Episode 20: Eileen Wagner on the Open Source Design network

Feb 1, 2022

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Guest

Eileen Wagner

Panelists

Richard Littauer | Eriol Fox | Django Skorupa

Show Notes

Hello and welcome to Sustain Open Source Design! The podcast where we talk about sustaining open source with design. Learn how we, as designers, interface with open source in a sustainable way, how we integrate into different communities, and how we as coders, work with other designers. Today, our guest is Eileen Wagner, who is a UX Designer, a general consultant, and works mainly on privacy-enhancing technologies. She helped start the Prototype Fund, the upcoming Sovereign Tech Fund, Founded the open design project, Decentralization, off the shelf, and is part of the Open Source Design network, which she explains more in depth today. Eileen takes us through her unusual career into the design world. She shares her views on the design world, the way you should approach design, and her thoughts about “openness” as a concept. We also find out what Eileen is most excited about with the Sovereign Tech Fund project and how designers can get involved in it. Go ahead and download this episode now to learn more!

[00:03:10] Eileen takes us through her journey through design.

[00:06:19] We learn how Eileen thinks about design as actually having real change.

[00:07:27] Eileen tells us about a project she coached and how her design efforts impacted this project and the person involved.

[00:12:10] Eileen shares her thoughts about “openness” in general as a concept.

[00:17:10] Django asks Eileen in what ways can we improve the infrastructure to improve the user experience of user experience designers within the overall user experience system of open source design.

[00:18:28] Richard brings up agency and egos with designers, and Eileen shares her views on the design world and the way you should approach design.

[00:20:29] Find out more about the Prototype Fund and the Sovereign Tech Fund and how Eileen is involved with them.

[00:23:30] Eileen tells us what design means to her and explains design being a holistic practice.

[00:28:32] Eileen shares what designers can do to get involved and what is she most excited about to see in the next few months about the Sovereign Tech Fund project.

[00:31:34] Find out where you can follow Eileen online and get involved in her projects.

Quotes

[00:13:33] “All of a sudden you’re a contributor and design is rarely like coding contributions.”

[00:18:08] “The process is the change you want to see.”

[00:19:19] “You can’t have any ego; you have to talk to people and be their servant.”

Spotlight

[00:33:36] Eriol’s spotlight is design on GitHub.
[00:34:29] Django’s spotlight is unDraw.
[00:35:29] Richard’s spotlight is the Open Knowledge Foundation.
[00:35:54] Eileen’s spotlight is MuseScore and Tantacrul/Martin Keary, a composer and UX Designer, who reviewed MuseScore on YouTube and is now Head of Product at MuseScore and Audacity.

Credits

Produced by Richard Littauer
Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound
Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound

Special Guest: Eileen Wagner.