Design Hires Podcast

In Episode 11, Nadia chats with Ken Seeno, Director of Product Design at Headspace, a meditation and mindfulness app that helps you create life-changing habits to support your mental health and find a healthier, happier you.   Ken chats about Headspace’s work/life balance practices for employees and how Headspace’s culture influences their product design. Ken also shares his perspective on the hiring and onboarding process for designers looking to join Headspace’s team, as well as currently open opportunities. Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:33 : Headspace’s awesome Friday “no meeting” day policy & work/life balance 7:47 : How Headspace’s culture influences the design of their products and teams 9:20 : What character traits and skills Ken looks for when hiring designers at Headspace 11:53 : The interview & onboarding process at Headspace 24:57 : Ken’s tips for portfolios & cover letters 30:48 : Open opportunities at Headspace 33:56 : How to get in touch with Ken & learn more about Headspace Links mentioned in this episode: Headspace’s Website Headspace’s Careers Site Ken Seeno’s LinkedIn Profile

In this episode, Nadia chats with Sasha Blanton, the Head of User Experience at Inkling, a digital learning platform that enables learning in the flow of work for mission-critical knowledge. Hear about Inkling’s secret to a quick design hiring process, how candidates should think about approaching their interview process, and Sasha’s philosophies behind the role Design Leaders play in the professional development of their team.  Here’s a look at our discussion: 2:30 : Inkling’s secret to a speedy hiring process 11:09 : Pieces to consider when assessing a candidate for cultural fit  17:27 : The additional layers of hiring design leaders 22:04 : Sasha’s advice for mid-level designers looking to move into design leadership 25:48 : How responsible should a design leader be for the professional development of their team?  32:53 : How to assess your future boss during the interview process as a candidate 41:40 : The balance of experience, training, & background for early designers transitioning into the field Links mentioned in this episode: Inkling’s Website Inkling’s Careers Page Sasha Blanton’s LinkedIn Profile

In this episode of Design Hires, we chat with Amber KB Wilson, product designer and founder of Olivus, a mental health app that enables caregivers and family to communicate with loved ones who are experiencing mental health conditions. Gain insights on Amber’s tips for engaging with mentors or connections around career help, learn how she built her app during a 24-hour hackathon, and discover how to embrace chaos through the use of productivity tools and brain hacks.  Here’s a look at our discussion: 2:03 : Thinking differently and keeping your mentors in mind when you design 4:20 : How to find good design mentors and target your mentor search 10:54 : The best way to engage with connections or future connections on LinkedIn when you want career help or advice 22:25 : Amber’s founder story: Olivus 27:10 : Doing a full research and product design lifecycle at a 24-hour hackathon 37:59 : “Embrace the hot mess”: Amber’s tips for balancing work, life, and everything in between through brain and productivity hacks 44:48 : How to get in touch with Amber & learn more about her startup, Olivus Links mentioned in this episode: Olivus Website Amber KB Wilson’s LinkedIn Profile Olivus LinkedIn Page Olivus Facebook Group

In this episode we speak with David Bacon, the Director of Design at Transpire, a consulting firm based in Melbourne, Australia that designs and builds digital experiences that transform & inspire.  Listen in as David describes what it’s like to work as a designer at Transpire and the importance of growing designers through all stages of their careers. Learn about open opportunities at Transpire and what characteristics David prioritizes when hiring designers.  Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:36 : How has the design industry changed in the past few years? 2:16 : David’s journey from a scientific background to a career in design 4:34 : What does product design look like at Transpire? How does Transpire grow it’s designers? 16:00 : What characteristics does David look for when hiring designers 20:43 : The impact of the pandemic on Transpire’s onboarding process & team culture 24:01 : Roles currently open at Transpire 30:40 : How to get in touch with David and learn more about Transpire Links mentioned in this episode: Transpire’s Website Transpire’s Careers Page David Bacon’s LinkedIn Profile

The Joanne Weaver Group is a boutique recruitment agency created to help employers find top UX/UI design talent. Join Nadia as she speaks with Joanne Weaver about the role a recruitment agency plays in aligning the best candidates with employers (hint: it’s not just passing resumes along!).  Learn about Joanne’s background and path to specializing in UX and UI Design recruitment, and whether connecting with a recruitment agency like The Joanne Weaver Group is right for you as a job seeker or as an employer.  Here’s a look at our discussion: 1:30 : Fun Fact - Joanne moonlights as a singer in a jazz trio!  4:53 : The impact of recent layoffs in the design industry 7:32 : What does a recruiter actually do & what role do they play in the hiring process? 11:13 : How the recruitment process starts & pricing yourself in the design market 14:36 : Pitching candidates to employer clients from the recruiter perspective 17:21 : Joanne’s background and how she started The Joanne Weaver Group 21:25 : How Joanne approaches mid-senior level design candidates looking to level-up their careers 28:22 : What questions candidates should ask recruiters who reach out to them 30:30 : How to get in touch with The Joanne Weaver Group to learn more 42:58 : Roles that Joanne is currently recruiting for Links mentioned in this episode: The Joanne Weaver Group’s Website Joanne Weaver’s LinkedIn Profile Joanne Weaver’s Email

Nadia and Steven Steiner of Career Coach for Designers chat about what it means to be a career coach. Listen in to understand the value of having a career coach on the journey to achieving your own unique career goals in design.  Steven provides insights on the importance of connecting your career goals with your “superpowers” and identifying what motivates you. We also discuss how to share your career story as a designer and share tangible tips to help shape resources like your resume and portfolio.  Here’s a look at our discussion: 2:28 : Steven’s “Batman Moment” - how he decided to become a career coach for designers 7:10 : Feeling valued and successful as a designer & “imposter syndrome”  9:38 : Finding your design superpowers - what is your niche as a designer?  15:35 : Identifying what motivates your career priorities 18:14 : Building your career story as a designer 28:03 : The role of a career coach & how to know if working with a career coach is right for you 34:04 : Finding the right career coach for you 38:17 : How to connect with Steven Links mentioned in this episode: Career Coach for Designers Website Steven Steiner’s LinkedIn Profile Career Coach for Designers LinkedIn Page

Join us as we chat with Rodolfo Ferro Casagrande, the Head of Design at Helcim, a payments company that lets businesses accept credit cards with ease. In this episode, we discuss open opportunities at Helcim, the recruitment life cycle for a Helcim applicant, as well as portfolio building tips for new designers. Learn about Helcim’s “Bottom Up” hiring strategy and how they are thinking about structuring their team and work strategy to achieve their design goals.  Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:27 : Rodolfo’s background & career path 2:37 : Reasons to consider joining Helcim’s design team 5:56 : Importance of having front end development on a design team 8:09 : Helcim’s “Bottom Up” hiring strategy 13:45 : Tips for how to structure your design portfolio 16:42 : Helcim’s interview process 22:33 : Current openings at Helcim & how to apply 25:26 : Scaling the design process at Helcim & “failing forward” Links mentioned in this episode: Helcim's Website Helcim’s Careers Page Rodolfo Ferro Casagrande’s LinkedIn Profile

In this episode, we talk to Claudia Natasia and Kerstin Huang, two senior design team members from Highspot, a sales enablement platform based in Seattle, WA.  Learn about the UX research team, the recruitment process, and open opportunities at Highspot, as well as Claudia and Kerstin’s career paths. We also discuss team structure and  management styles.  Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:39 : Questions to consider during the recruitment process to assess true company value & risk factors when switching jobs 6:09 : Why you should consider working for Highspot & how the UX research team is structured 16:28 : Roles currently open at Highspot and what skills they’re looking for 19:26 : How Highspot has grown over the past few years, and Kerstin’s career path 23:32 : What does the interview process look like at Highspot? 29:32 : Job hunting tips for people just starting out in the UX research field 32:40 : Favorite UX interview questions & wrap up Links mentioned in this episode: Highspot’s Careers Website Claudia Natasia’s LinkedIn Profile Kerstin Huang’s LinkedIn Profile

As a first generation American, Amy Lima has always searched for communities to be a part of. From her career in the music industry to being one of 1,000 applicants to be offered a design apprenticeship with Pintrest, this desire for community, a love of learning, and a little bit of luck have all shaped her journey as a Product Designer.  In this episode, Amy and Nadia discuss this journey, as well as Amy’s latest project, Diversify Design - a collective that connects BIPOC designers with companies who are hiring design talent.   Here’s a look at our discussion: 0:42 : Amy’s experience as the sole Product Design apprentice at Pintrest 6:12 : The importance of seeking out community as a first generation American 9:47 : Pivoting from the music industry to a career as a Product Designer 16:53 : How to take your career journey to the next level after completing a bootcamp 25:33 : Injecting diversity into the design community to gain fresh perspectives and create opportunities 38:48 : How to get involved with Amy and Diversify Design   Links mentioned in this episode: Pintrest Apprenticeship & Development Programs Diversify Design Collective Amy Lima’s LinkedIn Profile

Interviewing for Product Design roles can be challenging and stressful for both the interviewee AND the interviewer. As a candidate, one of the most important assets in your interview toolkit is the ability to tell a good story. And as an interviewer, knowing how to redirect interview questions in a way that truly probes candidates for the right skills can save a lot of time and company resources.  In this episode, Tanner and Nadia discuss how to prepare for Product Design interviews in a way that enables candidates to tell compelling stories and truly show their knowledge and experience - no BS necessary.    Here’s a look at our discussion:   0:33 - Tanner’s latest project: Shape.co, a tool that helps designers and hiring managers learn to interview well 3:52 - Creating a great hiring rubric to assess design talent 8:13 - Why experiential questions & storytelling matters the most during the design interview process 13:03 - The importance of asking questions to understand what interviewers are looking for as a preparation tactic 20:46 - How hiring managers can redirect questions to get the information they need from interview candidates 24:27 - Keeping up with your design portfolio outside of the interview process 26:47 - When to stop interviewing 30:41 - Asking questions during an interview to gain information about company culture 42:26 - When & how to give candidates feedback on their interview 47:21 - How to learn more about Tanner and connect with him   Links mentioned in this episode: Shape.co TannerChristensen.com Tanner Christensen’s LinkedIn Profile