Conscious Tech with Sera Tajima

Joey Banks, (he/him) is the Founder of Baseline. Heis based in Colombus, Ohio. Joey started in healthcare working on dashboards and fell in love with design. He has worked at companies like ⁠Figma⁠, Twitter, and ⁠Webflow⁠. Now he runs his own company, Baseline. Where to find Joey:⁠⁠Joey's Linkedin⁠⁠Level Up with Figma⁠Chapters (00:07.13) Joey's design origins at Figma, Twitter, Webflow, and Baseline(00:02:54) Rediscovery of hobbies outside of work(00:05:08) Always being on with your own businessF(00:08:58) Level Up with Figma Maven course(00:12:32) Non designers are using Figma now(00:12:57) Seasonality and education budgets(00:18:08) Working as a designer advocate at Figma and being introverted(00:23:37.) Receiving feedback as an instructor(00:26:26) The biggest thing designers struggle with in Figma(00:34:32) Figma’s expanding into the entire design lifecycle (00:37:46) Joey’s favorite tools (00:38:53) Clients, governing design systems(00:42:59) Design system metrics, adoption, and time savings(00:51:14) Where Joey’s interest in design systems all started(00:58:33) Health issues and surgeries for the past 18 months(01:09:28) Developing an iOS kit for Figma’s community(01:12:48) Lightning Session ⚡️___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture CapitalConnect for more good energy ⚡️➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Conscious Tech Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠➕ ⁠Tiktok⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Advising⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com

Michal Halperin Ben Zvi is a product strategist and consultant who increases engagement for the 65+ segments in digital products. She has a PhD in Psychology of Aging, speaks at conferences like UX Copenhagen, and writes for Smashing Magazine. Chapters (0:00:00) Michal’s Work With Increasing Engagement With Older Users(0:04:11) Who Are Older Users? (0:10:36) Standard UI Patterns(0:16:04) Ageism in Tech and Inclusive Products(0:19:55) The Overlap Between Age and Disability (0:22:50) Uncovering Mental Models to Increase Conversion (0:27:05) Assessing Digital Literacy with UX Research (0:29:50) Risk Perception as We Age, Microcopy, Labels(0:34:06) Icons, Gestures, and Hand Regulation(0:37:14) Designing for Our Own Future (0:41:12) Advantages of Tapping Into Older Demographics (0:41:55) Usability Testing(0:46:33) Consequences of Form Design(0:54:55) Future of Tech and Buying Trends (0:56:22) AI Adoption and Gen AI(1:00:03) Lightning Session ⚡️Where to find Michal:Michal's Linkedin⁠⁠___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture CapitalConnect for more good energy ⚡️➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Conscious Tech Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠➕ ⁠Tiktok⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Advising⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com

Sera is your host, Founder of ⁠Conscious Tech, Principle Designer & Climate Investor. Today we do a dive into data centers, energy consumption, renewables, water, and nuclear energy. Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, and more are at each other's throats to win the AI race with more compute power.⚡️Get on the waitlist for growth design course.Chapters (0:00:00) Subscribe to Newsletter for Event Updates(0:00:56) What is a Data Center?(0:03:22) Tech Race to Arms(0:04:40) Geographic Distribution of Data Centers(0:05:55) Major Concerns to Be Aware Of(0:07:00) Technical Architecture & Energy Consumption(0:09:26) Fresh Water Consumption(0:11:23) The Future - Increasing Emissions, Renewable Energy, Net Zero(0:13:33) Alternative Cooling Technologies(0:15:08) Going Nuclear for Clean Energy(0:17:15) Rate pod & get the highlights/footnotes___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture CapitalConnect for more good energy ⚡️➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Conscious Tech Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠➕ ⁠Tiktok⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Advising⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com

Hang Xu is the Founder of Collective Supply, a candidate-centric talent agency based in NYC. Before that, Hang worked as a UX Designer for a decade, at companies like Boston Dynamics. His experience in both design work and recruiting gives him a unique perspective on the state of UX and hiring in the US. In his free time, Hang writes about design strategy, activism in tech, and salary negotiation techniques on Linkedin.Chapters (0:00:00) How Hang went from designer to recruiter(0:04:00) Hiring Market Post-Covid(0:07:26) Hiring Market Today and Finding the Best Role(0:12:06) Boundaries and Asian Identity(0:20:48) Hang's Therapy Journey(0:27:00) Sera's Mixed Race Identity and Belonging(0:31:20) Are Asian Americans seen as American?(0:37:08) Can BIPOC be racist?(0:41:38) Colonialism, Dutch East India Spice Trade(0:45:00) Asian Representation in Media, War, and Masculinity(1:00:30) Conventional Beauty and Toxic Masculinity(1:11:48) Being an (Asian) Woman in Tech(1:18:07) Asian American Stereotypes(1:20:39) The Asian American Glass Ceiling(1:28:42) Finding Your Own Path Through Self Discovery(1:31:39) Why Women Get Paid Less(1:38:53) Recruitment Process for Founding Designers(1:43:19) Perceptions on Craft(1:54:43) Demonstrating Strategy vs Craft in Portfolios(2:02:12) Lightning Session⚡️Where to find Hang:⁠Hang's Linkedin⁠___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture CapitalConnect for more good energy ⚡️➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Conscious Tech Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠➕ ⁠Tiktok⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Advising⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com

An unplanned message on the US election results for those that are feeling down. ___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture CapitalConnect for more good energy ⚡️➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Conscious Tech Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠➕ ⁠Tiktok⁠➕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Advising⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com

Karin Aue and Jeffrey T. K. Valino Koh were partners of design consultancy Chemistry and both transitioned into design education at universities in Singapore. Karin is Senior Lecturer for the Master of Design in Integrated Design at the National University of Singapore. Jeffrey is Centre Head of the Design Factory at Singapore Institute of Technology where design is a requirement for all majors. Chapters (00:00:00) Background Karin & Jeffrey(00:03:26) Teaching design to non-designers vs design masters students(00:06:51) Finding confidence through design(00:09:30) From design studio to academia(00:15:43) Implementing planet centric design(00:25:01) How to instigate change in the industry(00:31:45) Design curriculum(00:37:04) Don't be a mediocre management consultant(00:40:32) Bring stakeholders with you(00:48:47) Frameworks for designers(00:53:24) How to build a responsible company(00:58:27) Chit chat(01:00:34) Design in Singapore is seen as a driver of growth & innovation(01:12:20) Designing governments(01:13:26) Lightning Round ⚡️Where to find Karin Aue: LinkedinMA in Industrial Design Where to find Jeffrey Koh: LinkedinSingapore Institute of Technology ___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture CapitalConnect for more good energy ⚡️Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com

Videha Sharma is theClinical Innovation Lead for the Pankhurst Institute for Health Technology, Co-founder at Fava Health, and Ted speaker. Videha has a PhD in Health Informatics and completed fellowships in Digital Health, Medical Leadership and Clinical Entrepreneurship. A surgeon by training, he now has a career bridging the gap between healthcare and technology.Chapters(00:00:00) How this Doctor Leverages Design(00:08:30) Prevention and our generation is becoming more health conscious(00:13:31) Design, jobs to be done, and interoperability (00:20:45) Pivoting from a PhD to health care technology (00:23:46) Culture clash of startups vs universities(00:26:52) Using large language models to product patient information (00:28:42) Methodology, data, hallucinations(00:30:47) How to balance innovation with patient care(00:34:06) Slippery slope of preventative care(00:36:53) Genetic Testing(00:39:19) Health care system incentives, medical ethics, ROI(00:44:30) Do no harm is not a given for designers(00:46:00) NHS, universal healthcare’s role in equality(00:52:54) Psychology’s role in the health system(00:58:02) Project success metrics for strokes(01:07:58) Patient data and the role of AI in the healthcare industry(01:12:34) End of life for data stored(01:15:19) Disposing of medical waste(01:19:54) Lightning Round ⚡️Where to find Videha:LinkedinDesign-led innovation in healthcare | Dr Videha Sharma | TEDxHultLondon___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture Capital⁠Connect for more good energy⁠ ⚡️Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com

Sheryl Cababa drives a human-centered design practice that is focused on systems thinking and evidence-based design, working on everything from robotic surgery experience design to reimagining K-12 education through service design. In her work with consultancies such as Substantial, Frog, and Adaptive Path, she has worked with a diverse base of clients including the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, IHME, and IKEA. Chapters:(00:00:00) Sheryl’s Background: Microsoft, Fitbit, Adaptive Path(00:04:18) Working for Philips and living in the Netherlands(00:07:10) Consulting vs Tech(00:11:30) Running her own practice(00:16:29) Systems thinking for design(00:20:02) Thinking about power and inclusion(00:22:20) Subject matter experts and people impacted by the system(00:26:05) Being critical is villainized in tech & AI (00:29:30) Companies that are not receptive(00:35:19) How designers can adopt systems thinking(00:40:23) Edtech example — Work within the system(00:42:59) Why technology isn’t the best first solution (00:48:02) Shortcomings of capitalism (00:48:02) Stakeholder Mapping: Power + Influence(01:06:19) Lightning Round Where to find Sheryl:Sheryl’s LinkedinClosing the Loop (book) ___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture Capital⁠Connect for more good energy⁠ ⚡️Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com

Gaya Herrington, an acclaimed sustainability researcher and wellbeing economist, discusses the urgent need for a shift from traditional growth models to one prioritizing human and ecological wellbeing. She explores how the obsession with perpetual growth is intertwined with fossil fuel dependency and critiques the narrow view of sustainability. Gaya also emphasizes the importance of redefining success beyond GDP, advocating for a well-being economy that connects emotional richness with societal contributions, while cautioning against the environmental consequences of unchecked growth.

Fonz Morris is lead designer for Netflix monetization growth team. Based in San Jose, he has worked with Netflix since 2020 after leading the design team at Coursera. He was named one of Business Insider’s Most Innovative Designers in 2021 and speaks regularly at tech conferences. Get Sera's weekly updatesLearn Sustainable Growth Design live with Sera (ft Fonz)Chapters(00:00:00) Background on Netflix(00:03:07) Growing up in Brooklyn, NY(00:06:26) How Fonz got into design(00:08:37) Building a design agency(00:11:26) Video conferencing startup(00:13:15) How does being an entrepreneur differ?(00:17:11) Interview process at Netflix(00:21:33) Growth design cohort 2(00:24:59) Growth Design at Netflix(00:30:59) Password sharing on the monetization team(00:38:47) A culture of documentation (PRDs, Specs & design briefs)(00:44:50) Tying in design to business goals(00:48:30) Examples from password sharing project(00:51:05) Empathy in the design process to prioritize retention(00:53:34) Access to data and data scientists(00:57:00) Lightning Round ⚡️Where to find Fonz:Fonz’ LinkedinWhen Everyone leads___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Climate Tech Advisor & Investor. 🤙I talk about: → Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)→ Climate Tech→ Venture Capital⁠Connect for more good energy⁠ ⚡️Become a sponsor: partner@seratajima.com