Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Design Table Podcast

Nick's biggest newsletter open rate was fifty percent when his list was small. Now that it's grown, he's happy with thirty, and neither of them can fully explain why.

In this quick-fire episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick answer a stack of rapid questions on product design and careers, each in under five minutes. They cover why email and newsletter design remains such an underrated skill, why designers keep leaving the field entirely to open restaurants and ninja warrior gyms, and how AI has shifted the job from pushing pixels to writing planning documents and doing discovery work.

They also debate the statement "AI has made me faster but less proud of what I create," argue over whether job titles actually matter, and swap their favorite misconceptions people have about product design, before Tyler explains why he's stopped justifying his design decisions to stakeholders altogether.

In this episode you will learn:

🔸 Why email design is underrated, and how newsletter design differs for personal brands versus enterprise brands
🔸 What it means when your open rate drops as your list grows, and why click-through rate might matter more
🔸 Why some designers are leaving tech entirely to open restaurants and gyms, and what carries over with them
🔸 How AI has shifted design work from pushing pixels to planning and discovery
🔸 Whether "AI made me faster but less proud of what I create" is a fair trade
🔸 Why job titles matter more for a freelancer's SEO than for an in-house designer's ego
🔸 Why Tyler doesn't explain his design decisions unless he's pushed on it, and why that works

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career: Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Nick's first freelance client paid him fifty dollars an hour. He said 'yes' before he  knew what the market rate was, and it turned out to be exactly the right way to find out.

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick spend the whole episode on money, salaries, hourly rates, and how you should ask for more. Tyler walks through the salary research tool that showed him his entire possible career path and the forty thousand dollar salary he thought he would happily live on forever. Nick breaks down the raise that took him from 2500 EUR/month to 4000 EUR/month, and the freelance pricing strategy that pushed his average hourly rate from 50 USD up past 95 USD just by raising the number with every new client until the rejections started piling up.

They also get into the LinkedIn open to work banner and why neither of them will turn it on, the case for and against salary transparency laws, and the three times revenue framework Tyler uses to justify asking for a raise with actual numbers instead of a feeling.

In this episode you will learn:
🔸 The salary research tool that mapped out an entire career path before Tyler ever got a job
🔸 Why having a job already makes salary negotiation dramatically easier
🔸 The real reason job hoppers usually out earn people who stay in one role
🔸 Why neither host will turn on the LinkedIn open to work banner
🔸 The three times revenue framework for justifying a raise with numbers, not feelings
🔸 How Nick raised his freelance hourly rate from fifty dollars to ninety five using rejection rate as a signal 
🔸 What actually happens once salary transparency becomes required by law

Chapters:
0:00 Deciding to make an entire episode about money
1:18 What this episode will cover, salary and hourly rate negotiation
1:40 Tylers early mindset, just wanting to make forty thousand a year doing art
2:48 The salary tool that mapped out an entire career path
4:04 Whether the tool actually matched reality
4:44 The three times revenue framework for what an employee should be worth
5:15 Why it depends factors make salary numbers online unreliable
6:30 Why job hoppers usually out earn people who stay put
7:24 Why having a job already makes negotiating easier
8:00 The LinkedIn open to work banner and why neither host uses it
9:26 Saying you have other interviews lined up, even when you do not 
10:21 Nicks raise from a hundred euros a month to eight hundred
11:43 Going from twenty five hundred to four thousand euros a month 12:58 Using Glassdoor to benchmark a salary band before applying 13:26 The new salary transparency law and whether it helps employees 14:46 Why recruiters get more cautious once salaries are public
16:14 A friend who threatened to quit over a pay gap and won
17:16 The three times revenue framework for asking for a raise
18:33 The one caveat before you push for more money
19:06 How Nick started freelancing at fifty dollars an hour
20:27 Raising the rate with every new client until rejections start
21:41 Using rejection rate as the signal that you found your ceiling
22:08 Saying yes to everything at first, then learning to say no
23:59 Final thoughts on treating money like part of the craft

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career: Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In 2015, Nick drove to an interview in his moms car. Three minutes in, the hiring manager told him he would never make it as a designer. 10 Years later, he loses his product design job over Christmas. And that's just the start...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick share the worst moments of their careers so far. Nick gets torn apart in his first ever interview, prints a batch of flyers that come back the wrong color (because nobody told him about RGB and CMYK), and takes on a small favor for a client that turns into a project so big it costs him two clients.

In the meantime, Tyler gets thrown into a print job with zero training, discovers his own company was quietly interviewing outside UX agencies behind his back, and gets let go about a month later. Nick turns down a request to fly to Asia for work, gets let go over the Christmas break, and finds out because nobody bothered to tell him.

They weren't bad at their job (is what they're telling each other). Sometimes it is just not the right fit, for either side, and the only way to find that out is to live through it.

In this episode you will learn:
🔸 Why RGB and CMYK color spaces catch almost every designer off guard the first time they print something
🔸 The scope creep mistake that can cost a freelancer a client, or two
🔸 How to notice the warning signs that a company is quietly replacing you
🔸 Why a job can end without anyone telling you directly
🔸 The real lesson buried in every one of these stories, that not being a fit is not the same as not being good

Chapters:
0:00 Setting up the horror stories episode
0:39 Nicks first ever interview goes wrong in three minutes
3:01 The shock of an early career rejection
4:01 Tyler gets thrown into a print job with zero training
5:52 Tyler admits he still cant do print design today
6:46 Why the founders had no budget for a second designer
7:00 The flyers that printed orange instead of pink
9:28 The lesson that stuck for over ten years
9:51 Tylers packaging design job with no test prints allowed
11:20 Judging a print run from a blurry iPhone photo
12:06 Why print has no undo button
13:16 A small client favor that turns into a scope creep disaster
15:09 Losing two clients over one miscommunication
16:02 The lesson on asking more questions before agreeing to scope 17:01 Why the client relationship has to go both ways
18:37 Tyler discovers his company is secretly interviewing outside UX agencies
19:35 Finding out through a leaked calendar
21:44 Confronting his manager about it directly
22:55 Being let go about a month later
23:21 Layoffs lining up with review and budget season
24:39 Nicks story, turning down a work trip to Asia
26:26 Coming back from Christmas break to total silence
26:52 Finding out he was let go through a different manager entirely 28:18 The real takeaway, horror stories are what build great designers 29:29 Final takeaway, not being a fit goes both ways

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career: Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

You can master every product design AI tool that exists and still get overruled in the meeting that matters most. That's because tools matter way less than what you read online. There are way more important things to learn if you want to make it as a modern-day product designer.

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick lay out the four skills they think actually separate strong product designers from everyone else. It's inspired partly by Josh Puckett's Interface Craft course, and partly by more than a decade of getting these wrong themselves. Conceptual range. Conceptual depth. Tool mastery. And selling your ideas to people who did not ask for them.

They dig into why going wide before going narrow is the step most designers skip, how competitive research outside your own niche unlocks better ideas, and why Nick refuses to send client work the same day he finishes it. They also get into knowing when to kill a direction instead of pushing it further, a $300K AI experiment that should have been an $11K hire, and why does this solve the problem beats what do you think every time you present. Then they each rank the four skills, and they land on different answers.

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 The four skills Tyler and Nick think will still matter in ten years
🔸 How to go wide before you go narrow, and why most designers skip it 
🔸 The competitive research trick for finding inspiration outside your industry
🔸 Why sleeping on your work is a real strategy, not procrastination
🔸 How to know when to reset a direction instead of pushing it further 
🔸 The real ROI test for deciding when AI is actually worth the spend
🔸 Why does this solve the problem beats what do you think in every review
🔸 How to avoid getting turned into a design by committee circus act
🔸 Which of the four skills Tyler and Nick each rank as most important, and why they disagree

Chapters:
0:00 Naming the four skills every strong product designer needs
1:10 Skill 1, conceptual range, why going wide comes first
2:51 The trap of jumping straight to the obvious solution
4:51 Using competitive research to break out of the happy path
6:10 Going wide across industries, not just design patterns
7:36 The monthly brainstorm exercise that surfaces better ideas
9:35 Why Nick never sends client work the same day he finishes it
11:23 Skill 2, conceptual depth, narrowing 20 ideas into one
14:45 Loom recordings as a feedback safety net
16:25 The mobile use case Nick almost designed his way around
16:57 Knowing when to reset a direction instead of pushing through 
18:00 The baby analogy, staying detached until it ships
19:35 Are your deadlines actually real?
22:46 The $300K AI experiment that should have been an $11K hire 
26:30 Skill 3, tool mastery, why principles matter more than the tool 
29:35 Skill 4, selling your ideas to stakeholders
30:26 The worst question you can ask in a feedback meeting
33:49 Avoiding design by committee
34:11 Which skill Tyler and Nick each rank as most important

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career: Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Someone on your team just built a landing page with Claude and skipped you entirely. It used to be a product designer's nightmare, but now... it is called 'Tuesday'.

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick get into the question lots of product designers are asking right now. Is AI actually coming for your job? Or is that all social media nonsense? They map out why the risk of losing your job has nothing to do with AI itself. Instead, it comes down to company size and UX maturity, and where you land on that grid decides whether you're a strategic partner or the first person cut when a non-designer thinks they can just 'do the UX in Claude.'

They break down why junior designers need political skills that senior designers take for granted, why showing messy work early gets you better feedback than a polished reveal, and why an unmonitored session recording can prove design's value faster than a giant slide deck. Then they answer a listener's question from a medtech intern who was told to use AI to improve his workflow. They unpack what that feedback is really saying, and what it isn't.

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Why should I even go into design is the wrong question to be asking right now
🔸 The two part test for reading how seriously your company actually takes design
🔸 How junior and senior designers should handle pushback differently
🔸 Why showing your messy, unfinished work gets better feedback than the polished version
🔸 How session recordings can prove design's value faster than any deck
🔸 What use more AI to improve your workflow really means when a manager says it
🔸 Why design is still the moat, and why the craft can't be outsourced

Chapters:
0:00 Is design still a safe career? Setting up the real question
2:16 The two lines that determine how seriously your company takes design
3:49 Junior vs senior designers, handling pushback and politics
6:45 Why showing messy work early gets you better feedback
9:20 The dangerous game of skipping design due diligence
14:18 Why world changing features usually belong in a dropdown
16:21 Why companies that ignore designer judgment are setting themselves up to fail
18:37 Session recordings, the fastest way to prove design work matters 
19:57 A bank's accessibility wake up call, caught on video
23:12 Listener question, use more AI, a medtech intern's performance review
26:06 Why shadowing a senior designer beats guessing on your own 
29:40 Doing manual design work on purpose to build real craft 34:17 Closing thoughts, design is still the moat

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career: Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Zero to one product design work. That's the main skill companies are hiring designers for right now. You'd expect Figma knowledge or being 'native' with the latest AI tools to be the main thing, but that's not the case.

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick react point-by-point to a breakdown of what companies currently want from product designers according to Tom Scott, recruiter and owner at Verified. The list includes communication skills for designers, ownership, design systems, AI-native skills, and why both the take-home task and the old-school work trial are creeping back into the product design hiring process.

They also discuss why the "builder" mindset is better than pure execution as teams get leaner, why design systems are becoming a full-time discipline of their own, and why an app store flooded with AI-generated products is making branding and UI craft more and more important.

Finally, Tyler and Nick cover the AI-native skill gap between senior and junior designers, why fractional and freelance design work is booming, and close on the reminder that your career is a vehicle for your life, not the whole thing.

Tom Scott on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomscottt/
Tom Scott's newsletter - https://verifiedinsider.substack.com/p/design-hiring-observations

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Why communication matters more than craft when presenting your work
🔸 The "builder" mindset companies are hiring for over pure execution
🔸 Why design systems are becoming a full-time discipline again
🔸 How the flood of AI-generated apps is making branding the real differentiator
🔸 Why take-home tasks and work trials are both making a comeback
🔸 The AI-native skill gap between senior and junior designers
🔸 Why fractional and freelance design work is booming
🔸 The closing reminder: your career is a vehicle, not your identity

Chapters:
0:00 - What companies are actually looking for right now
2:24 - The "builder" mindset beating pure execution
4:54 - Design systems becoming a full-time discipline
9:17 - How vibe coding is reshaping the design process
12:43 - What junior portfolios need now vs. shipped work
15:47 - Why branding is the differentiator in an AI-flooded app store
20:54 - Interview processes changing: tasks and work trials return
24:11 - The AI-native skill gap between senior and junior designers
26:12 - The rise of fractional and freelance design work
30:52 - Closing reminder: your career is a vehicle, not your identity

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:
Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Two seconds. That's how long you have before a hiring manager bounces off your portfolio. Most product design hero sections that time.

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick roast real, anonymized hero sections pulled straight from product design portfolios. Examples include the generic portfolio, one that looks like a resume-dump, and the rare ones that work.

They break down why "I deliver thoughtful designs, seamless solutions, and creative experiences built for impact" tells a recruiter nothing, why your name doesn't need to be the headline, and how to turn a degree, a hobby, or even a personal reason into the differentiator that makes someone stop scrolling.

They also get into productized service messaging, why "curious about X" reads weaker than "expert in X," and the two-line hero Tyler thinks is more than perfect.

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Why generic hero copy makes you disappear into the pile
🔸 The "dream job" exercise that instantly sharpens a vague hero section
🔸 How to turn your background, education, or a personal story into a real differentiator
🔸 Why "curious about X" is weaker than "I'm an expert in X"
🔸 How to signal scarcity without lying about your availability
🔸 The two-line hero Tyler said needed zero notes
🔸 Why a specific niche beats a generic "design partner" tagline

Chapters:
0:00 - Roasting a generic hero section opener
2:00 - Why "thoughtful, seamless, creative" says nothing
3:39 - The dream-job exercise for sharpening your positioning
5:45 - Nick's pivot into music tech through a personal hook
9:31 - Communicating scarcity without overselling
12:20 - Why unlimited-design subscriptions can feel like a factory
14:11 - The hero section that read like an entire resume
15:18 - Turning a Master's in AI into a differentiator
21:54 - "Curious about X" vs. "I'm an expert in X"
25:19 - Cutting AI-sounding buzzwords like "facilitating transparent communication"
27:42 - The two-line hero that nailed it
29:43 - Roasting a personal brand hero section
33:36 - "Design partner for non-technical SMEs" — niching done right
35:52 - Why the hero section is still your most important real estate

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:
Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Four hours of unpaid work. Seven rounds of interviews. And then a generic rejection email that reads like it was written by a robot.

If you're hunting product design jobs right now, none of the above is news to you.

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick have their opinions on the modern design hiring process; take-home challenges, endless interview rounds, and the red and green flags you should keep in mind to figure out if a company is worth your time.

They get into why take-home tests rarely test what companies think they're testing, why a whiteboarding challenge is the better alternative, and why paying candidates for their time is the bare minimum. Nick shares his own experience walking away from an unpaid "trial day." Tyler mentions the exact questions he asks recruiters to flush out red flags before he wastes his time on a dead-end process.

They also get tactical. How to actually win a take-home challenge if you have to do one. Why a Loom walkthrough can be the difference-maker over a stack of Figma files. And what interviewers are testing when they ask you to present your work.

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Why take-home design challenges rarely test the right thing
🔸 The one alternative Tyler would actually agree to
🔸 Red flags that should be an instant no
🔸 Green flags that mean a company is worth your time
🔸 How to actually win a take-home challenge, step by step
🔸 Why a Loom walkthrough can outperform your entire portfolio
🔸 What interviewers are really testing when they watch you present

Chapters:
0:00 - Is the take-home design challenge broken?
1:29 - Horror stories: stolen work and wasted hours
2:01 - Why Tyler refuses to do take-home tests
5:37 - The better alternative: a whiteboarding challenge
7:39 - Interview rounds are spiraling out of control
9:52 - Just pay people for their time
12:23 - Take-home test vs. portfolio review: what's actually different?
18:06 - The rejection email that annoys us most
21:56 - Red and green flags every candidate should watch for
25:18 - Green flag: pay transparency and salary bands
28:13 - Red flag: AI-generated, outdated job descriptions
31:14 - How to actually win a take-home challenge
33:32 - The Loom walkthrough that ranks S-tier
34:21 - What interviewers are really testing for
35:34 - The "if we could dream" trick that makes you stand out
37:05 - A disclaimer: we can afford to say no. You might not be able to.
39:02 - It's a two-way street. Look for green flags too.

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:
Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

One of our listeners wrote us while being stuck between two things: loving the product design craft and needing a job badly.

He likes doing the actual product design work by hand, because that's how he learns and how he gets better. That's how he finds solutions.

Yet, every job posting wants you to be "AI native" with a ton of "AI experience." So what do you do? Fake it? Give in? Hold the line and risk staying unemployed? Or something in between?

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick answer a real question from a listener: a recent grad, currently out of work, torn between using AI because "everyone else is" and sticking to the hands-on process he actually loves. They dig into where AI helps, where it doesn't, and why using it doesn't have to mean losing your craft.

They talk through the difference between using AI in a way that touches your pixels and AI that just clears the annoying stuff out of the way. You know, things like meeting notes, research, and transcripts. Tyler shares how he feeds meeting transcripts straight into Claude to turn messy feedback into a task list. Nick shares how a Figma plugin took a redraw job from hours to minutes, while every design decision stayed within his control.

The conversation gets personal, too. Both tell stories on early day jobs they had to do just to get started and why the early, unglamorous grind is not something to skip.

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Where AI actually helps your job search, and where it doesn't
🔸 How to use AI without losing your craft or your taste
🔸 Why chasing every LinkedIn hot take wastes your time
🔸 How to turn meeting transcripts into a real task list with AI
🔸 Why the "grind" phase of your career isn't optional
🔸 How to find your own path instead of copying someone else's

Chapters:
0:00 - A listener's dilemma: love the craft, need a job
1:07 - AI is a tool, not a threat to your craft
3:31 - LinkedIn isn't the job — stop treating it like gospel
6:44 - Why a minimum level of AI use is non-negotiable now
8:02 - Use AI for the boring stuff, not the pixels
8:48 - How a Figma plugin turned hours into seconds
14:05 - Feeding meeting transcripts into Claude for real output
15:44 - Are you actually having fun as a designer?
18:24 - Stop copying someone else's playbook
20:04 - Learn to eat shit for a while (Pepsi factory & mail route stories)
25:14 - The Darwin trick: fit in first, be yourself later
28:37 - Bottom line: use it. It's fine.

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:
Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Every product. designer has had this thought at some point: "Someone's already built this. Am I even doing anything original?" It creeps in during a login screen, an onboarding flow, a pricing page, and it makes you second guess whether you're actually adding value or just repeating and copying something else.

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick tackle a listener question: is it a problem if your designs look like things that already exist?

They dig into why copying isn't the same as stealing, why juniors should absolutely study and replicate great work before they try to reinvent it, and why chasing "never been done before" is a fantasy that doesn't hold up in practice.

From there the conversation gets very practical. Nick is deep in pricing page work for multiple clients right now, and the two of them break down the psychology behind free trials, forced plan selection, upsells, and smart business strategy becomes a dark pattern. They also get into why product design best practices exist for a reason, why users don't like unfamiliar patterns even when they're technically better, and how uniqueness in product design shows up underneath the surface, in the business logic, the user base, and the tiny decisions you can't see on a screenshot.

The episode also covers Dribbble and pattern recognition, why copying UI without understanding UX gets you in trouble with engineers fast, and how prototyping is changing the feedback loop between designers and developers, including a story about a "faster horse" redesign that only became a real breakthrough once a developer challenged the whole premise. Tyler closes it out with a surprising story about connecting Claude, GitHub, and a Mixpanel AI agent to diagnose a UX problem in an afternoon instead of a multi sprint investigation, and how it completely changed the scope of what needed to be fixed.

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Why copying is a normal and healthy part of learning design
🔸 Why "nothing new" isn't actually a problem worth panicking over
🔸 The psychology behind pricing pages, free trials, and forced choice
🔸 Where the line sits between a smart upsell and a dark pattern
🔸 Why best practices exist and when it's actually safe to break them
🔸 How to use Dribbble for inspiration without copying blind
🔸 Why prototyping is closing the gap between designers and developers
🔸 How connecting AI tools to real product data can shrink weeks of work into hours
🔸 Why the real uniqueness in design lives beneath the surface

Chapters:
0:00 - Is it bad if your design looks like something else?
1:06 - Building a better mousetrap
2:47 - Does this apply to designers at every level?
4:02 - Why juniors should copy to learn
5:48 - Real example: designing pricing pages right now
8:00 - One button vs. forcing a plan choice
9:59 - Using forced choice to measure intent
11:34 - Giving full access during a free trial as an upsell
14:02 - Dark pattern or just smart business?
15:30 - Full circle: why pricing pages all look the same
16:55 - The iceberg model of design
17:50 - Why "200 high-converting templates" packs don't actually work
20:47 - A quick word from the Design Table community
21:39 - Explaining what you do for a living to non-designers
24:06 - Using Dribbble for pattern recognition, not one-to-one copying
25:33 - Prototyping and the designer-developer feedback loop
26:50 - The faster horse problem and the developer's breakthrough idea
28:53 - Killing main character syndrome in collaboration
31:16 - AI win of the week: Claude, GitHub, and Mixpanel solving a UX mystery
36:04 - Wrap up

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:

Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Every new product design AI tool feels like a deadline. You have to use it or you're left behind. That's what you read on social media at least.

In this episode, Tyler and Nick have perhaps their most important talk of the Design Table Podcast so far: the anxiety of constant updates, managers demanding you become a '10x product designer', and how the product design community's mental health under a lot of pressure.

They discuss what's causing burnout for product designers on the job hunt, comparison culture, the disappearing joy of problem-solving, and why "you're not behind" might be the most important sentence a designer hears all year.

What we cover in this episode:
🔸 Why chasing every AI update is partly self-inflicted (and social media's role in it)
🔸 How to reset your baseline instead of just shipping faster
🔸 Why constant context-switching between AI tasks is spiking anxiety
🔸 What gets lost when problem-solving disappears from the job
🔸 Why "just prompt it" misunderstands what AI can actually replace
🔸 How to say 'no' to unrealistic AI mandates without losing your job
🔸 The catch-22 of job hunting as an "AI-first" designer
🔸 Why 'build it and they will come' fails regardless of how you use AI
🔸 A real message of hope if you're burned out or stuck right now

You don't have to master every tool the moment it drops. You have to solve the right problem, ship something people actually use, and give yourself permission to take a break. That's the product design job. Always has been.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DESIGN TABLE
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

LEVEL UP YOUR DESIGN CAREER
Get your portfolio and career reviewed: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Join our UX and product design community: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

Download the Product Design Blueprint: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

All resources in one place: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

MORE ABOUT TYLER AND NICK
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Product design is becoming more collaborative, more technical, and a lot harder to control.

In this episode, Tyler and Nick talk about what happens when your design work stops being “yours” and starts becoming a shared thing across designers, developers, PMs, stakeholders, AI tools, and codebases.

We get into the emotional side of design work too. Why product designers get protective, why feedback can feel personal, and why letting go might be one of the most important skills designers need to build.

What we cover in this episode:
🔸 Why designers get emotionally attached to their work
🔸 How to collaborate without losing control of the design quality
🔸 Why developer and PM ideas should not automatically feel threatening
🔸 The value of visual QA and why polish is not just “nice to have”
🔸 How design documentation helps protect decisions when teams move fast
🔸 Why designers need to think in skills, not just roles
🔸 What merge conflicts taught Nick about becoming more technical
🔸 How AI helps, but still cannot replace communication and decision-making
🔸 Why over-communicating might be the most underrated design skill right now

The big theme: collaboration is not about everyone doing your job. It is about knowing when to let people contribute, when to bring the designer back in, and how to protect quality without protecting your ego.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DESIGN TABLE
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

LEVEL UP YOUR DESIGN CAREER
Get your portfolio and career reviewed:
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Join our UX and product design community:
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

Download the Product Design Blueprint:
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

All resources in one place:
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

MORE ABOUT TYLER AND NICK
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Product design workflows are changing fast and nobody has a clean answer for what to do about it.

In our first ever live episode, Tyler (in-house at a fintech SaaS company) and Nick (freelance product designer working with clients across the world) get honest about what modern design actually looks like right now.

Neither of us have touched a wireframe in months. We talked about why. And then we get a comment from a live viewer that made us thinking again about our choices.

What we cover in this episode:
🔸 Why wireframing is disappearing and what is replacing it
🔸 The real difference between in-house AI pressure and the freelance reality
🔸 Tool fatigue: when does adding new tools actually make you slower?
🔸 Nick's minimalist stack (Figma + Claude, nothing else) vs Tyler's workflow (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, GitHub)
🔸 How design thinking holds up when clients have no patience for the process
🔸 AI changing the speed of design without changing the hard part
🔸 Whether it is still actually fun to be a designer right now

This was our first live episode. Thirty comments, four reposts, and a lot of real questions answered in real time.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DESIGN TABLE
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

LEVEL UP YOUR DESIGN CAREER
Get your portfolio and career reviewed:

https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit
Join our UX and product design community (use code LIVE20 for 20% off forever):

https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

Download the Product Design Blueprint:
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint
All resources in one place:

https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

MORE ABOUT TYLER AND NICK
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Everywhere we look, product designers are sick and tired of AI this, AI that.

It feels like every day, there is a new tool, a new workflow, a new “Figma is dead” post, a new vibe coding demo, and another person telling designers they are either 'cooked', obsolete, or about to become '10x'.

Reality is completely different. So try and relax!

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick talk about whether AI is making product design more fun, less fun, or just more overwhelming.

They get into the current AI chaos around product design, vibe coding, designers touching code, Figma, Claude, Cursor, transcript-driven workflows, AI bloat, and the blurry line between prototypes, production, and things that only look real but secretly are not.

Nick shares his first real experiments with vibe coding, including using Claude to make an interactive prototype he could not easily show in Figma. Tyler shares why he has been trying to skip Figma, why that keeps falling apart, and why polished product design still needs taste, craft, spacing, typography, and all the tiny pixel-level decisions AI does not magically understand yet.

They also discuss the return of the builder-designer, why more designers may need to understand code again, and how AI is changing expectations around prototyping, collaboration, and product development.

The conversation explores the emotional side of AI too. The fear that craft is disappearing. The weirdness of everyone creating prototypes. The source-of-truth problem. The mental load of keeping up. And why the most useful AI workflows might not be flashy demos, but boring things like transcripts, summaries, prompts, and turning messy meeting feedback into actual next steps.

This episode is about staying useful in a design world that keeps changing, without losing your taste, your craft, or your mind because someone on LinkedIn discovered a new tool before breakfast.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why designers should stop chasing every new AI tool
🔸 How to decide whether AI actually helps your workflow
🔸 Why vibe coding can be useful for exploring ideas
🔸 Where AI-generated prototypes create confusion
🔸 Why designers touching code still need to understand developer thinking
🔸 Why Figma is not dead just because someone made a shiny demo
🔸 How transcripts can improve prompts, workflows, and follow-up work
🔸 Why AI bloat can make communication feel less human
🔸 Why product design still needs taste, polish, and craft

Chapters:
0:00 - Trying to escape Figma with AI for a month
0:57 - Don't fall for the hype — filter by your own workflow
3:58 - Roles are flattening and the field moves 3x faster
6:12 - Going back to the generalist skillset
7:41 - The hidden gap: designers need a developer's mindset
9:35 - When everyone prototypes, what's a designer worth?
11:17 - Is design still fun in the AI wave?
16:53 - "I vibe coded a thing today"
21:33 - Five terrible AI ideas that led to the right one
23:27 - Transcripts as context: the real AI unlock
30:43 - AI-written messages kill human connection
34:07 - Quick-fire: will AI take your role?
35:25 - Stay positive, think for yourself

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:

Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white\
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Two episodes of telling their career stories, and Nick and Tyler kept noticing the same thing: the lessons that actually mattered came from the rejections, the steps backward, and the ego traps nobody warns you about.
 
In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Nick and Tyler sit down for a third session to digest their two previous story episodes and pull out what they actually learned. No new hero's journey. Just two designers comparing notes on the messy, non-linear reality of building a career that lasts.
 
They get into luck and whether you can create your own, why eight months of rejection letters might mean it's time to step back instead of sending out 500 more applications, and how Tyler stumbled into web design through a newspaper ad for a trade program he wasn't even looking for.
 
Nick talks through coaching two people at very different stages, and the hard call of telling someone their skills aren't ready yet instead of just fixing their CV. Tyler shares the ADPList portfolio-review strategy, treating mentor feedback like research data, and why comparing yourself to a 20k-follower influencer is the fastest way to feel like you're never good enough.
 
They also dig into the "I'll show them" drive that pushed both of them forward after getting let go, why it's a double-edged sword, and how it shows up as the 97-out-of-100 perfectionism trap (the Loom recorded 25 times, the Lighthouse score that ruined an afternoon). And they close on the mental tax of staying current in an industry that reinvents itself every five minutes, especially now with AI.
 
This episode is about surviving the messy middle of a design career, knowing when to step back to leap forward, and remembering that your only real competition is your past self.
 
In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Why luck in a design career is mostly preparation meeting opportunity
🔸 When to stop applying and go back to sharpen your craft instead
🔸 How to use free mentor sessions as portfolio research
🔸 Why comparing yourself to influencers quietly wrecks your confidence
🔸 How the "I'll show them" mindset can fuel you and burn you
🔸 The perfectionism trap of chasing 100 when 97 is already done
🔸 Why hating your old work is actually a sign you're improving
🔸 The mental tax of staying current as AI reshapes design
 
⏱ Chapters
00:00 What's the difference between 97 and 100?
00:43 Why a third recap session
01:32 Is a design career all about luck?
02:09 Creating your own luck after 8 months of rejection
03:12 The hero's journey and the bright-eyed junior myth
03:50 Taking a step back to leap forward
04:38 Handing out demo reels and getting rejected by mail
05:14 When 300 applications get you nowhere
06:10 How Tyler chose what to go back and study
06:44 The trade school stigma and the newspaper ad
08:13 Are they ready, or just presenting it wrong?
08:57 The danger of improving your portfolio forever
09:47 Replicating designers you admire to find your style
10:20 Progress you can't see in the moment
11:26 The day-to-day of a demotivated job hunt
11:36 Using free mentors as portfolio research
12:45 Coaching two people at very different stages
13:59 The hard call: skills first, applications later
14:54 "I'm not good at math" vs "not good yet"
15:28 Compare yourself to your past self, not influencers
17:03 Reopening an old file and cleaning up your own mess
18:15 Hating your old work means you're getting better
18:43 Resilience after being let go early on
19:21 Shame, rent, and the reasons you keep going
20:53 The volatility and thrill of startup design
21:23 Being told you can't build your own thing
22:30 The itch to build your own thing
23:12 The "I'll show them" superpower and its double edge
24:55 The 97-out-of-100 Lighthouse trap
26:53 Recording the same Loom 25 times
28:47 The performance tax of staying up to date
29:49 Why design feels harder than ever with AI
30:18 Everyone's journey is different
30:44 Get all the help you can: reviews, community, mentors

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:

Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white\
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Most product designers want to have the clean career story. First, you go to school. You build a portfolio and get hired. Then you get promoted and become a senior product designer. Post something painfully inspirational on LinkedIn about “the journey” and you're there.

Cute, but Tyler’s path was not that.

It started with trying to get into animation. He soon realised the job market did not care about his art school confidence, so he had to go back to learn graphic design, web design, and coding landing pages. After, he started mailing resumes like it was the stone age and slowly figuring out how to turn all those skills into an actual product design career.

So… how do you build a long-term design career when the industry keeps changing every five minutes?

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Nick interviews Tyler about his 16-year journey in design, from animation school and trade programs to web design, e-commerce, agency work, AI products, design leadership, layoffs, and eventually becoming a principal product designer.

Tyler shares what he learned from being a designer who could code before that was cool, asking for raises, leaving jobs when growth stalled, getting let go twice in one year, spotting red flags in companies, and finding a role where mentorship, product strategy, and modern design work finally came together.

We also get into AI, vibe coding, designers opening pull requests, why the builder-designer might be making a comeback, and why the core thinking behind product design still matters even when the tools change.

This episode is about surviving the messy middle of a design career, staying useful as the industry shifts, and not letting one bad job, one layoff, or one weird CEO turn your career into a smoking pile of career anxiety.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 How Tyler accidentally moved from animation into web design
🔸 Why early career confidence can disappear fast in the real job market
🔸 How coding helped Tyler stand out as a designer
🔸 Why staying current matters more than clinging to one process
🔸 How to ask for raises when you can actually back it up
🔸 What layoffs taught Tyler about career risk
🔸 How to spot red flags before joining a company
🔸 Why AI and code are changing the product design role again

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Why the design industry feels unstable right now
02:00 Tyler’s accidental start in design
04:30 When art school confidence meets the job market
06:20 Learning graphic design, web design, and code
08:00 Why old skills still show up later in your career
10:11 Going into monk mode to get better
12:13 Landing the first internship
14:06 Applying for the first real design job
16:15 Negotiating salary before knowing what you’re worth
19:16 Struggling in the first job
21:14 Becoming the only designer
23:44 Designers who code and the builder-designer comeback
25:39 Leaving a job to keep growing
29:38 Taking a pay cut to learn something new
32:18 Spotting company red flags
34:38 Moving from web designer to UI/UX designer
36:23 Agency work, AI, and design leadership
40:30 Asking for a $15,000 raise
43:03 Fighting for user research
44:21 Becoming a solo product designer
47:00 Building trust with engineering
48:30 Getting let go after four years
51:54 Updating the portfolio after a layoff
54:04 Joining a sinking ship
58:21 Getting let go twice in one year
59:19 Finding green flags in the next role
01:01:05 Why designers may need to touch code again
01:03:59 What designers should do to stay relevant
01:06:23 Why your only real competition is your past self

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:

Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Lots of product designers dream about going freelance. No boss. No performance reviews. And you decide where and when you work.

And then reality shows up.

No guaranteed paycheck. No HR department. No sales team. No legal department. No one magically handing you clients because you updated your LinkedIn headline to “freelance product designer.”

So… how do you actually become a fully booked freelance product designer making six figures without setting your career on fire?

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler interviews Nick about his full journey into product design. From discovering UX by accident during an internship, to losing early jobs, to slowly building enough confidence, visibility, and client demand to go freelance full time.

Nick shares that he is now a full-time freelance product designer in the Netherlands and has been fully booked with design projects for as long as he can remember.

We talk about design education, internships, getting your first job, startup chaos, consultancy life, salary negotiation, writing online, building a network, and the uncomfortable moment when you realize your employer is charging a lot more for your work than you are actually taking home.

Nick also shares why freelancing is not just “doing design without a boss.” It is sales, visibility, taxes, client relationships, risk management, delivery, and learning how to stay useful in rooms where your future clients already hang out.

This episode is about the messy, non-linear path into product design and what it actually takes to build a freelance design career with more control, more ownership, and slightly fewer surprise layoffs.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 How Nick accidentally discovered UX through an internship
🔸 Why real design work moves faster than school projects
🔸 What losing early jobs taught him about control
🔸 Why freelancing started as a small side income
🔸 How writing online helped Nick build visibility
🔸 Why joining non-design communities can help you find clients
🔸 What designers should know before going freelance
🔸 Why luck matters more than most career advice admits

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Nick’s 11-year journey in product design
01:44 Discovering UX by accident
03:13 Landing the first design internship
06:30 Learning more in two weeks than two years of school
08:18 The shock of real-world project timelines
10:43 Design thinking versus real-world design work
12:00 Getting the first in-house design job
16:46 Losing a job and realizing how little control you have
20:02 Joining a startup as the first designer
23:44 Losing confidence after two jobs ended
24:19 Writing online and helping other designers
27:49 Moving into consultancy
32:00 Discovering the business side of design
34:46 Making the jump toward freelance
38:19 Building visibility and finding clients
41:40 The smartest way to get freelance work
46:08 The role of luck in a design career
49:05 Why freelancing worked out for Nick

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:

Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Most product designers spend weeks (or even months) polishing their portfolio website. And then they get into the actual interview, open their mouth, and suddenly their clean case study turns into a 14-minute hostage situation.

Awkward questions and most likely no follow-up after the interview. Back to square one.

So… how do you actually present your design work without rambling, panicking, or over-explaining every single pixel?

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, we talk about the portfolio presentation stage of the product design interview process. The part where you’re no longer just showing your work, but proving how you think, communicate, handle questions, and tell a clear story.

Nick shares what he teaches product designers he mentors, including why you should say less at the beginning, how to let hiring teams choose the project they care about, and why you should keep a few cards close to your chest instead of explaining every single detail upfront.

We also get into slide decks, Loom videos, roleplay interviews, talking about failed launches, what to do when you don’t know the answer, and why portfolio presentations are really a two-way filter.

This episode is about helping product designers present their work with more clarity, confidence, and control, without turning the interview into a sweaty design TED Talk nobody asked for.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why designers talk too much during portfolio presentations
🔸 How to structure your portfolio review like a story
🔸 Why you should let hiring teams choose which project to see
🔸 How to talk about results without killing the curiosity
🔸 What to do when you don’t know the answer to a question
🔸 Why failed projects can make your portfolio stronger
🔸 How to use slide decks and Loom videos to stand out
🔸 Why interviews are a two-way filter, not just a performance

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Why portfolio presentations feel so awkward
01:00 The biggest mistake designers make when presenting
03:00 How to turn interviews into conversations
05:00 Why roleplay interviews help designers improve
07:00 What to do before the portfolio interview
08:45 Let the hiring team choose the project
10:45 Why you should not explain everything upfront
12:00 Where to place results in your case study
14:30 Don’t repeat what is already on your portfolio
17:30 What to do when you don’t know the answer
20:30 Handling weird interview questions
23:00 Why you should talk about what went wrong
25:45 Portfolio presentations are storytelling
28:15 How to use slide decks as visual aids
30:00 Sending Loom videos before interviews
32:30 Interviews are a two-way filter

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

Resources to help you level up your design career:

Get your portfolio and career strategy reviewed with a Design Table Audit
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/design-table-audit

Download the Product Design Blueprint
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/product-design-blueprint

Join our UX and product design community
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/products/ux-and-product-design-community

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Like many product designers, you’ve probably ran into one of the following challenges. One PM shows up with a prototype, an engineer suggests a user flow, or someone who has never opened Figma suddenly has strong opinions about spacing, UX, and “how the screen should work.”

So… is everyone a designer now?

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, we talk about why designers feel threatened when other people start doing pieces of design work, why that fear is understandable, and why the real value of a designer is not about the tools they use.

We also get into AI, vibe coding, Figma Make, product managers building prototypes, designers jumping into code, and what actually separates a designer from someone who just has an idea and a tool.

This episode is about the changing role of product design and why your moat is how you think, validate, challenge, facilitate, and help a team make better decisions.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why everyone feels like they can “do design” now
🔸 Why Figma is not your real moat as a designer
🔸 How to handle PMs or engineers bringing design ideas
🔸 Why designers need to become better at pushing back
🔸 How AI and vibe coding are changing product design
🔸 Why your value is in judgment, not just execution

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Everyone has an opinion on design
03:00 What actually makes someone a designer
05:00 When PMs bring their own prototypes
08:00 The sanity check layer designers provide
10:00 Why designers need to push back
14:00 If Figma disappeared, what value would you add?
17:00 Why bad ideas can still move the team forward
20:00 Is the designer role actually changing?
23:00 Figma Make, vibe coding, and prototyping in code
27:00 Why code is harder to collaborate on
30:00 The existential crisis happening across tech

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

In need of support? Take a look at our resources
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/learn

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Like many product designers, you’re using AI. You get decent results by prompting and copy-pasting. Yet, you're still doing all the work. WHat if you didn't have to?

In this episode of the Design Table Podcast, we talk about how designers can move beyond prompting and start using AI to actually execute tasks.

Nick walks us through how he’s setting up simple workflows using Claude Skills to (more or less) automate small but meaningful pieces of work, from fixing things on his site to handling repetitive tasks.

We also talk about what’s changing, how fast things are evolving, and why the real change is about giving away your work. This episode is about rethinking how you use AI as a product designer. It is a must-listen for anyone trying to stay ahead of how work is changing.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 The difference between prompting and delegation
🔸 How to use AI to actually execute tasks
🔸 Simple ways to automate small workflows
🔸 Why AI changes how designers work
🔸 The risks of moving too fast
🔸 What the next bottleneck actually is

⏱ Chapters
00:00 How designers are using AI today
03:00 From prompts to execution
08:00 Automating small tasks
14:00 The speed shift
20:00 The new bottleneck
26:00 What this means for designers

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

You’re stuck building your portfolio. Should you use Webflow? Framer? WordPress?

Maybe you rebuild everything from scratch and start over? There are so many opinions on design social media that it is impossible to know what to do.

In this episode of the Design Table Podcast, we discuss why designers obsess over portfolio tools and why that’s (mostly) a waste of time.

We talk about what actually matters when someone reviews your work, why presentation beats platform, and how small details like having a custom domain has more impact than the tools you use.

We also cover platform tradeoffs (in case it matters), cost considerations, and when it actually makes sense to switch.

This episode is about focusing on what actually gets you hired instead of getting stuck in tool discussions. It is a must-listen for any designer building or rebuilding their portfolio.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why portfolio tools don’t matter as much as you think
🔸 What hiring managers actually care about
🔸 What custom domains tell your audience
🔸 When platform choice does matter
🔸 The hidden cost of switching tools
🔸 Why shipping your portfolio matters more than perfecting it

⏱ Chapters
00:00 The portfolio tool debate
03:00 Why designers overthink tools
07:00 What actually matters
12:00 Custom domains and perception
18:00 Platform tradeoffs
25:00 Just ship it

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

You keep hearing that UX and product designers should build. Yet, most designers don’t.

Why is that? Are designers right? Is it just a case of social media nonsense?

To find out, we looked at what happens when someone actually does it.

Not a side project they’ll finish later (but never do) or another concept that never makes it out of Figma.

It is a real product and it is live. All in one weekend. And for Tyler, the designer who built it, it changes everything.

In this episode of the Design Table Podcast, we discuss just that; what actually happens when a designer stops talking about building and forces the constraint to ship something real.

We get into the tools, the process, and what surprised us once the product was live and usable.

But more importantly; what this changes about how you think about your career (and what stays the same).

Because once you realize it’s possible to go from idea to something real that fast, you stop looking at job applications, portfolios, and “waiting your turn” the same way.

This episode is about what happens when the builder mindset stops being theory and becomes real.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why most designers stay stuck in the idea phase
🔸 What actually happens when you try to ship in a weekend
🔸 The tools that make building possible without a dev team
🔸 What surprised us after launching something real
🔸 Why this changes how you think about portfolios and jobs
🔸 What it means to stop waiting and start building

⏱ Chapters
00:00 From layoffs to building
05:00 Why talking about building isn’t enough
10:00 The weekend challenge
15:00 Tools used to build the product
20:00 What actually worked and what didn’t
26:00 What changed after shipping
32:00 Why this changes your career strategy

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

You lose your job. No warning. Or maybe you felt it coming. Either way… now you’re sitting there thinking:

“What the hell do I do next? How do I find a new product design role?!”

In this episode of the Design Table Podcast, we discuss what actually happens after getting laid off as a product designer and how to succeed at the job search that follows.

We talk about the emotional side of layoffs, what goes through your head in those first few days, and how quickly reality sets in when you realize you need to find your next role.

We also get into real strategies that worked for us (we found out the hard way), including how job searching has changed, why job boards aren’t as effective anymore, and how to approach applications in a much more intentional way.

This episode is about getting back on your feet and moving forward with a plan. It is a must-listen for any designer who's been part of layoffs or is preparing for their next role.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 What goes through your mind after getting laid off
🔸 Why job boards don’t work like they used to
🔸 How the design job market has changed
🔸 The difference between volume and quality applications
🔸 Why tailoring your resume actually matters
🔸 How to manage rejection without burning out

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Getting laid off as a designer
03:00 The emotional aftermath
07:00 Job search strategies then vs now
12:00 Why job boards are less effective
18:00 Volume vs quality applications
24:00 Building a real application strategy

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

You join a new company. First of all; congratulations!

You arrive on day one and what do you see? There are engineers, product managers, marketers, and a sales team. But there is no design team. Turns out you are the only product designer. Yikes!

In this episode of the Design Table Podcast, we discuss what it’s actually like to be the first or only designer at a company, how product designers can survive those early months without burning out, and how you can start to build real design influence.

We talk about the reality of introducing design into organizations that have never had it before, why trying to fix everything at once usually goes wrong, and how to gradually build trust across engineering, product, and leadership.

This episode is about learning how to create impact when you’re alone. It is a must-see for founding designers, startup designers, and anyone stepping into their first solo design role.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 What to focus on during your first 30–90 days as the only designer
🔸 Why improving the process is more important than perfect design
🔸 How to build allies across engineering and product teams
🔸 Why presenting aesthetics alone often fails
🔸 How internal usability tests can build credibility quickly
🔸 How to grow design influence inside non-design organizations

⏱ Chapters
00:00 The reality of being the only designer
03:00 Tyler’s founding designer experience
07:00 Why you shouldn’t try to fix everything at once
11:00 The “meet in the middle” process strategy
15:00 Why design language must change for stakeholders
20:00 Meeting everyone across the company
24:00 Using usability tests to build influence
29:00 The politics of internal visibility
33:00 When to take work outside your role
38:00 When it’s time to grow the design team

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Designers can ship code now. That's what social media and your manager is telling you. AI tools, vibe coding, and new prototyping workflows mean designers are getting closer to production than ever before.

But just because we can ship faster doesn’t mean we should.

In this episode of the Design Table Podcast, we discuss the growing pressure for designers to ship quickly, why the “just ship it” mindset can backfire, and how teams should think about quality in a world where building things fast seems more important than building things well.

We talk about the collapse of the gap between design and engineering, why shipping too fast can remove the “bad idea filter,” and why guardrails (like pull requests and review processes) are becoming essential.

This episode is about navigating speed, experimentation, and responsibility in modern product teams. It is a must-see for designers trying to understand how AI and new tooling are changing the role of product design.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why designers are starting to ship production code
🔸 The hidden risk of the “just ship it” culture
🔸 How AI tools are accelerating product experimentation
🔸 Why teams need guardrails when everyone can ship
🔸 When rapid experimentation actually improves products
🔸 How pull requests and reviews protect product quality

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Everyone is shipping now
02:00 Designers getting access to GitHub
06:00 The rise of vibe coding
09:00 The “bad idea filter” problem
13:00 When shipping fast hurts product quality
18:00 Why too many people shipping creates chaos
22:00 Pull requests as design guardrails
26:00 The danger of constant product changes
30:00 Nick ships an AI-built feature

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

AI won’t replace designers. But designers who don’t know how to use AI properly are already falling behind. That's what you see a thousand times a day on social media. It is maddening.

In this episode, we counter that and go deep on how two product designers actually use AI in real design projects. No LinkedIn hype. No “just vibe code bro.” Instead, we talk about prompting, context building, early-stage exploration, and where AI genuinely saves time versus where it doesn't.

We discuss how AI fits into modern product teams, how designers are replacing wireframes with working prototypes, and why prompting is quickly becoming a core design skill.

This episode is for designers who want to move faster without losing their mind.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why prompting is more important than the tool you use
🔸 How to structure prompts with goals and context
🔸 When AI should explore ideas vs. deliver output
🔸 Why wireframes are getting replaced by working prototypes
🔸 The real meaning of “vibe coding” (and what it is not)
🔸 How AI fits into professional, production-level workflows
🔸 Why generalist designers adapt faster to AI-driven teams

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Why designers struggle with AI adoption
03:18 What “vibe coding” actually means
07:02 Context first, prompts second
10:22 Replacing wireframes with real prototypes
14:05 AI as exploration, not final output
18:41 Prompting mistakes designers keep making
23:12 When to restart instead of fighting the model
28:10 Making prototypes realistic for stakeholders
33:05 Prompting tips that actually work
41:02 Why AI reinforces the generalist shift

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about the hosts
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Should you specialize or become a generalist as a product designer?

Everyone has an opinion. Social media says pick a niche. Job listings say “end-to-end.” Who's right?! Designers are stuck wondering which path actually leads to getting hired and staying hired.

In this episode, we solve the generalist vs. specialist debate from the reality of today’s product teams. We talk about why pure specialists are becoming risky outside of massive enterprises, why generalists are quietly back in demand, and how the best designers are combining deep industry knowledge with end-to-end execution.

This episode is based on real hiring trends, Tyler's in-house experience, Nick's freelance work, and what actually happens inside modern product teams.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why being “only good at one thing” limits your career options
🔸 When specialization actually makes sense (and when it doesn’t)
🔸 Why startups and mid-size companies favor end-to-end designers
🔸 How generalists gain more influence, visibility, and context
🔸 The hidden career risk of staying siloed in one skill
🔸 How industry knowledge becomes the real specialization over time

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Are you a generalist or a specialist?
02:30 Skill specialization vs industry specialization
05:37 Why pure specialists struggle outside big companies
09:03 Visibility, collaboration, and career growth
13:05 Design systems, scaling, and cross-team impact
18:49 Go wide first, then go deep
22:36 Hiring trends and shrinking teams
26:30 Why the generalist is back

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about the hosts
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Your stakeholders say research is a waste of time. Just ship it. We’ll figure it out later. But later never comes. The product misses the mark, teams scramble, and you end up doing twice the work fixing mistakes you saw coming weeks ago. Relatable? For many designers it is...

In this episode, we’re joined by Sara Fortier, CEO of Outwitly and author of Design Research Mastery, to talk about just that, what design research really looks like today, and why it’s becoming more important as AI becomes bigger and bigger.

We talk about why research is less about methods and more about influence, how junior designers can stand out in today's super competitive market, and why the future favors designers who can connect business risk, human behavior, and product decisions instead of just pushing pixels.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why design research is an insurance policy against bad decisions
🔸 How to introduce research in low-maturity teams without asking permission
🔸 Why AI won’t replace research but will raise the bar for designers
🔸 How junior designers can use research to stand out and get hired
🔸 When research should be deep, lightweight, or skipped entirely
🔸 Why UX generalists are becoming more valuable than narrow specialists

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Why teams say research slows them down
03:18 Research vs taste, craft, and AI hot takes
07:02 Finding champions inside low-maturity orgs
10:22 Asking forgiveness instead of permission
14:05 Research as risk reduction and ROI
18:41 Why generalists are winning again
23:12 AI, research, and the future of design roles
28:10 What junior designers should focus on right now
33:05 Tools that actually help researchers today
41:02 The skills AI can’t replace

Learn more about Sara’s book
https://www.designresearchmastery.com/

Connect with Sara on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarafortier/

Learn more about Outwitly
https://outwitly.com/

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about the hosts
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Users say one thing. Then they do something completely different. Nick, co-host at the Design Table Podcast, just found out the hard way.

In this episode of the Design Table Podcast, we discuss why user feedback can be misleading, why badly framed research creates false confidence, and how designers should really think about data and user research.

We talk about research methods that fail in practice, why people lie during tests, and how relying on a single data point can completely derail your product design decision making.

This episode is about moving beyond performative research and building confidence in your decisions using the right mix of qualitative and quantitative signals. It is a must-see for any designer who's interested in UX research.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why users lie
🔸 How poorly framed questions ruin your UX research outcome
🔸 When usability testing beats surveys
🔸 Why screenshots and explanations often get ignored
🔸 How to triangulate research instead of trusting one signal
🔸 When to trust data and when to trust experience

⏱ Chapters
 00:00 “Users lie” and the research crisis
 04:00 Why feedback doesn’t match behavior
 09:00 Choosing the right research method
 15:00 Unmoderated vs moderated testing
 21:00 SUS scores and false certainty
 27:00 A simple research framework that works
 33:00 Why research matters more in an AI-driven world

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Your stakeholders tell you to skip research and just ship it. We'll test later is what they say, but later never comes. The design misses the mark. And now you're doing twice the work to fix what could have been done right the first time. That's the cycle we're discussing in this episode of the Design Table Podcast.

In this episode, we talk about what designers are really hired to do and why your job is closer to being an insurance policy than a pixel pusher.

We dig into how to handle stakeholders who think UX slows things down, why "ship it and learn" almost never leads to actual learning, and how to reframe your design process in a language executives actually respond to.

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Why designers are an insurance policy between ideas and production
🔸 How to handle stakeholders who think UX slows teams down
🔸 Why "ship it and learn" usually means "ship it and forget"
🔸 How to reframe research as risk reduction, not extra work
🔸 Why designers need to stop apologizing for their process
🔸 When you should and shouldn't do research on a feature

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Stakeholders who say "just ship it"
03:14 Designers are salespeople and therapists
06:12 Design as an insurance policy
07:05 The myth of "ship and iterate"
10:15 Getting faster to make room for research
12:31 Why designers need to stop being too nice
17:05 Selling design through company goals and KPIs
22:41 When should you actually do research?
27:06 Quick summary and takeaways

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Everyone tells you design is about making things look good. But it is not. Design is about saving time, reducing risk, and creating leverage inside a business. That's what we're talking about in this episode of the Design Table Podcast.

This is part 2 and we cover the overlooked reasons designers get hired and how to turn your work into measurable impact.

We go beyond revenue and look into time savings, operational efficiency, risk reduction, compliance, and long-term brand impact. We share real examples from different industries (construction, pharma, SaaS, and product design) to show you how designers create impact that goes far beyond visuals.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 How design saves time across teams and operations
🔸 Why time saved often turns into revenue and scale
🔸 How UX work can reduce business risk including compliance, errors, and lawsuits
🔸 Real-world examples from construction workflows and pharma packaging
🔸 Why brand, differentiation, and ownership still matter
🔸 The hidden trait that makes designers stand out

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Intro to Part 2
02:00 Reason 3 Designers save time
08:00 Construction workflow example
14:00 Translating time saved into money
18:00 Reason 4 Designers reduce risk
23:00 Pharma compliance example
27:00 Brand, differentiation, and ownership
32:00 Final thoughts

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

While most designers talk about “crafting delightful experiences", companies hire designers for something else entirely. And that's a problem... for designers looking to get hired.

In this episode, Tyler and Nick share the real business reasons designers get hired and how to position your case studies to prove your value.

This episode introduces a framework from business thinking applied to UX and product design careers. They discuss why companies hire designers to make money and save money, and how most portfolios completely miss this. You’ll learn how to connect UX work to revenue, conversion, adoption, and cost reduction so your case studies speak the language of business.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why "delightful UX" is not a strong business argument
🔸 How designers help companies make money through conversion, MRR, and adoption
🔸 How design reduces support costs and operational waste
🔸 How to quantify business impact in your case studies
🔸 What to do if you do not have access to metrics

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss a shift that most SaaS and startups are not ready for: internal tools are getting real investment in 2026. That's because their customers are realizing they can build exactly what they need on their own.

This changes how SaaS operates. Instead of buying another one-size-fits-all product, more buyers will ask: why don’t we just build this ourselves? Tyler and Nick figure out how SaaS products can survive this shift and why being integration-ready is about more than just “having Zapier.”

If you are building B2B SaaS, working in product, or designing enterprise tools, this episode gives you strategy you can actually apply.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why internal tools are getting bigger budgets in 2026
🔸 The new SaaS threat: customers building their own tools
🔸 Why enterprises want software tailored to their workflows
🔸 The real SaaS moat: flexibility, integrations, and ecosystems
🔸 Zapier, Make, MCPs, and why they change retention
🔸 Using integrations as product signals for what to build next
🔸 Founder-led SaaS, branding, and why “slop” is the new competition

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick break down what product design will look like in 2026 and why this year will feel like a shock to a lot of designers. Tyler calls it the year of the builder, where titles start collapsing and the market rewards people who can actually ship.

They discuss why design has been misunderstood for years, how that misunderstanding is costing you still today, and why design is slowly getting eaten by product and engineering departments.

This is not AI fear and it is not a rant. It is a practical blueprint for how designers stay relevant when the goalposts move.

If you want to protect your career and increase your leverage, the answer is simple: skill stack and build.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why 2026 will be “the year of the builder”
🔸 Why design roles are merging into hybrid titles
🔸 The designer vs. developer gap and how it wastes time
🔸 When building real prototypes beats building Figma prototypes
🔸 How AI changes what teams expect designers to ship
🔸 The next wave: builders who can design, ship, and think business

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick pull back the curtain on the recruiter side of the design job market. This is not a rant and it is not recruiter hate. Instead, it is a practical explanation of how the system actually works.

They break down what preferred suppliers are, why some recruiter outreach goes nowhere, and how designers accidentally hurt themselves by ignoring messages or being unprepared. The conversation reframes recruiters as long-term career relationships instead of one-off transactions.

If you are job hunting, freelancing, or just want leverage when opportunities appear, this episode gives you context most designers never get.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 How recruiters really source and screen designers
🔸 What preferred supplier lists are and why they matter
🔸 How to identify low-value recruiter outreach
🔸 Why replying even when uninterested pays off later
🔸 Screening recruiters the same way they screen you
🔸 Keeping your CV ready before you need it
🔸 Signaling availability without oversharing
🔸 Playing the long game with career relationships

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick break down how experienced product designers are actually using AI in real workflows. Not the hype. Not the panic. The practical reality.

They talk through where AI is genuinely useful, where it creates more problems than it solves, and why most of its real value shows up after discovery, not before (like most say).

From copy refinement and edge cases to design system consistency and handoff support, this episode shows how AI helps designers move faster without outsourcing judgment.

If you feel behind because you are not “AI-first” or worried that tools like Figma Make will replace your role, this conversation will help how you think about AI and your craft.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Where AI actually fits in a real design process
🔸 Why AI shines in later-stage design work
🔸 Using AI for copy limits, constraints, and edge cases
🔸 How Figma Make and vibe coding fit into real projects
🔸 Treating AI like an assistant instead of a decision-maker
🔸 Why strong design systems matter more than prompts
🔸 The risks of hallucinated UI and false confidence
🔸 Shipping faster without lowering quality

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In the second half of this conversation, Tyler and Nick shift gears and answer a question they hear constantly:

“If I am brand new to design, where do I even start anymore?”

They break down what actually matters when entering product design today, what beginners should ignore, and how to build real skills without getting lost in tools, certifications, and AI panic.

This episode is a practical, honest guide for anyone considering product design in 2026 and beyond. No shortcuts. No fake guarantees. Just clear steps and hard-earned perspective from two senior designers who have seen the industry evolve multiple times. 

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 The first steps every new designer should take
🔸 Mentorship vs. coaching and when to pay for help
🔸 Why copying work is not cheating at the start
🔸 The right way to learn Figma before touching AI tools
🔸 Hard skills vs. soft skills and when each matters
🔸 Why AI will not replace designers who understand fundamentals
🔸 How to avoid burnout, fear cycles, and bad advice online

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

2025 felt like two years packed into one. In this episode, Tyler and Nick look back on the biggest shifts in product design over the past year and what they actually mean for designers going into 2026.

They discuss how AI changed the way design work enters teams, why designers are becoming prototype-first thinkers, and how tools like Cursor, Figma MCPs, and AI image generation are closing the gap between design and engineering faster than most people expected.

This is not a hype episode. It is a grounded conversation about experimentation, caution, and why the fundamentals still matter more than chasing every new tool.

If 2025 left you excited, overwhelmed, or both, this episode helps you zoom out and make sense of what actually changed and what did not. 

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why 2025 became the year of experimentation
🔸 How AI changed the way design requests come in
🔸 Vibe coding vs. real production work
🔸 Where design and engineering are coming together
🔸 Why not every new tool deserves your attention
🔸 The difference between hype and reality
🔸 What designers should carry into 2026 and what to drop

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

After last week's live portfolio review, Tyler and Nick continue where they left off and go deeper into the challenges designers face when trying to stand out in a global job market. They discuss what changes when you apply for design roles in another country and why most designers struggle.

They explain how to adapt your portfolio for a new region, why English mockups can make or break interviews, and how to use remote contracts as stepping stones toward relocation. They also cover when free work is smart, when it is not, and the red flags you must watch for before accepting an unpaid role.

If you want to work in another country and have no idea where to start, this episode gives you the practical steps to follow.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why translating your UI mockups matters more than your resume
🔸 How to research design norms in the country where you want to work
🔸 Using remote roles as stepping stones toward relocation
🔸 When unpaid internships are smart and when they are a trap
🔸 The trust signals hiring managers need before sponsoring visas
🔸 How to build credibility without local experience
🔸 How to negotiate free work without being taken advantage of

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick review and fix a real portfolio from a junior designer who is struggling to land interviews. You will see exactly what is holding him back and the specific changes that turn a forgettable portfolio into one that gets you hired.

They break down whether a Figma file can replace a traditional portfolio, the layout and writing issues that silently disqualify junior designers, and why UI alone is not enough to get hired.

You will learn how to present your work, what hiring managers actually look for, and the simplest changes that instantly make any portfolio feel senior.

If you are rewriting your case studies for the fifth time and still getting ignored, this is the most practical episode you will watch all year.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Fixing a real UX portfolio and the mistakes that sabotage it
🔸 Is a Figma prototype enough or do you need a website?
🔸 The UI spacing mistakes that expose beginners instantly
🔸 How to present your designs so reviewers do not skip your context
🔸 Why your case study language sounds weak and how to fix it
🔸 Using grids, copy, and real data to make work look professional
🔸 The difference between showing screens and showing thinking
🔸 Why lorem ipsum portfolios get rejected before conversations even start

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In Part 2 of our UX Portfolio Episodes, Tyler and Nick go one step deeper. They break down portfolio strategy, case study structure, personal branding, and whether junior designers should create free work to build real experience (or not).

This episode explores what separates forgettable portfolios from the ones that open doors. Tyler and Nick find out how to niche yourself when you don’t have experience, how to craft a “business impact” narrative even as a beginner, and the psychology behind great case study titles. They also share how to use video to stand out, how to collect testimonials early, and why your portfolio should be built iteratively instead of in one giant, painful launch. 

They finish with a conversation about free projects: the myths, the risks, the benefits, and how to use them strategically to build real case studies that don’t feel fake or bootcamp-manufactured.

This episode gives you a clear roadmap forward if you're stuck rewriting your portfolio for the 5th time, unsure what to niche into, or struggling to show credibility without job experience.

Here is what’s on the table in Part 2:
🔸 Should junior designers do free work? (And how to do it strategically)
🔸 Fake projects vs. real projects — what recruiters think
🔸 How to niche yourself when you have zero experience
🔸 Case study storytelling that signals senior-level thinking
🔸 How to build a “testimonial bank” early in your career
🔸 Why your portfolio should launch at version 0.5, not 1.0
🔸 How video intros & thank-you pages convert better than text
🔸 Showing how you think, not just what you designed
🔸 Aligning your entire personal brand under one clear message

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👋 More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the one thing every product designer struggles with the most: creating a portfolio that actually gets interviews, callbacks, and job offers.

Most designers ship portfolios that read like academic essays. They're too long, too vague, too generic, and way too similar to everyone else’s. Even great designers get ignored because their hero section, titles, and case studies fail to communicate what hiring managers actually care about.

Tyler and Nick walk through why portfolios miss the mark, how recruiters skim your site (in less than 2 minutes), and the step-by-step structure of a high-conversion portfolio. Everything comes by from your H1 to your footer.

They also cover niching vs. generalizing, how to stand out in a crowded market, what your case study titles really need to say, and how to communicate business impact without sounding like a template (and everyone else). 

If you’re a junior designer, in a bootcamp, applying for your first product job, or rebuilding your portfolio after months of ghosting… this episode will save you weeks of trial and error, frustration, and burn out.

Here is what’s on the table in Part 1:
🔸 Why most UX portfolios are way too long (and what to cut)
🔸 The hero section formula that gets you interviews
🔸 How hiring managers actually scan portfolios
🔸 Why generic “I’m a UX designer” intros kill your chances
🔸 Positioning yourself without locking into one industry
🔸 How to write case study titles that show business impact
🔸 Treating your homepage like a sales page
🔸 Using social proof & storytelling to stand out
🔸 Why messaging must be consistent across your entire brand

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👋 More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick attempt something different: a live, real-time brainstorm where two senior product designers tackle an actual business problem — low feature adoption and poor upgrade conversion.

Companies keep shipping features that barely anyone uses. New tiers launch and… crickets. PMs blame “awareness” while designers blame “UX,” marketing blames “messaging,” and leadership wonders why revenue isn’t moving.

Tyler and Nick figure out why this happens, why most teams under-invest in feature communication, and how design, product, and marketing can work together to drive meaningful adoption without becoming sleazy or spammy.

They walk through upsell flow strategy, segmentation, in-app nudges, email sequencing, pricing psychology, ROI calculators, freemium tier traps, and how designers can get more comfortable with selling — because no one upgrades on accident.

If you work in SaaS, design for B2C or B2B, or you’ve ever launched a feature that landed with a sad thud… this episode is a must-listen.

Here is what is on the table in this episode:

🔸 Why “great features” still fail to get adoption
🔸 The biggest gap between feature design & feature awareness
🔸 How to avoid sounding salesy while still driving upgrades
🔸 Segmentation: who to upsell and when
🔸 The underrated power of email sequences for product teams
🔸 In-app education that actually works (and doesn’t annoy users)
🔸 How pricing, tiers, and value ladders influence upgrades
🔸 Why ROI calculators convert better than feature pages
🔸 What designers must learn from sales teams
🔸 How to build user advocates & power users intentionally

Chapters

00:00 Intro
00:32 The business problem we’re solving
01:54 B2C vs. B2B and how upgrades actually happen
03:50 Why awareness is the missing link
05:04 The disconnect between “we built it” and “users found it”
07:38 How to scorecard your adoption levers
10:07 The email sequencing mistake every product team makes
12:55 Building relationships vs. blasting announcements
17:00 Pricing tiers, value ladders & usage ceilings
21:56 When upgrades fail because value isn’t communicated
24:55 ROI examples (Zapier, time saved, etc.)
29:18 The role of in-app nudges, limits & locked features
34:57 Segmentation and timing your upsells
36:50 Avoiding pop-up overload
40:23 Webinars, product events & hype building
45:07 Discounts, loyalty, advocates & power-user programs
50:16 Stop being afraid to “sell” as a product designer
53:10 Next episode teaser: The Portfolio Mastermind

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👋 More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the big gap between what UX education teaches you and what real product design work looks like on the job.

Most junior designers leave school excited to “help users” and “make the world a better place” only to slam face first into business goals, tech debt, and stakeholders who want results... well... yesterday.

Tyler and Nick compare their first jobs with what schools promise and share how new designers can overcome that gap faster. The conversation covers internships, design tools, stakeholder management, zero-to-one vs. one-to-a-hundred design work, and why learning never stops.

If you are in school, in a bootcamp, or trying to break into product design… this episode will save you from a painful wake-up call.

Here is what is on the table in this episode:

🔸 The common misconception every UX student has
🔸 The surprise reality of most entry design jobs
🔸 Zero-to-one vs. one-to-a-hundred design work
🔸 What school should teach but does not
🔸 Why designers must care about revenue
🔸 Portfolio projects vs. actual feature work
🔸 How to learn faster once you get hired
🔸 The best way to network without being cringe
🔸 Should designers hop industries early in their career
🔸 Our pitch for a better UX education model

Chapters
00:00 Intro and jokes about Breaking Bad
01:12 Why do people want to become designers
02:39 When “helping users” meets revenue targets
05:20 School ideal vs corporate reality
09:50 Why the design process is rarely followed perfectly
12:55 Design education is too theoretical
18:40 Zero to one is not what you think
21:25 How design school should evolve
27:58 Why internships matter more than classes
33:19 The myth of picking the perfect industry
40:51 Automation skills and continuous learning
53:10 The one thing every new designer should do
54:25 How to build real relationships in the industry
57:20 A teaser for the next hands on episode

📢 Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
 👉 https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

👋 More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick figure out the hard truth about why so many UX and product designers struggle to get hired.

Hint: it is not your (lack of) Figma skills.

They discuss best practices and advice from their experience as UX coaches. From confidence gaps to portfolios that all look the same to the finding out that design careers are built through stakeholders and users instead of pixels, they share the mindset and strategy that actually moves you forward in your product design career.

Tyler brings his ROI-focused product design experience while Nick shares the wins and failures that shaped his coaching style. Together, they talk through what stops designers from leveling up and how the right support can accelerate your career growth.

Here is what is on the table in this episode:

🔸 Why most designers get stuck in the middle and how to break out
🔸 The career advice we wish someone gave us before our first job
🔸 Why coaching works better than another bootcamp
🔸 The confidence unlock that helps you interview like you belong
🔸 Common portfolio traps that keep you getting ghosted
🔸 Networking moves that actually lead to job offers
🔸 Why paying for help finally makes you take your career seriously
🔸 Senior designer skills you can start using right now
🔸 How to stop presenting like an order taker
🔸 The difference between showing screens and selling outcomes

🔗 Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the chaos
02:00 The real blockers in most design careers
05:40 Tyler almost gets fired straight out of school
11:20 Nick survives the fastest rejection ever
14:30 Why goals come before portfolios
20:50 The storytelling gap holding designers back
26:10 The networking strategy that makes life easier
36:40 Agency vs in house growth paths
48:10 Coaching is not therapy but it feels close
56:00 Our shameless plug to get help if you need it

📢 Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
 👉 https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

👋 More about Tyler and Nick:
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick share conversion optimization secrets they've learned over their combined 20 years of design experience.

From the psychology behind high-converting ads to the small tweaks that always boost your landing page performance, they share the tactics that have moved the needle for many of the design projects they've worked on before.

Tyler brings his ROI-focused design expertise while Nick shares insights from his freelance conversion projects. Together, they discuss the entire customer journey from first ad impression to final checkout while revealing which design decisions actually drive revenue and which "best practices" might be holding you back.

Here's what's on the table in this episode:

🔸 Why banner blindness is real and how to design ads that stop the scroll
🔸 The retargeting funnel strategy (and why you need multiple touchpoints to convert)
🔸 Landing page copy secrets that matter most
🔸 The unexpected checkout experiment that boosted conversions
🔸 Why the ugliest ads often convert the best
🔸 When to make landing pages longer vs. shorter
🔸 A/B testing strategies that give you a "raise every week"
🔸 PayPal integration and the 20% conversion lift it used to provide
🔸 Upselling: helpful suggestions vs. dark patterns
🔸 The biggest mistake designers make with progressive disclosure
🔸 Why user research beats design intuition every time
🔸 Trust signals to build credibility during checkout

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👋 More about Tyler and Nick

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick become the "Design Mythbusters" and tackle the biggest misconceptions about UX design that both designers and non-designers believe.

From the idea that UX is just about making things pretty to the pressure of getting everything right the first time, they bust (or confirm) myths that hold you back in your design career.

Tyler shares his perspective as a senior product designer in-house, while Nick brings his freelance experience to debunk these widespread beliefs.

They explore myths from both sides; what stakeholders wrongly believe about designers, but also what designers tell themselves that creates unnecessary stress and limitations.

Here's what's on the table in this episode:

🔸 Why "UX is just about making things pretty" isn't wrong
🔸 The myth that UX designers create "delightful" experiences
🔸 Why you don't need to get everything right the first time
🔸 The accessibility myth of "we haven't heard any complaints"
🔸 How to balance pretty AND useful design
🔸 Why UX designers don't hold all the keys to user experience
🔸 The pressure to shoulder all responsibility for design decisions
🔸 Case study number inflation and why 2% improvements are impressive
🔸 The "it depends" answer and when it's actually helpful
🔸 Whether you need a traditional art background to be a UX designer
🔸 How AI myths are creating unnecessary fear in the design community

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👋 More about Tyler and Nick

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick are trying to untangle the confusing world of design job titles and their many, many variations. From UX designer to product designer to the emerging UX engineer role and everything inbetween.

They share what each title actually means, their differences, and how to survive the ever-changing landscape of design careers today.

Also, Tyler shares his experience as a senior product designer in-house, while Nick explains his approach as a freelancer who uses "UX and Product Designer" to catch different types of clients. They discuss the evolution from web designer to the current product design trend, and upcomgin roles like UX engineer that challenge the lines between design and development.

Here's what's on the table in this episode:

🔸 Why Nick uses both "UX" and "Product" designer in his title (it's an SEO play)
🔸 How design titles evolved from web designer to today's product designer
🔸 The difference between UI, UX, and product design roles
🔸 Why larger companies need more specialized design roles
🔸 What service design and customer experience (CX) roles actually do
🔸 The rise of UX engineer and what it means for designers who code
🔸 How AI is helping designers learn development skills
🔸 Why "user" vs "customer" language matters more than you think
🔸 The Pokemon evolution of design careers (and what comes next)
🔸 Senior vs junior titles and how they affect your career progression

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👋 More about Tyler and Nick

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick talk about the actual day-to-day of being a product designer and how it is very different from what social media tells you.

One's an in-house designer while the other is a freelancer. Both have over a decade of on-the-job design experience. Together, they discuss how AI creates overlap between design, product, and engineering, and why good design often looks like you're doing nothing at all.

They also share what real design-client collaboration looks like, how to stay strategic without losing your momentum, and what to do when your best design work gets shelved by stakeholders.

Here's what's on the table in the rest of the episode.

🔸 What your job actually is as a product designer
🔸 The hidden work behind design decisions
🔸 How to collaborate across product, design, and engineering
🔸 Why most “bad design” is just the result of unclear priorities
🔸 The myth of pixel-perfect design in real teams
🔸 How to handle feedback from non-design stakeholders
🔸 What separates strategic designers from execution-only roles
🔸 How to protect your energy and sanity as a designer

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👋 More about Tyler and Nick

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the real answer to the question that’s been haunting LinkedIn threads, Reddit posts, and bootcamp Slack groups:

Is it still worth becoming a UX or product designer in 2025 and beyond?

They look back on their own (non-)traditional paths into product design, the current state of the industry, and how AI is changing design roles differently than what most people say on social media.

They also share what separates the top 10% of designers from the rest, how you can make it to be within that top 10%, and why most bootcamp portfolios are outdated from the start.

This episode's super useful for new designers, career-switchers, and anyone wondering if it’s still worth it to invest time, money, and energy into a formal design education when it feels like AI is going to replace it all.

🔸 An important skill no design school teaches: rejection tolerance
🔸 Why “just stand out” is both great advice and terrible advice
🔸 AI isn’t replacing designers (but lazy designers might self-replace)
🔸 How to evaluate design programs without falling for hype
🔸 Portfolio strategy: what actually gets you hired
🔸 Why some hiring managers say “there are hundreds of applicants, but no one good”
🔸 Fundamentals vs. tools: what matters in 2025
🔸 Personal branding, mentorship, and zooming out

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👋 More about Tyler and Nick