Opacity – Details, episodes & analysis

After 32 episodes, Tom and Craig record one last episode of Opacity in Jan 2022. In what we hope is an on-brand move, we explain our reasons for wrapping the podcast up. Thank you so much for all the listeners and guests we've had over the past few years. We hope that you found something interesting, insightful or just plain fun about the content we've put out. We've both really enjoyed doing this podcast and getting to know each other in the process. If you're new to the industry, we hope some of the words we've shared will help demystify the industry for you. There's so much to learn and so much room to grow. We hope your journey through the world of design is a fulfilling one.

Farewell,

From Tom & Craig

Welcome to the new year. In the first episode of 2021, Craig and Tom jump into an evergreen topic on the minds of designers everywhere. Should we be generalists or specialists, and why?

Specialization and generalization are tough terms to define. There are generalist designers who have a breadth of skills that cover the full design process. And then there's a wider definition of generalist that includes knowledge, skills, and experience outside of design. Similarly with specialization, it can be narrow, or wide. There's no standard way of saying what is general and what is specialized.

But saying "it depends" isn't too helpful. It can be a real conundrum in a designer's professional life. In the episode Tom and Craig talk about how they approach the topic, and some pros and cons of each. And in the end, it's all about recognizing you're unique "shape" as a designer. 

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to share it with your friends and colleagues. You can support the podcast by leaving us a review or rating wherever you listen. You can subscribe to Opacity anywhere audio is distributed. Connect with us on twitter @opacitypodcast, and by checking out our new YouTube channel.

Content is integral to good quality products and services, but doesn't always get the attention it deserves. In this episode Grace Hughes, Content Design Lead at Fjord joins Tom & Craig to discuss the role of content design, conversational design, content strategy and much more. You'll never use Lorem Ipsum again! Connect with Grace on Twitter at @GraceHughes22 or on LinkedIn While you're at it, check the rest of us out as well. Tom, Craig, and the official account for Opacity. And, of course, subscribe to Opacity everywhere audio is distributed.

In this episode Tom sits down with Sinéad Davis Cochrane, a User Experience Manager at Workday, where she lead a team of designers and researchers. We discuss her education, career path from researcher to manager and views on planning your career. As well as advice for listeners who may be finding the current COVID situation difficult. What if you suddenly find yourself out of work with an out of date portfolio? How do you navigate these uncertain waters? We discuss that and much more! Connect with Sinéad on Twitter at @sineadcochrane or on LinkedIn While you're at it, check the rest of us out as well. Tom, Craig, and the official account for Opacity. And, of course, subscribe to Opacity everywhere audio is distributed.

It's been a while, but we're back! After taking a few months off from the podcast, Craig and Tom are back in the saddle to discuss the state of being a designer (and person) in troubling times. We discuss Tom's burnout—which led to us taking the break in recording—as well as the situation we're all dealing with as COVID19 spreads globally. Self-isolating,  working from home, managing kids, and the importance of looking after ourselves, our families, and the world.  And very importantly, finding some good in all of it. Enjoy, and let us know what you're thinking about with all that's going on!  You can reach out to Tom, Craig, and the official Twitter account for Opacity. And, of course, make sure to subscribe to Opacity everywhere audio is distributed. Share with others who you think would enjoy too. 

Helping designers have more fulfilling careers is like being a baker. An artisanal bread baker, where the designer is the dough in your hands. Or maybe the job is the dough... Regardless, the analogy is oven-proof. 

This week, we talk with an expert baker. From hospitality, to design recruitment, to building a design community with InVision, Mindaugas Petrutis has baked a lot of loaves over the years. We talk about the insides of design recruitment, the concept of dream jobs, and other related ideas.

Connect with Mindaugas on Twitter at @MindaugasLT or on LinkedIn. 

While you're at it, check the rest of us out as well. Tom, Craig, and the official account for Opacity. And, of course, subscribe to Opacity everywhere audio is distributed. 

With over 700,000 podcasts in the world, why make another one?

Early in 2019, Tom and Craig decided to get together to create Opacity, a podcast framed around the general topic of working in design. 18 episodes and 8 months later, they reflect on how it started, what they've learned along the way, and why they keep doing it. 

Podcasting is technically simple, but many things about it aren't that easy. If you've ever wanted to start your own, or have enjoyed listening to Opacity, this episode sheds more light into how they've tried to learn with each step of the journey. And, most importantly, how they keep it fun and interesting.

Thanks to everyone who listens. For newcomers, subscribe to Opacity anywhere you get podcasts. 

Is composure underrated?

One thing's for sure. Working nicely with others can be a challenge. And when we lose our composure, we can lose a lot more in the process. 

The modern work environment is full of tense moments, difficult conversations, and unreasonable egos (our own included). When passion is high, inter-personal tension can follow close behind. Maintaining composure amidst your own strong opinions and lizard brain impulses is a skill worth developing.

In this special episode we talk about all this, and more. Ben Taylor, Senior Product Designer at HubSpot, joins Craig and Tom. Ben brings a composed self-awareness, and some great insights on ways he's developed this over the years. 

(You can find Ben on Medium or connect with him on LinkedIn.)

Enjoy the episode, and don't forget to subscribe to Opacity anywhere you get podcasts. Follow us on twitter at @Opacitypodcast. And leave us a review on iTunes!

How do you feel when you hear these statements and questions? 

• Everyone's a designer
• Should designers code?
• Jay-Z is a member of the Illuminati

If you're like most, you probably get a little too worked up. We all do, and that's natural. In this episode, Tom and Craig talk about these questions. They try their best not to fall into the trap of actually giving their stances on them (and fail a bit in the process). Instead, they reflect on why we ask these questions to begin with. And, why so many of us foam at the mouth when these topics come up. 

Let us know what you think about these questions, and what it says about us as individuals, our identities, and our industry. 

Find us on our new official twitter handle, @opacitypodcast. You can also connect with Tom @tomcdesign and Craig @ycphillips over yonder.

ALSO! Tom is speaking at Glug Dublin on August 22nd, 2019, at The Sugar Club. Come say hi! Learn more about the topic and other speakers on the event page. 

Time and energy are the elusive fuel for projects, both personal and professional. In this episode Craig and Tom discuss their thoughts on how to deal with finite resources and getting things done.

Thanks for listening—share and subscribe!