User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth

Latest Episodes:

044: Different Inputs = Different Outputs with Joshua Oluwagbemiga Oct 30, 2017

Show notes

Joshua Oluwagbemiga motivates us to allow different inputs to influence our visual outputs. He shows us the effective power of determination when pursuing the craft of design. He also reminds us that inspiration is all around us…if we’re looking for it.

Joshua Oluwagbemiga is a User Experience Designer currently working at Intelia in Lagos, Nigeria. Before that he was a lead designer at Amplify Digital agency. He graduated from Bowen University in Nigeria with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. When he’s not designing and typing on a keyboard, he’s likely playing keyboard..the instrument, and not entirely terribly.

Secret Identity/Origin Story (7:05)
Biggest Superhero (18:50)
Biggest Failure (22:26)
Awkward Testing Story (26:14)
Design Superpower (29:59)
Design Kryptonite (30:55)
UX Superhero Name (33:37)
Fights for Users (35:15)
Habit of Success (38:21)
Invincible Resource (40:55)
Recommended Book (43:29)
Listener Question (45:40)
Best Advice (51:07)

LINKS Joshua’s Dribbble Joshua’s Behance Joshua’s Adobe Blog Feature Chris Do Gnomon School Spotify is incapable of empathy & doesn’t care about their users [ARTICLE] Balraj Chana DesignBetter.co

RESOURCE Photoshop

BOOK The Design of Everyday Things

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USE YOUR SUPERPOWER OF SUPPORT Here’s your chance to use your superpower of support. Don’t rely on telepathy alone! If you’re enjoying the show, would you take two minutes and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts? I’d also be willing to remove my cloak of invisibility from your inbox if you’d subscribe to the newsletter for superguest announcements and more, occasionally.

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An Episode Apart with Eric Meyer and Jeffrey Zeldman Oct 20, 2017

Show notes

On this special episode, Eric Meyer, Jeffrey Zeldman and I discuss the premiere web and UX design conference they started over a decade ago. We talk about the game-changing innovations that have come out of An Event Apart, as well as what to expect at the very first Denver appearance on December 11-13, 2017.

WHO ATTENDS AN EVENT APART? An Event Apart (AEA) attendees are UX professionals, developers, and designers—including interaction designers, graphic designers, and UI designers. Project managers, writer/editors, marketers, strategists, and even site owners and clients attend. This wide spectrum of roles speaks to the uniquely comprehensive and multi-disciplinary nature of this single-track event.

AEA attendees, like other conference attendees, want to improve job skills and make new community and business connections in an intense and fun environment. But unlike the typical conference goer, AEA attendees have that gleam in their eye that comes from the belief that through advocacy and hard work, they can make a meaningful difference.

LINKS An Event Apart Denver An Opportunity Apart Persuading Your Boss New A List Apart wants you!

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Animation at Work with Rachel Nabors Oct 16, 2017

Show notes

Rachel Nabors gives us a deep-dive into the art & science of web animation. She motivates us to sell animation as a UX enhancement, rather than a delight factor. She also exhorts us to animate ethically and responsibly.

BIO Rachel Nabors began telling stories online as a teenager with her award-winning web comics. Her love of web technologies transformed into a career in front end development, where she has worked with Mozilla, the W3C, and currently Microsoft to build the web forward. She tends the web animation community via the Animation at Work Slack and her web animation newsletter Web Animation Weekly. She recently wrote an A Book Apart book called Animation at Work: a book on using animation in web design. When she isn’t traveling the world, giving talks and kissing puppies, she can be found perched in Seattle, sipping a cup of fancy tea! She also used to be an award-winning independent cartoonist with 400k teenage girls reading her weekly comics on an iVillage site.

Animation Origin Story (5:44)
Getting Animation Buy-off (14:01)
Animation is Not About Delight (20:47)
Do I Have to Draw to Animate? (33:42)
Web Animation Resources (36:41)
Future of Banner Ads (46:27)
Listener Question (50:59)
24 Hour Comic (55:44)

LINKS Rachel’s Twitter Rachel’s Website Rachel’s Newsletter How to Sell Web Animation [ARTICLE] 24 Hour Comic on Amazon Prime [VIDEO]

RESOURCES After Effects Principal for Mac Lotti by AirBnB Kite App Hype Animatron Web Animations API Greensock GSAP Barba.js

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043: Making New Designers with Laura Klein Oct 02, 2017

Show notes

Laura Klein shows us how User Experience happens whether we design it intentionally or not. She paints a picture of what the the future of UX Design looks like. She teaches us if we’re too close to a project, we ought to step back and let others do the research. She also uses a really effective medical analogy to remind us of the value of specialization.

BIO Laura Klein fell in love with technology when she saw her first user research session over 20 years ago. Since then, she’s worked as an engineer, UX designer, and product manager in Silicon Valley for companies of all sizes. Her books, Build Better Products, and UX for Lean Startups help teams learn more about their users, and apply that knowledge to make products people use and love. She helps teams build products, advises early stage startups, and consults with companies that want to improve their research, UX, and product development processes. When she’s not working with clients, she’s blogging and podcasting at her site Users Know. Fun fact: She couldn’t use the working title of her first book because there was too much profanity in it.

Secret Identity (5:44)
Origin Story (10:56)
Where is Design Going? (16:04)
Do Titles Matter? (24:50)
It Just Works? (29:20)
Is Everyone a Designer? (32:56)
What Drew you to User Research? (39:16)
Awkward Testing Story (44:44)
Listener Question? (49:58)
Habit of Success (55:42)
Invincible Resource (59:24)
Recommended Book (63:00)
Best Advice (65:30)
Contact Info (68:55)

LINKS Laura’s Twitter Laura’s Website Laura’s podcast (What’s Wrong with UX?) Build Better Products Mixed Reality & the Future of Design

RESOURCE Sticky notes & Mural.co

BOOK Radical Focus

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042: Practical Design Discovery with Dan Brown Sep 18, 2017

Show notes

Dan Brown inspires us to get great at asking questions because ‘the question’ is one of our most invincible resources. He reminds us to maintain a spirit of collaboration with the the team members we’re struggling with since they care as much about the project as we do. He encourages us to always peer beneath the surface at the underlying structure of whatever we’re working on. He also motivates us to never settle.

BIO Dan Brown is a web designer who specializes in information architecture, design research, and leading teams. He’s written three books: Practical Design Discovery (2017), Designing Together (2013), and Communicating Design (2011). He created a card game, Surviving Design Projects, to help designers practice their conflict resolution skills. Dan co-founded EightShapes, a UX design firm based in Washington, DC, in 2006 with his business partner Nathan Curtis. Professionally, Dan likes talking about design discovery, information architecture, user research, and team dynamics. Personally, Dan likes talking about cooking and board games. He also started an online support group for a rare disease he has.

Secret Identity (7:47)
Origin Story (9:29)
Biggest Failure (20:23)
Awkward Testing Story (23:27)
Design Superpower (28:04)
Design Kryptonite (30:52)
UX Superhero Name (33:50)
Fights for Users (36:08)
Habit of Success (40:54)
Invincible Resource (43:27)
Recommended Book (51:23)
Practical Design Discovery (53:40)
Overcoming Team Tension (57:00)
Best Advice (69:04)
Contact Info (71:48)

LINKS Dan’s Twitter Dan’s Website Dan’s Instagram Do as I say, not as I do [ARTICLE] Stop Fighting, Start Designing [VIDEO]

RESOURCE The Question

BOOK Powers of Two A More Beautiful Question

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041: Everything’s Terrible, and That’s Great with Matt Griffin Sep 04, 2017

Show notes

Matt Griffin shows us how empathy and sensitivity to the world around us is the key to great design. He teaches us how as a leader, the worst decision is no decision. He explains how hands are his most invincible UX resource or tool. He also inspires us starting out to take ‘every damn opportunity we can get’.

Matt Griffin is a designer and founder of Bearded and Wood Type Revival, and the director of What Comes Next is the Future, a documentary film about the web. He’s a speaker, writer, and an avid advocate for collaboration in design. He’s also a letterpress printer, and one of the creators of Wood Type Revival, a project which seeks out lost historic wood type and converts it into digital fonts for modern designers. Matt lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Elizabeth, and his son Argus. Previous to entering the world of design, Matt was an active musician (drums, mostly). He toured all over and played on a fair number of records. His band in college got kind of famous in Japan.

Secret Identity (4:46)
Origin Story (7:18)
Bearded Closing its Doors (17:04)
Biggest Failure (31:45)
Awkward Testing Story (43:21)
Design Superpower (45:44)
Design Kryptonite (46:54)
UX Superhero Name (50:07)
Fights for Users (51:48)
Habit of Success (63:25)
Invincible Resource (65:22)
Recommended Book (70:54)
Best Advice (78:12)

(more…)

040: Should Developers Design with Laura Elizabeth Aug 21, 2017

Show notes

Laura Elizabeth reveals how developers can learn design. She articulates the importance of reflecting on our users’ needs more than our personal tastes. She touches on how making a product makes us better designers. She also inspires us to always be genuine in our dealings with our customers if we want to build (and keep) trust.

Laura Elizabeth is an independent designer with a hankering for cross stitch and rockets. She runs Design Academy which aims to help developers conquer their fear of design. She recently launched her first product called Client Portal—a client-friendly way to keep projects organised. When she’s not writing or speaking, she’s likely watching reruns of Star Trek Voyager or Next Generation.

Secret Identity (4:05)
Origin Story (9:55)
Biggest Superhero (13:32)
Biggest Failure (16:23)
Design Superpower (20:54)
Transition from Freelance to Product (23:04)
Design Kryptonite (26:13)
Design Superhero Name (29:34)
Should Developers Design? (34:10)
Habit Of Success (42:59)
Invincible Resource (48:55)
Book Recommendation (52:09)
Listener Question (54:58)
Best Advice (59:39)
Connect & Keep Up (64:08)

LINKS Laura’s Twitter Laura’s Website Design Academy Client Portal Laura Elizabeth at Smashing Conference on Selling Design Systems [VIDEO] William Shatner Sings Rocket Man At the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards [VIDEO]

[RESOURCE] Styleguides.io [BOOK] Badass: Making Users Awesome

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039: Good Designers are Good at Business with Joe Leech Aug 06, 2017

Show notes

Joe Leech shows us how psychology helps frame what we’re seeing in user research. He articulates why the superpower we need is understanding how business works. He inspires us get out of our seat and talk to executives in the organization more about the business. He also challenges us to not just always be shipping, but always be shipping the right things.

ABOUT JOE LEECH Mr. Joe Leech, Joe to his friends is a user experience consultant based in Bristol, UK. He’s the author of “Psychology for Designers”. He’s a 13 year UX veteran who’s worked with organizations like MoMa, Raspberry Pi, Disney, eBay and Marriott. He’s a recovering neuroscientist who spent a spell as an elementary school teacher. He’s also the Series Editor of Aspects of UX, a book series on UX from SitePoint.com. He once had a sauna with Meatloaf (the rock star, not the food).

TIMESTAMPS

Secret Identity/Origin Story (4:39)
Biggest Superhero (14:50)
Biggest Failure (22:37)
Awkward Testing Story (30:03)
Design Superpower (32:03)
Design Kryptonite (33:34)
Design Superhero Name (36:52)
Fight For Users (42:03)
Psychology & Design (43:05)
Habit Of Success (49:48)
Invincible Resource (51:26)
Book Recommendation (54:40)
Best Advice (57:49)
Contact Info (59:46)

LINKS Joe Leech’s Twitter Joe Leech’s Website

[RESOURCE] Excel spreadsheet that shows the business case for what they’re doing. Business Model Generation [BOOK] Value Proposition Design [BOOK] Gross Psychology [BOOK]

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Part II: Mixed Reality & the Future of Design with Austin Knight Jul 31, 2017

Show notes

In case you missed Part I

“Do yourself a favor and show this to as many people as you possibly can, because this is going to be the world that we’ll be living in. Being able to show this to somebody and see that click happen, and hear them say, ‘Oh my God, my whole life just changed’ is a really cool thing to witness.” – Austin Knight

This entire conversation is an exploration into what Austin believes is the biggest renaissance for design and technology since the invention of the PC.

We both bring our own unique roles to this conversation. I initially take on the role of one who’s sincerely concerned with the social/cultural implications of having a device strapped on our heads, or spectacles always drawing our attention away from the human right in front of us. However, like in any good story, you will see my character arc in this very special two-part series when we uncover the potential of just how much good these nascent technologies can do for humans.

Austin’s role in the conversation is as one I like to call a glad scientist. He’s been diving deep into VR, AR, and the new cool kid on the block…MR (Mixed Reality) for quite some time now and as you can hear in his voice and articulation of where we are now, and especially where we’re going, is super-excited about what this means for designers, problem-solving and even entirely untapped revenue streams.

Fasten your seatbelt Toto…because we’re definitely not in Kansas anymore!

LINKS Labster (virtual science labs) Lowe’s turns to virtual reality for home improvement Google Earth VR Journalism (Washington Post VR Room) Chris Milk: How virtual reality can create the ultimate empathy machine [VIDEO] The Future of Virtual Reality | Phil Kauffold [VIDEO] Silicon Valley (Oculus Headset) Racist Soap Dispenser [VIDEO] Casey Yee on UX & Growth Reticle (Pattern) Snap Spectacles Sunglasses at night [VIDEO] Google’s secret VR weapon is Project Tango Mozilla Web VR (aFrame Open Source) Sony Playstation VR NextVR 8I (Holograms and Volumetric VR) NVIDIA (Graphics Processing VR/AR)

GETTING STARTED Google Cardboard UXofVR.com Apple ARKit WebVR AR.js Blender (3D Modeling) Unity 3D HTC Vive

AUSTIN LINKS Austin’s Twitter Austin’s Website UX & Growth Podcast

ABOUT AUSTIN Austin Knight is a Senior UX Designer at Hubspot where his work impacts more than 8 million visitors per month. He’s an international speaker and author. He’s a fellow podcaster co-hosting the UX & Growth podcast. He serves as a UX and IxD mentor at Columbia University and General Assembly. He also has a popular UX Design blog and newsletter at AustinKnight.com. Fun fact about Austin: He’s terrified of flying. Even though he flew 150,000 miles last year and has willingly jumped out of three planes skydiving…he has yet to overcome that fear.

EXTRA EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT Get the Bi-Weekly Bugle Engage with me on a more personal level. Keep up with the goings on with the show. Get superguest announcements, and my “Usable Thoughts”. I’ll also give you a download of some sort that I’d hoped would add value to you when you join.

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SUPER-CRED Editing by Chris Combs

Part I: Mixed Reality & the Future of Design with Austin Knight Jul 26, 2017

Show notes

Don’t miss Part II.

“We are now in the midst of the largest technological revolution of our lifetime. Like that of the dawn of the PC or smartphone. It’s not so much of a prediction as an observation we can make. We can see that it’s actually happening before our eyes.” – Austin Knight

This entire conversation is an exploration into what Austin believes is the biggest renaissance for design and technology since the invention of the PC.

Fasten your seatbelt Toto…because we’re definitely not in Kansas anymore!

LINKS Magic Leap HTC Vive Microsoft Hololens Oculus Rift OLED Display iPhone 8 Rumors Haptic VR Austin’s VR Website Black Mirror episode – “White Christmas” [VIDEO] Apple invest in AR Primesense 5 Design Jobs That Won’t Exist In The Future [ARTICLE] Subway VR [VIDEO] What’s Wrong With Your Actual Reality? [ARTICLE] Her movie [VIDEO] Baby Driver [VIDEO] AltSpaceVR Black Mirror VR Haunted House episode “Play Test” [VIDEO] Black Mirror soldier episode – “Men Against Fire” [VIDEO] Minority Report mall advertising scene [VIDEO]