Honest weekly conversations about Product Design careers, challenges, portfolios, mental health, and all things tech + design. Ioana and Anfisa together have 20 years of experience in the Product Design field and trying to share their main lessons to help anyone who's looking for a safe space with sincere and practical career advice.
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#181 We're Back for a New Season! Work + Life Updates, and What's Next
Season 1 · Episode 181
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 • Duration 42:32
Anfi and Ioana are back with new episodes! In this one, they share life updates, reflect on the current state of the design industry, and preview what’s coming in the new season.
Anfi and community members from Into UX Jobs share their real job‑search journeys — how many applications they submitted, how many interview stages they went through before landing their role, how long the process took, what their take‑home challenges looked like, the questions the design managers asked, the hardest moments they faced, what current job hunters need to know, practical interview tips, and the unfair advantages that helped them stand out.
Timestamps:
02:40 - Members share general information about the companies they applied to and the positions they applied to.
08:00 - Describe your job search in three words.
09:30 - What was the reality you experienced? Statistically, how many companies did you apply to during your last job hunt?
15:45 - How many interview stages did you go through at the company where you landed the job? If you remember, how long did the process take?
18:17 - How many stages did you go through at the company where you received an offer?
26:21 - When did you feel like you were actually getting an offer?
32:20 - Questions you were asked by your design manager.
46:28 - Moments when it felt particularly hard — the most challenging part of your process.
54:38 - If you're currently job hunting, what do you need to hear right now?
59:36 - What was your unfair advantage?
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#179 Building career capital with intention w/Dan Cariño
Season 1 · Episode 179
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 • Duration 01:09:30
nfi and Dan discuss the insights he gained from his experiences at H&M, Klarna, and Meta. They delve into his time working abroad in Hong Kong and how user interface design differs in that part of the world. The conversation also covers Dan's journey at Klarna, his path into Meta, and the key factors that contributed to his success during the Meta interview process. Additionally, they explore how his work at an AI startup influenced his career as artificial intelligence became more widespread.
Anfi and Ioana discuss how AI has changed the approach to design systems. They explore the idea that AI was expected to replace UI systems, but in reality, design systems are becoming more important. Why were people so confident that AI would replace them? And why won’t that happen?
They also talk about what makes a design system AI-ready and whether AI operators will become a future role—should teams start specifically assigning people to manage AI within design systems?
#177 What even is a design engineer? w/ Mehmet Baytaş, Senior Design Engineer @ Attio
Season 1 · Episode 177
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 • Duration 46:28
Ioana and Baytaş discuss what being a design engineer entails. They explore whether vibe coding can be a pathway into design engineering and whether learning to code is necessary right now. Additionally, they delve into the daily responsibilities of a design engineer and the essential first steps for those interested in starting this career.
This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio.
Ioana and Anfi discuss how the design process has evolved in the age of AI: should we rely on educated guesses or actual research? How can we reach insights faster? What's the best design process today? How to get to insights quickly without sacrificing quality? And can LLMs fully replace human research?
#175 The "dream job" has changed. What are designers aspiring to in 2026?
Season 1 · Episode 175
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 • Duration 41:59
Anfi and Ioana discuss their past dream careers from a few years ago, explore whether big tech companies still shine on a CV, and share what kinds of companies designers aspire to work at today. They also delve into whether an entrepreneurial path is more attractive now, how to build clarity in your career goals, and share their visions of an ideal career.
Ioana talks about the key skills to showcase in a UX design portfolio in 2026 that hiring managers value, highlights timeless design principles alongside new rules shaped by recent AI-driven shifts, explores the dramatically transformed hiring landscape, and examines which design skills are and aren't replaceable by AI.
Anfi and Ioana discuss what it means to develop taste and how, in the age of AI, cultivating refined taste—whether in aesthetics, craft, or judgment—becomes a crucial differentiator in design.
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