Episode 63 Show Notes: How To Facilitate a User Research Study Part 2 is finally here! 📝👩🏾‍💻 Once you've started your research study, there are many steps to consider to ensure your research has valuable data.  Some topics covered in this episode are: ➡️ How to properly prepare for your user interview vs. a usability test? ➡️ Best practices for facilitating user interviews ➡️ How to organize your collected data during and after your sessions ➡️ How to present your findings to the team ...

Episode 62 Show Notes: Typography can help make interfaces more user-friendly, informative, and visually appealing when used effectively. However, knowing which ones to use can be tricky with many different fonts available. In this episode, Thomas Girard provides tips on using type properly for digital interfaces. Some of the topics we discuss include: -Typography best practices -How to pair typefaces -How to check for accessibility and inclusivity -How to stand out and make your font...

Episode 61 Show Notes: How much do you actually know about the history of UX? Think about it, UX has been around since before many of us were even in elementary school. 😳 There are many misconceptions around what a career in UX looks like and how it's evolved. User experience has been around for decades, but it has only recently become a popular term. This is because we're now living in a world where technology is a massive part of our lives. This episode focuses on Darren Hood's 25 years...

Episode 60 Show Notes: There are so many paths to take to get into UX, but have you considered Content Design? I know it's another term in the sea of UX terminology, but this could be the career you've been searching for, mainly if you've found that being a visual designer or researcher isn't your thing. In this episode, Aladrian and I discuss her unconventional path to becoming a Content Design Manager at Intuit. We talk about the skill sets you need to become a content designer and get...

Episode 58 Show Notes: Who should use a UX Audit? Suppose you have little to no budget for user research and need a quick yet efficient way to help clients understand digital product problems affecting business goals. It also works well if you are the only UX Designer or Researcher on the team.  Those on an in-house team are most likely evaluating the product and tweaking the experience continually. If you’re on an in-house team and trying to convince management for a buy-in, you could use...

Episode 57 Show Notes: Is anyone overwhelmed with the idea of setting new goals for 2022? 🙋🏾‍♀️ This episode will help you be intentional about how you're going to progress towards your UX career goals this year, regardless of whether you have 0 years of experience or several years experience.  I discuss UX career tips about: How to get started in UX Things you should be thinking about after you've landed your first UX job How to plan if you want to get a promotion Steps you need to take...

Episode 56 Show Notes: It's time to reflect! I spent this episode reflecting on my UX career and my journey to become a senior product designer. I'm grateful I didn't become a senior designer earlier because I wouldn't have been truly ready. There are a lot of situations I needed to experience beforehand, and I'm still learning and growing. I also go over several tips to become a senior designer or researcher. Take a listen and tag @uinarrativeco on Twitter with your questions or...

Episode 55 Show Notes: After almost eight years as a designer, I've learned many things about UX, in general, that teachers didn't teach in the university and UX bootcamp I attended. In this episode, I go over the ten things I wish I knew before becoming a Product Designer. Some of these tips are groundbreaking pieces of advice I discovered early in my career. Others are helpful tips I've picked up along the way.  To be prepared for the real world, you have to experience the good and bad...

Episode 54 Show Notes: A sense of delight, a satisfying experience, a sense of belonging, predictability, and a sense of hope are all feelings that people experience in their daily life. Emotion is a part of being human which can be natural or manufactured. At times, it's a challenging experience to design for, but with practice and knowledge, you can make products that make people's lives easier and better. In this episode, James Castro-Griffiths talks about his experience designing for...

Episode 53 Show Notes: To jump from HR to the research ladder is nearly impossible at Google, especially for someone who doesn't have a Master's or PhD. However, Morgan Ramsey proved all the critics wrong by planning her unconventional way into UX Research. She started her career as an HR Analyst but quickly realized that her true passion was UX.  In this episode, we discuss her resilient journey to becoming a UX Researcher. It took years of dedication and strategically mapping out her...

Episode 52 Show Notes: Preparing for a job interview can be one of the most stressful parts of the job search. There's a lot of pressure to make a great first impression and convey that you are the perfect fit for the job. The key to any interview is to prepare in advance by writing down your answers to questions. Are you prepared for your interview? Do you know what you're going to say? Have you even practiced? In this episode, I'm narrating a parody UX mock interview with two characters....

Episode 51 Show Notes: I think it’s essential to improve your work rhythm as you progress in your career. But, first, you must understand how you work best and your method for problem-solving. Of course, you should use the design thinking process for problem-solving, but you’ve got to know what you need from your clients to provide value. In this episode, I’ll be going over how I lead a UX project—basically going over my entire thought process from the beginning, middle, and end. I also...

Episode 50 Show Notes: We've made it to the 50th episode of the UI Narrative podcast!!!! 🎉 I started this out as a hobby, and now I've made it a business. I will forever be thankful for you all listening and supporting my niche podcast. It means so much... truly. The moments that have brought me the most joy on this podcast are connecting with people worldwide. From different countries, backgrounds, and hearing their stories of getting into UX is hugely inspiring. I had to do something...

Episode 49 Show Notes: As a designer, a lot of my podcast topics are about design. However, some of you may be struggling more than others with design, or you’re finding that your day-to-day pixel-pushing isn’t making you happy. So I must ask you, have you considered that maybe you’re not supposed to be a designer? Perhaps it’s UX Research that you’re genuinely passionate about. Nandi Manning is currently a UX Researcher at Mailchimp, but she didn’t start her career out as a UX Researcher....

Episode 48 Show Notes: I've talked a lot on the podcast about how crucial it is to become a multitalented UXer to stand out amongst the competition. A way to do that is to have T-shaped skills.  T-shaped skills mean having deep expertise in one particular area but also broad experience across the field. As an engineer turned designer, Donald Burlock shares in this episode the skills he's gained over the years that help organizations understand the value of the design process. Take a...

Episode 47 Show Notes: Randall Wilson has been a designer for several years and has spent a decade working at Capital One. I was surprised when I saw his long tenure with a company because I've had to jump to new positions to achieve growth opportunities and salary increase in my career. His response to why he's stayed so long was, "People don't leave jobs, they leave managers," and that phrase has stuck with me because it's so genuine. There's a lot more I'd love to share with you about...

Episode 46 Show Notes: You can indeed start your career in UX with no college degree, but how is it possible to land a job afterward? In this episode, Jeremy Gaston and I discuss his journey to becoming a UX Designer with no college degree. He stresses the importance of understanding the value you bring to your clients and finding education tailored to your learning needs. We also break down methods he used to grow and how he learned to excel with imposter syndrome. Take a listen and tag...

Episode 45 Show Notes: Omar Tosca was born an engineer but was raised between designers. He has over seven years of experience as an interaction designer in Mexico, working with almost fifty companies. In this episode, we discuss his journey and the impact a mentor can have at all stages in your design career.  "I always thought that you always needed to manage people all the time to improve. Some designers just want to improve their skills. They want to be better at illustration or...

Episode 44 Show Notes: I recently reviewed over 200 portfolios for a Junior Product Designer position we needed to fill. As I was going through these portfolios, I noticed a common problem. A lot of candidates don’t know what to put in their portfolio or how to keep a hiring manager on their portfolio for at least 2 minutes.  This episode will be me ranting and providing guidance for anyone who is a designer or researcher with a portfolio. After reviewing these portfolios, I understood what...

Episode 43 Show Notes: As designers, I think most of us consider our work a piece of our inner selves because creating design requires us to draw inspiration from our thoughts. So when someone challenges or criticizes our work, I think it's a bit challenging not to take it personally. In this episode, Shanique and I talk about how we equip ourselves mentally to be receptive to design feedback. We also share our worst feedback sessions and how we've grown to speak up for ourselves. Take a...

It's 2021, and Black designers only make up 3% of the workforce at major tech companies. It's disheartening to think about, but you have the power to make a difference, especially if you're a white creative leader, educator, or designer. Representation is crucial to attracting people of color to the tech industry and ensuring an inclusive environment, and retaining them as employees.   In this episode, Mitzi Okou and I discuss the importance of empowering black designers in your workplace...

Episode 41 Show Notes: It's essential to be intentional about your career growth. I know that we are looking for a job to get by a lot of the time, but I think we can use every job experience to our advantage. In this episode, Catt and I discuss creating a design growth plan and the benefits of having one. Knowing how you want to use each job opportunity towards your life goals is crucial to your mental health.   Mentions:   Designer Levels, Marissa Louie ...

Episode 40 Show Notes:   Are you as human-centered as you think you are? In this episode, Vivianne challenges us to push past the status quo of what it means to be human-centered. She has an 8+ years background in psychology and user research and is passionate about helping researchers and designers build more holistically human-centered leaders through community, coaching, & courses. She brings UX professionals together who want to move beyond the jargon and cliches of our industry so...