User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth

Life and career (re)focus this year have brought me to a place where I need to hit pause on this show's production... Keep fighting the good fight, dear Defender! 👊 Jason linkedin.com/in/jasonogle

Video available on the show notes page at userdefenders.com/080 This is the last episode of 2021. After nearly two years of outlining the content for this episode and nearly two months (at time of writing) of recording and editing, here's everything I know (so far) on landing a job in UX. I hope this content is not only useful to you and anyone you know looking to land their first (or next) job in UX, but I sincerely hope this episode is greatly inspirational and even life-changing for you. I forgot to say it at the end of the episode, so Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Joyous New Year dear Defenders! Take care of yourself and each other, and I'll see you on the other side of this year with more amazing UX/Design content! 👊 Jason. Song credit at the end "Comeback Kid" by The Midnight ---------------------------- Origin (4:50) Count the Costs (9:53) Portfolio (21:18) Resume (29:49) Networking (35:03) Applying (40:38) Interviewing (50:11) Negotiating (1:02:32) In Closing (1:09:45) ---------------------------- Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript, and much more at userdefenders.com/080 ---------------------------- This episode is made possible by Editor X. Editor X gives you a wide workspace with total CSS control powered by smooth drag & drop on a platform where every tiny detail has been carefully considered. That means you can let your creativity run wild and build your most creative sites yet. I can keep trying to describe it to you, but you should really go see it for yourself. Visit userdefenders.com/EditorX and discover a new standard in web design

Here’s a fun treat I’ve never done before. In this episode I shine the spotlight on listeners Jordan Burke + Joel Ryerson who recently landed their first job in UX! Hear them tell their inspiring stories of their journey getting here while gaining some valuable insights on how you can too! I was blown away at the depth, insight, authenticity and value they both added with their motivational and entertaining stories of struggle and ultimately triumph! Like Jordan says in her awesome interview, we can't do this alone. Looking for community? Find yours at User Defenders: Community (community.userdefenders.com). Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links and transcript at userdefenders.com/079 This episode is made possible by Editor X. Editor X gives you a wide workspace with total CSS control powered by smooth drag & drop on a platform where every tiny detail has been carefully considered. That means you can let your creativity run wild and build your most creative sites yet. I can keep trying to describe it to you, but you should really go see it for yourself. Visit userdefenders.com/EditorX and discover a new standard in web design

Bob Baxley, a Silicon Valley pioneer, takes us back in time through the history of Silicon Valley and gives us a glimpse into the future of it. Spoiler alert: He's got concerns. He reveals how every little interaction matters and motivates us to be proud enough of the work we do to want to show our friends and family...otherwise, we've got more work to do. He challenges us to challenge the status quo and constantly be looking for ways to improve our work by asking, 'How could this be better?'. He also likens our work to building sandcastles on the beach, causing us to reflect on the brevity and temporal nature of it, and inspires us to make everything we make with our friends (for others) count. Crash Course History of Silicon Valley (7:52) Love at First Byte: (Re)Discovering the Magic of Computing (14:17) The Beautiful ‘Burden’ of Doing Great Work That We’re Proud Of (21:11) The Question Steve Jobs Was Known to Ask In Design Reviews (24:55) Technology: Wonderful Servant, Terrible Master (26:53) Employing Analogue Tools for Deeper Creativity (34:10) There Are No Rolling Credits for Interaction Designers (52:51) We Need More Designers and Less Roadblocks (54:45) Is There a Growth Trajectory for IC’s Besides Mgmnt? (1:10:01) What’s Your Recommended Path for Design Leadership? (1:21:54) Where is Silicon Valley Going? Do You Have Concerns? (1:27:35) What’s Your Design Superpower? (1:34:28) What’s Your Design Kryptonite? (1:35:19) What’s Your UX Superhero Name? (1:37:41) Habit of Success? (1:38:23) Invincible Resource or Tool? (1:42:37) Recommended Books (1:45:25) What’s the Best Lesson You Learned From Steve Jobs? (1:48:30) Best Advice? (1:53:44) Connect & Keep Up (2:03:16) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen's astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/078 This episode is made possible by Editor X. Editor X gives you a wide workspace with total CSS control powered by smooth drag & drop on a platform where every tiny detail has been carefully considered. That means you can let your creativity run wild and build your most creative sites yet. I can keep trying to describe it to you, but you should really go see it for yourself. Visit userdefenders.com/EditorX and discover a new standard in web design

Josh Mauldin shows us how resolving conflict not only makes us better humans, but better designers. He challenges us to approach conflict with a growth mindset and the question, "What can I learn from this?" to help us become less anti-conflict and more pro-resolution. He articulates the difference between healthy and unhealthy conflict and teaches us why healthy conflict is good and even worth pursuing. He reminds us that it all comes back to empathy which does not mean agreeing with someone, but making an active effort to understand where they’re coming from. He also reveals how embracing conflict is the catalyst for building the best teams, the best products, and the best you. How Long Have you Been Thinking About Conflict Resolution? (4:38) Has Team Conflict Increased Since We've Gone Remote? (9:48) How Can We See Past the Emoji's? (13:53) What Does Your Conflict Resolution Framework Look Like? (18:54) How Does Your Cranky Conclusions Approach Work? (20:53) Conflict Resolution for Leaders (28:14) How Do You Address Conflict with Your Leadership? (32:08) What's the Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Conflict? (35:10) How Does Healthy Conflict Create Better Products? (38:28) Is Agile a Double-Edged Sword When it Comes to Team Conflict? (41:20) Design Superpower? (46:13) What's Your Design Kryptonite? (47:08) UX Superhero Name (47:57) Habit of Success (48:36) Invincible Tool or Resource (49:26) Best Advice (54:11) Connect & Keep Up (55:44) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen's astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/077 This episode is made possible by Editor X. Editor X gives you a wide workspace with total CSS control powered by smooth drag & drop on a platform where every tiny detail has been carefully considered. That means you can let your creativity run wild and build your most creative sites yet. I can keep trying to describe it to you, but you should really go see it for yourself. Visit userdefenders.com/EditorX and discover a new standard in web design

Join the UD Email List at userdefenders.com/join through March 2021 and enter to win a free signed copy of Steve Bromley's new book, "How to be a Games User Researcher"! Steve Bromley shows us how to level up our user research skills. He illuminates the path to getting started as a Games User Researcher. He inspires us to use our user research superpower and insights to make things better for our users. He teaches us techniques he's used to actually enjoy synthesizing data more. He reveals how many user's is enough–spoiler alert...it depends. He challenges us ethically to be responsible for the consequences of what we're designing. He also motivates us to document as we go, but also to be sure and stop to reflect every once in a while. Most Important Question (4:40) History + Evolution of Games User Research (6:59) Differences Between Games UR vs. Software UR (16:55) How Do You Measure Delight? (20:30) The Dark Side of Gaming (26:39) Who's Responsible? (29:59) Recommended Path to Games UR (37:42) The Light Side of Gaming (42:21) How Can We Enjoy Synthesizing Data More? (46:00) How Many Users is Enough? (49:59) What's Your Why? (53:32) What's Your UX Superpower? (55:30) What's Your UX Kryptonite? (57:35) What's Your UX Superhero Name? (60:00) Habit of Success (60:33) Invincible Resource (61:24) Best Advice for Aspiring Games UR's (62:09) Connect & Keep Up (63:00) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen's astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/076 This episode is made possible by Editor X. Editor X gives you a wide workspace with total CSS control powered by smooth drag & drop on a platform where every tiny detail has been carefully considered. That means you can let your creativity run wild and build your most creative sites yet. I can keep trying to describe it to you, but you should really go see it for yourself. Visit userdefenders.com/EditorX and discover a new standard in web design

Jessica Gaddis motivates us to realize that we belong here. Not only in the field of design, but in this often painful and perplexing world we call home. Why? Because somewhere, sometime, somehow...someone needs us. She inspires us to find our community because they’re already out there, searching for us and waiting for us to connect with them and even lead them. She reveals how she was able to on a very limited budget go all in and learn UX and go on to get her foot in the door as a Product Designer. From 0 to Netflix, and now Twitter. She touches on the unwelcome voice in many of our heads known as imposter syndrome, and reveals how she’s been able to successfully combat it. She also shares with us how advocating for black women in design by opening up her calendar as a mentor has been one of the most rewarding and impactful design decisions she’s ever made. Origin Story (5:05) Growing Up In a Techie Home (8:48) Journalism + UX? (11:42) The UX of Learning UX (18:21) Teaching Should Be Every Company’s Core Value (32:15) Have You Overcome Imposter Syndrome? (44:14) How Do We Find Community? (50:00) The Deep Value of Mentoring (57:59) What Do You Want On Your Headstone? (70:13) UX Superpower? (74:09) UX Kryptonite? (75:37) UX Superhero Name (77:38) Habit of Success? (78:02) 
UX Resource or Tool (81:04) Recommended Book (83:11) Best Advice (84:56) Connect & Keep Up (87:21) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen's astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/075 This episode is made possible by Editor X. Editor X gives you a wide workspace with total CSS control powered by smooth drag & drop on a platform where every tiny detail has been carefully considered. That means you can let your creativity run wild and build your most creative sites yet. I can keep trying to describe it to you, but you should really go see it for yourself. Visit userdefenders.com/EditorX and discover a new standard in web design

Pek Pongpaet teaches us how to be business-minded designers. He reveals how designers with business knowledge and more tools in their tool belt will get hired more often than ones without and with less. He shows us how to get a seat at the table while challenging us to count the costs of actually having one. He motivates us to measure and quantify our designs. He also inspires us to get out of our comfort zones and talk to other disciplines and become consumers of information in the area(s) we desire growth in. Why Should We Listen to Pek? (05:04) Why Should Designers Understand Business More? (7:07) How Do I Begin to Care More About Business? (11:05) How Do I Learn More About the Business Model? Who Do I Talk To? (14:22) How Can Designers Influence Product/Business Strategy and Quantify Their Work? (16:52) How Do I Know That Something I Designed Achieved Its Business Goal? (20:18) What Do You Look For In a Designer When Hiring? (24:50) Why You Should be Best Friends with Your Analytics Person/Team (26:20) How Can Designers do a Better Job Communicating the Business Value of Design to Non-Believing Stakeholders? (30:21) How Does a Designer Get a Seat at the Round Table? (33:29) What's Your Best Advice for Designers Wanting to Grow in Business Side of Design? (40:45) Best Way to Connect and Keep Up? (45:45) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Cesar Lemus’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/074 This episode is made possible by WhiteHatJunior.com: the world’s best one on one coding classes for kids between the ages of 6 and 14. WhiteHatJunior's unique teaching methodology makes it easy to absorb tough concepts because the teacher is able to focus completely on one student. Give it a shot: go to userdefenders.com/whj to book a free coding class to see for yourself just how easy it is for your child to learn coding!

Jeff Gothelf tells us how to be unstoppable designers. He debunks the mythical creature known as Phase 2. He shows us what a designer effectively working in Agile looks like, and enlightens us to how new UX teams can show immediate value. He articulates the need to differentiate between outputs and outcomes. He also motivates us to stay humble and curious since you can teach anyone technical skills, but you can’t teach someone humility and curiosity. How do Designers Most Efficiently Integrate into Agile? (6:43) Why is it Important to be a Facilitator? (16:32) Phase 2: Reality or Myth? (20:45) How Do You Convince ENGINEERS to Get Out of the Software is Done Mindset? (28:06) How Do You Convince DESIGNERS to Get Out of the Software is Done Mindset? (31:15) Why is MVP the Most Bastardized Phrase in Software Development? (33:49) Why Designers are Scientists Long Before We're Pixel-Pushers (37:34) How Does a New UX Team Show Immediate Value? (41:17) What's Your Why? (46:40) What's Your UX Superpower? (48:23) What's Your UX Kryptonite? (48:52) What's Your UX Superhero Name? (49:34) Invincible UX Tool or Resource? (50:52) Recommended Books? (51:55) Best Advice for Aspiring UX Superheroes? (52:45) Best Way to Connect? (53:45) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/073 This episode is brought to you by Webflow: The modern way to build for the web. Get a great, Defenders-exclusive offer of 10% off your annual subscription at userdefenders.com/webflow using code USERDEFENDERS. Hurry, offer expires on Halloween (10/31/20)!

Jared Spool has been doing and defining UX long before many of us existed and/or even knew what it was. He invites us in to hear his fascinating yet seldom discussed UX origin story. He reveals how and why we’re all UX designers. He demystifies the arduous and often frustrating process of landing a job in UX. He articulates what it means to learn how to learn. He addresses the important, but oft-forgotten business part of the design business. He also inspires us to be great design leaders by illustrating what one actually looks like. Jared's Compelling UX Origin Story (5:56) How Do You See the UX Job Landscape Evolving? (14:50) UX'ers Have to Do What We Promised (17:31) Is Everyone a UX Designer? (24:57) If Design is a Team Sport, How Does the Team Win? (35:30) What Makes a Great Design Leader? (38:40) The Most Important Thing Designers Should be Learning (46:22) Best Advice for Designers Trying to Break In and Getting Rejected? (52:10) UX Superhero Name (1:09:23) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/072 This episode is brought to you by Webflow: The modern way to build for the web. Get a great, Defenders-exclusive offer of 10% off your annual subscription at userdefenders.com/webflow using code USERDEFENDERS. Hurry, offer expires on Halloween (10/31/20)!

This episode is me apologizing for the literal radio silence and filling you in on all the very valid reasons why I've been MIA with new content here in this feed. I miss you, and I miss putting content out regularly, but there have been (and continue to be) some significant transitions in my own world, not to mention the world at large that have impacted me and this show... TRANSCRIPT Greetings. User Defenders. Remember me? Your faithful host. Well, maybe I haven't been so faithful lately. I have taken a, quite a bit of a hiatus as. I have a feeling you may have noticed. I think the last episode that I released in season was in November with Shaheena. I think that was episode 70 and. Then I released a very special recording live from an event apart Denver in January of 2020. That's when we were all innocent. Do you remember? We were all innocent and we hadn't experienced COVID and, the racial injustice so clearly seen, this year. not that it's new, but it's just been very, very exposed this year. so. All that to say 20, is it safe to say 2020 has kind of sucked so far? I'm usually a really optimistic guy and I. I'm always excited about the new years. I'm always excited about the fresh starts and, and normally they, they shape up pretty good, but this one is really just bit the big one I'm telling you, all that to say, again, I'm still very hopeful. I'm very optimistic. I know things can get better and will get better. I hope, at least, I know that. We've learned a lot, right through the COVID stuff. We've learned a lot. How to, I hate to say wash our hands. I think we all knew how to do that. Maybe we're a little more diligent than we were before. And then these masks seem like they're going to become a mainstay for quite a while for the foreseeable future. all that to say, okay. I, I just wanted to come back on here and explain what's been going on with the show what's been going on with me. Why there hasn't been a new episode in really six months. And, there's a really good reason, not just. Everything. I just explained that's happened this year. That's that's probably, that could be reason enough, I suppose, but I've gone through some significant transitions, myself. this year and actually that it all began actually last year, right around when I did release the last episode with Shaheena in November, I did receive my, my job loss notice, after six and a half years of service, I was being laid off at the company I'd been at. And you know, of course it sucks to be. Laid off right before the holidays. That wasn't fun at all, but the, my company was very gracious. I will give them a lot of credit for giving me plenty of notice. I, my layoff date was January 3rd of 2020. So they gave me nearly two months notice. And, and so they were extremely gracious through, through that whole process. but you know, the, the, the job seeking. The defenders, those of you who are looking or have been looking, especially after COVID I know a lot of you have been affected by unemployment. The numbers don't lie. Right. And I've heard your voices on Twitter and. And, through email and through my DMS and everything and through the community, of course, as well. I know how hard this can be firsthand. I have. I felt your pain. I felt your, just what it's like before COVID I felt how hard it was to find a job harder than I thought it would be. I mean, it's been about 10 years, honestly, since I've had to pound the pavement, because my transition for the six and a half year job before that was fairly quick. So. I've learned a lot and I definitely want to be sharing. I will be sharing with you in the near future. I hope, about what I've learned about job seeking and, in UX. And so be on the lookout for that. my empathy abounds for you defenders, if you're in that situation, Let me just continue my story. I, I was able to find a job fairly, I guess, fairly quickly after my, after my actual release date of January 3rd, I was able to interview with a wonderful organization and I want to thank Doug Collins. Many of you probably have heard of him. I've seen him on Twitter. He's definitely one of our big influencers in UX and I got to know him a little bit through the show and through Twitter. And, he was really instrumental , and notifying me of this opportunity and, in Denver, and I was able to get on board this organization and just super, super challenged. I'm going to read an article in a minute, just really explaining a little more about that, but yeah. That I wrote recently, but I realized that not all of you have read my article, actually, probably very few of you have. So, I feel like it occurred to me. This is the way to communicate with you is through the podcast. Many of you, I should say, this is the primary way because many of you are simply subscribed to the podcast and wait for episodes to come out. And I am grateful for that. I'm grateful for your subscribing and keeping. Keeping alert. And I apologize again for the super long delay and, kind of updating you on what's been going on and why there , haven't been very many episodes, at all in don't while. So, rambling on here. I just wanted to, tell you that, I did land a job that is still, I, I may be transitioning again. I'm not quite sure yet. I did get, another. Notice date due to COVID we were impacted, we thought we were gonna make it, but we were impacted. So I do have a, a, a pending layoff date in mid July. If, if, the another contract doesn't open up for us, which we're trying to pivot to. But all of that to say, I'm going to share an article with you. If you're still with me. Thank you for sticking around. I wrote an article that. It really explains everything. That's, that's kind of taking place here. apart from the recent news, I just shared about, another possible, pounding of pavement for me. So here goes, when I started user defenders podcast in 2015, everything I was learning about being a new podcaster told me that I needed to add a minimum show up every week with new content. I was hearing things like, "If you're not consistent, you're non-existent", so being a naive new podcaster and content creator, I thought I could and must follow this protocol for my audience, you to notice and catch on to what I was trying to do with the show. So that's what I did for at least the first six months or so until I realized firsthand just how much work goes into releasing even one episode and y'all know my episodes. I've got a special artwork that I do for, I try to do for most of the guests and. There's transcripts now and there's show notes and timestamps. And, not to not to mention the editing process is very grueling cause I'm, I'm kind of a perfectionist. I really do take a lot of pride in the quality and in the output. I've done the editing for the last probably 10 episodes or so. And, it's hard, but it's, it's, it's my baby, you know, so , I've definitely, gone above and beyond there, and that takes a long time. So all that to say, I went off on a tangent there briefly. I'm going to get back to the article, but just to explain kind of how much work goes into even releasing one episode. I then changed the frequency of the show to biweekly with no breaks. And then as that became difficult to sustain, I added seasons with up to 12 episodes. And then I brought the number down to eight episodes per season, because like I said before, if it's, if eight is good enough for master of puppets, that's good enough for me. You see, it's not just about me anymore. In fact, it hasn't been since I stood before God and a group of witnesses at the alter in 1999 with my beloved. And I said, I do until the Lord, we do see. So 20 years later, I'm happy to report that I'm still joyfully married. Sometimes it's not, if I'm being real, all right, marriage is hard, but it's worth it when you find the right one. So. our family has quadrupled in size. we have six children in practically, every stage of child development from 18, all the way to three and everything in between. My wife has commented on several occasions that I always tend to start a new venture. Every time we have a new baby notably and she's right. I have. Notably. It was my MySpace famous band, Ralph Hinkley Syndrome in 2009, after our son, Ben was born he's 11 now. And it was User Defenders after our daughter, Emery was born. She's six now, needless to say every single one of my ventures has been a juggling act of family and faith as is to be expected. I'm proud to say that UD has been and still is a labor of love as I've dedicated countless thousands of hours and dollars to get it off the ground , and growing by releasing powerful and inspiring content on a consistent basis for nearly five years now. Up until recently has we know I've hit some recent bumps in life, transitions all eventually good things that have caused me to reflect on the driving force behind every venture I've undertaken until now. And it continues to be...it' s excellence. Just before the holidays, late last year, as I mentioned earlier, after six and a half years of service, my company gave me a layoff notice. Reality check. All of a sudden I'm remembering after not having to pound the pavement for nearly 10 years, how hard it can be to land a job in UX. And like I said before, my empathy now abounds fellow Defenders. After a few emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually draining months of trying to sell myself and convince companies of how awesome I am... I hate that. I was able to get back on my feet again at a wonderful organization that believes in the superpower of UX. So much so that they created a brand new team of specialists with a great leader who has some very lofty goals, especially in the next six months to get our UX practice off the ground. I already know this is going to be the most challenging and rewarding role of my entire career. In fact, I'm convinced. I'm going to grow more in my UX career this year than I have the previous six and a half. And because I believe Oprah, when she says you can have anything in life you want, you just can't have everything you want in order to stay married, focused, and effective at my new job, I'm going to slow down production and future episode releases of User Defenders. And you know that I have, I actually wrote this in March 22nd. Defenders, just for context there. And I know, again, like I said, has been painfully clear that that I have slowed down. and I apologize again, for not being at least a little more communicative about what's been going on. because I love and believe in this show. And especially you so much, I wouldn't do this unless I felt it absolutely necessary for proper balance order and sustainability. I also want to make sure that it's clear that User Defenders is not ceasing, just creating some much needed space and balance. I will still be releasing new episodes. And thankfully my manager has been pretty cool about me doing that on my breaks. I'm just on my own time. So it'll just be when I can, rather than because I can and must. And, in fact, I do have two awesome episodes coming out soon. One with Jared Spool and one with Jeff Gothelf those guys, neither of those guys probably need an introduction. Those are coming up in the near future. I'm actually, I am looking for sponsors for those. So if you or someone, you know, is looking to get their UX related product service or event in front of amazing, amazing listeners, please reach out to me. You can do that. That sponsorship [a t] userdefenders. [co m]. so if my superpower of empathy is still finally dialed in, and if you've made it this far, I can sense your disappointment and feel your pain. I also know that you were very self aware and empathic and believe you also have empathy for where I'm at in this season of life and career. In between episode releases, I'll still be active and user defenders community with the amazingly smart, inspiring, and empathic defenders there of which you are most certainly invited to be counted among us. If you go to community.userdefenders.com, you can get in there and check it out. I do have that episode coming out pretty soon. I've got to record at first, but about, sharing with you what I've learned while trying to land a job in UX. I know you'll find value in it now or in the future. If you ever get your layoff notice or throw cold water in your manager's face, but you'd never do that. Right? Right. So all that to say, I need to slow down for now. Things could certainly change again in the future, as we know, and as I did mention. They may be, come in mid July. We'll see. but I want to close this out by offering a sincere, heartfelt thanks for being on this journey with me. I always say this and I always mean this. You are why I do this. I feel really proud of the fact that after nearly five years of podcasting, which the introvert in me still can't believe I do, I've never paid for one ad to promote this show. All growth has been entirely organic. I'm a firm believer in the paraphrased words of my virtual mentor, Seth Godin. When he says, if you want to be remarkable, you don't have to spam and annoy folks simply make something worth remarking about. Excellence and high quality has always been the benchmark for everything I do on this show. And it always will be, you are also a huge part of the growth of this show by in fact remarking about it. Thank you sincerely for talking about it to your designer, friends sharing episodes on Twitter and other social channels and mentioning User Defenders. Even though the episode releases will slow down during this next season of life, I'll still be active on the User Defenders: Community, Twitter. @UserDefenders, and honestly, not as much on the email list, but I'm hoping to work on that. You know, I really am because I know how valuable that communication can be as well. And I appreciate those of you who have trusted me with your email address. and by the Hammer of Grabthar, I will never sell you out ever. I never have. I never will. So if you want to get on the email list, you can do that at userdefenders.com/join. Reach out to me anytime. I always love engaging with you and encouraging you on your important design journey. And last, but definitely not least fight on my friend, Jason, your host and friend. That's the article I wrote again in March, really when all of this poop was hitting the fan with COVID and everything. So I felt like I, I don't normally do that. I, I don't normally read my articles that I've written word for word. maybe I should, because again, I realized that there's only a small handful of you who actually do read the articles and even know that they're out there in the world. So I may do that more often as another way, even to just stay connected with you and to kind of keep you updated here on this channel. This is really the main channel. You know, I've been doing a lot of things offline. And when I say offline, I mean, away from the podcast feed, I've been doing a lot of live events at the User Defenders: Community, which have been wonderful and valuable. But I realize it's, you know, you really it's the 80/20 rule, right. it occurred to me and it kind of slapped me in the face. Like 20% of the effort should produce 80% of the result, in, in an ideal world. And what that really means is like, find what your core aspect is your core element of your business, your job, your whatever it is you're doing that you're really good at find that 20% that produces 80% of the results. And I realize it's really this feed that I have sadly and apologetically ignored for nearly six months now. And so, I am going to do a better job of trying to put stuff out there in the world, even if it's just, again, like, even if it's reading an article or even if it's just saying, Hey, what's up Defenders...see you later. Hey, Big Gulps. Alright, see you later. Anyway, so I'm going to do that and stay tuned. Please stay tuned. subscribe, even if, even though I know that there hasn't been new new episodes, please subscribe userdefenders.com/subscribe. And I will do my best to continue to trickle out content in the midst of everything that I just shared with you that's going on in my world. And, Again, got some cool episodes coming up with Jared spool and Jeff Gothelf and, I'll, I'll be continuing to do interviews very slowly though. I've been very selective about those because of everything going on. And then again, because of all the work that goes into releasing even one episode,but there will be more content, even that a monologue coming out on the job search, be on the lookout for that. I have learned a lot, I'm not an expert. I don't know if anybody is, and I don't know if anybody would want to be an expert in job seeking. it shows, it kind of says that you can't stay somewhere for very long. And that is a red flag for a lot of employers. So of course we don't want to be experts at it, but we do have to know how to approach this. So. Anyway, yeah. Again, if you know anybody that's you yourself, or if you know anyone that may be interested in sponsoring those episodes, I've got an exclusive sponsor package that I'm working on. That's a month long where I go all in for you and your organization or your event or whatever it is, your service product. And I've got some cool offerings that will go with that. So feel free to reach out sponsorship@userdefenders.com. If that's you so just with all that, continue to fight on my friends continued to. Just go all in on making a difference. This is a really, really strange time to be alive in the world. I'd say even, especially in America, just with everything that's been going on, like all of the racial injustice against black people, and I just been appalled. At what I've seen. even just within the past two months, especially starting with of course George Floyd. And, I mean, and we've all been shocked. I mean, and Will Smith said it, racism hasn't gotten worse, it's just being filmed and it's gonna change and it has to change. Right. So keep fighting on, keep doing good. There's a lot of good in the world still. And I know those of you listening. You are the good that. That we need to see in the world. You are the good, you are the change. So keep fighting on in that. Keep, keep being there for one another. I hope you're well, I hope you're healthy. I hope that you're. Your family is doing well, your loved ones, your friends, again, feel free to reach out any time, if you need encouragement, or if you're, this is all mentally, very mentally taxing for all of us. It's, it's been, a big trial. So I know that all of us have been rocked by this and by this year. So, but we're going to get through this, like I always say, and it's so true. I believe it we're better together. So let's get better together. And, again, the User Defenders: Community is open where we have been able to encourage each other through this time. I'm here for you and it's, there's always a brighter day. that's the voice I heard in my head when I was going to drive off an overpass at my darkest darkest moment in my life. this was a long time ago, but I heard this voice and I know whose voice it was. I know that. That voice came from heaven. It was in my heart and my ears saying, Hey, if you do this, there's never, you can never make it right. There's always a brighter day. And I believe that I know that's true and I hope you do too. Again, I'm here for you. I love you. And I'm grateful for you and seriously, sincerely last but not least fight on my friends.

I had the great honor of being invited back to An Event Apart Denver (2019) to record a live podcast episode with Mina Markham, Farai Madzima, & Derek Featherstone on the important topics of Accessibility, Design Inclusion & Ethics, Hiring & Retaining Diverse Talent and Landing a Job in UX. Amazingly, we were able to cover all of this in just under an hour! Please enjoy, please share it out into your social channels, and please be sure to subscribe to User Defenders: Podcast at https://userdefenders.com/subscribe Thanks to Jeffrey Zeldman + Eric Meyer for letting me share a stage I've revered for over a decade now, thanks to Toby, Marci, Mike & company for the amazing work behind the scenes at every AEA event. Also, very special thanks to Todd Libby for capturing this amazing 4K video on his new iPhone he got just to do this for me.

Shaheena Attarwala defends a woman’s right to design her own future, especially in the face of fierce adversity and opposition. She champions living ruthlessly amid oppressive whims and societal precepts. She’s a magnet that brings the issues forward and carries the water for anyone who dreams of raising their standards and never settling for status-quo expectations. This episode is not just about design. So make your way or step aside. It’s time to hear her metaphoric journey, examine your own life, and bring more awareness to poverty and oppression. In other words…sh*t’s about to get real! Origin Story (3:56) A Kid's View (6:25) Oppression In Cultures (8:42) Ah-Ha Moments (11:38) Family Relations (13:48) How Did You Find Design? (16:52) What's Driving You? (20:53) Design Influence (22:26) Legal Skills and Design (33:04) Gaining Empathy (35:29) Don Norman (40:59) Teaching Curiosity (45:45) Harnessing Life Experiences (59:36) Story Banks (1:02:49) Design Superpower (1:06:46) Design Kryptonite (1:07:20) UX Superhero Name (1:08:32) Habit of Success (1:08:58) Recommended Book (1:10:15) Taking Risks (1:12:24) Best Advice (1:14:26) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/070 This episode is brought to you by UC Irvine’s executive master’s program for Human-Computer Interaction and Design. As a user experience professional, UCI’s hybrid program will allow you to maintain your job while pursuing the master’s degree that will propel your career forward. Visit userdefenders.com/uci to learn more. This episode is also brought to you by Porkbun. Head to userdefenders.com/porkbun now and use coupon code DEFENDERS on the checkout page to get literally a free year of a .design domain name.

Sophia Prater reminds us that we're all pioneers in a field that is changing every minute. She encourages us to use forcing functions by getting the gig first, and then figuring it out. She introduces us to a design philosophy she pioneered called Object-Oriented UX which is all about taking really complex problems, and breaking them down into parts and organizing them. She also reminds us that in order to be successful in this field, we must become lifelong learners. Origin Story (4:58) Biggest Failure (10:46) Design Superpower (25:57) What is OOUX? (30:27) Design Kryptonite (38:12) UX Superhero Name (42:28) Habit of Success (46:57) Invincible Resource (51:05) Recommended Book (52:52) Best Advice (55:26) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/069 This episode is brought to you by UC Irvine’s executive master’s program for Human-Computer Interaction and Design. As a user experience professional, UCI’s hybrid program will allow you to maintain your job while pursuing the master’s degree that will propel your career forward. Visit userdefenders.com/uci to learn more. This episode is also brought to you by Porkbun. Head to userdefenders.com/porkbun now and use coupon code DEFENDERS on the checkout page to get literally a free year of a .design domain name.

Braden Kowitz reveals how human-centered design has everything to do with the humans we design and build with every day. He advocates for a genuinely supportive environment where it’s okay to be who you are, and where you’re encouraged to speak up, and openly share how you’re truly feeling. He reminds us to acknowledge that life isn’t perfect, and neither are we…and that’s also okay. He articulates the origin story and evolution of design patterns and explains why ‘ugly’ may sometimes appear to win. He also challenges us to consider how the metrics we typically depend on, may not be telling us the complete story. Free Time (7:49) Grounding Techniques (8:36) Mindful Techniques (9:26) Origin Story (16:25) Form, Function, and Balance (19:38) Managing Design Ambiguity (26:50) Establishing Design Patterns (37:57) What Have You Been Up To? (47:05) From Designer to Co-Founder (49:09) Dealing with Tradeoffs (52:02) Creative Side Hustles (52:41) Who Is This Product For? (53:47) Design Superpower (57:00) Design Kryptonite (58:15) UX Superhero Name (59:45) Habit of Success (1:01:03) Recommended Book (1:02:59) Best Advice (1:04:13) Tips on Culture (1:05:11) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/068 This episode is brought to you by UC Irvine’s executive master’s program for Human-Computer Interaction and Design. As a user experience professional, UCI’s hybrid program will allow you to maintain your job while pursuing the master’s degree that will propel your career forward. Visit userdefenders.com/uci to learn more. This episode is also brought to you by Porkbun. Head to userdefenders.com/porkbun now and use coupon code DEFENDERS on the checkout page to get literally a free year of a .design domain name.

Dr. John Whalen teaches us what it means to design for how people think. He reveals the powerful principals behind what he calls the six minds of user experience, and explains how anybody can harness them to build better products (no doctorate degree required!). He reminds us that it takes serious research to reveal the deep insights that genuinely make our products successful for the user and the business. He also encourages us to understand that no one is more qualified than anyone else in solving unique problems. Psychology and UX (5:04) Six Minds of Experience (8:48) Impact of Psychology (10:54) Acronym Cheat Sheet (16:03) Three Phone Numbers (17:08) Dark Psychology (25:21) Designing for Delight (31:24) Contextual Inquiries (42:50) Upside-Down Design (49:37) Design Superpower (56:09) Design Kryptonite (57:04) UX Superhero Name (58:43) Habit of Success (59:05) Recommended Book (1:08:02) Best Advice (1:10:38) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/067 This episode is brought to you by UC Irvine’s executive master’s program for Human-Computer Interaction and Design. As a user experience professional, UCI’s hybrid program will allow you to maintain your job while pursuing the master’s degree that will propel your career forward. Visit userdefenders.com/uci to learn more. This episode is also brought to you by Porkbun. Head to userdefenders.com/porkbun now and use coupon code DEFENDERS on the checkout page to get literally a free year of a .design domain name.  

Jeffrey Zeldman answers the provocative question, “Is Web Design Dead?”. He enlightens us to what the Web was, where it’s at now, and where it could go in the future. He touches on the many short-sighted predictions that tend to prod our delicate psyches such as automation and new technologies poised to replace Web Designers. He encourages us to ignore the rhetoric and continue to learn as tools change how Web Design is done. He also emphasizes that the Web was built on sharing, and that we must continue to share if we want to not only protect its spirit, but keep it alive and thriving. Godfather of Web Design (3:58) Is Web Design Dead? (5:58) Moving to In-House Design (12:59) Opposition (21:25) How'd It Make You Feel? (26:14) Ask Customer Service First (31:20) Small Business Owners and The Web (39:27) Early Days of The Web (41:13) Keeping the Spirit Alive (49:40) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Cesar Lemus' astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/066 This episode is brought to you by Springboard. Start a new job as a UX Designer in just 6 months or your money back. With Springboard’s UX Design Bootcamp Course, you'll get: Unlimited 1-1 expert mentorship • Work experience on real business projects • Work with a dedicated career coach. Apply today at userdefenders.com/springboard the special code USERDEFENDERS to receive $500 off tuition. This episode is also brought to you by Optimal Workshop. Imagine a world where the right things are in the right places. Try their tools for free today at userdefenders.com/ow This episode is also brought to you by Porkbun. Head to userdefenders.com/porkbun now and use coupon code DEFENDERS on the checkout page to get literally a free year of a .design domain name.

If you've got a UX-related product, service or event you want to get in front of the most passionate, inspired and hungry UX podcast listening audience in the known Universe, please email me asap at sponsorship (at ] userdefenders (dot] com. This will be the only opportunity to advertise on User Defenders: Podcast until Spring of 2020 (as I break long for the holidays). It's getting to be the end of the year, and you may have something you want exposure to and possibly advertising budget left that needs to get used. If either scenario is true, I’d love to get this going and partner with you and your organization. The release dates and info on the last four episodes until Spring of 2020 are: 10/14: Design for How People Think with John Whalen (O’Reilly author and PhD) 10/28: Untitled with Braden Kowitz (Sprint book/Google Ventures fame) 11/11: We are all Pioneers with Sophia Prater (Object Oriented UX fame – OOUX) 11/25: Harnessing Life Experiences in Design with Shaheena Attarwala (From the slums of Mumbai to UX Director/Humanitarian) These last four may very well be the most inspirational and talked about of the season. Hit me up ASAP (optimally before 10/4 to allow time for getting your spots solidified and into the episode launching 10/14). This will go fast, don't delay! Email me at sponsorship (at ] userdefenders (dot] com

Jasmine Oh informs us that AI will one day replace our current jobs as designers. She challenges us to adapt to AI since no career field is exempt from its influences. She also reminds us not to fear AI but to harness it to our advantage instead. She reveals that AI shouldn’t be judged as a gloomy UX future but as a medium that supports our most meaningful work in new roles. She also encourages us to challenge stakeholders when shallow data is used to feed requirements into a product. Working at Microsoft (4:58) AI at Work (6:17) 5-Year View of AI (8:03) Today's Work Intersects with the Future (10:16) How Recognition Works (11:58) How Long Before Jobs Are Gone (15:50) Behavior and System Designers (17:36) What Does the Future Designer Look Like? (23:34) Being Human and Empathy (29:00) Microsoft CEO (31:58) Ways to Stay Ahead (33:25) Educational Resources (36:30) Design Superpower (40:13) Design Kryptonite (40:47) Secret Identity (42:51) Double and Triple-checking the Facts (43:57) Recommended Book (46:41) Habit of Success (47:24) Best Advice (49:06) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/065 This episode is also brought to you by Optimal Workshop. Imagine a world where the right things are in the right places. Try their tools for free today at userdefenders.com/ow This episode is also brought to you by PingPong. Go to userdefenders.com/pingpong and use promo code USERDEFENDERS to get 25% off your first purchase This episode is also brought to you by Porkbun. Head to userdefenders.com/porkbun now and use coupon code DEFENDERS on the checkout page to get literally a free year of a .design domain name.

Nir Eyal teaches us how to harness the skill of the century…becoming Indistractable. He reminds us that distraction is an action that starts from within. He motivates us to take command of our personal development in a world that is frequently competing for our attention. He encourages us to recognize the external triggers that don’t serve us and how to be more mindful of those that do. He also shares what it takes to be competitive in an increasingly automated job market. Book Origin Story (3:59) Response to Hooked (7:59) Seeking Relief (15:25) My Daily Milky Way (33:06) Breaking Habits in Stuck Environments (35:31) Pharmaceutical Distractions (42:13) Where Are We Heading? (45:46) Did You Ever Find Out? (49:54) What Superpower Would You Want? (54:06) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links and transcript at userdefenders.com/064 Show the world you're becoming indistractable and the master of your devices. Get your RESIST Massaging the Squirrel tee now at userdefenders.com/squirrel-tee This episode is brought to you in part by Optimal Workshop. Imagine a world where the right things are in the right places. Try their tools for free today at userdefenders.com/ow This episode is also brought to you by PingPong. Go to userdefenders.com/pingpong and use promo code USERDEFENDERS to get 25% off your first purchase This episode is also brought to you by Porkbun. Head to userdefenders.com/porkbun now and use coupon code DEFENDERS on the checkout page to get literally a free year of a .design domain name.  

Jessica Ivins schools us on the critical value of a growth mindset in UX Design. She teaches us how to learn how to learn. She enlightens us as to why it’s always better to generalize before specializing. She reminds us introverts that we can only truly succeed by extroverting. She also reveals how the best tool recommendations can only come when it’s clear what one is trying to learn. Personal Passions (5:18) Origin Story (6:28) Biggest Failure (12:52) Introvert or Extrovert (17:10) Awkward Testing Story (18:30) Design Superpower (24:46) Design Kryptonite (31:14) Secret Identity (33:09) Fights for Users (34:41) Habit of Success (35:27) Best Tips (37:15) Invincible Resource (42:10) Generalize Vs Specialize (44:18) Recommended Book (47:36) Your Why (51:57) Best Advice (53:13) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/063 This episode is brought to you by Optimal Workshop. Imagine a world where the right things are in the right places. Try their tools for free today at userdefenders.com/ow This episode is also brought to you by PingPong. Go to userdefenders.com/pingpong and use promo code USERDEFENDERS to get 25% off your first purchase This episode is also brought to you by Porkbun. Head to userdefenders.com/porkbun now and use coupon code DEFENDERS on the checkout page to get literally a free year of a .design domain name.

On the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon launch/landing, I invite you to come hear my rocket scientist father (G.A. "Jim" Ogle) re-tell his experience on User Defenders: Community (https://community.userdefenders.com) of the events that took place the day of the launch on July 16, 1969, leading into the unforgettable and awe-inspiring day of July 20, 1969 when the U.S. achieved the unimaginable feat of landing the first humans on the moon. He will also answer your questions live! Check out the show notes at https://userdefenders.com/rocketman which includes a compelling slideshow of my Dad from childhood (including accident photos) through to his exciting career in the space industry, Eli Jorgensen's superhero art, a timeline of my Dad's career accomplishments, and much more! Join User Defenders: Community at https://community.userdefenders.com (Try it FREE for 7 Days)  

Welcome to Joe Natoli’s UX School of No B.S. Class is now in session. Joe reveals that there’s no limit to how far any UX’er with a healthy dose of grit and resilience can go. He puts jargon in a choke-hold, then proceeds to drop-kick it in the privates! He inspires us to be like Tom Hanks in “Big”...never afraid to ask questions for the betterment of the people and project. He motivates us to apply for any job we truly want, especially when we feel unqualified for it. He also teaches us how leaving a legacy should never start with one foot in the grave, it starts right here...right now! What Do You Like to Do When You’re Not Working? (7:42) What Inspired You to Pursue a Career in This Field? (10:34) How Do You Get an Entry Level Job That Requires 3-5 Years of Experience? (34:28) What Is It About Jargon That Drives You Nuts? (47:31) One Definition of What UX Is (1:01:15) What Value Do Older UXers Bring to the Table? (1:08:16) UX Advice for Juniors in the Field (1:13:15) The One Thing You Wish You Knew When You Started (1:17:32) If You Had One Word for Folks Trying to Get into UX, What Would That Be? (1:20:16)   Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/062 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it FREE at userdefenders.com/xd Fight for User Defenders! userdefenders.com/patreon

Jason Ogle proves that empathic design is not only possible, but essential in creating life-changing products and services. He enlightens us to our seldom talked about mirror neurons and the critical role they play in user testing. He shines a spotlight on incredibly powerful and moving examples of empathy in design. He also teaches us how empathy can not only be taught and learned, but practiced, because being great designer begins and ends with being a great human. Intro Story (00:24) What is Empathy? (5:04) Mirror Neurons (9:14) Still Face Experiment (11:17) Mirror Neurons and Movies (15:59) Inspiring Examples from IDEO (19:19) Doug Dietz's Empathy for Terminally Ill Children (23:35) Margaret Hamilton's Empathy for Apollo 11 (29:44) Can We Grow in Empathy? (34:07) Seth Godin Explaining Empathy (35:21) Put Your Oxygen Mask on First (36:10) Seth Godin on Faked Empathy (39:19) Seth Godin on Being Indispensable in an AI World (40:57) Empathy & Mindfulness (43:23) Rise to the Empathy Challenge (45:55) Those who are able, should definitely check out the video of this episode with the compelling clips inserted. The video, and detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/061 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it FREE at userdefenders.com/xd Fight for User Defenders! userdefenders.com/support

Mike Gorgone unleashes his impromptu playbook to rescue us from our most unwelcome critic...ourselves. He teaches us how marrying the two seemingly disparate concepts of improv & UX, can help us break free from the crippling self-doubt that keeps us from our best collaborations. Yes, and he shows us how fun kills fear. He also reveals how even the "bad ideas" can lead us to great ones while building a fantastic UX punchline worthy of a standing ovation. What Got You into Improv? (3:47) What Was the Aha Moment That Inspired You to Combine Improv with UX? (7:43) Are You Also Presenting at These Workshops? (9:44) Are You Writing a Book on This Topic? (10:09) Workshop Topics (11:09) Where Does Improv Fit in the Design Process? (18:01) How Does the Yes And Exercise Work? (20:57) Coaching Through the Fears of Doing Improv (26:47) Feeling Safe About Ideas in the Workplace (32:36) What Can Help to Make You Better at Improv? (38:56) How Can We Use This in the Field? (42:09) Final Thoughts (51:50) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links and transcript at userdefenders.com/060 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it FREE at userdefenders.com/xd Become a patron of User Defenders! userdefenders.com/support

Scott Kubie shows us how writing is designing with words. He reminds us that someone has to be the writer, and it’s our job to know who that person is. He calls on us to take up the task of writing when nobody else can, and warns of what leaving it till the end will do. He also shares some neat tricks to spur momentum and overcome those intimidating blank pages. Why Do We Forget About Writing? (6:30) What's Wrong with Lorem Ipsum? (9:36) Present the Problem Before the Visuals (12:57) Are Designers Expected to Be Writers? (15:55) The Rough-In Process (20:08) Getting Approval Through Stakeholder Participation (24:11) Putting It All Together (30:12) IKEA Instructions with Words (37:43) Edit Yourself Later (41:49) How to Level Up (47:10) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/055 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it FREE at userdefenders.com/xd Fight for User Defenders! userdefenders.com/support

Help me keep User Defenders podcast on the air...and help yourself to some amazing, exclusive perks! Creating and running a podcast like User Defenders is not only a ton of work, but also very expensive. Each episode costs $200-300 to put into the world, not to mention the recurring monthly/annual costs for software, hosting, CDN, Web dev, and more I won't bore you with. Sponsors are what have made this show possible and kept the lights on since 2015, but sponsor dollars are scarce and unreliable. I also don't want to just keep the lights on, but continue to grow the show (what got you here, won't get you there). I am envisioning some amazing things to continue happen and branch out from this purposeful, mission-minded entity. In addition to continuing to release the best UX podcast content in the Universe, organizing & running UD Community (and all the ongoing special training/events happening there), I'm currently trying to get a UD Mentors program off the ground, as well as even thinking about organizing a UD Conference one day. Making these exciting things a reality, in addition to keeping the lights on on the podcast, will only be truly possible with your consistent support. In exchange, I’ll give you some pretty marvelous/exclusive things in return such as: A personal thank you mention from me on a future episode Access to the exclusive patron-only feed Early ad-free access to future podcast episodes including an exclusive RSS feed Invite to membership at the exclusive (and thriving) UD Community Exclusive UD logo and symbol stickers mailed to you 20% off coupon code to the store for UD merch Monthly group live streams and/or one on one video chats with me After you commit to a monthly pledge, consider yourself a valued member of this exclusive club! I encourage you to check out the Patreon page. I encourage you to check out the Patreon page (https://userdefenders.com/support) where you can read the complete story of why I launched this support campaign, see a video from me, and learn more about the reward tiers you can receive, as you consider tangibly supporting this show for whatever amount you're comfortably able to contribute each month. You're why I do this, and would like to continue to... Fight on my friends! Jason Ogle Your host and friend

Justin Dauer implores us never settle in our important quest to find the right cultural fit. He reminds us that being human-centered doesn’t just affect our users, but especially the humans we interact with. He encourages us to think hard about where we choose to hang our hat, and understand what the ramifications of the wrong decision may be. He also reveals the maze of signals to watch out for in our search for the culture that will foster our creativity, and empower our passion to produce what could be our greatest work…yet. What Does It Mean to Say "The Right Cultural Fit"? (5:07) Why It's Vital to Find That Fit (7:28) What Are the Reasons You Made This Your Life Mission? (8:55) Is It a Good Plan to Apply for Jobs Everywhere? (17:13) The Best Ways to Vet a Company’s Culture (22:47) Is It Worth Jumping into an Undesirable Culture to Gain Experience? (31:57) Before Heading into an Interview (34:25) Thoughts on Interview Questions (40:32) Advice for Listeners Who Feel Stuck (44:35) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/058 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it FREE at userdefenders.com/xd

Andy Vitale teaches us all about how to interview for our next UX job like a boss. He emphasizes the importance of avoiding jargon, and at all costs the temptation to conflate confidence with arrogance. He reminds us to be prepared to get way out of our comfort zones, and even offers smart techniques on how to cope with the discomfort in those critical moments. He also points out that pay isn't everything, and that a fantastic work culture can make all the difference. The Importance of Soft Skills (4:55) Calming Your Nerves (17:08) The Importance of Body Language (22:18) What Do You Love About Interviewing? (36:15) What Do You Hate About Interviewing? (38:21) How Much Should I Be Paid? (41:13) Discussing Salary During an Interview (47:06) Favorite Last Interview Questions (51:07) Whiteboard Exercise Preparation (54:58) How to Tell If a Company Understands UX (60:29) Words of Encouragement (63:47) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/057 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it FREE at userdefenders.com/xd  

Sarah Doody challenges us to think of our portfolio as one of the most important products we’ll ever create. She urges us to not only communicate our contributions, but to both show and tell the story of each project. In the end, she teaches us that using the right process is more than just about landing our next UX job–it will also make us better designers. Ideal Number of Projects (4:07) Lead with the Best Project (5:40) Alternate Portfolios (7:13) What a Recruiter Is Looking For Most (13:03) Proving Your Knowledge (15:52) What Does Storytelling Mean? (23:47) Edit Your Work (29:48) Do You Need a Website? (39:44) Build a Portfolio Quickly (49:36) The UX Academy (54:09) Best Advice (56:31) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/056 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it FREE at userdefenders.com/xd  

Andy Budd reveals what the hiring minds of companies are really thinking. He answers how to navigate the recruitment process and presents an invaluable insight that shows how to subvert it altogether. He urges us to be more of who we are and to recognize that each of us has unique talents that are fit for the right organizations at the right time. He also emphasizes that it's up to each job seeker to communicate their personal value if they want to land the job of their dreams. Resumes That Stand Out (6:20) UX Education (28:45) Does Your Appearance Matter? (38:23) What About Soft Skills? (48:25) The Recruiter Follow-Up (60:09) Asking for Feedback (67:30) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/055 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it FREE at userdefenders.com/xd

UD Community is Live! Join the most passionate, empathic, and hungry community of UXers around, now! UD Community is a safe gathering place for Defenders in all areas and phases of UX to connect with other Defenders, ask questions, share knowledge, and offer inspiration to help us not grow weary in our important mission of fighting for our users! https://community.userdefenders.com

Seth Godin shows us what radical empathy looks like. He reminds us to do work that matters, for people who care by focusing on serving a minimum viable audience. He teaches us that the way to stay indispensable in our work is to do work where you can’t write down the steps. He also reveals how faked empathy is just as good as real empathy for the true professional acting as if. Creating UX for Early Computer Games (4:23) What Book Would the Seth Godin of the Industrial Revolution Write? (6:43) How Do You Define Empathy? (9:30) Why is Empathy Important in Doing Great Work? (12:01) What's Your Greatest Story of Empathy in Action? (14:50) One of the Greatest Marketing Lessons Seth Ever Learned (18:44) Status Over Empathy (25:07) Empathy Learned the Hard Way (28:19) What's Your Best Advice in Building our Empathy Levels? (30:33) Advice for Becoming Better Storytellers (32:51) Are Our Smartphone Addictions Negatively Affecting our Empathy Levels? (34:27) Seth's Apple Rant (37:44) Apple Could Solve the Texting & Driving Dilemma in 4 Minutes (If They Wanted To) (39:31) How Do We Stay Indispensable In Our Work in an AI World? (41:16) Faked Empathy is Just as Good as Real Empathy (43:59) What Makes You Angry? (45:34) Jason's Blurb for Seth's New Book "This is Marketing" (48:10) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/seth Want to grow in your empathy levels toward other humans, but just not sure how to? I invite you to rise to the FREE One Week to Strong Empathy Challenge brought to you by User Defenders podcast. Simply visit userdefenders.com/empathy and enter your email address (which I commit to never ever compromise!).

Becca Kennedy teaches us how to do UX research on a budget. She encourages newer designers to demonstrate their problem-solving superpowers by redesigning sub-par experiences they use regularly. She reminds us that users are human before they’re users. She also shows us how we can have anything in life we want, if we will just help others get what they want. Becca's Tattoo's Origin Story (5:31) Why Psychology? (6:26) What is Human Factors? (11:43) How do we find research subjects? (24:06) The Law of Diminishing Returns (31:16) Awkward Testing Story (32:57) Design Superpower (39:14) Design Kryptonite (40:48) Coping with Imposter Syndrome (44:49) UX Superhero Name (49:10) Should we Call Them Users? (53:45) Fights for Users (56:33) Habit of Success (59:11) Invincible Resource (61:54) Recommended Book (63:54) Best Advice (66:09) Contact Info (70:07) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/054 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd

Imposter Syndrome is a very common and unwelcome condition especially among creative people. In Jason Ogle's very first monologue episode, he...wait, it's me writing this (and my voice matters, dog gonnit!)...I tackle the important, and very common condition among creative people known as imposter syndrome. I address what it is, why we have it, and how to kick it in the privates! Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links and transcript at userdefenders.com/impostersyndrome This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd

Denise Jacobs teaches us how to banish our inner critic. She motivates us to realize what we’re capable of creatively. She encourages us to overcome the fear of the unknown by turning that fear into curiosity. She also guides us into how to ask for feedback in a way that’s healthy and beneficial to us. Why do so many think they're not creative? (6:08) Name that inner critic! (28:13) Listener Question: (43:35) Best advice for imposter syndrome sufferers? (80:34) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/innercritic-2 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Denise Jacobs teaches us how to banish our inner critic. She motivates us to realize what we’re capable of creatively. She encourages us to overcome the fear of the unknown by turning that fear into curiosity. She also guides us into how to ask for feedback in a way that’s healthy and beneficial to us. Why did you write “Banish Your Inner Critic”? (8:27) We’re all born creative…what happens to us? (27:11) Creativity > public school (35:04) Do you have Dunning Kruger effect? (39:49) The value of a creativity cheerleader (49:25) Listener question: How can I assure my self worth is not dependent on external sources? (57:05) Check out the detailed show notes including mentioned links, transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/innercritic-1 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Josh Clark enlightens us to everything we need to know about the current state of UX in AI. He takes us on an unsettling stroll through uncanny valley. He encourages us to let machines do what they're really good at, and humans do what they're really good at. He guides us into how to begin getting our hands dirty with AI/Machine-Learning. He also articulates how our software/machines are embedded with values, and inspires us (for future's sake) to be intentional about the kinds of values we embed into them. Josh passes the Turing Test (07:33) What is AI/Machine Learning? (10:04) Is AI’s uncertainties driving engineers nuts? (18:28) Listener Q: How do we address AI's failure in presenting errors? (27:00) Taking a stroll down "uncanny valley” + “mechanophilia" (34:35) Is there hope for the UX of Voice UI? (42:05) Will the machines we’ve built eventually overtake and destroy us? (55:08) Will AI eventually take our jobs? (68:35) Is there a specific area of focus that will benefit designers interested in AI? (77:50) Listener Q: At what point in the AI development process should UX get involved and how? (91:09) Do we take these awesome technologies for granted? If so, why do we do that? (100:13) If today was your last day, what would be your final plea to designers and developers building the future of AI? (105:03) Check out the detailed show notes including the transcript at userdefenders.com/uxai This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Alan Cooper teaches us what it means to be a good ancestor. He enlightens us to why it’s so hard to build good software. He reveals how money trumps good UX and ethics far too often. He explains why UX is not about finding the best location for a hamburger menu, but about solving the big problems that exist for the user and the business. He also inspires us to consider (and potentially redirect) the footprints we’re leaving now, for the generations to come. Should designers code? (4:40) Specialization vs. generalization (7:41) How do designers get business on board with building great products? (13:19) How do you be a good ancestor? (25:30) Ancestry Thinking (41:06) What does the future of UX look like to you? (44:01) What advice do you have for aspiring UX designers? (53:13) What do you want your legacy to be? (57:16) Check out the detailed show notes including the transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/053-2 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Alan Cooper teaches us what it means to be a good ancestor. He enlightens us to why it’s so hard to build good software. He reveals how money trumps good UX and ethics far too often. He explains why UX is not about finding the best location for a hamburger menu, but about solving the big problems that exist for the user and the business. He also inspires us to consider (and potentially redirect) the footprints we’re leaving now, for the generations to come. There’s no such thing as UX Design? (8:13) Why do you put so much emphasis on Interaction Design? (24:41) How important are design patterns? (31:35) How do you build a product you can’t prove is valuable yet? (45:58) Why are there so many bad products in the world? (50:50) Check out the detailed show notes including the transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/053-1 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.  

Tim Hykes shines a light on black designers. He shows us how an inspiring idea, and a lot of hard work can make a huge impact. He inspires us to challenge everything, especially the status quo. He motivates us to not wait to be asked to solve a problem, but to be a self-starter and solve it. He also teaches us how being a great designer starts with being a great person. Secret Identity (6:55) Criminal Justice Background (11:47) Why the Web/UX? (13:47) Racist Hand Soap?? (17:00) 28 Days of Black Designers (20:39) Why aren't there more Black Designers? (26:17) Design Superpower (38:11) Design Kryptonite (40:05) UX Superhero Name (42:51) Fights for Users (44:09) Habit of Success (48:07) Invincible Resource (56:11) Recommended Book (57:30) Best Advice (60:21) Contact Info (64:10) Check out the detailed show notes including the transcript and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/052 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Just a small taste of what's to come in what could possibly be the best season yet...Season 5 of User Defenders podcast begins 08.27.17 Featuring in order Alan Cooper, Tim Hykes, Denise Jacobs, Jason Ogle, Josh Clark, Alan Cooper. Be sure to subscribe to automatically receive the incredible new episodes: userdefenders.com/subscribe This was originally recorded as a video (hence the not-great audio quality from my iPhone mic for intro). If you'd like to watch the video, check it out here: userdefenders.com/s5vid Can't wait to serve you this new season, Defender! The dope song playing in the background was written by my friend Alan Oakes from his incredible project, Let Em Riot (letemriot.com).

Here's a bit about what's been going on with me, and what's to come with the show and the forthcoming/exciting Season 5.

Derek Featherstone teaches us how designing for people with disabilities is really just better design for everybody. He shows us how people with disabilities aren’t different from us, they just use different tools to accomplish the same things. He encourages us to apply empathy to grow our skills in learning how to design for accessibility. He also reveals how taking small steps to incorporate something new into our design process could change everything. Origin Story (5:53) What Were Your “Aha” Moments? (12:02) Why Do We Tend to Forget About Disabled Users? (17:15) Tools Disabled Folks Use to Navigate (20:47) Accessibility, Greater Than Aesthetics (31:37) Has Designing for Accessibility Ever Made Things Worse for Majority of “Able” Users? (36:14) Story of Biggest Triumph in Designing for Inclusivity + Accessibility (42:36) What’s a Roadmap for Learning this Stuff? (44:56) Contact Info (47:35) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/051 This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Liza Kindred challenges us to be more mindful in how we use and design technology. She offers us a value system on how to do just that. She encourages us to slow down and incorporate meditation and mindfulness practices into our daily lives. She reminds us to connect more with the real humans physically present with us. She also inspires us to design for the world we want to live in. What is Mindful Technology? (6:50) Benefits of practicing Mindful Tech? (9:23) How do you mitigate FOMO? (24:46) Smartphone addiction in the home (30:10) Implications if we don't practice mindful tech? (40:52) How do we design for human connection? (47:39) How can we inspire others to be more mindful with tech? (56:56) What would your last words be to designers influencing tech? (67:20) Liza's "Eff This" book (71:35) Jason's mindfulness tip (76:17) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/mindfultech This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Jason Ogle shows us how we can all be design superheroes with the right mindset. He reveals how grit trumps talent, every day. He reminds us of the peril that bad leadership and ego can have on a team and organization. He challenges us to never stop fighting for our users. He also inspires us to be a catalyst for our community. Secret Identity (6:49) Origin Story (11:14) Biggest Superhero (21:31) Biggest Failure (28:51) Awkward Testing Story (35:06) Design Superpower (40:35) Design Kryptonite (43:04) UX Superhero Name (49:16) Fights for Users (57:09) Habit of Success (61:28) Recommended Book (67:10) Best Advice (69:58) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/050 This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Steve Portigal challenges us to enjoy the silence when interviewing people. He teaches us the importance of rapport-building, and offers sage advice on how to do it. He shows us how sticking with an interview even when it’s not going well can sometimes bring forth the best data. He also reveals how a little empathy can go a long way in field research. Secret Identity (8:08) Origin Story (12:19) What drives your curiosity? (24:53) Roberta 'call me Bert's war story (29:28) What's Ethnography (the "E-word") (38:32) Rapport-building tips (46:51) Brian's war story (55:21) UX Superhero Name (66:28) Habit of Success (75:06) Steve's Corset War Story (78:39) Best Advice (84:53) Contact Info (88:33) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/049 This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Cassie McDaniel inspires us to get away from the ‘pick me’ mindset, and to pick ourselves. She challenges us to be willing to kill our darlings so that something better can emerge. She teaches us the importance of knowing our values, but also embracing the fact that they are going to change. She also encourages us to not just do what we’re good at, but do what we enjoy. Secret Identity (8:27) Origin Story (20:56) Being Mozilla Foundation's Design Director (24:09) Biggest Failure (36:36) Kill Your Darlings (40:24) Design Superpower (52:54) Habit of Success (62:59) Invincible Resource (67:39) Best Advice (70:33) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/048 This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

I was so delighted when at the beginning of 2017, Eric Meyer + Jeffrey Zeldman asked me if I wanted to record a live episode at my favorite design conference, An Event Apart. Welcome to this very special episode where I felt like I needed to give a radio intro in front of a live audience! Lol, you’ll see what I mean. Thankful to my hero Chris Coyier for saving the day and pulling me out of broadcast mode, into live mode. First time for everything! I’m still in awe at my panel of bad design Avengers consisting of Cassie McDaniel, Chris Coyier, and Luke Wroblewski who each added so much value to the episode and attendees. Oh, did I mention this session took place right after “Happy Hour”? Please enjoy this very special, first-ever live broadcast of User Defender podcast!

Jeremy Keith reveals how the web is neither good or bad, nor neutral, but an amplifier. He inspires us to not let the future be just something that happens to us, but rather something we make with the small things we do today. He encourages us to build software ethically with our users’ psychological vulnerabilities in mind. He motivates us to not build on rented land, but to publish using the superpower of our own URLs. He also shows us how looking to the past is just as important as looking to the future. Iron Man Photo Story (4:43) On Net Neutrality (13:31) What's "Adactio"? (20:44) Is the Internet Good or Evil? (24:41) Hippocratic Oath for Software Designers (35:51) Resilient Web Design (49:06) Why do you Love the Web so Much? (54:26) The Power and Generosity of the Community (63:05) What Comes Next? (71:34) Listener Question? (73:44) Last Words to the Builders of the Web (74:18) Contact Info (80:15) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/047 This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Joe Johnston inspires us to embrace the superpowers of curiosity and empathy for our users and business owners. He motivates us to always stay curious, and ask why to get to the heart of the problem faster. He encourages us to make sure we use the shiny objects available to us to actually solve a problem. "Merhl" Backstory (7:40) Secret Identity (11:38) Origin Story (13:46) Empathy is Still Important (18:52) Biggest Failure (24:46) Design Leadership/Culture (28:41) Awkward Testing Story (33:24) Design Superpower (41:50) Shiny Objects Syndrome (44:12) UX of Ambient-Driven Experiences (50:46) UX Superhero Name (56:14) Habit of Success (57:11) Invincible Resource (60:05) Best Advice (61:00) Contact Info (63:34) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/046 This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

“Designers are the architects of human behavior. With a consolidated tool like Studio, designers are going to be able to focus a lot more on designing...as they should.” — Tom Giannattasio In this very special episode, I had the great privilege of talking to Studio mastermind Tom Giannattasio all about what went into building what's being touted as "the world' most powerful screen design tool". Tom has an interesting designer origin story. In this interview, you'll hear how his past experiences have really shaped him into the toolmaker superhero that he's become. In this compelling interview with Tom, you'll hear him answer my questions such as: What is Studio, and what makes it “the world’s most powerful screen design tool”? Do designers really need another tool? What makes Studio different than all the others? What lessons did you learn from Macaw that you’ve applied to Studio? What’s it like designing for designers? What are the inherent challenges? What have been the rewards? Much more! TIMESTAMPS Designing with colorblindness (2:30) What is Macaw? (7:09) What is Studio? (16:37) Do we need another design tool? (22:08) Where does Studio leave Craft & InVision tools? (27:30) Lessons learned from Macaw in making of Studio (31:14) What's it like designing for designers? (34:44) Coolest things you've seen folks do with Studio so far? (37:51) How much does Studio cost? (41:17) When is Studio available? (42:08) Designers are becoming the architects of human behavior (43:35) When we build (45:51) This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook (userdefenders.com/freebook) from Audible. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Alexa Roman motivates us to prove the value of design and contribute to it every single day. She encourages us to always be learning new things since designers work across many different fields. She inspires us to get more excited about analytics and measuring our designs. She also challenges us to think about what we want on our tombstones...while we’re still this side up. Secret Identity (7:49) Origin Story (12:42) What Will Your Tombstone Say? (19:25) Biggest Failure (21:50) Design Superpower (29:40) How Important is Aesthetics? (35:52) Awkward Testing Story (48:49) Design Kryptonite (55:23) UX Superhero Name (63:59) Designing with Data (64:30) Habit of Success (70:09) Invincible Resource (71:39) Recommended Book (73:28) Best Advice (74:48) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/045 This episode is brought to you by InVision Studio (userdefenders.com/studio): The world's most powerful screen design tool Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Welcome to this very special, quite literally out of this world episode with my father, G.A. “Jim” Ogle. You know how they say it doesn’t take a rocket scientist? Well, my Dad is one. On a recent vacation to Florida to celebrate his 80th birthday, he spent nearly three hours telling me his compelling story. G.A. "Jim" Ogle fell in love with airplanes at the early age of 8 years old. The circumstances that presented this initial passion were far from ideal. He was recovering in a hospital bed following a 7-hour surgery to essentially re-attach his badly mangled right leg from a horrible school bus wreck. He awoke from the operation to see a model airplane hanging down from a wooden structure over his bed that was to be used as a traction device to slowly pull his left leg back into place. It was broken at the hip and rammed almost three inches into his lower torso. His injuries would prevent him from being a pilot in the Air Force. But this reality would not deter him from being in the air with airplanes because 12 years later he became involved in space with missiles and rockets on his first job at Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1958. This was the beginning of his 51-year career of being associated with every manned moon mission and all 135 Space Shuttle missions. He finally got his layoff notice along with 8,000 other space workers following the final Shuttle mission, STS-135, in July 2011. He likes to tell folks questioning his unusual longevity in this field that he was fortunate to be “in the right place at the right time and the right age.” He considers himself blessed for having had the opportunity to be a part of this truly exciting time in America’s beginnings in space. Fun fact: Jim requires 10 lemons and multiple servings of tartar sauce with every seafood meal. The last lemon squeeze after the meal is used to clean his hands! Tragic Beginnings (08:50) Missiles (21:58) Meeting Wernher von Braun (42:36) Apollo I Fire (48:36) Moon Missions (55:55) How in the World Was this Possible? (67:27) Space Shuttle (87:57) Challenger: What Went Wrong? (105:35) Columbia: What Went Wrong? (112:08) Next Chapter of Space Travel (118:50) Takeaways from Space Stories (132:32) What Drove You to Overcome Your Adversity? (136:15) Advice for Those in the Midst of Adversity (139:48) In Closing (144:11) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen's astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/rocketman

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. 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) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/044 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.  

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 User Defenders' very first Denver appearance on December 11-13, 2017.

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. 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) Check out the detailed show notes at userdefenders.com/aaw This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.  

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. 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) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/043 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

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. 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) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/042 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

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'. 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) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/041 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Laura Elizabeth believes 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. 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) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/040 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

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. 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) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/039 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

"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 Check out the detailed show notes at userdefenders.com/mr-2  

"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 Check out the detailed show notes at userdefenders.com/mr-1

Femke encourages us to take pride in our process by being willing to show our crappy work. She shows us how every small step can lead to something big. She teaches us how we can achieve anything in life, if we’re willing to take action. She also challenges us to wake up early to get the stuff done that we “never have time for”. Secret Identity/Origin Story (2:26) Biggest Superhero (9:52) Biggest Failure (13:25) Design & Personal Growth (19:28) Crappy Work Article (23:36) Design Superpower (36:56) Book Recommendation (40:07) Design Kryptonite (43:47) Habit Of Success (47:05) Stay Inspired (53:26) Invincible Resource (55:09) Best Advice (57:56) Contact Info (60:32) Check out the detailed show notes and Eli Jorgensen’s astonishing superhero artwork at userdefenders.com/038 This episode is brought to you by Adobe, makers of XD. Try it free at userdefenders.com/xd Get your FREE audiobook from Audible at userdefenders.com/freebook. No commitment. Cancel in 30 days, and you won't be charged. The book is still yours to keep.

Andy Vitale is using design to literally save lives. He shows us how empathy is the key to any product’s success. He motivates us to stay driven, and bring our own seat to the table. He shows us how true leaders take the time to understand what drives their team. He inspires us to always […]

Buy the Book Buy Justin’s great book through my Amazon affiliate link, and help User Defenders at no additional cost to you. Win/win! Buy Book “We create human-centered interactions and experiences in our field. Empathetic purpose drives our every decision. Mobile First? In reality, it’s humans first. This same mentality, turned inward, forms the cornerstone […]

Nick Finck teaches us the value of being a connector, and mentoring other designers. He gives us a really compelling, dare I say accurate look into the future of UX. He inspires us to make sure we unplug every once in a while. He also motivates us to find the sweet spot between users, the […]

Samuel Hulick shows us how to build bridges for our users. He motivates us to make sure that the effort put into building the software is not wasted in the onboarding experience. He also inspires us to stay curious, and always be learning. Secret Identity/Origin Story (5:04) Onboarding Defined (9:30) Biggest Superhero (16:08) Biggest Failure (17:00) Weirdest Teardown (32:00) Design Superpower (39:20) Design Kryptonite (41:24) Design Superhero Name (42:40) Habit Of Success (48:30) Invincible Resource (50:23) How Much Is Too Much (52:00) Best Advice (64:20) LINKS Samuel’s Personal Twitter Samuel’s Professional Twitter Samuel’s Website Product People, Mind the Gap! [ARTICLE] Never Mix Up Features with Benefits Ever Again [ARTICLE] The Art of Building (or Burning) Product Bridges [ARTICLE] Kathy Sierra (Business of Software 2009) [VIDEO] Extra Credits (YouTube) [VIDEO]

New Season Starts 6/12 If you’re seeing this on your podcast player, you can also watch the video here. Greetings User Defenders! The new season is starting June 12th and I could not be more excited to share it with you. So much so that I put together a teaser reel. Oh, and I put […]

Jonathan teaches us how product managers are the glue between design and engineering. He reminds us that the most important role we can play in the success of a product is being a voice for the customer. He encourages us to never give up on our personal projects. He also motivates us as designers to […]

“I saw a study that said speaking in front of a crowd is considered the number one fear of the average person. I found that amazing. Number two, was death. Death is number two? This means, to the average person, if you have to be at a funeral, you would rather be in the casket […]

Andrea Picchi reminds us that the core of design is always about people. He dives deep into the importance of design thinking. He motivates us to embrace ambiguity, and to fail as often as possible without losing the job. He also inspires us to believe in design and to always defend the user’s point of […]

Sarah Doody inspires us to break out of our comfort zones early & often if we want to achieve great things. She teaches us that our drawings should serve more as a communication tool than an art project. She encourages us to tap into our superpowers of using both sides of our brain. She also […]

Mat Marquis reminds us that web design is scrappy business. He inspires us to fight for what we truly believe in. He shows us how we can take our designs and skills further by learning a little code. He motivates us to continue to hone our communication skills by writing a lot. He also encourages […]

Aaron Gustafson inspires us to build a web for all people. He encourages us to keep an open mind about perspectives that are different than our own. He motivates us to keep focused on context when it comes to the users we’re designing for. He also challenges us to plant seeds of growth in others […]

Ling Lim inspires us to be relentless in our pursuit of the person we want to become. She teaches us to create products that connect with our users and their lives by becoming them as much as possible. She challenges us to not sacrifice the sentimental quality of a product when we design for it […]

Chris Coyier teaches us that if we care about succeeding in something, we need to be willing to persist for a long time. He inspires us to grab hold of the joy that comes from building for ourselves, too. He encourages us to not just use a framework because we're "supposed to", but to use whatever tool is right for the job. He also enlightens us to the superpower of using SVG in practical ways. LINKS Chris' Twitter Chris' Website CSS-Tricks CodePen The Snowballing Of Practice Made By [VIDEO]

After nearly a year of consistent podcasting, it’s time for me to hit pause… You can also read about this.

I have a listener survey and one of you suggested Nir Eyal as a superguest. Today (thanks to your suggestion) I got to interview the man himself. Nir is the author of the buzz-worthy book Hooked: How To Build Habit-Forming Products. Nir did not disappoint. The guy is a wealth of knowledge and you’ll notice listening […]

Aarron Walter inspires us to always try and see the big picture. He challenges us to produce more grounded work by getting outside our bubbles, and feeling a bit more pain. He shows us how storytelling is central to the human experience and transcends our medium. He also inspires us to maintain plenty of inputs […]

Nikkel Blaase reminds us that we are not our users. He encourages us to make time for deep thinking. He teaches us that without failing, there’s no learning. He guides us to not spend too much time figuring out a solution if we don’t know what the problem is. He shows us how creating value […]

Ashley Karr teaches us that we can’t be exceptional at generalizing. She encourages us to always work with the people for whom we are designing. She motivates us to always trust ourselves and our instincts. She shows us how planning and organization are key contributors to success. She also inspires us to give back by […]

Francisco Inchauste teaches us that the best design is invisible. He enlightens us to how we can learn something from anyone, and to appreciate the people who surround us. He reminds us of the importance of validating our work. He also inspires us to always add value to even the smallest things and to not […]

Austin Knight motivates us to just start making things. He encourages us to keep designing, even if it isn’t our job yet. He teaches us how the future of UX is all about expansion and that there’s never been a better time to be a designer. He also inspires us to not only fight for […]

Jordan Dobson inspires us to never stop learning and be generous in sharing knowledge with others. He encourages us to craft prototypes in order to gain valuable insight early and often. He challenges designers to gain empathy for their developers by learning a bit about code. He also shows us how the little details can make […]

Drew Lepp encourages us to learn the business side of technology in order to achieve greater success with our designs. She encourages us to always know why we’re doing what we’re doing, and to be able to clearly articulate why every element on the page is there. She inspires us to fight on in our […]

Don’t miss Part I of this unforgettable interview. Jeffrey Zeldman inspires us to not underestimate our users by always testing our assumptions–because we’re often wrong. He reminds us of the tremendous value of writing and synthesizing our thoughts. He teaches us to never underrate our gut instincts. He also encourages us to stay enchanted in […]

Don’t miss Part II of this unforgettable interview. Jeffrey Zeldman dives deep into his origin story to enlighten us on how he got started on the Web. He inspires us to not get caught up in the buzzwords, but to keep it simple and clear. He also gets vulnerable to reveal how overcoming his biggest […]

Design for Real Life is a profound and inspiring book. The more things become automated and robotic, the more evident the need to remain human becomes. This book compels us to strive to stay human especially in our approach to how we design for other humans. It deeply challenges the long-held status-quo of resistance to […]

Pek Pongpaet teaches us that the key to successful UX is in pattern recognition and application. He reminds us of the power of visual hierarchy in that if something’s important, it should never be buried. He reminds us of the power of observation and in testing our product with users. He also inspires us to […]

David Demaree reminds us of the value of simplicity, brevity, and editing. He encourages us to know who are users are and where they’re coming from. He inspires us not to get too wrapped up into the closeness of our own material and not take the criticism of our work too personally. He also teaches […]

Victor Yocco teaches us that standing out in our work involves identifying human needs, and always being willing to address them. He enlightens us that failure leads to greater things, but our motivation should be not to fail. He shows us how practicing perseverance is a great habit to get into because it always pays […]

Alexa Leigh Herasimchuk inspires us to go find our why and to not fear reaching out to people who inspire us. She teaches us that the future of UX should be integrated into our education system. She reminds us that we can’t make people care, but we can build things people care about. She also […]

Rachel Andrew inspires us to understand people who are not like us because most often the products we design are not for us. She motivates us with her successful habit of GTD (Getting Things Done). She teaches us that solid attention to detail and ability to execute can be more important than specific technical skills. […]

Khoi Vinh teaches us that designers can do their best work by drawing on many different sources and working on different challenges simultaneously. A big fan of breaking large problems up into actionable chunks and making lists of all those things that need to get done, Vinh enjoys articulating the value of the design process […]

Dan Mall inspires us to get really good at what we do by constantly practicing it. He reminds us of the importance of work/life balance and setting the right priorities. He also reminds us that there’s a big difference between being a leader and being a boss, and how great leaders are always looking for […]

KaL MichaeL teaches us that empathy is less of something we practice and more of a result of patience and perseverance. He challenges us to remain humble enough to know that we do not know everything, and what we don’t know will always far surpass what we do know. He also encourages us to own […]

Golden Krishna teaches us that it’s possible to reduce our amount of screen time and still solve people’s problems elegantly in the background. He enlightens us to how much we’re all drowning in screens. He also shares with us that our stuff isn’t good enough, and it never will be because as designers we’re always […]

In lieu of our normal episode, I wanted to do a quick Year End Review to offer a retrospective of 2015 and a glimpse into 2016 by addressing these three things: Things Accomplished Top 3 Learnings From Guests This Year What to expect from UX/UD in 2016 I can’t thank you enough for your enthusiastic […]

Jeff Barnaby inspires us to pay attention to the unseen and always keep it simple. He shares with us that organization is the most important factor to success. He also encourages us to keep ourselves and our clients educated and that ours and our clients personal preferences should come last and our users’ should come […]

Josh Clark inspires us to not forget to splash in puddles and give ourselves permission to play in our work. He encourages us to not just tell our story, but to find out our users’ story and craft our experience and technology around that. He also shares with us that the things we make are […]

Ben Callahan inspires us to be passionate about the interfaces we design and put ourselves in the shoes of the people who are using them to do amazing things. He shares a really interesting parallel from Jazz music to the work we do. He reminds us to make every day count by first thinking about […]

Rafal Tomal inspires us to focus more on solving complicated problems for clients, and less on Dribbble likes. He also emphasizes the importance of keeping our UI and layouts minimal to make room for typography and especially to limit the number of choices we want our users to make to the most critical ones. He […]

Chloë Bregman inspires us to not get caught up with titles like UX Designer, but to find what we’re great at and focus our energy on building those strengths to build products that not only solve problems, but bring happiness to people. She reminds us to focus on the team and that all ideas are […]

Andi Galpern inspires us to ask where do we want to go, and then encourages us to meet a mentor who can help take us there. She states that community is the key to becoming all we can be and that five minutes with the right person can change our lives. Andi Galpern is founder […]

Christopher Schmitt reminds us to use the materials that we’re given and that we can learn something from everybody if we keep an open mind. He also encourages us to share what we know through exercising our superpower of writing and we can never go wrong with practicing kindness in our field. Christopher Schmitt (Teleject) […]

Craig Morrison inspires us to know why we’re building what we’re building by looking for an opportunity in a market that needs something, and then by giving it to them. He also reminds us to do all the user research needed until we’ve built a product that people want to use. Craig Morrison (Validation Man) […]

Josh Tucker shares with us the importance of determination and resolve when building whatever it is you desire to build. He also stresses the importance of knowing everything you possibly can about your users and designing experiences that delight them and improve their lives. Josh Tucker (The Interactioneer) is an Interactive Designer at Google and […]

Daniel Hooper declares that any designer who desires to code, can and even should. He shares about how the industry still has a lot to learn from the amazing things that have been accomplished (and sadly forgotten) by the brilliant software design engineers of old. He also shares his excitement of how prototyping really is […]

The story behind the mission, the host and the future of User Defenders podcast.