Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/steve-raderThere’s a lot of talk in the tech world about moonshots, and what it takes to build a team capable of achieving them. We thought it might be helpful to speak with someone at an organization that has achieved actual moonshots, and so we were thrilled to get a chance to speak with Steve Rader, who is Deputy Director for the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation at NASA. We chat with Steve about how he communicates across teams where expertise and vernacular might be very different, and the importance of having teams that are diverse on an array of different levels, from personal background to expertise. We also learn how vision gets communicated by leadership at NASA, and the lessons he’s learned in his career about leading people. You’ll hear: How to counteract fear of change in an organization by setting the right vision. How an innovative solution for potato chip manufacturers (delicious!) was brought about by crowdsourcing input from a diverse set of skilled people. Why it’s important to define the problem before jumping to a solution, to lead people effectively.

Ryan Rumsey, a former designer at Apple and Nestlé, discusses the vital intersection of design and business. He emphasizes the need for designers to adopt an analytical approach to storytelling, enhancing negotiation skills after pitches. Rumsey introduces concepts like 'unconsulting' to empower teams and advocates for mid-career designers transitioning to leadership. He highlights the importance of understanding business metrics and offers insights from his new book, providing essential strategies for designers to effectively communicate and forge valuable partnerships.

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/remoteworkbookWe’ve just published a new book on DesignBetter.com called Remote Work for Design Teams, to help you make a graceful transition from the office to a remote work environment. In this bonus episode, we speak with the authors of the book (all from InVision): Abby Sinnott, Managing Editor, Greg Storey, Senior Director of Executive Programs, and Ben Goldman, Director of InVision Films.We chat with Abby, Greg and Ben about their own remote collaboration and teamwork while writing this book, which the team turned around in record time. We also review some tips for leaders during this crisis, and discuss why being productive at work shouldn’t necessarily be top priority for everyone on the team.If your team needs a little helping hand during these challenging times, you can head over to designbetter.com/remotework, and download the book for free.In this episode, you’ll learn: The non-obvious advantages of being a distributed team when creating this book How remote work lends itself to both divergent and convergent modes of creativity Why remote collaboration can build trust through vulnerability

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/richard-banfield-alison-randIn this bonus episode, we’re once more focused on remote teams, and more specifically on best practices for facilitating remote design sprints, building trust between teams in a remote environment, and running effective critiques and design reviews remotely.In the first half of the episode, we chat with Richard Banfield, VP of Design Transformation at InVision, and author of the book Enterprise Design Sprints, who gives us practical guidance on how to run a remote design sprint effectively. In the second half, Alison Rand, our Senior Director of Design Operations, will reveal the inner workings of how our own design teams perform design reviews remotely, and make sure that work is visible across teams.You’ll learn: How to facilitate a remote design sprints and run effective design reviews The virtuous cycle that you need to put in place to build trust with your remote teams Why preparation is the most critical part of running a design sprint remotely How our veteran distributed team at InVision runs remote design reviews To discover more remote work resources from InVision, check out www.invisionapp.com/remote.

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/stephen-gates-jennifer-aldrichIn this bonus episode, we chat about balancing personal and professional demands in a remote environment, especially during these challenging times. Join special guests Jennifer Aldrich, Senior Manager of Design Community Partnerships, and Stephen Gates, Head Design Evangelist, at InVision, as we discuss best practices for remote communication and how to build trust within your remote teams. We hope this episode helps you and your teams as you transition to remote work during this time of change in the face of our current health crisis. You’ll learn: How to set expectations for remote communication Tips for creating boundaries between work and life Establishing documentation and processes for team collaboration The value of soft skills in remote leadership Benefits of working from home in building trust and connection for teams

VMWare's head of design, Jehad Affoneh, discusses aligning design and engineering goals, ensuring diverse voices on the team are heard, challenges faced in transitioning to virtual events, and the importance of seeking discomfort for career growth.

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/joanna-pena-bickleyJoanna Peña-Bickley has had an amazing arc to her design leadership career: from Chief Creative Officer at Matter Worldwide and IBM, to her current role as Head of Research and Design for Alexa Devices at Amazon, Joanna has always sought to design things that are “useful, usable, and magical.”In this interview, we talk with Joanna about working cross functionally with both software and hardware teams, and what she’s learned about building a more connected workflow. We also get Joanna’s take on speaking design in the language of business, and how she works to bring more diversity into leadership at the companies where she's worked.Takeaways: How Joanna approaches building high-functioning teams. What the opportunities and challenges are when designing for invisible interfaces. How to create partnerships that will make your team successful.

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/natalya-shelburneNatalya Shelburne, Tech Lead for Design Engineering at The New York Times, sits at a fascinating crossroad of design and development. She leads a team of front-end developers and brings her own experience as a designer and art director to her current role.We chat with Natalya about her move from design to front-end dev, and some of the fears she faced along the way. We also talk about her approach to bridging design and dev, and what she brings from her prior career as a teacher into product design.Takeaways: Ways to approach the unnecessary dichotomy between designers and engineers Why respect is key to developing good cross-functional partnerships How to overcome fear of moving into a technical role as a designer

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/kristin-wisnewskiIn the tech world, it's rare these days to spend more than a few years at one company. So we were curious to learn more about Kristin Wisnewski after hearing she’d been at IBM for 18 years. In her words, she “basically grew up at IBM,” and made a rapid transition from an individual contributor role to a leadership position in 2016, where she now leads an award-winning design team.We got to know the story of that career transformation, and what it took to get there. We also spoke with Kristin about clearing roadblocks for better work, and how to bring women into more leadership roles at technology companies.Takeaways: How to remain authentic to yourself as a leader The keys to peak team performance The way DesignOps works at IBM

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/nancy-douyonNancy Douyon has a remarkable story that lead her into a career in technology. From her childhood in Haiti, to moving to Boston and taking part in an MIT program as a kid, to running away from home and then teaching as a teenager, and on to design roles at Google and Uber, Nancy’s unconventional path gives her a unique perspective on how to approach product design for an audience that includes everyone.We chat with Nancy about her initial reluctance to enter a technical field despite her talent, how she thinks about making sure research represents a diverse set of users, and understanding global perspectives in product design. Takeaways: Approach hiring by looking at someone’s story Tips for making user research more representative How to tackle ethical product design Quick episode summary: 2:03 Roundtable discussion 35:39 Interview with Nancy Douyon