about BIPOC designers, entrepreneurs & technologists sharing their unique stories of triumph and resilience.

Episode description

Monique Wray is a San Francisco-based animator, illustrator, director, and the founder of Made by Small Studio. In this episode of Technically Speaking, we discuss Monique's path as a black artist and the challenges that come with it, as well as her art style, which is heavily influenced by her Jamaican roots. Join us to discover more about her introspective and creative journey, which resulted in some great projects with a wide variety of clients and content.

Jump straight into:

(01:36) - Getting to know Monique Wray: the cartoons and books that inspired her to start a career as an artist, as well as her current studio elements, and the digital art technology that she uses in her work. 

(9:45) - Monique Wray’s career journey: the challenges she faced as a part of a minority, and the start of her creative business. 

(17:32) - Monique’s art style: a glimpse of her Jamaican heritage.

(19:40) - The people and events that encourage her to embrace her work's art and style while always having fun in the process.

(22:08) - Monique's favorite part of her job: the ability to work with a wide variety of clients and content.

(27:41) - Having a goal, while remaining flexible, and being open to discovering and trying new things are the elements that will lead to success. 

Episode Resources:

Connect with Monique through Instagram

Made by Small Studio Homepage  | Instagram

On this episode Erika Hairston is my guest. She is the co-founder of EdLyft which is on a mission to equip more students for in-demand jobs they’ll love. Her motivation started from her own experience getting into the field of computer science and the mission takes on a new meaning given the remote nature of work and education. We’ll talk about the importance of taking a leap, her journey to becoming a Y Combinator backed start-up and tips for female founders.

• EdLyft: https://edlyft.com/


• Zimela: https://www.zimela.org/


• Erika's Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballerika


• Erika's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehairston/


• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/

The next season of Technically Speaking is on the way featuring

• May-Li Khoe, Co -Founder Maker Space
• Mathew Barnes - Design Director, AWS
• Aastha Gaur - Design Director, Google
• David Dylan Thomas - Author, Design For Cognitive Bias
• Rafe Chisolm - Senior Designer, Twitter
• Preston So - Author, Voice Content and Usability
• David Hoang - Design Director, Webflow
• Dominique Ward - Head of Design Operations, Atlassian
• Jay Demitillo - Design Lead, Grab Singapore
• Maurice Cherry - Founder, Revision Path

In the trailer, you'll hear excerpts from Dominique Ward, David Dylan Thomas, May-Li Khoe, Rafe Chisom, David Hoang, and Preston So. New episodes release every Tuesday.

This season is sponsored by Automattic

Summary

If you were told you were about to die, how would you respond? Steven Wakabayashi didn’t wait long to use it as opportunity to turn his health, life, and career around. His three programs are his best approach to prevent others from going through the same thing he did.

Do not wait until something bad happens to start taking your health seriously. Steven's story provides valuable information and support to help you make lasting changes in your life, so that you can become your best self today.

You would love what he said about how there isn't only one way to work and talk about things. By providing a space where people can observe other options, we can help empower them. The world needs more stories like these.

So check out this week's episode where he shares not only his accomplishments in UX, but also his vulnerabilities. Discover how he changed how his team works, processes, and still produced impactful results.

Highlights

“I try to come in with really fresh blank slate into different projects that I come in. And even the concept of like the vision we want to achieve, I try really hard, especially as a leader not to go in with this preconceived notion. Because at the end of the day, it's something that we have to build collectively as a group, and not just a vision that I have like myself.”

“There's been a lot of amazing work by many organizations, such as the Creative Reaction Lab, Project Inkblot that focus on how we can bring the community into our work. So context is of spaces thinking about reconstituting power. And one thing that we're trying to add to the mix as an organization with Stranger Creative right now are just different heuristics that we can bring that measure safety, that measure autonomy, that measure transparency.”

Timestamps

(00:47) - Leading by example; showing up for himself and his community while weathering COVID

(01:49) - Icebreaker: The mind-blowing pandemic hobby he developed, how it benefits him, and his plans for it in the future

(04:01) - Icebreaker: The two words synonymous to Steven Wakabayashi     

(08:05) - Icebreaker: Why it's important to talk about institutionalizing changes needed in DEI 

(08:37) - Who Steven Wakabayashi is: The unabridged version

(11:37) - Why he took a step back to reflect after achieving success

(15:12) - Resuscitating not only his love for creativity but his heart as well

(16:09) - How his identity played a role in his work on inclusion and equity and his three programs thay support it

• (17:47) - QTBIPOC
• (19:55) - Stranger Creative
• (30:13) - Mindful Sights

(21:07) - Changing institutionalized inequity one word at a time through self-expression

(24:25) - Methods to use to approach more equitable problem spaces

(30:13) - The beauty of mindfulness and presentness in two perspectives: his as an individual and the society's

(32:22) - How to approach a new project 

(36:03) - COVID recovery advice

About the Guest:

Steven Wakabayashi (he/him) is a queer, first-generation Taiwanese-Japanese American based in New York City. He's a Creative Director, Changemaker, and Founder of mission-driven organizations empowering historically marginalized communities within the design, tech, and mindfulness industries.

After leading creative teams at many notable brands and agencies, including Apple, Google, Walmart, Huge, and Razorfish, he is now creating pathways for queer BIPOC creatives into the design industry through QTBIPOC Design, creating safe spaces for BIPOC communities within mindfulness through Mindful Sights, and designing equitable products and experiences for clients with his creative agency Stranger...

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Welcome to another segment of After Hours on Technically Speaking. In this segment, I have a Q&A with executive coach and founder of Merging Path Coaching, Brooke's Elliot Scott. During the Q&A, we touch on authentic vulnerability, giving your manager feedback, and building better connections with your team. 

Now, this was recorded back in the early days of a shelter in place. And when everyone was getting ready to work from home. It's fascinating how many of the topics we covered still hold true today. 

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Join Harrison as he walks through notable moments of 2021 with the Technically Speaking podcast. In this show, he talks about the growth of the pod, most downloaded episodes, some of his favorite things about the internet, tools, and what he's looking forward to touching on next year.

Episode description

In this episode of Technically Speaking, the Experience Designer at NWEA (and my Clubhouse friend) Chris Thoms joins the show to unravel the events that led him into the creative business after dedicating his life to soccer coaching. We touch upon the value of transferable skills and creating safe spaces to reframe the conversations inside a work environment. Plus, he shares how he got in touch with the children and communities that he is designing for and how that is part of his purpose.

Jump straight into:

(01:18) - From soccer fields to experience design: Discussing biased preferences and systemic racism within sports coaching, design industry and entrepreneurship.

(11:23) - The offseason: Get to know more about Chris’ life and the events that led him to the creative business.

(21:01) -  Switching industries: Why it’s important that all companies recognize transferable skills?

(25:48) - The landmark work: How does Chris approach design and the creation of equitable outcomes?

(32:32) - Safe spaces in business: How does Chris enable safe spaces for opinion and power inside his work environment?

(36:42) - Aggressive collaboration and teamwork: On locker room communication, reframing conversations and individual success.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Chris through LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter

Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design by Kat Holmes

NWEA

In this episode, I speak Ron Bronson about Consequence Design. Ron says as “All designed interactions have consequences. Whether it's someone getting stuck buying a train ticket from a kiosk, hidden menus inside of web applications, or card-only convenience stores. In an "always-on" world, an increased constellation of digital tools can bring both significant benefits, but also harm with every notification, menu, or poorly researched interaction. ”

It is the second day of Technically Speaking at the SF Design Week. Our host Harrison Wheeler takes the stage today to talk with Maurice Cherry, host and creator of the Revision Path Podcast, an award-winning weekly showcase of black designers, artists, developers, and digital creatives from all over the world. Join in and listen to Maurice talk about the design world, his journey creating this project, and the lessons he has learned from talking to over 400 guests on his show. 

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - All about Maurice’s background, Revision Path, and his time off decompressing and playing video games. 

(08:08) - Maurices’ favorite podcasts, R&B and rap artists.

(14:33) - A living legend! What is a “revision path” and how this iconic podcast was born to shine a light on black designers’ work. 

(22:01) - Some stand-out guests of the podcast + the big lessons Maurice has learned after 400 episodes of Revision Path.

(27:20) - The job environment for black designers and Maurice’s own journey into the design world starting out in Selma, Alabama. 

(36:11) - Passing the torch: Where the Revision Path social work came from and where it is going in the future. 

Episode Resources:

Connect with Maurice through LinkedIn

Maurice Cherry

Revision Path Podcast

Automattic

NPR Politics Podcast

Social Distance | The Atlantic

Keep It | Crooked Media 

Code Switch: NPR

J.ill The Podcast

Truu Stowray

Twenty Thousand Hertz 

HBR IdeaCast Podcast

Janelle Monáe | Spotify

The Spinners | Spotify

Brent Rollins | Revision Path

Cheryl D. Miller: The History of “Where are the Black designers?”

In today’s episode our host Harrison Wheeler is joined by David Dylan Thomas, speaker, filmmaker, and author of Designed for Cognitive Bias, to talk about the fascinating world of cognitive biases, how they influence our day-to-day lives, the importance of sticking to a growth mindset and how to deal with impostor syndrome. Googling and learning from Wikipedia will never make you an expert, but it will definitely open doors for you. You don’t want to miss this conversation, so tune in now!

Jump straight into:

(01:33) - A cheerleader for inclusive design: Meet David Dylan Thomas.

(04:57) - On David’s passion for cognitive bias and the birth of the Cognitive Bias Podcast.

(09:38) - The outward effects of cognitive biases on our day to day lives and the problem with binary thinking.

(22:12) - Is a world without biases possible?: On thoughtful decision making and the importance of cultivating inclusion and collaboration. 

(25:33) - Design for Cognitive Bias: How David built an entire platform to share his work and expertise.

(34:13) - The secret sauce: On David’s experience design and the perspectives he brings to the table.

(39:27) - What’s next on David’s agenda?

Episode Resources:

Connect with David through LinkedIn and Twitter

Sign up for David’s newsletter here

Design for Cognitive Bias by David Dylan Thomas

The Cognitive Bias Podcast

Iris Bohnet | What Works: Gender Equality by Design

A Book Apart

Rebuild Black Business

Automattic

I'm joined by Kristy Tillman, Director of Design at Netflix, as she shares invaluable insights on career growth and the pursuit of creative opportunities. Kristy challenges the traditional emphasis on job titles, urging listeners to prioritize personal growth and learning. Drawing from her experience as a Director of Design, she highlights the diverse scopes and possibilities that each role can offer. Furthermore, Kristy emphasizes the importance of designers developing strong business acumen to thrive in their roles.

The conversation then delves into expanding one's horizon of opportunities. Kristy emphasizes the significance of building connections and making oneself open to different people and experiences. By broadening networks and creating opportunities for others, individuals can unlock unforeseen collaborations and pathways to success. Kristy addresses the ongoing question of designers' presence at the decision-making table within businesses, stressing the importance of fostering relationships and making a lasting impact.

The episode also explores the concept of personal detachment from work and the value of pursuing side projects. Kristy shares a valuable lesson: the work done at one's job ultimately belongs to the company, but side projects offer a realm of personal freedom and creativity. By taking charge of these projects, individuals can craft their own opportunities, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and lay the foundation for future endeavors. Kristy highlights the importance of networking by giving back and creating opportunities for others, as it serves as a gateway to entering new networks and expanding professional horizons.

About the Guest:

Having worked across industries for over 15 years, Design Extraordinaire Kristy Tillman is currently the Product Design Director at Netflix.

Through her experience as Head of Global Experience Design, Head of Communication Design, and Design Director, she acquired a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to be equipped for a variety of design challenges and development.

As part of MICA's Flexible Design Studio workshop, she teaches a module on social impact design. She studied design at Kansas City Art Institute and is a proud HBCU alum of FamU - Florida A&M University.

As a design leader, she has built design teams from scratch and transitioned talent from entry level to design leadership. She is an Advisor for Designer Fund and sits on the board of Design Advisory Council for the University of Texas at Austin.

A designer, investor, and cultivator of a different kind of tomorrow, one that harnesses the exponential addition of talent in the gaps, she's learned a lot along the way around growing her own talent and those around her in the realm of design.

Connect with Kristy Tillman:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristyt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristytillman/

Timestamps

(02:28) - Icebreaker: Kristy's current obsessions from work and personal perspectives

(03:43) - Her journey from nervousness to excitement over the size and scope of her organization and role within Netflix

(05:22) - What makes each of her job titles as a director unique and the end goal in mind that’s being set up by her current role

(07:58) - Understanding the multiple layers in Web3, why it is considered Wild West, and how it can be improved and made safer through UX and Design

(11:24) - Icebreaker: Her current playlist and how visualizing music can change your experience 

(12:47) - Icebreaker: The two obvious problems about the design industry that's worth turning around. And no, it's not the D word or having

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Todays guest is Principle Designer and Executive Director of the Inneract Project that is now 16 years running strong Maurice Woods.

We discuss the origins of the Inneract project and its mission to empower underrepresented youth through design education and opportunities to explore design in career and life.

During the show we reflect on how his professional basketball career played Brought on the duality of existing in different spaces and how the mentorship of the prolific Seattle based music and design pioneer Tony Gable kept him on the right track.

"You learn a lot when you're around a lot of different people from different perspectives and see the world differently when you have, you know, existed in all these various different spaces in places."

In this episode of Technically Speaking, our host Harrison Wheeler talks to Mathew Barnes, Senior Art Director of Brand Design at Amazon Web Services. Mathew is an artist in the B2B space and a passionate beer brewer who knows that having a strategic process is key to a successful outcome. Join in and learn how this art director works focusing on the user experience and the edge this perspective gives the brands he creates. 

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Who is Mathew Barnes? An expert designer of brand experiences working at Amazon Web Services. 

(03:42) - Moving from an agency to in-house work: How the designer experiences change in each environment and how it shows on the end result.  

(06:11) - The user experience perspective: Mathew’s story going through different areas of design and why he focused on consistent brand experience. 

(09:29) - The day-to-day to building a brand project: The importance of design teams coming together to cross collaborate and create consistency.

(14:02) - An artist in the B2B space: How art inspires Mathew’s day-to-day design work. 

(18:47) - Pairing art with delicious IPA beer: Mathew’s creative outlets and his love for beer brewing. 

(21:26) - Mathew’s advice for young designers: “Don't focus on any director title, learn as much as you can.”

(24:30) - What is the future of the arts?: How systems are going to change and cross over to the product world. 

Episode Resources:

Connect with Mathew through Instagram 

Mathew Barnes

Automattic

Hey everybody happy new year. Hopefully you started 2021 off on a good foot. I'm excited because I'm recording from my new studio. And. It's all decked out. I'm excited for the next season of Technically Speaking. But before then I'll be dropping a few of these after hour segments. The whole idea around this is to give you all a bit of additional listening experiences from, surplus recordings. For this specific segment, I'm with Regina Gilbert. Author of 'Inclusive Design for a Digital World', Where are we'll be fielding, a Q&A from our live audience. Now if you haven't already, you can listen to the full episode on season one, episode three.

---

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gettechnical/support

Kevin Bethune is an author, designer, and entrepreneur. He is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Dreams Design + Life, an agency that offers design and innovation services with a human-centered approach. In this episode, we explore his remarkable background, which ranges from engineering to finance to design, while maintaining a creatively curious eye. We also discuss the future of design in an increasingly interconnected world. Listen and learn how to help the world by delivering important innovations that will benefit everyone.

Jump straight into: 

(00:57) - Introducing Kevin Bethune: his dream and vision of shaping the future that led to the creation of the agency DreamsDesign + Life.

(4:21) - Getting to know the creatively curious person Kevin: his love of music, where he finds inspiration, and his creative heroes. 

(8:44) - Kevin's soul-searching journey: from engineering to finance to startups and, eventually, to running his own agency and publishing a book. 

(16:33) - DreamsDesign + Life: the motivation to start an agency where multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation coexist. 

(20:27) - More on Kevin's book, "Reimagining Design, Unlocking Strategic Innovation": the connection of design and business, and the value of multidisciplinary collaboration.

(24:02) - What's next for design? More representation and diversity is needed in the field to break through and have a better future.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Kevin Bethune through LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. 

Dreams Design + Life |  Homepage 

Reimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation | Book 

Chasing Trane | Documentary

Lily Konings and I have a wide ranging conversation about the importance of empowerment.

Back in December Lily played a major role as the founder of the Lift Her Wealth conference which touch on financial literacy across personal finance, retirement, investing and more. It all started out of a viral tweet that resulted in 15 speakers, and more than 4,300 sign ups. We'll dive into some her learnings throughout the process and what's next.  

Later in the show, we talk about the importance of advocating for yourself when it comes to career growth, her concept of an ideal product organization and some of the struggles that she had with burnout back in 2020.

Welcome to day 4 of the Technically Speaking Podcast at the San Francisco Design Week. This time our host Harrison Wheeler talks remotely with Julia Fernandez and shares the stage with Jacob Hernandez to talk about the power of transformation. Julia is a Product Design Intern at Facebook and the Co-Creator of Students of UXD; Jacob’s current position is Senior Product Designer at LinkedIn on the Equity Team. Tune into this profound conversation around the power of design and its link to social justice, community building, and overall empowerment. 

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Who are Julia Fernandez and Jacob Hernandez? Working from home, what they miss the most from pre-pandemic life and how they maintain life-work balance. 

(12:55) - A student moving into the design world: Julia’s self-taught path into product and UX design and how the pandemic came as a blessing in disguise for her.

(16:43) - Julia’s journey co-creating Students of UXD: How inclusion and social justice are fundamental to this community-building project.   

(19:12) - Jacob’s background and his work on the LinkedIn Equity Team: How design can help create more equitable and accessible worlds.

(25:44) - The power of community: Solving problems, recognizing intersectionality, and bringing our identities into design. 

(31:35) - Bias and the default culture: What is equity and how it relates to work, companies, and opportunities. 

(35:31) - A piece of advice: The journey of being an underrepresented person navigating into the design world. 

(40:53) - Julia and Jacob’s perspective on transformation and how companies are changing for the better: “I see transformation as healing”.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Julia through LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok

Connect with Jacob through LinkedIn

Students of UXD

Automattic

Summary

Mic test. 1, 2, 3.

You know, this interview should have been done in between karaoke songs. Why? Because Harrison and his guest share a love for singing.

As a creative since the age of 3 and a pioneer in the field of UX and design, Mindy Duong is an eyewitness to its challenges and improvements, one of which is being the only woman in the room.

So to give back to the community and show strong support to women in technology, she's been trying to help the younger generation, especially women, get into technology through Advancing Women in Technology.

By helping promote technology, explaining, and sharing her experiences, she helps inspire the younger generation of women to stay creative. So listen to this episode to get to know more about Mindy, her advocacy, as well as her love for the arts.

Highlights

"Maytal Shainberg said that you need to have the courage to stand up for yourself. And I think for a long time, I feel like I lost that courage. Maybe because I was just so complacent in where I was in my life that I wasn't being that go-getter that I used to be, and that was a really great reminder from her that you need to have the confidence to do what you need to do. And that really stuck to me."

"Having conversations with other people in their companies, their struggles, I noticed that we do have very similar roadblocks. It's communication, internal communication. I think that's the biggest roadblock. Because without the proper internal communication, you're losing a lot of input feedback."

About the Guest:

As a creative leader, UX innovator, and strategic brand builder, Mindy Duong has proven experience building high-performing teams and bringing bold strategies to life to position top-tier brands for maximum growth.

She has led marketing, UX, and digital initiatives in various industries throughout her career. These include financial services, fashion, retail, consumer products, technology, telecommunications, and events/live entertainment.

Since 2012, she has led all aspects of user experience, digital, and brand design for US & China-focused financial institution East West Bank — coaching a cross-functional team based in the US, India, and China through the delivery of brand-aligned assets and content.

Earlier, she played a key role in elevating the e-commerce capability and digital presence of LA-based fashion brand BCBGMAXAZRIA — successfully building a staff of four (4), boosting brand awareness, and significantly growing customer engagement.

She began her career with creative roles at Ticketmaster/Citysearch, TelePacific, and Big Zoo while also leading two organizations as an entrepreneur.

As a passionate creative, she thrives on aligning technology, vision, culture, and design thinking to solve critical challenges and enhance the customer experience. With impeccable relationship-building skills, she brings the best out of teams, drives transformational results, and consistently achieves success.

Connect with Mindy Duong:

• Website: http://min-d.com/
• Email: info@min-d.com
• Form: http://min-d.com/contact.html
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-duong/
• Reach Further Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reach-further-podcast/id1612153380
• Advancing Women in Tech
  
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Melvin Hale has undergone a remarkable evolution in his life. He has 25 years of experience in the design industry and has worked at the biggest names in tech like LinkedIn, Meta, YouTube, RGA, and Google. We'll delve into his journey of finding happiness, reflections on leadership style, and coping with personal challenges. Tune in for an engaging and insightful conversation.

About the Guest:

Melvin has 25 years of experience in the design industry and has worked at the biggest names in tech like LinkedIn, Meta, YouTube, RGA, and Google. He has established himself as an artist who pushes boundaries.

The best thing about him is his uncanny ability to connect with people from all walks of life. By building meaningful relationships through mentorship and positive reinforcement, he reminds us that leadership comes from peace, not might. His success can be attributed to his perseverance, failures, redemptions, and fresh starts.

Timestamps

(01:26) - The two elements that contributed to his evolution and what knowing where he's at now allows him to do

(03:37) - Icebreaker: Why he is currently obsessed with his credit score and credit utilization

(04:51) - Icebreaker: Melvin dreams of retiring in this Asian country and what he finds most appealing about its culture

(06:43) - Icebreaker: How he and Bender “Bending” Rodriguez of Futurama are both “lovable *ssholes”

(08:26) - How his search for happiness led him to discover joy, evolve, and begin his second journey in life

(10:09) - The differences between Mel Then and Mel Now

(13:09) - How he was never satisfied despite having everything and what was missing in his life

(14:37) - Where his mercenary mindset came from and his desire to be a missionary instead

(16:25) - How he coped with his personal challenges and what prompted him to get his sh*t together and seek help

(19:57) - Why it's important to be kind to yourself and why he took a break from social media

(24:50) - How his daily morning affirmations turned into action steps and why he sees it as an embodiment of him continuing to move forward

(26:45) – What's cooking, Melvin? Launching soon: How his app will bring joy through food for foodies like him

(28:10) - Dispelling startup requirements myth and why he picked startup in the first place

(30:22) - The best song to express his last thoughts for all of us

Resources:

1. Learn more about the resources, podcasts, and community. https://www.technicallyspeakinghw.com
2. Support the Technically Speaking podcast by becoming a patron. Get early access to episodes and free swags by becoming a supporter. https://www.patreon.com/technicallyspeakinghw?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
3. Access the Glossary here: https://www.technicallyspeakinghw.com/resources/glossary
4. Buy merch here: https://www.technicallyspeakinghw.com/shop

Connect With Me:

Website: https://www.technicallyspeakinghw.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/technicallyspeakinghw/

YouTube:

Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

Donald Burlock, User Experience Designer and Author of Superhuman by Design, joins the show to discuss his book and his mission to bring authenticity and social impact to the design profession. He shares his journey of self-discovery and the importance of showing up as your authentic self in a world that often pressures us to conform. He also highlights the need for unification and the power of community in driving positive change. Whether you're a designer just starting or an experienced leader in the field, his book offers valuable insights and guidance for making a lasting impact in the design world.

Key Takeaways:

• Join Donald on his golfing journey and his discoveries about the sport
• Learn about unification and social connection in the remote work landscape
• Explore how to own your image and persona authentically
• Use Superhuman by Design as your cheat code to design success
• Understand his mission and how looking beyond short-lived product improvements can make it happen

Quotes:

"I challenge those folks to not rely on the hubris. You're not in a position as a leader to say wonderful things about diversity and inclusion and belonging." - Donald Burlock

"Design is more than just creating products or services. It's about bettering the human experience and making a positive impact." - Donald Burlock

"Authenticity is the key to making a meaningful contribution as a designer." - Donald Burlock

"Designers have the power to shape the future and drive social change." - Donald Burlock

"The design industry needs to have more conversations about unification and finding common ground." - Donald Burlock

Timestamps:

(01:26) Introduction of Donald Burlock, Author of Superhuman by Design

(03:50) Icebreaker: His golfing journey, the intriguing intricacies of the sport, and his newfound appreciation for coordination and balance

(08:43) Icebreaker: The importance of unification and social connection in the evolving landscape of remote work and independence

(14:00) Icebreaker: How to own your image and persona amidst societal pressures to conform

(24:31) Superhuman by Design, a decade of design wisdom and inspiration from Donald Burlock to creatives of all levels

(35:13) His mission: To use design to enhance the human experience for the long term, looking beyond short-lived product improvements

(39:08) How to purchase the book and engage with Donald

About The Guest:

Donald Burlock is a User Experience Designer and Author of the book Superhuman by Design. He has over 10 years of experience in the design industry, focusing on leveraging creativity to drive social impact. He is passionate about helping designers and creatives find their authentic voices and contribute meaningfully to the world.

Connect with Donald Burlock:

Instagram

Website

Referenced Links:

Superhuman by Design Paperback

Superhuman by Design Ebook

What's Next:

Please...

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Summary

Wouldn’t it be nice to do every day for our careers the same thing that brought us joy when we were kids?

Keith Rich was able to do this by merging his creativity in the soccer field with his work in design and development to come up with solutions for people to use and enjoy throughout their day.

With his combined love for soccer and design, he’s created a unique career that allows him to be creative every day. He knows it’s important for people to enjoy their work, and he wants to help others find the same joy in their careers.

So check out this episode to learn more about design, development, design systems, OOUX, and why he uses “dev-ign” whenever he can.

About the Guest:

The "Midfielder" at Think Company, Keith Rich, is a versatile designer. His background in pharma advertising and service-oriented digital products, as well as his interdisciplinary skills, allow him to bridge gaps along the spectrum of design, but primarily between design and development. When prototyping new ideas, his mission is to create experiences and connections that enhance people's lives.

A few things have remained constant in his life: his love of soccer, design, and curiosity about technology's evolution. His earliest memories of design are making soccer wallpapers as a part of an online group of designers worldwide. Who would have thought he'd be doing every day for his career that same thing that brought him joy as a kid?

Over time that curiosity has led him to the world of front-end development and keeps him thinking about how things he designs representationally are technically built as a product for people to use. You'll understand why if he uses “dev-ign” in conversations.

“To feel satisfied in my life, I strive to exhibit efficient simplicity, creative curiosity, and caring collaboration in how I communicate with people, view the world, and create work in it.”

Connect with Keith Rich:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/keith_rich
• Website: http://www.keith-rich.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-rich-83b88717/
• Think Company: https://www.thinkcompany.com/

Timestamps

(02:47) - Icebreaker: Which team is Keith on? Team Hoagie or Team Cheesesteak

(03:12) - Icebreaker: What it takes to be on the same page on design and development with everybody without translation

(05:34) - Icebreaker: His love of soccer, his favorite club, and the Canadian band that will play his entrance song for him

(09:08) - How he blends design and creativity into solutions people can enjoy

(09:45) -  Getting into art and design through his love for soccer 

(12:04) - The kind of art that’s not only be looked at: Designing his first website in high school

(16:03) - How technology is evolving, how to deal with it, and how he got into the mindset of technology as always evolving 

(19:19) - His introduction to Object Oriented UX (OOUX) while in advertising and how it helped him after going over to Think Company

(22:21) - Working as Think Company’s principal designer and the one question you should ask yourself before choosing which aspect to focus on between craft and management

(25:00) - The key to having a positive work relationship with developers

Resources:

1. Learn more about the resources, podcasts, and community.
   
   Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

What does it mean to manage in times like these? In this episode, I speak with Brooks Scott, founder, owner, and executive coach of Merging Path Coaching. We’ll talk about how to drive meaningful connections by deep listening, speaking honest truths, and asking the right questions.

Timothy Bardlavens is a Product Design leader that works to combat misinformation and harmful content inside Meta apps. In this episode, Timothy has some interesting advice and views around chaotic-good leadership, transparency and accountability. Join us while we discover more about how integrity manifests itself organizationally and within a product inside Meta!

Jump straight into:

(01:13) - Introducing Timothy Bardlaves: Learn how this chaotic good soul is battling misinformation and harmful content on Meta platforms.

(10:40) - A celebration of Black art: How is Timothy approaching his new house renovation?

(14:39) - Where are Timothy’s aspirations focused on? What attracts him to leadership roles?

(20:06) - The multiplier effect: What are other ways to evaluate good leadership impact that aren’t necessarily based on deliverables?

(24:07) - The balance between being a counselor and a coach: What’s Timothy’s best advice for aspiring managers?

(26:05) - Transparency and openness: How does integrity manifest itself organizationally and within a product inside Meta?

(30:39) -  Safe for the individuals (and the leaders): How does Timothy envision building equitable organizations in 2022? How does that show up in Meta?

(37:30) - Building an All-Black team: How was it for Timothy to demonstrate to the world the power of a work team formed exclusively by black people?

(41:18) - Timothy's advice for people looking to find their voice (and why he finds his job so energizing).

Episode Resources:

Connect with Timothy through LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter

What does the path of getting into UX design look like? Julia and Vicky share their experience moving into the design industry around and their motivation to start their group, Students of UXD to help empower the next generation of aspiring designers.

They'll share tips on where to start and how you can get involved in the group.

Students of UXD

• Website - http://www.studentsofuxd.com 


• Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/studentsofuxd


• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/students-of-uxd/

Vicky Vo

• Website - https://vickyvo.me/


• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/uyenvickyvo/

Julia Fernandez

• Website - https://juliafernandez.design/


• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adesignwoman/


• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC62zckgvlesIXR_SGnxFM6w

In today’s episode our host Harrison Wheeler talks to Rafe Chisolm, product designer, twitter veteran, writer and design generalist, to talk about the potential of Twitter’s DMs, the value of networking, his trajectory in design, and the importance of using your talents in smart ways. Join this conversation to learn why a single weekend could transform your entire life if you’re willing to take the challenge. 

Jump straight into:

(01:28) - A serendipitous weekend: Who is Rafe Chisolm and how does one end up with a title like “the Design Generalist”?

(15:20) - Anti-prescribed linear trajectory: How Rafe used law school as a “shortcut” to study design.

(24:55) - The accelerated transformation of the AT‘Lanna design ecosystem.

(30:27) - On Twitter’s Fleets and the experiment that created a backlash around the platform’s accessibility.

(38:59) - The pursuit of the correct integration of new features alongside the evolution of technology and new generations. 

(41: 36) - Writing for Netflix, airdropping scripts, and the art of world-building: How to make the most out of your career by repurposing your talents.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Rafe through his website and Twitter

Automattic

In this episode, I sit down with Andre Wright to discuss his Humanize My Hoodie endeavor, fashion activism, and the role that it has played throughout the Black Lives Matter movement.

Harrison Wheeler reflects on the first year of the Technically Speaking podcast; from software, hardware, post production, guest selection and whats next.

In today’s episode our host Harrison Wheeler is joined by David Hoang, Director of Design at Webflow, to have a dynamic conversation around coding, remote work, the importance of community building, and why everyone should have their own “Hype Doc” around. Self gratitude is so important, yet we all tend to care for others while forgetting about our own needs. You don’t want to miss this inspiring episode, so tune in now!

Jump straight into:

(01:34) - The magic behind Webflow: On building online presence without coding.

(05:30) - A day in the life of David Hoang.

(07:03) - A Zoom & Loom company: The art of getting things done remotely. 

(13:47) - How to boost productivity and experiment with creativity through the second brain.

(18:49) - Everyone needs a Hype Doc: The importance of celebrating personal achievements and embracing self-gratitude.

(23:29) - The value of constant learning and deliberate practice.

Episode Resources:

Follow David on Twitter

Subscribe to David’s weekly newsletter here

Webflow

Loom

Automattic

In this first-ever Technically Speaking live stream from the SF Design Week, Harrison Wheeler talks on stage with Alyssa Hart and Mercy Bell, the creators of T4ke Care, a unique virtual wellness event and platform. Join in and listen to Mercy and Alyssa’s journey creating this beautiful multi-sensory project built on heartwarming human stories. 

Jump straight into:

(01:36) - Who are Mercy Bell and Alyssa Hart? The journey that led them into the wellness world and creating T4ke Care.

(07:02) - What makes this wellness event unique? The audio and multi-sensory experience of T4ke Care.

(11:37) -  The everyday storytellers of the true self-care journey and how Alyssa and Mercy captured these stories. 

(17:15) - Lessons learned and the project’s future: The beauty of vulnerability and collaboration.

(22:12) - Breaking down the story: The meta-tags to curate the experience and some of Alyssa’s and Mercy’s favorite stories. 

(30:37) - From the corporate space to wellness: How to find and maintain balance.

(36:06) - How can you be a part of the T4ke Care housewarming?

(38;13) - Q&A time: The future of T4ke Care, how to contribute to the project, and Mercy's karaoke moment. 

Episode Resources:

Connect with Mercy through LinkedIn

Connect with Alyssa through LinkedIn

Brandon Anthony 

Weird Little Lines

Automattic

​Reginé Gilbert, designer and author of "Inclusive Design for a Digital World," joins the show to discuss her recent award, The James Weldon Johnson Professorship, and her work in accessibility and inclusion in the XR space. She shares her journey into UX design and how she became interested in accessibility, as well as her current focus on spatial computing, including augmented reality and virtual reality. Reginé also talks about her upcoming book, "Human Spatial Computing," and the importance of considering accessibility from the beginning when building AR/VR experiences.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover the ways Reginé is advancing XR research through The James Weldon Johnson Professorship Award
• Explore her path from novice to authority in UX Design
• Imagine the meetup that changed her perspective on what she could do as a designer, and her mission focused on inclusivity and accessibility in XR for people like her friends Thomas Logan and Nefertiti Matos
• Outline her upcoming book on AR/VR, Human Spatial Computing

Timestamps

(01:33) Introduction to the episode and guest, Reginé Gilbert

(02:46) Winning the James Weldon Johnson Professor Award

(05:17) Reflecting on the importance of doing the work and being recognized

(07:50) Icebreaker: Her obsession with Peloton

(11:19) Icebreaker: The kindness she has witnessed in New York City during the pandemic

(13:51) How life-changing encounters with Nefertiti Matos and Thomas Logan shifted her perspective on UX and accessibility

(20:04) Her focus on spatial computing and teaching a class on it

(23:38) The concept of spatial computing and her upcoming book explained

(30:04) Accessibility and building experiences in AR/VR

(33:23) A look into her second book in collaboration with Doug North Cook

About The Guest

Reginé Gilbert is a designer, author, and professor at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. She is the author of "Inclusive Design for a Digital World" and was recently awarded the James Weldon Johnson Professorship. Reginé is passionate about accessibility and inclusion in the XR (extended reality) space, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

Connect with Reginé Gilbert:

Website

Twitter

LinkedIn

Referenced Links:

Inclusive Design for a Digital World - Designing with Accessibility in Mind

NYU James Weldon Johnson Professor Appointment Article

Subway Map of Development Tools in XR

Stanford Talk About XR Tools

Join the Conversation About Accessibility

Nefertiti Matos’ Work on Halftime

What's Next:

Visit the website here.

Support...

Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

Ashley Phillips and Miro LaFlaga, Founders of Six Cinquième, an award-winning strategic branding agency in Montreal, Canada, discuss their journey in starting their agency and the lessons they've learned. They discuss the importance of flexibility, adapting to change, and prioritizing personal well-being and creativity in the workplace. They also touch on the creative industry's evolving nature and the opportunities ahead. Their dynamic and forward-thinking approach sets them apart in the agency world.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn about the key in branding and business from their experience completing a project for Will Smith's Westbrook
• Uncover the power of traditional, personalized marketing in today's industry landscape and why it outshines online transactional approaches
• Find out what drove them to take the leap into agency life and how you can do the same
• Witness the fascinating evolution of the Ash and Miro dynamic, a lesson in successful partnerships
• Examine Six Cinquième's unique approach to strategic branding – a masterclass in standing out in the creative world
• Discover the two traits that fueled their success despite facing numerous trials and errors.
• Investigate the wisdom of taking things one step at a time in your journey
• Find out why stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks are the keys to personal and professional growth

Quotes:

"We just happened to be working together on these different projects… and it just made sense to make it more official and turn it into something official." - Ashley Phillips

"We wanted to be taken more seriously, and we just had a moment of why are we doing this to ourselves?" - Miro LaFlaga

"Put yourself in uncomfortable situations as much as possible. Push yourself into the unknown and see what happens." - Miro LaFlaga

Timestamps:

(01:22) Introduction of Ashley Phillips and Miro LaFlaga

(01:47) The new social network for designers and creatives Post.cv (sic) Read.cv

(02:48) Icebreaker: How striving for fitness goals mirrors the determination and strategy in Pokémon battles

(04:56) Icebreaker: The completion of their project for Will Smith’s entertainment venture company, Westbrook, and the importance of flexibility in branding

(07:46) Icebreaker: Why they work in silence but listen to their preferred music while doing other things

(10:49) Their excitement about the opportunities in the current industry landscape and why traditional (personalized) is still the best marketing approach compared to online (transactional)

(12:54) What made them decide to start an agency

(14:16) The evolution of the Ash and Miro dynamic

(19:58) Six Cinquième as an agency and its unique approach to strategic branding

(22:23) The two traits they consider as keys to their success that kept them going despite all the trial and error

(24:13) Excitement about future projects and the importance of taking things one step at a time

(26:50) Why you should take risks and put yourself in uncomfortable situations to grow and succeed

About The Guests:

Ashley Phillips and Miro LaFlaga are the founders of Six Cinquième. This award-winning Montreal-based strategic brand consultancy guides aspiring global brands to align with an authentic vision and supports them in scaling it.

They support them in their missions to disrupt their industries and, ultimately, build a legacy that will shape a better future. Their approach is intentional and strategic because building brands that can create impactful change in a world that fears change requires careful consideration.

Connect with Ash and Miro:

Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

Summary

Did you know that technical writing is all around us?

From manuals, recipes, to tribal codified values, they have served as guides and instructions about how to live our lives for ages.

But what would you do if instructional design didn't apply to you? How do you ensure that all voices are heard, included, and valued?

To help with that, listen to this episode as Dr. Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq shares how to challenge the status quo and be inclusive through socially-just technical writing and equitable research that's relevant to your life and community.

"I think that really starts with you as the writer and understanding number one thinking through your own positionality and privilege, right? And how that affects your worldview, therefore your writing, and what you might value, what you might think is normal, what you might think isn't normal, and how that might change in different circumstances. And also how your positionality and privilege really afford you a certain power. And, as a technical communicator, or as a designer in your sphere of influence and what you are doing as a professional, you have certain affordances, right? A margin of maneuverability, and I'm using these terms that come from scholars in my field, Rebecca Walton, Natasha Jones, and Kristen Moore, but I just want to give them a shout-out."

About the Guest:

Dr. Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq (she/they) is an Iñupiaq scholar and member of the Noorvik Native Community in Northwest Alaska.

As an assistant professor of professional and technical writing at Virginia Tech, Cana's research integrates humanities and environmental sciences to support culturally appropriate environmental justice work.

Her expertise includes developing effective methods, protocols, partnerships, and programs that support community-driven and community-led environmental justice action in marginalized communities.

As the academic project lead for the Rematriation Project, she aims to create capacity and access for digital archiving of Inuit cultural, tribal, and scientific knowledges and history, which are led by Inuit; assist tribal communities in developing solutions to their own self-determinated needs, such as climate change, by developing culturally-appropriate localized approaches and solutions. 

Connect with Dr. Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq:

Website: https://www.itchuaqiyaq.com/about-me

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8Q2aqIEAAAAJ&hl=en

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4417-4534

Timestamps

(02:03) - Foraging as a hobby versus as a way of life and using technology to identify and classify plant life for decoloniality

(08:22) - Icebreaker: How to grow as a musician while playing the piano on a budget

(11:13) - Icebreaker: Value labels and stigma of body parts and the implications of having rules around what can and cannot be talked about

(17:09) - Learning while traveling from Northwest Alaska to Chile and back to Idaho

(21:15) - The most important role of an elder, the difference between Cana's culture and Western aging, and why she abstained from centering her community in her dissertation research

(25:50) - Technical writing and how it shows up in our daily lives

(30:49) - What counts as writing, how it impacts society, and how to make it socially just

(34:28) - How her passion, experience, and background played a role in pushing against academia status quo and her advice for folks who are trying to be more...

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Todays conversation is around connection. Around 60% or so of Americans were reporting, feeling lonely on a regular basis. What do we do when we don’t have the physical connection in a socially distanced world. In this episode my guest is Kat Vellos, creative, facilitator, and author of the book, We Should Get Together.

We dive into her journey from designer to entrepreneur, the importance facilitation and the four seeds of connection so you want to stay tuned in.

• We Should Get Together 
• Kat Vellos on Twitter
• Kat Vellos on Instagram
• Personal Website
• Bay Area Black Designers

Season 3 of the Technically Speaking podcast is dropping soon recorded live during this years, San Francisco Design Week. Harrison Wheeler has discussions with a host of guests including Maurice Cherry, Mercy Bell and Alyssa Hart, Mathew Barnes, Julia Fernandez, Mathew Barnes, Aladrian Goods, Anj Cheng, Nannearl Brown, Anna Kuforiji, and Priyanka Mohan.

Alexis Cotton, a Design Lead at Meta, discusses her journey into design and her experience as a neurodivergent designer. She shares her passion for storytelling and finding her voice as a designer. Alexis also talks about the challenges of making friends during the pandemic and the importance of work-life balance.



Key Takeaways:

• Learn how to rediscover hobbies, find new interests, and embrace change post-pandemic
• Discover strategies for connecting with others and transform your home into a comfortable and uniquely creative space that perfectly reflects your style
• Create impactful designs using the power of communication and storytelling
• Leverage your distinctive point of view to accomplish outstanding outcomes in your profession
• Use Alexis' tip to effectively manage remote work and maintain a work-life balance



Quotes:

"We should talk about how hard it is to make friends during the pandemic and be more upfront with people that we are close to and ask them to set us up." - Alexis Cotton

"Your design work is only as great as the way that you can articulate it." - Alexis Cotton

"With these decisions to go back to the office, be hybrid or remote, you should really think about where you do your best work." - Alexis Cotton

Timestamps:

(00:24) Introduction to the episode and guest, Alexis Cotton

(01:08) Icebreaker: Rediscovering hobbies post-pandemic

(02:52) Icebreaker: The place that best symbolizes her personality

(05:42) Icebreaker: The challenges of making new friends

(08:13) Her journey into design and the impact of the Posse Foundation on her career

(11:51) Her transition from fine arts to product design

(14:01) Her role as a Product Design Architect at Meta

(18:04) Neurodivergence and its impact on work

(20:52) The importance of storytelling and finding your voice

(28:07) Her advice on work-life balance and finding what works best for you

(28:48) How to reach Alexis Cotton

About The Guest:

Meet Alexis Cotton, a Design Lead at Meta with a fine arts and graphic design background. She has honed her skills at renowned companies like Gigster and Intuit. Alexis is passionate about storytelling and constantly strives to find her unique voice as a designer. Additionally, she is neurodivergent, which gives her a distinct perspective and helps her excel in her work.

Connect with Alexis Cotton:

LinkedIn

Referenced Links:

Learn more about Posse here.

Rent your furniture here.

What's Next:

Please leave us a rating and a review on Apple Podcast.

Support Technically Speaking by being a Patron.

Visit the website here.

Connect With Me:

Instagram

LinkedIn

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It is Friday and the end of the Technically Speaking Podcast broadcasting from the San Francisco Design Week. To wrap it up, our host Harrison Wheeler talks to artist, beer enthusiast, and design veteran, Mathew Barnes. Mathew shares some of his 24 years of experience in the design world, plus he tells us how he discovered his passion for beer. Join to discover this expert’s creative process and have a sneak peek into a live beer tasting!

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Who is Mathew Barnes? On being a cat person, his travel dreams, and his favorite music artists. 

(07:54) - The love for classical art & The Assumption of the Virgin by El Greco.

(11:27) - Mathew’s unconventional journey into the design world and his approach to creative direction. 

(18:19) - How to create a cohesive brand experience: What’s going to be the user’s first touch with your product?

(22:35) - Influences and the design process: How to study, understand and create.

(28:04) - Cheers! Mathew’s passion for beer and live tasting the Pliny The Elder. 

(37:34) - Do you drink while working? Live tasting the Death & Taxes.

(42:46) - How to appreciate a beer, art, or any creative work: Mathew’s appreciation process.

Episode Resources:

Follow Mathew on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Mathew Barnes 

JT Donaldson | Spotify

Little Dragon | Spotify

Tall Black Guy | Spotify

Freddie Gibbs | Spotify

Mathew Barnes 

The Assumption of the Virgin | The Art Institute of Chicago

Pliny The Elder 

Death & Taxes 

Automattic

Eso Tolson, a Memphis-based designer and brand strategist, shares his journey as an artist and how he developed his unique style. He reveals his passion for uplifting and inspiring people through his work, including his art projects. He also talks about finding safety and comfort in different spaces and the impact of his trip to Hawaii. He emphasizes the importance of taking breaks and finding inspiration outside of work. His love for Memphis and its vernacular language has influenced his art, which resonated with the community. He encourages creatives to stay true to themselves and make a difference.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace AI as a creative tool, not a threat
• Cultivate inclusive spaces for self-expression while respecting others
• Overcome creative blocks by taking fulfilling breaks
• Celebrate cultural influences in your art
• Use empowering words for both yourself and others

Quotes:

"AI art is just a tool to speed up the process of whatever you're trying to build." - Eso Tolson

"Feeling safe is about creating spaces where people can let their guard down and just be themselves." - Eso Tolson

"When I'm in a creative rut, I take a step back and do things that fulfill me, like taking a walk or engaging in activities unrelated to my work." - Eso Tolson

"I wanted to celebrate the vernacular language of Memphis and highlight that it doesn't diminish intelligence or other qualities." - Eso Tolson

"The words of empowerment I share are meaningful to me first, and I know that others can benefit from them too." - Eso Tolson

Timestamps:

(01:36) Introduction of Eso Tolson, The Multi-Disciplinary Artist

(03:14) Icebreaker: His current obsession with AI art and his take on new technology

(06:47) Icebreaker: What he realized about adaptability during his recent trip to Hawaii and what makes a space safe and inclusive

(11:15) Icebreaker: Discover your "coffee bean" and how it can help you break your creative rut

(13:42) From track star to artist: His journey from East St. Louis, IL to Memphis, TN

(20:49) How he developed his unique and authentic lettering style, his love letter Spectacular Vernacular to Memphis, and why Memphis embraced it

(28:11) The reason he shows up online and shares empowering messages to others

(31:42) How creativity isn't just for artists, and how every person is creative in their own way

(32:45) Where to find Eso online

About The Guest:

Eso Tolson is a Memphis-based multi-disciplinary artist and creative director known for his unique lettering style and ability to uplift, inspire, and celebrate people through his work. He specializes in hand-lettering for branding, editorial, and commercial projects. He is also an accomplished speaker and shared his story and philosophy on TEDx Talks "Less Grind, More Chill."

Connect with Eso Tolson:

Instagram

Referenced Links:

Watch Less Grind, More Chill on TEDx

Spectacular Vernacular: Eso’s Love Letter to Memphis

What's Next:

Please leave us a rating and a review on Apple Podcast.

Support Technically Speaking by being a

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Jasmine Orange works as UX lead at Ernst & Young. In this episode, we talk about her background in industrial design and her passion for designing beyond the screens. Jasmine shares her vision on design principles that need to be fixed and the value of open communication within design environments. Join us and connect with Jasmine’s philosophy of hard work (and taking breaks)!

Jump straight into:

(02:15) - Breaking the ice with Jasmine Orange: Meet the talented designer and current UX lead at Ernst & Young.

(07:38) - Context over consistency: Ultramarathons, sign language, quantum computation and the need to improve accessibility guidelines in UX design.

(14:59) - Industrial design (with some digital aspects): Jasmine’s development process to become a lead designer.

(23:31) - Commitment or visualization? What was Jasmine’s intention when she decided out-loud to take the UX design path? 

(24:38) - Better research for new principles: How is Jasmine’s Masters program adding value to what she is doing now (and what she wants to do next)?

(28:03) - AR & VR’s missing layer: What are some other areas of design that Jasmine is passionate about?

(30:43) - Start a conversation: What’s the motivation behind Jasmine’s courage to do a lot of talks? What are the topics that she has covered?

Episode Resources:

Connect with Jasmine through LinkedIn and Twitter

Season 5 is right around the corner. Our featured guests include Jasmine Orange, Dan Mall, Timothy Bardlavens, Catt Small, and Chris Thoms.

The new season kicks off on Tuesday, April 26th with new episodes released every other week.

Jump straight into:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:26) - Figma Config

(02:18) -  The Technically Speaking Product Design Glossary

(02:48) - Jasmine Orange, designer at EY talks about why moving fast and breaking things isn't always a good idea.

(04:27) - Dan Mall, founder of design systems agency, SuperFriendly discusses his design ethos and how he believes that everyone is a creator.

(06:05) - Catt Small, Staff Designer at Asana discusses the importance of senior IC's and the importance in organizations and as a career trajectory.

(08:10) - Timothy Bardlavens discusses his definition of chaotic good and how he applies that to his work at Meta.

(09:35) - Chris Thoms shares how he got in touch with the children and communities that he's designing for and how that is now a part of his purpose at NWEA

Figma Config Register

The Technically Speaking Product Design Glossary: 118 Terms You Need To Know Download

Follow Technically Speaking on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Join us on an insightful journey with Leslie Miley, a tech industry veteran and advisor to the CTO of Microsoft. In this episode, we explore topics of leadership, courage, representation, and the unique perspective of an introverted business influencer. Leslie shares his remarkable career path, spanning from diverse experiences of privilege to marginalization, providing valuable insights into the tech industry. Discover how he hacked his way to success and gain thought-provoking perspectives on leadership, oppression, and navigating marginalization in the tech world. Don't miss this engaging conversation with Leslie Miley, where we challenge conventional norms and explore the untold stories of the tech industry.

About the Guest:

Leslie Miley (he/him), The Complicated Man Who Risks his neck for non-binary peeps, trans folk, women and men, currently works as a Partner Technical Advisor to Microsoft CTO.

Empathy, self-awareness, and coffee are three of the things he's trying to get better at. He has extensive experience building, motivating, and managing globally-distributed teams with different cultural backgrounds. He's an expert at designing and implementing development best practices to manage geographically-distributed teams. 

An amazing technologist who worked as the 1st CTO at The Obama Foundation, he also held leadership roles at Google, Slack, Twitter, and Apple. He also invests in a number of start-up companies around the world.

Connect with Leslie Miley:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaft

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliehm/

Medium: https://shaft.medium.com/

Timestamps

(01:03) - How Leslie's engineering background helped him keep up with his physical activities, maintain his fitness level, and track his progress during the pandemic

(04:34) - Icebreaker: The groundbreaking intro song he would play upon entering an arena or walking onstage

(06:05) - Icebreaker: The subject he would instantly become an expert in if he’s given a chance and how he’d use it to solve problems

(07:54) - Icebreaker: His current obsession: How to inspire leaders to be courageous; and why he thinks voter suppression contributed to Roe v. Wade getting overturned

(09:46) - Voter suppression, lack of representation, how leaders use their current position as a stepping stone to higher office instead of serving their people, and what they should focus on instead

(13:13) - Why the public sector lacks experts in technology

(15:10) - Taking the cue from Dave Chappelle about the need for grace and space to grow and the importance of acknowledging that people can change

(17:00) - Hacking systems and access as a hallmark of his career, and charging his own adventure and career in tech as a person of color

(22:25) - The experiences that almost made him quit his tech job, the two reasons why he chose to stay, and the constant battle between changing the world vs. trying to survive through tech

(24:54) - How tech jobs are transformational for women and people of color, why it’s okay for white people to quit tech, and what reverse friends and family round means in meeting BIPOC hierarchy of needs

(27:41) - What it means to be a leader (how to pick good model leaders and how to spot the a*****e ones), and the challenges he faced in his leadership journey and transformation

(31:53) - His inspiration for his leadership style and why he took a step back from leadership roles

(33:19) - Working through trauma by forgiving himself and accepting he's a work-in-progress, the difficulties in being an authentic human...

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In this episode of Technically Speaking, our host Harrison Wheeler talks to UX Director at Google Aastha Gaur. She takes us on a journey through the different teams she’s been a part of in Google, how the insides of this enormous company work, and the story of how she got into UX Design and leadership. Join this conversation and have a sneak peek into the job of the people who make our online user experience flow effortlessly in our day-to-day! 

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Aastha’s work as UX Director at Google: Working at a huge scale to support customers throughout the globe. 

(03:51) - The four pillars of UX execution: How Google’s team performs at a high level and Aastha’s leadership management. 

(10:51) - How much influence can a UX designer have on Google?: The roadmap for creativity inside a giant decentralized company. 

(15:09) - How Aastha got into design: Her journey optimizing for day-to-day happiness.

(23:10) - Challenging stereotypes and staying true: Aastha’s Indian background and her identity as a designer.

(26:56) - How to maintain balance in and out of work: Brunch, dancing, and feminine energy in Corporate America. 

(32:42) - A piece of advice for designers building their careers: Dive into the power of divergent thinking!

Episode Resources:

Connect with Aastha through LinkedIn

Automattic

Aastha Gaur

In this episode of Technically Speaking, our host Harrison Wheeler sits with Dominique Ward, Design Operations Leader at Atlassian to talk about design operations, how to build a successful op team, and how to get into that career path in 2021. Join this conversation and learn what this silent but crucial part of design is pushing the industry forward every day. Plus listen to this amazing leader share her experience!

Jump straight into:

(01:30) - Who is Dominique Ward? Her career as a lead design of operations and some questions to get to know her better. 

(11:58) - What is design operations and some of its challenges: Amplifying the value and impact of design. 

(15:50) - How to build a design operations team today: The different versions of op teams, figuring out the stream of work, and understanding where pain points come from. 

(23:34) - Working in a dynamic collective experience: Ways of working and problem-solving in a complex, ever-changing environment. 

(25:59) - Getting into design operations in 2021: What is the career ladder into this “newer field”?

(29:06) - Dominique’s passions outside the office: Traveling, arts, and leaning into happiness. 

(34:07) - Some parting words of wisdom, embrace the remix!: “Innovative things have been taking what someone else has already started, and putting your own spin on it.”

Episode Resources:

Connect with Dominique through LinkedIn

AUTOMATTIC

Meredith Black Brant // Design Ops

Clubhouse | DesignOps Corner

Summary

One positive thing about the pandemic is quarantine scheming.

Many innovative ideas were born out of it, one of which is HmntyCntrd. What the industry needs are finally being addressed, thanks to Vivianne Castillo and her team. They are passionate about it and can call it out for what it is: How to be human-centered. Because to be human-centered, you must go above and beyond being relevant and performative.

For issues as systematic as this, no matter where we end up on our corporate journey, there will always be things that aren't right. Not everyone is willing to think about these things.

So check this episode out to learn more about Vivianne, her team, their work within trauma's context, its cycles, and how to be a trauma-informed leader with HmntyCntrd.

About the Guest:

Vivianne Castillo, who has over 8+ years of experience in psychology and research, founded HmntyCntrd in 2020. Several media outlets have featured her work and opinions, including Slate, Fortune, Huffington Post, Fast Company, and ELLE Magazine.

Throughout her career, she has influenced executives, taught others about trauma-informed care, and empowered others to challenge the status quo in Fortune 500 companies. As a human services professional with a multicultural upbringing and with a love of cognitive behavioral psychology, she brings a unique perspective to her work as an entrepreneur, organizational designer, and innovator.

Connect with Vivianne Castillo:

Website: https://hmntycntrd.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vccastillo/

Timestamps

(01:44) - Icebreaker: How Vivianne's desire to break free of her unhealthy, toxic, codependent relationship with corporate America led her to help other professionals fight back against capitalism

(04:59) - Icebreaker: How to learn and explore new things through reading, playing with babies, traveling, and riding a bike

(06:14) - Icebreaker: Sitcom over reality TV, which show she’d like to be on, and why

(07:48) - How she bridged her love of people with business and helping others

(10:20) - Her realization of how broken the industry is after attending the O'Reilly Design Conference and the one speaker that gave her hope

(16:38) - Creating her own voice, brand, and thought work instead of over-indexing on her relationship with any of her employers

(19:21) - How losing herself felt like versus how healing from workplace trauma and hardship looked like

(23:04) - HmntyCntrd’s beliefs and three areas of content

(25:29) - The huge differences between burnout and trauma

(28:53) - What the great resignation is really telling us and how to prepare for the new generation of workforce in the next 10 years

(30:14) - The future of work: Trauma-informed and healthy workplace relationships

(31:13) - What's on the horizon for HmntyCntrd

(33:10) - 4 tips on how to build dreams, fulfill desires, and develop interests

Resource:

1. Learn more about the resources, podcasts, and community.
2. https://www.technicallyspeakinghw.com
3. Support the Technically Speaking podcast by becoming a patron.
4. Get early access to episodes and free swags by becoming a supporter.
5. https://www.patreon.com/technicallyspeakinghw?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
6. Get my free...
   
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Krislam Chin, a designer and educator based in West LA, shares her journey in the design industry and her passion for teaching. She discusses the importance of travel for creative individuals and the need for designers to experience the world. Her studio, Hello World Studio, aims to provide opportunities for emerging designers. She emphasizes the importance of not defining success based on external factors and encourages emerging designers always to acknowledge opportunities.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn the importance of travel for creative individuals to gain new perspectives and experiences
• Understand why designers should have the experience to stay relevant in the industry
• Discover how her studio, Hello World Studio, aims to provide opportunities for emerging designers
• Explain the responsibility of Millennials to prepare the field for future design workforce and what we all can learn from Gen Z
• Find out Krislam’s success tips for emerging designers

Quotes:

"If you stay in one place for too long, you just need to see different things, be with other people." - Krislam Chin

"Success is what you determine what success is." - Krislam Chin

"Never let the world define what success looks like to you." - Krislam Chin

Timestamps:

(02:27) Introduction to Krislam Chin, how she met Harrison, and the benefits of traveling to creative individuals

(04:53) How she achieved her ultimate dream of being submerged in education as a student, educator, and studio owner

(07:04) The interplay between teaching and being a student running a studio and the importance of providing experience for emerging designers

(10:41) Acknowledging the challenges and responsibilities of students, making dreams come true for emerging designers and companies through Hello World Studio, and her motivation to move to Downtown LA

(15:25) What we can learn from Gen Z, reflecting on the stress and toxic culture in design, and the responsibility of Millennials to prepare the field for future design workforce

(24:48) From What If to Why Not: Success Tips for Emerging Designers 

(31:01) Why the individual, not external factors, define success

(34:12) How she radically accepted herself as a fun teacher using rubber duckies

(37:44) How to get in touch with Krislam and collaboration with small businesses

(38:48) Her appreciation for the podcast and community-building efforts

About The Guest:

Krislam Chin is a designer and educator based in West LA. With a passion for teaching, she has pursued a career in graphic design and recently launched Hello World Studio. She is dedicated to providing opportunities for emerging designers and helping them gain the experience they need to succeed in the industry.

Connect with Krislam Chin:

Website

Hello World Studio

LinkedIn

Referenced Links:

Michael Dahms

Two Backpacks Book

What's Next:

Please leave us a rating and a review on Apple...

Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

Renee Reid has over 20 years of professional experience including, Project Management, Sales, and Customer Success, that has all contributed to her successful career as a Staff UX Design Researcher in Silicon Valley.

We’ll taking about The art and science of design research and discuss tactical ways to tactically apply methods and drive the value of research in business settings.

• Renee's LinkedIn


• Renee's Twitter


• Renee's Instagram


• The State of Black Design

I have the pleasure of speaking with Farai Madzima. He is a design manager at Shopify and the founder of South Africa's premier design conference, PixelUp!. 

Today's theme. The craft of management. 

Farai takes us in his meandering path to becoming a user experience designer as well as his transition into management with some helpful tips. I'm sure folks that are going into a leadership pathway are sure to take some value out of

But don't take my word for it. Here's him in his own words. 

"When we build trust, if you and I are working together on a team, And when we built trust, that is beyond trusting in our work skills, but trust that is based on us having spent time, no, each other's individuals.

And what's important to you. What is Harrison, you know, working towards this organization and what am I working towards? Harrison has felt comfortable to share with me, you know, the areas that he's developing. And he said, you know what, I'm really, you know, I'm not good at this yet. I'm trying to work on this when you, and I feel comfortable to say, you know, you're better than me at this.

Can you teach me how to do that? When we have that kind of trust where I can say that we work entirely differently, because then we can have the conversations that really help you and I grow. And when you scale that up and you've got, you know, a team of eight 16 people doing that, um, you can have much more vulnerable conversations that allow the team to grow that where mistakes are allowed to be made."

Adekunle Oduye, a Design Engineer at Plaid, discusses his journey from art to design to engineering and how he became a design engineer. He emphasizes the importance of understanding both design and code and communicating and collaborating effectively. He also talks about his podcast, "Code & Pixels," which aims to provide practical guidance and insights for those interested in design engineering. He encourages listeners to try new things and not be afraid to fail to learn and grow. 

Key Takeaways:

• Discover the importance of understanding design and code to bridge the gap between the two disciplines
• Understand why design engineers should be comfortable with ambiguity, project management skills, and excellent communication and collaboration
• Learn the power of trying new things and not being afraid to fail to learn and innovate

Quotes:

"I think for me, it's always, you're going to learn best by doing. That's how I learned, I was like, all right, I'm going to build this thing. I have no clue. I'm going to build it, but I'm just going to figure it out." - Adekunle Oduye

"Don't be afraid to try new things. You're going to try things and it's going to be frustrating and you're going to feel down about yourself. But I think that's like anything, it's like you're going to suck at first." - Adekunle Oduye

Timestamps:

(01:20) Introduction to Adekunle Oduye and his experience in design and engineering

(01:54) Icebreaker: His current obsession with going to museums

(03:23) Icebreaker: His interest in incorporating AI into his work

(05:29) Icebreaker: His preference for lo-fi hip-hop music while working

(06:54) His background in art and transition to design and engineering

(11:32) Evaluating the role of a design engineer based on project needs

(15:28) Core competencies of a design engineer: ambiguity, project management, communication

(21:05) "Code & Pixels Podcast and its impact

(24:58) His upcoming speaking engagements

(26:31) Why you should try new things and not be afraid to fail

About The Guest:

Adekunle Oduye, a design engineer at Plaid, is based in Brooklyn, New York. With a background in art and design, Adekunle has a unique perspective on the intersection of design and engineering. He is passionate about using AI in his work and constantly explores ways to leverage it in design systems. He is also the co-host of the podcast "Code & Pixels," where he discusses various topics related to design engineering.

Connect with Adekunle Oduye:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Code & Pixels

Referenced Links:

That Conference

Converge US

What's Next:

Please leave us a rating and a review on Apple Podcast.

Support Technically Speaking by being a

Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

Black designers make up 3% of the entire industry.That was the report that came out of the 2019 AIGA design census report. 

That includes graphic designers, illustrators, web designers, UX designers, a wide sweeping set of roles. This number is also the foundational problem addressed by an initiative turn movement called where are the black designers? It was co-founded by my guests in this episode, Mitzi Okou. We walked through exciting developments in her career and the origins behind the, Where Are The Black Designers movement and what's in the organization's future.

• https://www.mitziokou.com/


• http://www.wherearetheblackdesigners.com

In this episode of Technically Speaking, our host Harrison Wheeler talks to Jay Demetillo, lead designer at Grab in the Singapore team. Jay tells us about the differences he’s found since moving to South East Asia almost four years ago, both in the social aspect of life as well as in the design scene and the workflow within companies. What can we learn about Asian design and what has Jay been bringing to the table? Join in and listen to how to navigate cultural differences and contribute to growing the UX community abroad.

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Who is Jay Demetillo? His journey through the design world and his transition into the design scene in Singapore. 

(05:35) - Cultivating a bigger design scene in SouthEast Asia through events, podcasts, and clubs.

(07:49) - Clubhouse vs. Spaces: The pros and cons of different audio platforms and how they’ve helped people connect during the pandemic.

(13:30) - Working in South East Asia: The cultural differences in the product design process.

(16:30) - Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: The participation of Asian Americans in high-level positions in the U.S. and managing a team on an Asian multicultural company.

(24:59) - Working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week: How to find balance and wellness in a super hard-working culture.

(27:30) - Jay’s side hustle: Building a sustainable eco-friendly shoe company and the story behind it.

(30:38) - A piece of advice for young designers: “There's always been a seat at the table. We just haven't sat down yet.” 

Episode Resources:

Connect with Jay Demetillo through LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Jason Demetillo

Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling by Jane Hyun

Traces | Apple Podcast | Spotify

AUTOMATTIC

We will be diving into the fascinating story of the rise and fall of InVision. In this episode, join host Harrison Wheeler and special guest Jay Demetillo as they take you on a journey through the history of InVision and discuss the impact it had on the design industry. They explore the evolution of design tools, from the days of Photoshop and Dreamweaver to the emergence of Sketch and the game-changing introduction of InVision. Join us as we reminisce about the challenges designers faced, the joy of collaborative work, and the race to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving design tool landscape.

About The Guest(s):

Jay Demetillo is a design practitioner with extensive experience in the industry. He has traveled the world giving talks on design and has a deep understanding of the importance of inclusive design and bringing value to design through business.

Key Takeaways:

• InVision was a disruptive design tool that gained popularity in 2014-2015 with its cloud-based sharing and commenting features.
• InVision failed to keep up with competitors like Sketch and Figma due to a lack of updates and communication.
• Invision's collaborative tool, Freehand tool was acquired by Miro in 2023.
• Invsion announced their termination of services by end of the 2024 calendar year.

Show notes:

00:00 Introduction and Birthday Celebration

00:29 The Rise and Fall of InVision

02:04 The Evolution of Design Tools

02:23 The Emergence of Collaborative Work

02:51 Insights and Anecdotes

03:52 Jay's World Tour and Talks

06:39 The Rise and Fall of Envision: A Discussion

10:10 The Challenges of Designing for Multiple Devices

11:39 The Emergence of Sketch

17:01 The Role of Zeppelin in the Design Process

18:13 Discussing Envision's Early Days

18:41 Introduction to Envision's Features

20:22 The Impact on User Testing

22:14 Marketing and Community Engagement

24:30 Investment and Funding

25:17 Product Updates and Innovations

27:32 The Downfall of InVision Studio

33:17 Reflecting on InVision's Missteps

35:10 Final Thoughts on InVision's Journey

I sit down with Angelica McKinley, who is currently a Creative Director at Google. She has such an array of experiences that go from design and writing for the New York Times, coding, and communication design. In this episode, we’ll talk about what equity in illustration means and the important role it plays as brands need to have a point of view on social issues and set courses of action to address them. 

Want to have a conversation that goes deeper than pixels? Look no further. I'm Harrison Wheeler, host of the podcast, Technically Speaking. I've built design teams over the past decade. And one constant thing is that growth does not happen without perspective. I sit down with the movers and shakers within the design and technology industry to talk about current issues, their passions, and the stories behind their journeys. Simply put, it's a podcast about the human experience. To find out more, head to http://gettechnical.io. 

We are back for our third installment of After Hours. If you all aren't familiar with the concept of after hours, it is essentially an extension of episodes that we've recorded throughout our past seasons. In this case is a continuation of my conversation with Farai Madzima on the Craft of Management. 

We reflect a bit on my journey into design and management. And the importance of paving the way for underrepresented groups into careers of design. As always, If anything comes to mind, you have any thoughts, questions, or comments. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter @hmwheele or the Technically Speaking @gettechnicalpod. Enjoy!   

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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gettechnical/support

Technically Speaking is a podcast by Harrison Wheeler about BIPOC designers, entrepreneurs & technologists sharing their unique stories of triumph and resilience

Episode description

In this episode of Technically Speaking, our host Harrison Wheeler talks to web designer, content management expert, and author Preston So about the new user experiences in web design enabled by spatial and spoken content. He explains why the web is in the middle of a massive transition and how you can be part of it as a designer. Join in and listen to Harrison and Preston discuss the future of the web and the latest challenges these changes have brought to the industry. 

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Who is Preston So? His experience in the web development industry and content management. 

(05:27) - The web is going through a transition!: The new paradigms to take into account and the latest opportunities in spatial and spoken content.

(09:59) - Why is voice tech top of mind now?: The humanness of conversation and enabling access for a broader population. 

(16:30) - Handling new tools and challenges: How voice tech can assist the state government and the need for content management.

(20:21) - Today’s biggest challenges regarding new technology: The conversational singularity and the possibility of biases seeping into voice interfaces.

(26:41) - Conversation design for designers: The current picture of voice tech and a piece of advice for those who are looking to get into the industry.

(31:58) - Using voice technology to amplify our voices and how to find Preston’s new book. 

(35:16) - Sharing information through writing: How Preston got into writing and how he maintains his muscle for it. 

 Episode Resources:

Connect with Preston through LinkedIn

Preston.so

Automattic

Decoupled Drupal in Practice by Preston So 

Gatsby The Definitive Guide by Preston So 

Immersive Content Strategy by Preston So

Eva PenzeyMoog is the author of "Design for Safety," the founder of The Inclusive Safety Project, and the principal designer at 8th Light. She is a strong supporter of protecting the weakest, particularly when it comes to interpersonal violence. In this episode, we addressed design ethics, how technology may harm other people, and the most frequent and alarming violations. Join along and learn more about how the Process for Inclusive Safety may be able to resolve the problem.

Jump straight into:

(01:43)  - Introducing Eva Penzey Moog: Her journey to protecting the most vulnerable and how technology contributes to domestic violence.  

(06:36) - The possible technological angle for policy is to begin connecting vulnerable groups with technology.

(10:02) - Eva's book 'Designed for Safety' explores the uncomfortable topic of people in technology causing harm and how to address this issue through a safety process.

(16:40) - The most efficient and quick method of implementing the process for inclusive safety.

(19:24) - The three most common and very concerning tech violation issues.

(23:07) - New technologies like Metaverse, NFTs, and cryptocurrency have the potential to reproduce injustices in a system without regulations.

(26:24) - More about Eva’s Inclusive Safety Project: a space to educate about preventing tech from facilitating domestic violence and other interpersonal harm.

Episode Resources:

Connect with Eva through Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Eve PenzeyMood |  Homepage.

The Inclusive Safety Project |  Homepage. 

Book Design for Safety

The Creative Director Dan Mall joins the show to talk about his career path and the moments that led him to start SuperFriendly, his own agency that is all about design systems. Dan shares his ethos and explains why he considers himself as an intentional person. We explore some of the key moments within the foundation of SuperFriendly and we talk about the practices that companies value the most when it comes to working with agencies. Listen and discover what design agencies and Hollywood movies have in common!

Jump straight into:

(01:33) - Introducing Dan Mall: A family man and professional leader who believes that everyone is creative.

(06:52) - Icebreaker questions: A day in Dan’s life, his latest obsession and why people describe him as intentional.

(13:52) -  “People value design”: Dan’s background, influences and events that got him into design.

(19:35) - What is SuperFriendly? Get to know Dan’s agency model and why it’s similar to Hollywood.

(22:48) - A decade in the business: Exploring some of the key moments within the foundation of SuperFriendly.

(31:54) - “Narrow positioning draws more clients”: What is SuperFriendly's main focus in 2022?

(36:19) - A centralized-package-managed-version-controlled-software-product: The evolution of SuperFriendly’s concept for design systems throughout the years.

(43:01) - Try to help people: What is Dan looking forward to in the following years? When is his next book being published?

Episode Resources:

Connect with Dan through LinkedIn and Twitter

Dan Mall | Homepage

SuperFriendly

Thinking is Work - Dan Eden

Design is the Rendering of Intent - Jared M. Spool

David Silva is a web developer and founder of Techqueria, the largest community of Latinx professionals in the tech industry, with over 18,000 members. In this episode, we explore his tech path, from learning to code as a young child in Colombia to studying religion in Israel, working in startups in San Francisco, and finally settling in New York. We also talk about how difficult it can be to start a business as a minority and how important it is to find and create a community.

Jump straight into:

(01:27) - Icebreaker questions: David’s philosophy and mindset, his latest obsession, and the two words that describe him the most. 

(10:46) - Introducing David Silva: a man who is always around education and goes wherever his curiosity leads him. 

(14:45) - David’s journey to engineering. 

(17:14) - The biggest challenges of owning a consulting firm and working as a freelancer. 

(23:21) - The motivation behind TETA: a safe community for Latinos who work in tech. 

(30:17 ) - The importance of finding a community to encourage and empower one another. 

Episode Resources:

Connect with David through Instagram and Twitter.   

Techqueria | Homepage  

Harrison sits down with Noah Bond, a User Experience Researcher at LinkedIn. The duo fields questions from aspiring UX designers on topics around job hunting, design tools, and superpowers those have when making a career pivot.

George Aye discusses his journey in design and the unique perspective he brings as an Adjunct Professor and Co-Founder of Greater Good Studio. He shares his current obsession and efforts to improve his diet and overall health. He also delves into the importance of design ethics and the need for a shared understanding and framework in the industry. He highlights the challenges and opportunities of working with different types of clients and the responsibility of tackling complex social issues through design.

Key Takeaways:

• Prioritize design ethics by promoting shared understanding and framework
• Design with mindfulness to prevent harm, especially when working with vulnerable populations.
• Embrace a human-centered approach as the design industry evolves.
• Maintain a balance between optimism and frustration when tackling complex social issues, acknowledging the challenges while staying hopeful.
• Approach your work with purpose by being empathetic and innovative in your designs 

Quotes:

"I want them to remember these meals so they have that baseline palate. Not that I need them to have a high fine dining palette, but just like they will associate love and connection through food, I want to be somewhat responsible for that." - George Aye

"And because there isn't really much in the way of a standard or a single definition, if you will, it becomes incredibly risky, I think, to expose those teams to human subjects." - George Aye 

"I've been really pleased to see how sophisticated our clients are becoming around knowing that there's still a gap in our understanding around these humans that we care for and we protective of and we serve and we want to get closer to what that gap is. - George Aye

"Don't say that this is the same of getting someone approved for food stamps or not. They are not the same. And that rhetoric around it being impactful I get, but it is not equivalent to direct reconciliation around systemic issues, around harm and around race and identity that are present because to make those equivalent to me feels like, grossly inappropriate." - George Aye 

"The term pissed-off optimist comes from my co-founder, Sara Cantor, and it aptly describes, I think, for the two of us, the inherent tension in wanting to remain hopeful that something can still happen. But mad as hell that something hasn't happened yet, because there's a lot to be upset about. And I think, if anything, it's about recognizing we would believe. I don't think it's healthy or sustainable to be only one of those two things. - George Aye

"It's not about having money. They are denied getting their foot onto the wealth generating mechanism that is homeownership." - George Aye

"What do we have to do this work? What right do we have to show up to any of these spaces and have anything to say?" - George Aye

Timestamps:

(01:22) Introduction to George Aye, Co-Founder of Greater Studio in Chicago

(02:21) Icebreaker: His current obsession with Poke Bowls and diet

(07:33) Icebreaker: The lack of industry-wide ethical framework in design

(15:18) Icebreaker: His surprise at the number of clients seeking their expertise

(20:52) His background in design and transition to the social sector

(28:22) The concept of being a "pissed-off optimist"

(32:41) Overview of the types of projects Greater Studio works on

(36:41) The responsibility and approach to working on diverse topics

(39:21) How to find out more about Greater Studio and their work

About The Guest:

George Aye is the Co-Founder of Greater Good Studio...

Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

What does it take to start a business? Is it by having the money or by having investors? Does it depend on having social capital? Or both?

Would you believe that it all starts in your head? It all starts with ONE idea that solves a problem. And it's not impossible that 3,000 miles away, someone will pay for that solution you came up with.

By taking that first baby step, you're choosing to embark on your journey, from which you'll learn a lot, whether it becomes successful or not.

Listen to this episode with Stephen Green to learn about how he started his career in finance and as an entrepreneur. Learn how he uses his background to support Black-owned businesses in Portland through PitchBlack, and how he helped A Kids Book About to start challenging, empowering, and important conversations with kids.

About the Guest:

Stephen Green (he/him) from Portland, Oregon is a Blatino who has spreadsheets as his super power and sneakers as his kryptonite. As a result of living in Portland his whole life, he's become a person that gobbles up relationships and community. Like most entrepreneurs, his journey began with his parents who were both entrepreneurs while he was growing up. While his mom started a tech company, his dad worked for Intel for a long time before starting his own HR company with Intel as their main client. And he’s now passed this on to his oldest daughter, who also started a business during the pandemic and now takes him out to dinner.

A husband, father, recovering banker, and VC, he’s also the founder of PitchBlack, a pitch competition he started in 2015 that highlights black founders in regions across the country who strive for community over competition. It has expanded to include events in Seattle, Austin, and Philadelphia. And to date, 100 founders have pitched their ideas, more than 1,000 people have attended the combined events, and more than $100,000 has been awarded directly to the winning companies. In addition, the Portland winners have raised an additional $40M in funding since 2015. 

A startup mentor and advisor to portfolio firms at Backstage Capital, he also held positions at these companies: Director of Operations at PENSOLE, COO at A Kids Book About, and Community Director at WeWork. He co-authored A Kids Book About Family and he's a contributor to A Kids Book About Public Speaking by TEDxPortland, a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization, where speakers and performers share ideas on a wide range of topics to bring people together and spark deep discussion and connection.

Connect with Stephen Green:

• Twitter: @PDXStephenG
• Instagram: @PDXStephenG
• PitchBlack: https://www.pitchblackpdx.com/
• A Kids Book About: https://akidsco.com/

Timestamps

(02:33) - Icebreaker: How Stephen Green became "The Guy Who Knows Everybody"

(04:06) - Icebreaker: What America looks like through the eyes of immigrants

(04:53) - Icebreaker: His sneaker collection and his three Grail shoes

(07:25) - One of the few things that can give you true gratification

(08:07) - The two kinds of people in the world

(08:44) - His educational background, career in banking, and working with founders

(10:18) - What being part of a community is all about and how you can participate in yours better

(12:16) - PitchBlack's success story

(13:54) - How PitchBlack started and what to watch out for next

(16:53) - Being a Blatino while having his own identity in and out of the home

(19:34) - Why he thinks now is the easiest, cheapest, and quickest time to start a business

(20:45) - The over-glamorized world of entrepreneurship and what you should be focusing on instead before raising money for your business

(23:55) - The core tenets of starting and/or running a business

(25:45) - Ways your Mission, Vision, and Values

Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Technically Speaking podcast live on the SF Design Week, our host Harrison Wheeler talks to the UX Research Corner crew, a 30k+ follower Clubhouse room where they talk about the nuances and intricacies of the UX research field. Tune in and learn how these awesome women opened up the conversation on tech and built a community through such an innovative space as is Clubhouse. 

Jump straight into:

(01:35) - Who is the diverse crew from UX Corner? Favorite whiteboarding tools, future travel plans, and their go-to activities to relax. 

(15:18) - The origin story of the UX Research Corner: Finding researchers and UX designers through Clubhouse.

(21:23) - How they organize the conversation for every room: Structure, notes, surveys, and maintaining the topics fresh. 

(24:33) - The impact of Clubhouse on everyone as individuals: Making friends, chemistry and stickiness.

(28:51) - Women of color leading the discussion: On representation and how long it took for men to join the conversation.

(33:11) - Opening up the conversation: On being vocal about processes, sharing experiences, and demystifying the field. 

(39:59) - Reoccurring themes and what excites the crew about their work: The power of expression, passion, community, and perspective. 

Episode Resources:

UX Research Corner 

UX Research Corner - Clubhouse 

UXR Corner / Twitter 

Automattic

My guest is Theresa slate and she is a multidisciplinary designer in diversity and inclusion consultant. Who's been crafting meaningful experience. In a range of industries, including consumer electronics, retail, and healthcare. She supported organizations, both in-house and outside as a consultant, which we'll get into. 

She'll take us from school in Cincinnati to Seattle, Palo Alto and Chicago where she is currently a design lead at Northern Trust.  We dive into designing systems at scale and the challenges associated with that, and what innovation means when working at a large legacy companies. 

Kendall "Boo Boo" Howse, a Senior Designer, Illustrator, and Musician, discusses his design journey, which started with creating artwork for his music projects that eventually led to him freelancing full-time. He shares his passion for Dungeons & Dragons and its evolution to becoming a more inclusive and cooperative game. He emphasizes the importance of community and inclusivity in design and shares his experiences advocating for diversity and equity in the tech industry. He also encourages slow progress and reevaluation of solutions to create meaningful change.

Key Takeaways:

• Experience cooperative storytelling and communication through Dungeons & Dragons
• Follow his journey from creating band merchandise to becoming a full-time freelancer and eventually joining the tech industry
• Explore his commitment to creating inclusive spaces and advocating for marginalized communities within the Bay Area Black Designers community
• Learn about community, collaboration, allyship, and systemic change from his perspective
• Reflect on the challenges and opportunities of working in the tech industry as a designer and on the need for progress and meaningful action

Quotes:

"If I believe that I am to do this alone, if I believe that the best ideas available to me are already in my head, I am doomed to fail." - Kendall "Boo Boo" Howse

"In alternative spaces, we have the power to set our own rules and create new realities." - Kendall "Boo Boo" Howse

"Every once in a while, we need to take stock and see if there has actually been progress forward." - Kendall "Boo Boo" Howse

Timestamps:

(01:28) Introduction of the multi-talented Kendall "Boo Boo" Howse

(02:24) Icebreaker: How playing Dungeons & Dragons impacts him as a designer

(06:31) The history of his nickname "Boo Boo" and why he sought out alternative culture as a kid

(10:02) Feeling isolated after the Murder of George Floyd, the transformation of his music from despair and frustration to hope and encouragement, and the self-made CEO myth

(17:39) His path into design, freelancing, and how he almost lost his home

(24:03) ERGs and Bay Area Black Designers: His career in tech and inclusion

(26:29) The importance of allyship to get through marginalization and isolation and how to make a meaningful impact in the workplace

(31:04) How to measure systemic change and the importance of knowing the differences between no progress, slow progress, and false progress

(32:21) Ways to get in touch with Kendall

About The Guest:

Kendall "Boo Boo" Howse is a Senior Designer, Illustrator, and Musician based in Oakland, California. With a background in DIY punk rock bands, he developed a passion for design and visual communication. He has freelanced for various clients and worked in-house at CoreOS, later acquired by Red Hat and IBM. He also actively promotes diversity and inclusion in the tech industry by helping companies form ERGs, co-chairing Bay Area Black Designers, and facilitating Frame Shift Consulting.

Connect with Kendall "Boo Boo" Howse:

Email

Instagram

Referenced Links:

Dungeons & Dragons

Mass Arrest

Zulu

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I'm excited to welcome Arlan Hamilton to our show. Arlan is a trailblazer in the venture capital world, focusing on helping underrepresented founders. She has a deep passion for both the business and personal aspects of her work, and she's here to share her incredible journey and insights with us.

Summary

In our conversation, Arlan opens up about her love for "General Hospital" and how her personal challenges, including overcoming homelessness and addiction, have shaped her mission in venture capital. She also dives into her latest book, "Your First Million," providing practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Key Takeaways

* Arlan is dedicated to diversifying the entrepreneurial world by supporting founders who often get overlooked.

* Her book, "Your First Million," is a must-read for entrepreneurs, packed with strategies on navigating the business landscape.

* Arlan's story is a powerful reminder that personal struggles can fuel a mission to create positive change.

* For entrepreneurs, it's vital to have a clear vision that aims to benefit more than just oneself.

* Preparation and self-funding are crucial steps before seeking external investment.

Let's dive into the details of our chat and learn more from Arlan's experiences and wisdom.

Notable Quotes

* "I only do what I want to do. I figured out those boundaries, so don't feel sorry for me."

* "It's the fact that I can still bounce back."

* "There's no question here. And again, it goes back to who else is it affecting if it plays out?"

* "We have so much agency of our own lives. And it's hard for me... but because of the way that I built Backstage and because of the things I've been through, I know firsthand how much of our own power we have."

Resources

* Arlan Hamilton's Book: "Your First Million"

* Arlan Hamilton’s Podcast: "Your First Million"

* Event Mention: Your First Million Live in LA, April 9-12 yourfirstmillionlive.com

Arlan Hamilton's journey is a testament to the boundless potential within each entrepreneur, serving as a beacon for those striving to carve their own paths in business and beyond. Don't miss out on the full breadth of wisdom shared in this episode—listen now and be part of the conversation that's shaping the future of innovation and inclusivity.

This is my birthday gift to you all! The first episode of Technically Speaking season two!

I have the pleasure of speaking with Farai Madzima, a design manager at Shopify and the founder of South Africa's premier design conference, PixelUp!. 

Today's theme; the craft of management. 

Farai takes us through his meandering path to becoming a User Experience Designer as well as his transition into management with some helpful tips for folks that are going into a leadership pathway.

Don't take my word for it. Here's him in his own words. 

"When we build trust, if you and I are working together on a team, And when we built trust, that is beyond trusting in our work skills, but trust that is based on us having spent time, no, each other's individuals.

And what's important to you. What is Harrison, you know, working towards this organization and what am I working towards? Harrison has felt comfortable to share with me, you know, the areas that he's developing. And he said, you know what, I'm really, you know, I'm not good at this yet. I'm trying to work on this when you, and I feel comfortable to say, you know, you're better than me at this.

Can you teach me how to do that? When we have that kind of trust where I can say that we work entirely differently, because then we can have the conversations that really help you and I grow. And when you scale that up and you've got, you know, a team of eight 16 people doing that, um, you can have much more vulnerable conversations that allow the team to grow that where mistakes are allowed to be made."