The Samelogic Podcast

Ruben's career evolution has been remarkable, from print design to leading complex design systems. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability and learning new skills to stay on the cutting edge. He shares his experience of transitioning from graphic design to coding and the challenges he faced. Ruben highlights the need for designers to scale their thinking and specialize in a particular area. He also discusses the importance of mentors and recommends finding mentors through current jobs, networking, and online platforms. Ruben emphasizes the need for effective communication and fostering collaboration in remote teams. He advises against blindly following design trends and encourages designers to focus on solving problems and meeting user needs. Ruben discusses the impact of AI and emerging technologies on design and the importance of embracing and utilizing them. He shares how he turned his impatience into a driving force for creativity and learning.

Mitchell discusses his journey from engineering to UX design and product management, highlighting how his engineering background has given him a unique perspective on solving complex design and product issues. He emphasizes the importance of foundational research and regular exposure to users in order to uncover the right insights and translate them into actionable product strategies. Mitchell also shares his experience in building design systems and managing cross-functional teams during times of rapid growth. He discusses the role of UX design and research in driving user acquisition, retention, and expansion in a product-led strategy. Mitchell emphasizes the power of storytelling in inspiring and motivating others, as well as the importance of aligning UX design and research with key business metrics. He concludes by offering advice to early career UX designers and product managers.

Josh Klenert, Chief Design Officer at Bakkt, shares insights on crafting user-centric experiences in the latest Samelogic podcast. Discover how empathy, research, and adaptability drive innovation across industries, from crypto to entertainment. Klenert discusses balancing creativity with regulations, championing inclusivity, and the evolving role of design leadership.

Julia DeBari, a seasoned UX designer, shares her fascinating industry journey on the Samelogic podcast. From her early days in interaction design to navigating the challenges of a rapidly evolving field, Julia offers valuable insights into the world of UX. She discusses the shift towards specialization, the potential impact of AI, and the importance of ethics in design.

Bob Baxley, a seasoned Silicon Valley UX Designer, shares his journey in software design and unique perspectives on Apple's culture, his experience working with Steve Jobs, leadership challenges, and the impact of his Autism Spectrum Disorder on his work.

Sid cracked the code to climb from business analyst to senior product leadership at Autodesk, Amazon and more. In this insider podcast, he downloads hard-won insights on understanding customers, navigating PM roles, crafting strategies, championing users amidst dissent, leveraging data in tough calls, and learning to turn weaknesses into strengths.

Strategist Debbie Levitt shares her adaptive approach to transforming companies by balancing customer needs and business goals. Learn how proper research, not assumptions, helps startups gain clarity. Hear Levitt's perspective on the value of user-centric product development and the need for accountability in understanding users.

Jessica Hall, VP of Design at CoStar Group, joins us to discuss her journey from graphic design to leading digital transformation for the commercial real estate data leader. Jess shares key lessons on testing ideas through experiments, achieving alignment in design, understanding organizational behavior, and applying a user-centric approach - valuable insights for any product team.

Product UX designer Alissa Marr transitioned from graphic design to design sales software for startup Trender.ai, adapting her skills for this new user base. She shares approaches like understanding customers, innovating outdated sales workflows, strategically enhancing user experience by digitizing processes and researching industry trends.

Michal Wisniowski is a seasoned product designer based in LA. He shares the complexities of reducing the carbon footprint of digital products. Discover Michal's unique approach, incorporating visual communication tools and lean UX research methodologies to effectively convey climate concepts and engage audiences. Gain valuable insights for building innovative and eco-friendly digital solutions.

Dive into the dynamic world of community management with Kaylee Slusser, Lead Product Manager at Chief, as she unveils unconventional lessons from her tenure at Facebook and Amazon. Discover expert insights on understanding user needs, mapping journeys, ensuring safety, and launching engaging products. Kaylee's unique journey and expertise provide valuable tips for building and nurturing online communities. Tune in for an immersive discussion on community platform development, and gain actionable strategies to foster positive connections!

Embark on a journey with trailblazing UX designer, Jessie Chen, as she shares her path from visual arts to product design leadership. Discover how she transitioned from 2D game artist to a Principal UX Designer at Autodesk, creating award-winning experiences and guiding others through in-house design education. Tune in for career insights, creative expansion tips, and overcoming barriers in the world of UX.

Embark on a fascinating journey with Raleigh, a seasoned senior product designer, as they share insights into human-centered, data-driven product development. From optimizing onboarding flows to shaping AI projects, discover the intersection of design, meditation, and technology. Join the conversation on the evolving landscape of product development in the era of AI.

Embark on a journey into the dynamic world of product management with Šejla Vatres, Senior Product Manager at Seera Group! 🚀 In this insightful episode, Šejla shares her unique experiences, from navigating the challenges of living in the Middle East to driving digital transformation in global travel brands. Discover her unconventional path into product management, the intricacies of stakeholder management in the face of change, and the tools she swears by for success. Tune in as Šejla unveils the secrets to effective reputation management, user-generated content tools, and overcoming the impatience that comes with the territory.

Explore Kate's unique journey from university lecturer to UX design maestro. Uncover the secrets of balancing client needs and user experience.

Learn about her go-to design tools, creative process, and thoughts on enhancing Nike's website.

🚀 Don't miss out on engaging discussions about overcoming weaknesses and setting boundaries. Ready to level up your UX game? Tune in now!

#SamelogicPodcast #UXDesign #Innovation #Productmanagement

Discover the dynamic world of product management with David Mark Siegel, Principal PM at Microsoft. Delve into the psychology behind user understanding, experimentation, and problem-solving. Gain valuable insights on transitioning between diverse product domains and cultivating trust in teams.

Abbas Jaffer, Principal Researcher at Circle, in this episode of 'Cultural Influence in Tech.' Abbas shares insights from his multidisciplinary background in anthropology, Islamic studies, and product research, highlighting the impact of cultural understanding on user research. Delve into Abbas's transition from academia to the tech industry, where he discusses the challenges of adapting to the fast-paced, problem-solving environment. The conversation unfolds into a comparison between academia and tech research, Abbas's perspectives on technology fears and AI integration, and his qualitative research strategies, providing valuable insights for both researchers and tech enthusiasts.

Discover the world of UX design with Aram in our latest episode! Gain insights into active listening, essential ideation tools, and the emotional future of UX. Dive into challenges and solutions in product design, explore the passion and collaboration within the design industry, and follow Aram's journey from curiosity to connection. Tune in for valuable inspiration and wisdom! #UXDesignSecrets #PodcastInsights #DesignPassion #UserExperience #SamelogicPodcast

Explore Grace's Inspiring Journey in UX Copywriting!

Join us for a captivating conversation with Grace, a rising star in UX copywriting. From her unique career path, where creativity meets clear communication, to the challenges of aligning products and prioritizing accessibility, Grace shares invaluable insights.

Discover the power of tailoring communication for every user, learn from common UX copywriting mistakes, and explore the importance of empathy and user-centric design. Don't miss this episode!

Join us in this inspiring episode as Sowmya shares how she navigated her career journey into product management, following her passion for understanding customers and solving problems.

She found her ideal role at a nonprofit, leading research and portfolio strategy. Sowmya thrives on collaborating with her diverse, global team to creatively apply technology. She enjoys the fast pace and organizing chaos to drive impact.

Previously at large companies, Sowmya honed PM skills but faced hurdles. At a nimble nonprofit, she gained customer access and expertise in Lean and Six Sigma. Her diverse experiences prepared Sowmya for product management focused on sustainability. She found her ideal mission-driven employer in geospatial climate tech.

Join us in this inspiring episode as Emilie, a former biochemistry and music student who transformed into a Senior UX/UI Designer at VEERUM, shares her remarkable journey. She emphasizes the importance of soft skills and storytelling in the field and provides strategies for managing challenging stakeholders. Emilie credits LinkedIn for enabling her to connect with influential individuals in the design community, making her story a compelling one for aspiring UX designers. Tune in for valuable insights into standing out in the UX design industry, aligning career goals with personal values, and the power of continuous learning.

Emilie's Key Takeaways:

• Reflect on your career goals and ensure they align with your values and aspirations.
• Highlight relevant skills and experiences in UX design to stand out as a candidate.
• Emphasize the importance of soft skills and storytelling in UX design.
• Develop strong research skills and prioritize understanding the user.
• Focus on collaborative problem-solving and clear communication with stakeholders.
• Engage with the design community and meet new people to stand out as a designer.
• Maintain an active presence on LinkedIn, the preferred platform for networking and professional updates.
• Consider offering consulting and mentoring services on your personal website.

For more inspiring stories and practical advice, follow Emilie on LinkedIn and stay connected with Samelogic on your preferred podcast app.

This podcast episode offers valuable insights for both aspiring and experienced UX designers looking to advance in their careers.

Get ready for a fun, insightful chat with Janisa Simmons, a leading UX expert with over 15 years in the field. In this episode, we cover everything from Janisa's journey into design to her vision for the future.

Janisa shares what sparked her initial interest in UX, transitioning from teaching to corporate UX, and leading design at Seeq. 

We get the inside scoop on her process for research, ideation, prototyping, and testing. Janisa offers advice for designers starting out, along with her thoughts on emerging trends and the bold UX innovations she hopes to see someday.

With humor and honesty, Janisa gives us a peek into the triumphs and challenges of being a Principal UX Designer. She explains how she balances creativity with business needs, and why she's so passionate about human-centered design.

You’ll walk away from this episode with fresh inspiration, as well as practical tips you can apply in your own projects. Whether you’re a designer, developer, product manager or just love learning from UX leaders, you won’t want to miss our revealing chat with Janisa.

With over a decade of experience in the ever-evolving tech landscape, Harish brings a wealth of knowledge and insights to the forefront of this podcast. Starting his career as a consultant at IBM, he swiftly transitioned into the realm of product management, setting the stage for an impressive career trajectory.

Harish spent five transformative years at Highradius, a prominent player in the B2B SaaS FinTech space, where he honed his craft in developing innovative solutions to complex financial challenges. For the past four years, he has been a driving force at Whatfix, another B2B SaaS powerhouse based in India, delivering cutting-edge solutions to a global audience.

One of Harish's defining strengths is his ability to tackle business problems head-on by crafting innovative software products. Whether it's building new products from the ground up or scaling existing ones to new heights, his strategic vision and leadership have been instrumental in driving success for enterprises.

But Harish's expertise doesn't stop at the boardroom. Outside of work, he's a passionate badminton player, always striving for excellence on and off the court. In his leisure time, he finds solace and creativity in strumming his guitar.

 Mark Baldino, Co-founder of Fuzzy Math, is at the forefront of UX design, driving businesses to new heights through strategic design thinking. With a wealth of experience in human-centric design, he's a catalyst for optimizing products, boosting customer engagement, and enhancing profitability.

Mark's recent insights shed light on the evolving UX landscape. He champions a more human-centric approach, stressing the vital role of research, strategy, and data in the design process.

Today, he's dedicated to empowering internal design teams, helping them make a significant impact within organizations. His expertise covers everything from best practices to aligning design with business goals.

Mark hosts the "UX Leadership by Design" podcast, a treasure trove of knowledge. Tune in to stay updated on UX trends and strategies. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn to expand your network!

Joseph Argiro, Head of Product at Enter The Void, has left an indelible mark on various industries, from college tours to cryptocurrencies. With a career spanning over a decade, he has consistently demonstrated his prowess in product experimentation and innovation.

Joseph built Uber / Aribnb for college touring marketplace in 2015 until selling early to a competitor. He then worked on Wall Street until he left to join a crypto startup, ICO Alert, as their 2nd employee, helping them scale to 30+ employees and multi-millions in ARR. He joined as a data analyst and quickly became the head of product role. He then joined Hewlett Packard as a Product Manager, leading cross-functional innovation projects across emerging technologies initiatives such as big data, IoT, 5G, and blockchain. He now works as Lead Product Manager for a web3 NFT infrastructure startup.

Afua Bruce is a leading public interest technologist whose work sits at the fascinating intersection of technology, policy, and society.

Afua has an impressive history of serving her country and her community through various roles, demonstrating the powerful impact that technology can have when used for the public good.

Her career started in the tech industry at IBM as a software engineer. She then took her talents to the FBI, using her engineering and management skills to serve her country. From there, she moved to the White House, where she directed federal interagency coordination through the National Science and Technology Council.

Subsequently, Afua led the Public Interest Technology program at New America, she served as the Chief Program Officer at DataKind, and currently, Afua is the Founder and Principal at ANB Advisory Group, an organization supporting responsible technology development.

Afua co-authors "The Tech That Comes Next” alongside Amy Sample Ward. This book outlines how companies can deploy technology to improve people's lives and solve social problems.

Max is a UX/UI Designer from Richmond, CA. On paper, his background is in creative, with a bachelor's in Film/Television and a minor in Pop Music Studies. In practice, the shaping forces behind his work are asking questions, designing for emotion, and making everything he sees even better. He's created work in graphic design, film, live visual projection, web design, and both B2C and Enterprise UX. Over the weekends, you can usually find him exploring the California coast by motorcycle, reading about business strategy, or improving his lap times around the Karting track.

Chuck shares his 15+ years of expertise in creating exceptional user experiences. Chuck's passion for innovative design solutions shines through from his work at TIBCO Software Inc. to leading the Customer Experience team at Wells Fargo. Discover the value of user-centered practices, visionary features, and collaborative approaches in shaping the future of UX. Please tune in to explore the power of product experimentation and its impact on delivering outstanding user experiences.

Johnny is an accomplished product leader with extensive experience in financial technology and software solutions and is currently the VP of Product at Chain.io. Before Chain.io, Johnny served as VP of Product Design at myClin and PHILANTHROPI, where he standardized design styles, implemented scrum practices, successfully coordinated a pilot program with American Express, developed comprehensive product strategies, and established efficient deployment processes. He also held the position of Head of Design at Arcweb Technologies, where he led a digital design department and developed sales strategies. With expertise in product management, creative strategy, team leadership, and product design, Johnny brings valuable skills to any organization.

Rohan is a Product Lead with experience driving consumer, growth, and 0-1 products. Presently, Rohan works at Meta building new products. Previously, He's built products for +200M small businesses at WhatsApp, Instagram, Yelp, and Yahoo. As Founder, Rohan started a company for nonprofits to raise capital efficiently.

Liz is a Lead Product Manager at Chili Piper. She found product by way of Sales and then Customer Success, so championing prospect and customer needs is an integral part of her product development framework.

Liz is a foodie, a yogi, and a mover and as someone who has lived on the east coast almost her entire life, she relocated to Denver a couple of years ago to enjoy all the mountains have to offer. 

Jeff Appel is Founder and Lead Designer at Ghost Town Creative Services, a small design studio located in Denver, Colorado. At Ghost Town and in various FTE situations, Jeff has worked with high-velocity startups, rad UX agencies, global enterprise companies, and just about everybody in between. He's passionate about connecting human beings, ideas, and objects through good design and building healthy, cross-functional, and collaborative teams.

When Jeff isn't designing, he's doing stereotypical Colorado things like skiing with his two daughters, rock climbing, cycling, or catching a yoga session. He loves to read and write and learn new things.

Jonathan is a Senior UX Designer at Appian with three years of experience, passionate about creating simple experiences for his users. In his free time, he provides tips to junior UX designers through his TikTok @johnathanyouruxmentor.

Rochel is currently the Lead UX Designer at Chabad.org, the first and largest online hub for Jewish knowledge and lifestyle tools with 54 million annual unique users.

She enjoys tackling diverse challenges and products with a proactive growth mindset and believes her role as a designer is simple: she does what it takes. Whether initiating and working on cross-functional collaborations, establishing UX as a strategic partner by facilitating communication and partnerships with different departments, or creating better processes for working and documentation, the bigger picture is woven into daily research and design.

Outside of work, Rochel mentors and coaches designers and encourages meaningful work that goes deeper than hype and vanity metrics. She is always ready to learn and share practical lessons and ideas with others.

Sandesh is a highly skilled and passionate design leader at SAP, with a strong focus on developing ERP products that exceed customer expectations. With extensive experience in UX design spanning over 15 years across North America, Europe, and South Asia, Sandesh brings a wealth of knowledge to lead and execute end-to-end UX design projects. As a results-oriented design lead, he takes responsibility for defining UX strategies, conducting user research, creating design systems, and developing product roadmaps in close collaboration with business stakeholders. Sandesh is committed to institutionalizing design thinking within the organization and regularly facilitates collaborative design workshops to foster this approach. Through his customer-centric approach, he has driven business success and helped organizations transform their products and services.

Nipurn is the Lead product designer at Sigma. He has been designing experiences for enterprise data analytics applications for 7+ years. He is originally from India, and I came to the US to pursue a master's in design at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Outside of work, Nipurn is a husband to his lovely wife and pup-dad of a labradoodle. He spends a lot of time perfecting latte art every morning and like gaming and playing table tennis.

About Sigma:

Sigma is a cloud analytics platform that uses a familiar spreadsheet interface to give business users instant access to collaboratively explore and get insights from their cloud warehouse in real-time. It requires no code or special training to explore billions of rows— enabling teams to find answers and make fast, accurate data-driven decisions.

Tasneem is a Product Manager at Remo, a virtual events platform focused on humanizing the virtual event experience. It strives to help event hosts create engaging online experiences, just like in-person events, by helping guests build authentic connections.

Before joining Product, Tasneem worked within Success and Community teams to build close customer relationships and identify how customers used the platform, where customers had problems, and any feedback they had to improve their experience. From there, she was able to pivot into Product and keep doing what she loves.

She is passionate about solving problems through simplistic but thoughtful user experiences. Outside of work, you can typically find her playing a board game, watching a new show, or learning something new!

James is a Lead UX designer at Edelman and is described as curious, driven, and compassionate. His passion for design and ability to find simple solutions to complex problems has defined his career. James has been a graphic & web designer for over 20 years. Applying that experience and passion to the UX field has challenged him in new and exciting ways. Learning to allow research to guide his path and design decisions has enhanced his ability to create more engaging and immersive experiences for the end user.

Kelby Hertanu is a product designer at Asana, a work management solution that aims to help humanity thrive by enabling the world's teams to work together effortlessly; he is currently working on design systems. Before Asana, Kelby designed various products across different platforms and companies like Varo Bank and Temenos, which gave him the opportunity to practice end-to-end design for a variety of industries and platforms. You catch Kelby dancing, watching anime, or sipping some quality libations when he's not designing.

Rotem is currently the VP of design at Monday.com, an open platform that democratizes the power of software so organizations can easily build work management tools and software applications to fit their every need. 

She spent the last nine years at Monady.com, but before that, she worked at RED-ID. 

Rotem speaks on how she got started in design, what she has learned over the years, and how she builds designs that users love.

Kadie is currently the Lead Product Designer at MVMNT, a free TMS platform for freight brokerages, where she is responsible for building a world-class design team. Before MVMNT, she worked as a Customer Experience and Design Consultant with numerous clients.

Kadie has experience taking new products from ideation to launch, relying on her technical and creative background to build cross-collaborative relationships and ensure product success. Kadie holds an Informatics degree from Indiana University and a Masters in Experience Design.

She is passionate about creating products with a positive impact, designing experiences that leave customers in awe, and promoting design as a strategic pillar within organizations. When she's not nose-deep in Figma, you can find Kadie eating her way through Chicago and hanging with her dog Kobe.

Ayelet is a professional UX and product design lead with extensive experience in the technology industry. She has spent the past few years working in fast-paced start-ups, leading design teams to create impactful experiences for mobile and B2B SaaS products. She thoroughly understands the end-to-end design process, from research to delivery, and is well-versed in Agile methodologies and organizational processes.

Previously, Ayelet was part of a global UX team at NICE, a large enterprise company. She took a major part in creating and implementing a new design system for the organization's products. She led the switch from multiple design tools to one - which improved efficiency through better alignment and collaboration within the team and other stakeholders. 

When she's not designing, you can find her giving back to the design community by mentoring young designers and hosting workshops and meetups. She is always eager to learn and grow and brings this mindset to everything she does, continuously striving to improve processes and stay ahead of the curve.

Sean is a human-centered product designer hell-bent on solving as many problems as he can get his hands on. Having spent time at IDEO, McKinsey, Google, Visa, and now Digits, he has led cross-functional teams across many industries.

From Apple Pay to Ferrari and Google Search, Sean has created products touched by billions of people using a simple process that can be applied to almost any problem.

Today you can find him spending his time talking to business owners and working with the engineers at Digits, trying to solve some of the business world's messiest problems.

Aditya is a Lead Designer at Yoomi Health, a healthcare startup that reimagines physical therapy using machine learning. He works on the digital experience of their platform Yoomi, aiming to gamify a patient's interaction with their therapist.  

Prior to this, he worked at ThinkPlace as a Design Strategist to develop a digital ethics framework to help companies navigate ethical strategies for digital transformation. 

And during his time in India, he was a Product Designer at JioTesseract Reliance, where he worked to develop the JioGlass, India's first mixed reality product. 

He is currently doing his master's at Parsons School of Design, and outside of his professional life, he enjoys anime, cooking, and exercising. 

Yanos is a Nashville-based Product designer at Asurion. He has a background in sales and graphic design, amounting to 10 years of experience in customer digital communication. 

As a human interaction designer, he honed my skills in paying strong attention to detail and design quality. Yonas is passionate about tech, design, and their abilities to better our world. 

He firmly believes that design and technology can help sustain our economy and environment and help communities worldwide solve challenging problems.

Matt is a Senior UX Designer at Jitterbit, an Integration Platform as a Service. 

He started as a graphic designer 30 years ago but gradually transitioned to UX design, where he's been for the past decade. 

He focuses on user experience design for enterprise software applications and enjoys the complexity and challenges that enterprise applications offer.

Justin Leonard is a Southern California native now living in Phoenix, AZ, working as a Principal UX Architect. 

Over the past 15 years, he has helped companies build teams that understand their users, from early-stage startups to global brands. 

As a consultant, he worked with companies such as H&R Block, Teleflora, Vegas.com, No Fear, and others to implement digital transformations across products and services.

Mahmoud is an experienced Product Manager with a strong track record of success in driving innovation and delivering results. 

His professional skills and interests include problem-solving in design and code, building strategies and roadmaps, and managing cross-border teams. 

He has had the opportunity to work with a range of startups across the globe and has gained valuable insights and experience through these diverse experiences. 

In Mahmoud's current role, he is committed to continuing to grow his skills and expertise to drive meaningful impact for my organization and the end users we serve.