The Importance of Service in Design

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I think that all designers kind of go through this, these phases of like, at first you just want a job. And then there's the next level which is around wanting to be seen as good at your job. The things that I'm making fit with the trend that exists out there in design and other designers would just look at my work and not even know about the context or the metrics. They would justLook at it and say, I'm a good designer. At that level people start to see their work as more in service. It's, I am serving the user. All of you greedy people are trying to make money. I'm on the side of the customers. So

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.

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