Beyond UX Design

• Working With People Is the Real Challenge: From “Us vs. Them” to “We’ve Got This” With Guy Segal

  What’s stopping your work from shipping? It’s probably not the design itself. This week, I chat with Guy Segal about the soft skills that make the biggest difference—giving feedback, earning trust, and aligning with your team when things get tough.What if the biggest reason your designs aren’t making it to production has nothing to do with design?You know your work is solid. You’ve put in the hours, iterated on the flow, and covered every edge case. But when it comes time to hand it off or get sign-off, something breaks. It stalls, gets picked apart, or falls flat. Sound familiar?In this episode, I sit down with Guy Segal—design leader and host of Design Downtime—to talk about why “soft skills” are the hardest part of UX, and how improving them can be the difference between your designs shipping or collecting dust. We cover how to give better feedback, how to handle misalignment without blowing things up, and what it actually means to be someone your team wants to work with.This conversation is a must-listen if you’ve ever felt like good design work wasn’t enough. Because it isn’t. The way you show up—how you talk to people, how you build trust, how you respond to tension—is what moves the work forward.Topics:• 00:00 – Introduction: The Human Side of Software• 00:37 – Welcome to Beyond UX Design• 00:44 – Promotions and Sponsorships• 02:31 – The Importance of Relationships in Software• 02:57 – Interview with Guy Siegel: Building Great Relationships• 04:09 – Challenges in Team Dynamics• 05:26 – Empathy and Communication in Teams• 13:00 – Feedback Framework for Better Team Collaboration• 28:58 – Aligning Team Goals and Values• 32:45 – Establishing Team Values and Hiring Practices• 33:27 – Importance of One-on-Ones and Setting Expectations• 35:06 – Empathy and Communication in Design• 36:08 – Feedback and Continuous Improvement• 37:09 – Challenges in Designer-Engineer Collaboration• 38:21 – Managerial Insights and Team Dynamics• 43:09 – Building Strong Work RelationshipsHelpful Links:• Design Downtime• Connect with Guy on LinkedIn—Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out show transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Stitcher⁠⁠

  --------  

  59:03
• The Designer’s Guide To Power and Politics: Organizational Theory and Design With Thomas Wilson

  Understanding how power works might be the most underrated UX skill. Thomas Wilson shares ways to navigate power, bridge generational gaps, and influence decisions, even when you don’t have direct control.Why do some designers influence major decisions while others get ignored? The answer might come down to how well you understand power.You can’t influence what you don’t understand. In this conversation, I sit down with Thomas Wilson to discuss the invisible structures that shape what gets built, who gets heard, and why some designers consistently seem to gain traction, even without a fancy title.We unpack what it means to navigate power inside organizations, how to build trust with people who don’t think like you, and what “pushing back” looks like when done with empathy and strategy. Thomas also challenges the notion that power is something to be avoided or rejected. Instead, he frames it as a neutral force—one you can learn to work with instead of around.If you’ve ever felt stuck, sidelined, or frustrated by decisions that don’t make sense, this episode will help you rethink how you operate—and show you that power, used well, can actually be a designer’s ally.Topics:• 03:51 Understanding Power Dynamics in Organizations• 05:44 Types of Power in Business• 08:22 Strategies for Leveraging Power• 19:39 Tools for Influencing and Negotiation• 28:12 Power Mapping and Stakeholder Management• 36:47 Influence and Interest Matrix• 37:43 Generational Dynamics in the Workplace• 38:57 Diversity of Thought and Communication Styles• 41:34 Building Relationships and Trust• 43:41 Handling Workplace Conflicts• 48:48 Resources for Understanding PowerHelpful Links:• Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn—Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out show transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our website⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Stitcher⁠⁠

  --------  

  1:05:09
• Freelancing Without the Frenzy: One Tool, One Niche, No Drama With Maciej Konarzewski

  Freelancing doesn't have to mean chaos and burnout. In this episode, we explore how to scale your freelance business without hiring a team by getting smarter with tools, strategy, and specialization.What if you could scale your freelance business without hiring a team, just by using the right tools?Most freelancers hit the same wall: they think going solo means doing it all. But today’s guest, Maciej Konarzewski, shares how that belief almost held him back, and how flipping the script helped him build a successful one-person business that runs on his terms.In this episode, Maciej shares how he went from building his first site for his wife’s cleaning business to becoming a certified Wix Studio partner and full-time business owner. We talk about ditching the hustle mindset, building smart systems, and saying no to distractions (and even clients) in order to say yes to better work.If you’re a designer trying to escape the 9–5 grind or scale your freelance business without burning out, this episode is for you. We dig into tools, pricing, niching down, and how community and relationships can unlock opportunities you didn’t even know were possible.Tune in and learn how to build a thriving freelance business—without hiring a single employee.Topics:• 02:44 The Reality of Freelancing• 03:08 Interview with Maciej Konarzewski• 04:17 Maciej’s Freelancing Journey• 14:30 The Importance of Specialization• 25:33 The Reality of Job Security• 26:09 The Hardest Decision: Changing Jobs• 26:42 You Are Your Own Backup Plan• 27:41 Selling and Marketing Yourself• 30:34 The Mindset Shift in Sales• 36:46 The Importance of Community and SpecializationHelpful Links:• Connect with Maciej on LinkedIn• Vision Marketing—Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.• ⁠⁠⁠Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠Support the show on Patreon⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠Check out show transcripts⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠Check out our website⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Stitcher⁠⁠

  --------  

  51:39
• Leadership Without the Ladder: The Myth of the Management Track with Filippos Protogeridis

  What if becoming a manager isn’t the upgrade you’ve been led to believe?What if you could grow your influence and your impact, without giving up the work you actually love doing? In this episode, Filippos Protogeridis shares why traditional UX career ladders don’t always work and how he carved out a leadership path that didn’t require a team of direct reports.A lot of mid-level and senior designers assume the only way to advance their careers is to become managers. But what if that path isn’t right for you? What if there are better options? In this episode, I talk with Filippos Protogeridis, who shares his journey from founding designer to head of product design at a rapidly growing healthtech startup in London.Filippos didn’t follow the traditional ladder. Instead of giving up hands-on work, he redefined what leadership looks like for his role, blending vision work, hiring, mentoring, and strategy with the design work he still loves. We talk about why most companies get the “promotion to management” thing all wrong, and how to think more clearly about what you actually want from your next step.If you’ve been wrestling with questions about growth, leadership, and what it really means to “level up” in UX, this episode is for you. Tune in and rethink what success in design leadership can look like.Topics:• 05:00 – Filippos’ Background and Journey• 06:43 – Challenges in Leadership Transition• 14:20 – The Importance of Hiring and Letting Go• 26:33 – Hands-On Leadership and Visioning• 34:54 – Types of Design Leadership Roles• 41:42 – Impact of Layoffs on Leadership• 42:21 – Shift in Hiring Trends• 43:03 – Lean Management and Hands-On Roles• 43:47 – Challenges and Opportunities in Hybrid Roles• 46:21 – Embracing the Founding Designer Mode• 48:53 – Market Chaos and Its Impact• 49:38 – Entrepreneurial Mindset in Large Organizations• 54:58 – Closing Thoughts on Leadership and FollowershipHelpful Links:• Connect with Filippos on LinkedIn• Designary.com—Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.• ⁠⁠Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Support the show on Patreon⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Check out show transcripts⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Check out our website⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Subscribe on Stitcher⁠

  --------  

  1:20:16
• Portfolio Panic? Get Strategic About Your UX Case Studies with Aneta Kmiecik

  Tired of stressing over your UX portfolio? Discover smart ways to showcase your value clearly, even if you’re buried in NDAs or complex enterprise projects. Learn how to simplify your story, prioritize content strategically, and confidently communicate your UX expertise without falling into portfolio overwhelm.How do you turn years of complicated UX work into a clear, concise story that hiring managers actually want to read?This week, I welcome back Aneta Kmiecik, who has made it her mission to help mid-to-senior UX designers tackle the common nightmare of portfolio creation. Having transitioned from architecture to UX herself, she has a deep understanding of the challenges, especially when it comes to showcasing complex, NDA-heavy projects or navigating roles with less visually striking outcomes.We explore practical strategies for creating concise, impactful portfolios without lengthy traditional case studies. She introduces the powerful concept of "project snapshots," a straightforward way to quickly and effectively highlight the core value and outcomes of your UX work. We discuss essential habits for proactively capturing your work as it occurs, rather than scrambling when you suddenly need to apply for a job.If you’ve ever felt portfolio anxiety or struggled to clearly showcase your real UX value, tune in for actionable insights to transform your portfolio approach and confidently land your next role.Topics:• 02:42 The Stress of Creating Portfolios• 02:57 Aneta’s Journey and Expertise• 03:50 Actionable Advice for UX Portfolios• 09:03 The Importance of Work Journals• 14:24 Crafting Case Studies for Your Next Job• 28:58 Common Mistakes in UX Portfolios• 30:53 Common Portfolio Mistakes• 31:57 Alternative Ways to Showcase Work• 33:10 Creating Project Snapshots• 38:27 Choosing the Right Platform• 45:10 Final Thoughts and AdviceHelpful Links:• Connect with Aneta on LinkedIn• Follow Aneta on Instagram• Aneta’s UX Portfolio Course---Support our sponsors!Ok web designers. Let’s talk about the “c” word—creative burnout.You’re working on a site for a really big client, but between resourcing, feedback, tight budgets and even tighter deadlines—it doesn’t make the cut. Wix Studio helps close that gap, so you can deliver your vision with less friction. Built for agencies and enterprises, you get total creative control over every last pixel. With no-code animations, AI-powered tools, reusable design assets, advanced, intuitive layout tools and a Figma to Wix Studio integration, you can design the way you want to and deliver when you need to.And if you’re worried about the learning curve eating into time you don’t have—don’t be. Wix Studio is intuitive by design, so your entire team can hit the ground running.For your next project, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wixstudio.com

  --------  

  1:06:20

Więcej Sztuka podcastów

Trendy w podcaście Sztuka

O Beyond UX Design

Beyond UX Design: Podcasty w grupie