User Flows

One year into podcasting and it has been a journey. It’s been fun, enlightening, rewarding, difficult, and stress-inducing all at the same time. But overall, I’m a happier and better person for having done it.

My goal for this year was to record 12 good podcasts. I ended up creating more than that. Wether or not any of them have been “good” is for you to decide. This will however be the last blog post and podcast I’ll put out this year. I’m looking forward to spending some time reflecting and just doing nothing outside of my family life and day job for a couple of months. I plan to begin recording in the second quarter of 2022 and I can’t wait to share season 2 of the User Flows Podcast with you then.

So with that, I wanted to share the lessons I’ve learned in case you are interested in starting a podcast. Have a great 2022 everyone!

1. Podcasting is easier than you think.
2. Podcasting is a lot harder than you think.
3. Storytelling is important.
4. Hyperfocus.
5. Never stop learning.
6. Don't be afraid to share from wherever you are.
7. You don't need a crazy work set up.
8. You do need a quiet space.
9. You can make a big impact in your career.
10. Just get started.
11. Be transparent and open with your wants.
12. You don't have to comment on every post.
13. It's worth giving it a try. Even if you know it's going to fail.
14. You're going to have to dedicate way more time to this to craft something worth listening to.
15. It's a really great way to connect with people.
16. It's cool to have a side hustle, but make sure you get outside.
17. You'll need to make this about something your really interested in or passionate about or you'll never last.
18. It's okay to pivot.
19. Helping someone else achieve something is almost a good as achieving it yourself.
20. You can and should design your life.
21. It's time for a break.

Okay, so I wanted to record an episode answering all the questions I've received this year from listeners and students alike. These are all fantastic questions and by answering them, I hope you get you own questions answered. Feel free to reach out to me anytime with your questions at thomasmorrel.com

Questions answered on the show:

• What was your journey into UX?
• What does a day at work look like?
• Have you worked with people who started out in a non-design field and transitioned over to UX/product design? What do you believe made them successful/stand out?
• What are some aspects of design/UX that are often overlooked by beginners, especially when starting a portfolio?
• Do you know of any good resources for learning more about UX/UI or for getting connected with others in the field?
• How did you transition from graphic designer/art director to Product Designer/UX?
• Do you see any shifts happening in the industry right now?
• How did you manage to work as a designer abroad in London?
• What advice would you give to someone looking to start working in UX/UI/Product Design?
• What are some of the things that are a pain in the UX field but are rarely talked about?

Welcome back to the UserFlows Podcast, my name is Thomas Morrell and this is a show where we talk about UX design and careers. I interview designers about their journey into the field and break down how they've been successful in their roles so we all can learn together. Today I'm joined by Shalyn Oswald.

Shalyn is a UX Design Instructor at General Assembly. Which a lot of my previous guests were once students at GA. I'm very excited for this conversation.

Show Highlights

1:25 - Shalyn's Background in UX Design. Game Jams, and networking.

2:20 Going from UX Design Student at General Assembly to becoming a UX Instructor at the same company.

4:30 - Making the switch from practitioner to teacher. Acquiring greater communication skills.

⭐️ 6:00 - Educating people about what I do and what I don't do. Empowering people to understand the power you have as a UX Designer. Respect it.

9:12 - (Ruined by design) Ethics in Design. Giving people the system to do their job well. Technology is here to help and not to hurt and as a UX designer, you can do good or do harm.

12:00 - Embracing Human-centered design from all angles.

12:30 - What are the General Assembly courses all about. What does a typical experience look like? The intensity of the program. Learning to ask questions. Learning to not take feedback as a negative, but as information.

15:20 - What it's like as a General Assembly instructor. Get into the weeds with your students. The personal aspect of how you learn.

⭐️ 20:10 - The biggest obstacle UX students have is getting over being able to fail in order to learn. Quieting the perfectionist mindset.

25:50 - Who's the right type of person for the General Assembly course? Hint: It's everyone, but you'll have to be okay with the fast pace and the pressure.

30:35 - Lessons learned moving from Practitioner to Teacher. Feedback is a necessary evil both giving and taking.

34:20 - What people don't quite understand about what gets taught at a boot camp. You get out of them what you put into them. You have to judge the boot camp grad and not the past performance of another grad. The same way you would judge one college grad vs another.

35:40 - There is room in design for everyone. Diversity in design is about diversity in thinking, thought, understanding, humor, and more. See the value in the person and not the course.

41:00 - Where they go for inspiration and information.

47:00 - What's next on the horizon. A short sabbatical and then something new.

49:09 - Getting in touch with Shalyn. LinkedIn and Twitter.

Welcome back to the UserFlows Podcast everyone, my name is Thomas Morrell and this is a show where we talk about UX design and careers. I interview designers and creators about their journey into the field and break down how they've been successful in their roles so we all can learn together.

Today I'm joined by Jared Tredly. Now, Jared is not a designer, but he does build world-class design teams with some of the best Designers globally. Jared works with incredible companies to attract, source, and retain the best designers. From UX, UI, Product to Brand Designers, Creative Directors, and Art Directors - he's worked with every level from Grad to C-Suite.

He is currently based in Brooklyn within the Bamboo Crowd US office! In addition to his day-to-day recruiting he volunteers as the USA Community Lead for the Fearless Global Design community.

I had a great time speaking with Jared, I had been enjoying his content on LinkedIn. Both written and video where he discusses and dishes on the inner workings of being a Tech recruiter focused on designer recruitment specifically. I feel like I've learned a lot from him and thought he'd have a lot to share on the show. He did not disappoint.

We covered everything from his predictions on the future of design work in a post covid world to how a UX designer can put their best foot forward by using some best practices while engaging a technical recruiter.

Jared also talked about how companies can keep from sabotaging themselves when it comes to recruiting top design talent and a heap of other advice. It was really a pleasure to speak with him and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Connect with Jared

[email protected] // @jaredtredly // +1 646 696 4846

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredtredly/

Show Highlights:

[1:00] About Jared and his background.

[2:30] Career coaching as a recruiter.

[4:40] How UX designers can set themselves up nicely for their next role.

[8:05] How the process of recruitment works from the recruiter's perspective.

[11:20] What to do before you turn on the "Open to work" button on LinkedIn.

[13:20] How to best respond to recruiter outreach.

[16:50] Is it better to be specializing or becoming a generalist these days?

[18:12] What designers can do to engage a recruiter to help them land that dream role.

[22:05] What companies can do to improve the recruitment process.

[25:00] Advice for people transitioning to UX design from another career.

[28:27] Bootcamps.

[31:15] Future of UX Design & Recruitment.

Today I'm joined by Shehab Ibrahim. Shehab was an intern at Prudential Financial towards the end of my tenure there.

I was blown away by his passion, curiosity, and ability to talk to anyone at such a young age. I invited him on the show to talk to other students of design about his experiences with internships. Prudential Financial and Intuit. How to find them, lessons learned, and what to expect in your role as a UX intern.

Shehab breaks down his experiences which seemed to vary pretty widely even in closely related organizations. It was a pleasure to speak with him and catch up on what's he's been up to. For any companies out there looking for a junior designer who happens to have some deep real-world experience working for two huge organizations and bringing impact through Design. Shehab is your guy.

You can find him on LinkedIn

or at his Portfolio site.

Show Highlights

[6:49] The benefits of learning in a university setting.

[9:21] Internships opening up to Bootcamp graduates.

[10:02] Applying for internships.

[11:10] Preconceived notions were wrong about internships.

[18:10] Getting the first interview.

[20:11] Take a chance and apply.

[21:40] Internship recruiting season.

[24:28] The process of landing an internship.

[26:48] A typical day in the life of a UX intern.

[33:27] Differentiating yourself from other candidates.

[37:25] Lessons learned from two internship experiences.

Today, I'm speaking with Carlos Lastres, a Creative Director, Designer, Digital Nomad living and working in Shenzen, China. Carlos's mission is to change the world‍through creative thinking, innovative marketing & exceptional design.

Show Highlights

[1:01] Carlos's Story

[3:37] The speed of development working in China

[6:20] His journey from Developer to UX Designer

[8:01] His dislike for the word freelance

[9:40] Encouraging designers to fail and learn through failing

[14:28] Creating a design portfolio with personality

[16:30] Dealing with time zones as an international design consultant

[18:31] The challenges of being an expat in China

[22:00] Following your fulfillment and not your passion

[23:18] Your job as a junior designer is to find a job

[24:00] The life of a traveling designer

[25:00] Finding growth by always being out of your comfort zone

[28:00] Always share your design and your ideas. It's the best way to learn

Connect with Carlos

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

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

Website: lastrescarlos.com

. . .

If you haven't already, please subscribe to User Flows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. If you prefer video, you can watch it on the UserFlows YouTube channel. Share this episode with friends and family or anyone you know who's interested in UX design. If you'd really like to help me out, you can visit, thomasmorrell.com/survey to let me know what you'd like to learn on the show or you're more or less.

Welcome back to User Flows, everyone. This is a show where we talk about User Experience Design and Careers and I get to interview designers who inspire me about how they got started in the field so I can break down the patterns or best practices that you can use in your own career.

Today, I'm speaking with Viet Hoang. Viet has been a UX Researcher/Designer for 8+ years. In my experience working with him, he has shown an absolute comprehensive understanding of human behavior and psychology as it relates to both digital and physical experiences. Viet has worked with numerous clients in various industries, from fintech to food services giving him a broad perspective on users' needs and motivations.

I was really excited to connect with Viet again on the podcast and outside of work. He's an incredibly thoughtful person and extremely inquisitive. I think you’ll enjoy this one!

Show Highlights

• The differentiating skill of communication [4:20]
• How he got started in UX Design [15:30]
• How sales can help your career as a designer [20:00]
• The most important aspects of your role as a designer [22:36]
• Advice for Designers getting into the field [29:00]

Show Links

Viet Hoang on LinkedIn

. . .

If you haven't already, please subscribe to User Flows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. If you prefer video, you can watch it on the UserFlows YouTube channel. Share this episode with friends and family or anyone you know who's interested in UX design.

Welcome back to the UserFlows Podcast, my name is Thomas Morrell and this is a show where we talk about UX design and careers. I interview designers about their journey into the field and break down how they've been successful in their roles so we all can learn together.

Today I'm joined by Jeffrey Paul Coleman, a UX Community Builder. Jeffrey is working to make tech more inclusive by supporting the growth of the UX Research community in Europe (via UXinsight) and advocating for recent grads, immigrants, and career changers via the online boot camp CareerFoundry. He is also working on a small Training Program in NYC called DesignWorks. Whew! that sounds like a lot, but Jeffrey breaks down how he handles all this in roughly a 30-hour workweek.

Jeffrey is predominately focusing on empowering others (mostly in UX) to navigate tricky moments in their career because he believes if we each receive the support we need (even when we are further along professionally), then we can focus on what counts. Growing as people within existing and new communities can lead to a more equitable work environment for all.

Show Highlights

• Talking to more people [13:30 - 14:28]
• UX Career Possibilities [22:00 - 26:15]
• What does a UX community builder do? [26:30 - 30:55]
• Bootcamps [31:20 - 34:25]
• Soft Skills [34:30 - 38:03]
• Navigating Tricky Career Situations [38:10 - 41:41]

Show Links

Attend UXinsight Unfolds: making research more inclusive, happening on Thurs, Nov 11th

Subscribe to The Bridge, a newsletter Jeffrey has been writing for a year every two weeks

Jeffrey Paul Coleman on LinkedIn

Today I’m speaking with Mariyam Elshrief a UX Designer at ServiceChannel in San Francisco, CA. I first met Mariyam when I interviewed her for a role at Prudential Financial. She was incredibly smart, able to think on her feet, and one of the best interviews I can remember having.

That’s why I brought her on the show. At the time in her career, she didn’t have a ton of experience. What she lacked in professional experience though she made up for in curiosity and a ton of hackathons and personal projects that really showed a scope of knowledge far beyond her years of employment.

In this episode Mariyam shares her origin story, switching from a computer science degree to UX Design [5:45]. Her time as a boot camp student at General Assembly [3:00]. Her interviewing preparation tactics [10:30], hackathons [8:50], portfolios [15:00], advice for younger designers [18:50. But most importantly her journey from UX mentee looking for a career to UX mentor guiding others in their own journey [21:29]. It’s a great story and I hope you enjoy it.

Show Links

Mariyam on LinkedIn

Mariyam’s Website

Mariyam on ADPlist.org

General Assembly

IBM Design Thinking

ADPlist.org

NYC UXPA

. . .

If you haven't already, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. If you prefer video, you can watch on the UserFlows YouTube channel. Share this episode with friends and family or anyone you know who's interested in UX design. Connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram. If you have questions, need career advice, or just want to chat. I'm open to DMs and around to answer any and all questions.

Welcome back to the UserFlows Podcast, my name is Thomas Morrell and this is a show where we talk about UX design and careers. I interview designers about their journey into the field and break down how they've been successful in their roles so we all can all learn together.

Today I'm joined by Ellie Millen. Ellie is a UX Design & Research Leader, empathy advocate in products, mentorship, and life!

I first met Ellie on a job interview. The role didn't end up being a good fit, but I really enjoyed my conversation with Ellie then and had been looking to reconnect. That is the power of LinkedIn and being open to connecting with new people. Never forget someone you met in the field, as one day you could very well connect and collaborate in the future.

I was so happy to invite Ellie onto the show. She shares what she's currently up to which is actually taking a well-needed and well-deserved career break all the way up in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. I love this. So many of us, myself included never really take a break to think through or discover what it truly is we want to do next. We just march along from one engagement to another with the sole goal of being employed as the driving force behind our actions. So I applaud her for taking the time to reflect, regroup and come back recharged hopefully aimed at the target of her choosing.

Since I knew Ellie was heavily involved in UX interviewing in her previous roles I ask her to discuss any specific interview pitfalls she sees designers make and she gets into how many junior UX designers try to over please by pretending to be the designer they think the interviewer is looking for instead of themselves. She gives some advice on not being afraid to specialize. (Listen at 5:30 for more).

She also discusses positive interview skills she's seen like tying past experiences to the current role to leverage related experience to the job you're looking for (Listen at 7:30 for more).

We get into some basics of UX Research and a “for instance” on what type of research practices to use as a new designer on a team taking over a fresh project. (Listen at 9:12 for that). I really like what she had to say about cultivating a sense of why and I used that for the title of this show. She has some top-notch advice for junior UX designers at 17:21 and 31:30

Ellie dives into advice for new managers along with another “for instance” of taking over a team as a new manager at 22:20. I love her advice of listening before you do anything else and approaching management the same way you would approach any UX project.

I hope you enjoy the show.

Ellie on LinkedIn

Ellie’s Website

If you haven't already, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Share this episode with friends and family or anyone you know who's interested in UX design. Connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram. If you have questions, need career advice, or just want to chat. I'm open to DMs and around to answer any and all questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Connect with me on Instagram.