Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth advisor, previously Head of Growth Design at Miro. I’m building Growthmates as a place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Loom, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Get all episodes and a free playbook for Growth teams on our brand-new website — growthamtes.club, and press follow to support us on your favorite platforms.

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In this episode, we chat with Randy, Head of Design at Notion. Join us as we explore Randy's incredible journey from crypto and coffee startups to becoming the Head of Design at Notion. He shares how he blends craftsmanship, simplicity, and user-centered design into Notion’s core values. Randy also provides valuable insights into the balance of functionality and emotional design, his approach to building talent-dense teams, and how to foster creativity within high-performing groups.

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Key highlights from this episode 👇

-Design for Emotion: Randy explains how Notion prioritizes emotional connection in user experiences.

-Craftsmanship with Efficiency: The importance of talent density and focusing on fewer resources for more impact.

-Marketplace Insights: How working in multi-sided marketplaces influenced Randy’s approach to product design.

-Visual Design Mastery: Randy’s tips on typography and user interaction to improve design quality.

-Creative Collaboration: Discover how Notion encourages team improvisation and shared creativity, much like a jazz ensemble.

How to make your collaboration more creative? 🎨

* Improvisation and Team Dynamics: Notion encourages team members to express their creativity, similar to a jazz ensemble, fostering spontaneous collaboration that leads to innovative solutions.

* Cross-Functional Teams: By promoting collaboration across different functions, Notion leverages diverse perspectives to enhance the design process.

* Regular Feedback: Open communication and constructive feedback sessions help refine ideas and improve team dynamics.

* Design Sprints: Quick prototyping and testing through design sprints allow teams to iterate rapidly while staying aligned with user needs.

* Empowerment: Team members are encouraged to take ownership of projects, boosting morale and encouraging boundary-pushing creativity.

* Utilizing Notion's Tools: The product itself is used as a collaboration platform, enhancing documentation, feedback, and progress tracking

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Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com

Where to find our guest — Randy Hunt (Head of Design at Notion):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randyjhunt/

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What we’ve covered in this episode:

[00:00] Introduction[00:06] Randy’s Career Journey[01:12] Working at Notion[02:19] Transitioning from Coffee Startup to Tech[04:04] Leadership at Etsy[05:00] Music and Entrepreneurial Spirit[06:09] Notion’s Craft and High Standards[07:33] Talent Density at Notion[09:16] Interview Process at Notion[13:27] Side Projects and Passion[19:54] Design and Product Collaboration at Notion[24:20] Prototyping and Ideation Process[29:55] Design Execution and Strategic Influence[36:33] Simplicity and Systems Thinking[41:51] Jam Sessions and Design Reviews[43:17] Final Thoughts and Lightning Round

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📕Useful Resources from this episode:

* The Lean Product Playbook by Dan OlsenA comprehensive guide on how to apply lean principles to product management and design: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Product-Playbook-Innovate-Products/dp/1118960874

* The Design of Everyday Things by Don NormanThis book offers insights into user-centered design and how good design can enhance usability and user experience: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Revised-Expanded/dp/0465050654/ref=sr_1_1

* Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love by Marty CaganThis book discusses how successful product teams work and how to build products that meet user needs: https://www.amazon.com/INSPIRED-Create-Tech-Products-Customers/dp/1119387507/ref=sr_1_1

* Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir EyalA guide to understanding user behavior and how to create products that encourage habitual use: https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-Products/dp/B00HZY1N0K/ref=sr_1_1

* Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams by Jeff Gothelf and Josh SeidenThis book emphasizes collaboration and the importance of user experience in agile development: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-UX-Designing-Products-Agile/dp/1491953608

* Design Sprint: A Practical Guidebook for Building Great Digital Products by Richard Banfield, C. Todd Lombardo, and Tracey W. K. McCaffertyA detailed guide on how to run design sprints to solve problems and validate ideas: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Sprint-Practical-Guidebook-Building/dp/1491923172

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