This short article (I think I'll call these shorticles from now on) was originally posted on Medium in February 2017 I’m an introvert, and many years ago someone gave me some advice that resonated, and has stuck with me: “You have two ears and one mouth, so
Remote work isn't for everyone. In this article, I'll talk about the pitfalls of remote work and how you can mitigate them if you get ahead and acknowledge they could happen to you. Since the pandemic, remote work has increased in popularity from both employee and
If only it were as easy (and comforting) as listening to Taylor Swift to find out the problem your product or feature should be solving.
These books have helped me in developing my design leadership skills over the past 20 years. Even if you're not a leader yet, they can provide a bedrock in the best way to get the most out of a creative or product-specific team. They are written by leaders
The following books have been instrumental for me in broadening my understanding of design and becoming the designer I am today. Each of these was recommended to me by colleagues and managers over the past 20 or so years. My hope is that you'll take teachings from each
How to undo sitting at your desk in 3 easy stretches. Just 10 minutes, 3 times a day can do wonders
Your website could contain a large amount of content which covers overlapping, semi-connected and completely discrete subjects. Connecting these subjects using a user-centered taxonomy will help users find content they want and enhance discoverability of that content through relevant links. Users shouldn’t have to understand internal structures to get
I’ve had the pleasure of being led by some great design leaders in my career. I’ve also been under some not-so-great managers. Over the years, I’ve learned from both positive and negative experiences and seen how to lead designers effectively and not so. I continue to learn
Congratulations on your first day at your new company as a product designer! Now what? Here's all the questions you need to ask and to whom
When talking about designing a product, we mean a very holistic definition of design. Not just how it looks and functions, but what is included as a feature, and what is not. Every feature added or taken away comes with inherent risk. When there is a long roadmap of features/
Some days we have lots of smaller tasks to get done and it’s a dopamine hit every time we check that task off. Other days we know we need to concentrate for long periods to break the back of a deep and complex problem. When our brains are looking
Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy outlined by a set of behaviours and practices that have their main emphasis on the well-being of those being served. It empowers teams by creating trust, transparency and security and fosters an inclusive culture. Designers in your team will feel respected, appreciated and valued.
Design leadership
There’s a big difference between a manager and a leader. I’ve been fortunate to work under some great leaders, and have also had my fair share of managers who haven’t understood what is required to be an IC designer. I learned from both what good leadership looks
Design fundamentals
This is part of the Language of Product Design series. You can find the other posts at the end of this one. Front-end / client-side This is what the user sees and interacts with, commonly referred to as the presentation layer. Engineers who work on the front-end use languages such as
Design fundamentals
“The hardest part is starting. Get that out of the way and the journey is much easier” - Simon Sinek Whenever we start something new it takes courage to take that first step. We’re all beginners at the beginning. One of the barriers we all face when we’re
Design fundamentals
This is part of the Language of Product Design series. You can find the other posts at the end of this one. Font One single variation of a typeface e.g. Helvetica Bold Typeface A group of all variations of a font e.g Helvetica Bold, Helvetica italic, Helvetica Regular,