Nodes of Design

Sheri Panabaker is an accomplished UX Leader with an impressive 23-year tenure at Microsoft, where she served as the Senior Director of UX Research. While at the tech giant, Sheri played an instrumental role in shaping product and marketing strategies for a diverse range of consumer, enterprise, and employee experiences. Her extensive expertise in UX research and data analytics enabled her to drive a user-centred culture within Microsoft, significantly influencing the development of innovative experiences across Windows, Surface, and Microsoft Digital (internal) programs. Sheri firmly believes that you are a product maker no matter which disciplines you to represent, and adopting that mindset enhances your strategic influence. In her post-Microsoft career, Sheri is committed to mentoring and developing diverse talent while continuing to share her insights at speaking events. Additionally, with a focus on applying UX and design thinking to reimagine fan experiences in sports, particularly Formula 1, Sheri is driven to make a lasting impact on that notoriously male-dominated industry. Outside of her professional life, Sheri enjoys Pilates, interior design, and exploring the Pacific Northwest in search of the perfect bubble tea. In this episode, Sheri Panabaker shared great insights on Product Maker Mindset; we started by defining the word product maker and what it means to have a product maker mindset. We then discussed what strategies to use to collaborate effectively with other team members, such as engineers, marketers, and designers, and how to ensure everyone is aligned around the same goals and priorities. We then discussed the translation of insights to design considerations and working with Design and PM to clarify how to measure product success and what metrics to use to evaluate. Book Recommendation by Sheri Panabaker How to win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie The 360 Degree Leader- John C. Maxwell Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone - Satya Nadella Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Irene Au is Design Partner at Khosla Ventures, working with early, mid, and late-stage startup CEOs. She is dedicated to raising the value of design and user research within software companies through better methods, practices, processes, leadership, and talent. Through her mentorship of the next generation of designers, she helps companies build an empathetic understanding of user needs, inspiring and informing product design and experiences. Irene has unprecedented experience elevating the strategic importance of innovation within technology companies, having built and led the entire User Experience and Design teams at Google, Yahoo!, and Udacity. She began her career as an interaction designer at Netscape Communications, where she worked on the design of the internet's first commercial web browser.   For ten years, Irene taught yoga at Avalon Yoga Center in Palo Alto, where she also is among the teacher training program faculty. She is a frequent author and speaker on mindfulness practices, design, and creativity. She is an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University and teaches Product Design in the mechanical engineering department. Irene is also a trustee for the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Museum of Design. Irene authored the definitive O'Reilly book, Design in Venture Capital, and her popular essays can be found on Medium. In addition, she has been featured in Wired magazine, Fast Company magazine, CommArts magazine, and on the cover of Mindful magazine.Irene graduated magna cum laude from the Honors College at the University of South Carolina in Electrical and Computer Engineering. She received her Master's Degree from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, focusing on Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this episode, Irene Au shared great insights on The Psychology of Design: How Human Behaviour and emotion influence Design Decisions. We started the episode by defining the intersection of psychology and design and what fundamental principles designers should consider when adding human behaviour and emotion to their work. Then Irene shared a few product examples where psychology played a crucial role in shaping the final product. We then discussed how designers could use colour, typography, and other visual elements to evoke specific emotional responses in users and the best practices for doing so effectively. In the end, Irene spoke on how cultural and societal factors influence design decisions and what strategies designers can use to create designs that resonate with diverse audiences. Irene Au Websitehttps://medium.com/design-your-life Book Recommendation by Irene Au The Design of Everyday Things - Don Norman The Creative Act: A Way of Being - Rick Rubin Geometry of Design - Kimberly Elam Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Nicole Lachenmeier is a Swiss information designer and co-founder of the data experience agency Superdot, founded in 2011. Alongside her team, she has developed over a hundred visual tools and design systems for large companies, NGOs and governmental organizations. Besides her agency work, Nicole teaches visualization (and design) at several design universities. She also won many accolades for her work in visualisation and design. Darjan Hil is an information designer. He co-founded Superdot with Nicole while working as a researcher at the University of Applied Sciences, Northwestern Switzerland. In addition, Darjan has taught at various Swiss Universities, lecturing on data visualization and information design principles. He is co-author of Visualizing Complexity, the Handbook for Modular Information Design and initiated the event series On Data And Design in Vienna, Basel and Berlin. Both of them at Superdot make complex issues understandable with innovative and attractive information design and data experience design. In this episode, Darjan Hil⁠ and ⁠Nicole Lachenmeier shared great insights on Data+Design; we started the episode by defining the intersection between data and design. Then, what was one of the most complex data viz challenges that Nicole and Darjan had to improve and why? We then discussed balancing accuracy and clarity with the desire for creativity and visual appeal in data visualisations. Later, we discussed the role storytelling plays in crafting patterns for data visualisation and how information design and visualisation are applied to promote social progress or deal with significant societal issues. Special Shoutout to Darjan Hil & Nicole Lachenmeier Book - Visualizing Complexity: Modular Information Design Handbook Resources Mentioned in the Episode The First Six Books of the Elements of Euclid - Oliver Byrne Information Architects Hardcover - Richard Saul Graphic Design Manual: Principles and Practice - Armin Hofmann The Women in Data Viz:Valentina D EfillipoFederica FrangapaneStefanie Posavec Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Ryan Rumsey is the author of Business Thinking for Designers, founder of Chief Design Officer School, and CEO of Second Wave Dive, a peer-coaching community for the next generation of design leaders and executives. ​For 20+ years, he worked as a designer and executive at Apple, Electronic Arts, USAA, Nestlé, and Comcast. Highlights include designing the first capitally funded Learning Management System at Apple, using CSS as a security measure, selling design systems before asking for buy-in, and building teams of incredibly talented and impactful designers, developers, researchers, PMs—humans. In addition, Ryan is a sought-after speaker and has presented at numerous industry conferences and events. He is a father, a husband, and an avid fan of Liverpool Football Club. His life experiences include working on a farm and acting in a Staind music video. In this episode, Ryan shared his journey into design and spoke about how to grow as a better designer; he shares his approach to working with clients or stakeholders who may need a clear vision or direction for their project and how we could help them define their goals as designers. Ryan then shared some frameworks to improve decision-making skills and confidence as a designer. We then spoke about how to face criticism or negative feedback on our work and how to respond to it. Finally, we concluded the show with Ryan's tips for designers to improve their business acumen. Links to the resources by Ryan: Chief Design Officer School (Courses for design leaders) Second Wave Dive (Peer-coaching community for design leaders) Anything But Design (Editorial platform and podcast) Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Kristen is the Founder + Creative Director of MLTI NYC, a multi-disciplinary boutique creative agency based in New York City — specializing in Campaigns, Branding, Art Direction, Graphic + Motion Design, Photography, Brand Films, & More for Fortune 500 Companies and Start-Ups. Shockingly, only 0.1% of creative agencies are founded by women. After designing and leading teams at Nike and PepsiCo for ten years, Kristen created MLTI NYC to tell compelling visual stories and powerfully bring brands to life to build brand love — all from a diverse, global, and female-led perspective. MLTI NYC is a team of visionary thinkers and relentless craftspeople with great taste and a modern aesthetic. We strive to consistently deliver aspirational, culturally relevant results and pack a bold (and sometimes playful!) punch. MLTI NYC clients include PepsiCo, FootLocker, Nike, and Amazon, as well as a series of funded Start-Ups. Aside from MLTI NYC, Kristen also recently launched a women's running apparel brand, DWNTWN Run Co., which merges function and style for modern female runners.  In this episode, Kristen shared her journey into creative entrepreneurship and spoke about her challenges as a creative entrepreneur. We then discussed how she balances her work's creative and business parts and what techniques she employs to maintain her commitment to her artistic vision while establishing a prosperous business. Later she shared insights on how she stays on top of industry trends and advancements and what strategies she uses to ensure your work remains relevant and innovative. Takeaways - Journey of a creative entrepreneur, How to stay relevant and innovative, How to balance personal and business life being a creative entrepreneur Books recommended by Kristen A New Earth and The Power of Now — Eckhart Tolle The War of Art — Steven Pressfield It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be — Paul Arden Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Susan Weinschenk has a Ph.D. in Psychology and is the Chief Behavioral Scientist, and CEO at The Team W, Inc. Susan consults with Fortune 1000 companies, start-ups, governments, and non-profits, and is the author of several books, including 100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People, 100 MORE Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People and How To Get People To Do Stuff.  Dr. Weinschenk’s area of expertise is the brain and behavioral science applied to the design of products and services. Her clients include Medtronic, Disney, the Mayo Clinic, Zappos, the European Union, Discover Financial, and United Health Care. Susan is co-host of the HumanTech podcast and writes her blog and a column for Psychology Today online. In this episode, Susan shared great insights on the Brain and Creativity and how we could train our brains to produce the best creative solutions. What are different frameworks to rewire our brain to for creativity? We then spoke on the role of perception in enhancing the brain. And how designers can use the same to improve the user experience. We concluded the show with resources and frameworks on behavioral sciences.  Takeaways - Building creating, the role of perception in enhancing the brain, Methods to improve creativity.  Books by Susan Weinschenk  Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favorite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and be a part of the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.  

Iain McConchie is an award-winning digital product designer and design executive whose career started in 2000, working for MTV in London. Entertainment and cultural media have always been a core influence in his design approach, emphasizing the emotional experience as the utility of a digital product or service.  He has worked for brands and clients such as Disney, VISA, McLaren F1, Transport for London, News UK, Netflix, and Headspace and is currently the senior director of product design at chow now.  In the last decade, he has focused on people management supporting talented UX, UI, and Product Designers to deliver best-in-class products and services for their intended audiences. As a visual creative, Iain encourages teams to play, remix, and look at things sideways - pushing on brand and using storytelling to create a differentiated product experience while remaining accessible for all. In this episode, Iain shared great insights into how designers could bring creativity and differential experiences to any digital product. What is the structure/framework that one must follow to get uniqueness in experiences while solving business problems? We then discussed, as creatives, how we could stay focused on the outcome without thinking/stressing too much about metrics and data. What different ways to train oneself to explore beyond typical design patterns? And how to deliver excellent, fun, interactive products to the end user? Takeaways - Thinking unique, How to train yourself to think beyond the ordinary, Building a culture to bring creativity and uniqueness to the teams.  Resources mentioned in the show by Iain McConchie Emotion By Design - Greg Hoffman  Creativity Inc - Ed Catmull The Steal Like An Artist Audio Trilogy Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favorite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and be a part of the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Rafael Brandão is a Product Experience Director passionate about arts and technology. For over 15 years, he has worked in several Advertising Agencies, Design Offices, Startups, and big companies. Currently, he is the Director of Product Experience at HBO Max Latam (Warner Bros Discovery). Professor and course coordinator at Miami Ad School, the most creative Design School worldwide (elected at Cannes 2019 and 2022), and career and business mentor at Designed.org and AbeLLha. In this episode, Rafael shared great insights on collaborative innovation and its true meaning while walking us thru some of the best practices. We then discussed how to forge the team towards the right way of innovation. And how collaboration impacts innovation in an organization. Later, he spoke about design-led innovations and how designers can aspire to be great innovators. We then concluded the show with a few thoughts on future innovation trends in the design industry. Takeaways - True meaning of innovation, How to forge collaborative innovation? How to nurture innovation?  Resources mentioned in the show by Rafael.  https://projectofhow.com/ https://www.designkit.org/ Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favorite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and be a part of the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Denise Pilar is a UX Researcher/Strategist with over two decades of experience. She is also one of the three authors of the very first Brazilian book on UX Research: UX Research com Sotaque Brasileiro (in Portuguese). She holds BS and MS degrees in Computer Science, a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology, an MBA in Positive Psychology, and is currently a strategist at NU bank. In this episode, Denise shared great insights on UX strategy and its importance. She spoke on different frameworks for UX Strategy and how to measure the strategy's success. We then discussed the initial steps for the design team/designer to create a strategy that solves the business goals and user needs and how to dynamically modify the strategy based on the users' inputs and feedback. Later, we concluded the show with Denise's advice on effectively narrating a strategy to a broader audience.  Takeaways - What is UX Strategy, Different frameworks of UX Strategy, Establishing a strategy.  Denise Pilar book - UX Research com Sotaque Brasileiro Books recommended by Denise.  Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman Design of Everyday Things Contextual Design  Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favorite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and be a part of the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Bob Baxley is a design executive, advisor, mentor, and advocate who has built, managed, and led UX teams at some of Silicon Valley's most respected companies. With a career spanning three decades, Bob's work at Apple, Pinterest, Yahoo!, and elsewhere has touched hundreds of millions of users worldwide.  Currently, Bob serves as the Senior Vice-President of Design at ThoughtSpot, a business intelligence, and data analytics platform. Before ThoughtSpot, Bob was Head of Product Design at Pinterest and spent over eight years at Apple. While at Apple, Bob served in senior leadership roles in the retail and e-commerce teams, including leading the creative team responsible for the Apple Online Store.  Bob is an advisor to Project Invent, Bob is committed to recruiting and inspiring the next generation of designers by mentoring individuals and advising organizations that are working to improve the profession and practice of digital product design. In this episode, Bob shared great insights on User interface design and how it evolved from silicon valley. We then spoke on what are the different frameworks for data-enabled Design? And why having good taste is better than having good data. Latter, Bob shared his views on why only a few companies can design at the level of Apple and shared his experience working at Apple during the meteoric rise of the iPhones. We then spoke on how individual contributors could grow in careers and present to executive levels as designers. Later, we concluded the show with Bob's take on the future of Design.  Takeaways- User interface design and its evolutions, Core fundamentals of the software, how to grow in your career as a designer.  Bob Baxley Book - Making the Web Work: Designing Effective Web Applications Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favorite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and be a part of the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.