The Product Design Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to the Product Design Podcast!🎙 Hosted by Seth Coolen, founder of UX Cabin, where we create world-class web and mobile apps. In this episode, we're diving deep into how to secure a UX or product design job in 2024 despite the tough market conditions. Whether you're new to the field or looking to make a career change, we've got actionable strategies for you.🚀

Key Topics Covered:

1. Leverage Your Network: Leverage personal connections, attend meetups, and use LinkedIn effectively.
2. Expanding Your Network: offer genuine help, compliments, or feedback to build rapport with new connections.
3. Freelancing Opportunities: Start small with local projects to build your portfolio and experience.
4. Copying Good Design: Improve your skills by replicating top-notch designs and adding your unique touch.
5. Portfolio & Resume Optimization: Create a clean, effective portfolio and tailor your resume using AI tools.
6. Embracing Feedback: Seek constructive criticism to improve your work continuously.
7. Documenting Your Journey: Share your progress and learnings on social media for accountability and visibility.
8. Agency Outreach: Offer your services to design agencies for freelance work and potential full-time opportunities.
9. Creative Applications: Stand out with video introductions and follow up persistently.
10. Resilience: Stay positive and view rejections as steps toward the right opportunity.

Funny Moment:

• Seth shares a light-hearted story about losing his fantasy football league and the hilarious punishment from his league mates.

Resources Mentioned:

• LinkedIn for networking
• Loom for video introductions
• ChatGPT for resume optimization
• Portfolio and resume tools

Actionable Steps:

• Start building connections and reaching out to people in the industry.
• Begin small freelance projects to gain experience and build your portfolio.
• Regularly seek feedback and iterate on your work.
• Share your journey on social media to attract potential employers and collaborators.
• Apply to agencies and follow up on your applications with creativity and persistence.
• Maintain a resilient mindset and embrace rejections as part of the journey.

Subscribe & Stay Tuned:

• If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Product Design Podcast for more insights and interviews with top designers in the industry.

Thanks for tuning in! Best of luck on your job search journey in 2024!🎉

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

👋 Hey there, loyal podcast listeners.

We have an update from Seth on The Product Design Podcast.

Don’t hesitate to reach out and share your thoughts and ideas to help shape the future of the show!

👀 Don’t forget to catch up on all 56 episodes  https://www.uxcabin.com/the-product-design-podcast

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

In episode 48 of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Brent Palmer, Product Design Manager at Mixpanel, a leading product analytics software company.

During our chat, Brent shares how his career path led him into product design leadership and how he knew that was the right path for him. He advises where he has found success in managing a large design team and nurturing culture at scale while helping his team do their best work and flourish in their career paths. This episode is packed with advice for product designers at any stage of their career path, whether you are a junior looking to grow into a manager or a senior leader looking to improve your management style.

During our interview with Brent, you will learn:

👉 What early interests started Brent’s journey into product design
🔥 How Brent found his niche in leadership
💪 How to get the best out of your team and help them flourish
🤩 Mixpanel: How Brent knew it would be the right fit for him
👏 How to manage a large design team and nurture culture at scale

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe so we can keep making content for you good people!

💡 Don't forget to read our blog and sign up for reminders when new episodes will be available!

Make sure to follow Brent after the podcast to stay on top of what he is up to!

• Twitter: @BrentPalmer
• LinkedIn: Brent Palmer
• Portfolio Site: https://www.brentpalmer.co/
• Blog: https://ic2mgmt.substack.com

Other mentioned links:

• ADP List 
• The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

In episode 47 of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Jason Garrison, Qualitative UX Researcher at AnswerLab, a full-service user experience insights firm helping create experiences people love.

During our chat, Jason shares his UX journey and path from internship to full-time UX Researcher. He offers fantastic insights into what led him to his current role, including strategies on portfolio development, networking, interviewing, and how to accept feedback from your manager or team once you land the job you want! This episode is filled with excellent advice for anyone looking to get into UX, especially if they are curious about becoming a UX Researcher!

During our interview with Jason, you will learn:

🧠 What sparked Jason’s excitement for UX research
🔥 How he went from internship to contracting and now to a full-time role as a Qualitative UX Researcher
💡 Strategies that work on portfolios, interviewing, landing your first role, and accepting feedback
🤩 What Jason does at AnswerLab
🎯 What qualities make for a great UX Researcher

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe so we can keep making content for you good people!

💡 Don't forget to read our blog and sign up for reminders when new episodes will be available!

Make sure to follow Jason after the podcast to stay on top of what he is up to!

• LinkedIn: Jason Garrison
• Website: jasongarrison.nyc

Other mentioned links:

• Nielsen Norman Group: https://www.nngroup.com

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

In episode 46 of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Chris Shepard, Cofounder & CEO at Wisiwig, the collaborative browser design tool to achieve pixel-perfect UI design.

During our chat, Chris shares how a free meal led him to his first UX Design role, how he decided to take the entrepreneurial route and start his own product, and what you can learn from his journey from ideation to launching Wisiwig! This episode is filled with fantastic advice if you have ever considered creating and launching your own product!

During our interview with Chris, you will learn:

🍕 How a slice of pizza helped Chris land his first UX Design gig
🔥 How the friction between designers and developers inspired wiziwig
🤔 Chris’s take on bootstrapping versus fundraising
🎯 How to prioritize product features when building your product
👏 How to decide if building your own product is right for you

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe so we can keep making content for you good people!

💡 Don't forget to read our blog and sign up for reminders when new episodes will be available!

Make sure to follow Chris after the podcast to stay on top of what he is up to!

• Website: wisiwig
• Twitter: @DesignedByShep
• LinkedIn: Chris Shepard
• YouTube: Wisiwig

Other mentioned links:

• Blog about Chris landing his first design role: https://www.wisiwig.co/post/5-tips-for-landing-your-first-or-next-ux-design-role
• MassChallenge startup accelerator: https://masschallenge.org/

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

In episode 45 of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Justin Zalewski, Director of Product Design & Strategy at Studio Science, a design and innovation agency that exists to help smart businesses deliver experiences that work better.

During our talk, Justin shares his experience building a successful freelance business, offers advice on breaking into the UX space, and gives advice on building and leading a design team at an agency.

During our interview with Justin, you will learn:

👉 How Justin accidentally landed in product design
👀 What Justin did right early in his career (and what he should have done sooner)
🧗🏻‍♂️ How Justin found Studio Science and worked his way from IC to Director of Product Design and Strategy
👏 How to build and lead a successful design team
💡When to course correct a team and when to let them learn through experience

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe so we can keep making content for you good people!

💡 Don't forget to read our blog and sign up for reminders when new episodes will be available!

Make sure to follow Justin after the podcast to stay on top of what he is up to!

• Twitter: @JustinZalewski
• LinkedIn: Justin Zalewsk
• Personal Website: justinzalewski.com
• Company Website: studioscience.com

Other mentioned links:

• Design as a Job by Mike Monteiro

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

In episode 44 of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Jarvis Moore, Sr. Product Designer at LinkedIn.

During our talk, Jarvis shares insights on separating yourself from the pack when networking and interviewing, and determining if a company culture will fit your needs before accepting a position.

During our interview with Jarvis, you will learn:

😮 How a logo and a love for research landed Jarvis in product design
👀 His career low that confirmed the importance of company culture
🎯 How to ask the right questions to uncover a company culture during your interview
💡 Standing out in the crowd with more than your product design skills
👏 How to get over the “first job hurdle” and land the job you want

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe so we can keep making content for you good people!

💡 Don't forget to read our blog and sign up for reminders when new episodes will be available!

Make sure to follow Jarvis after the podcast to stay on top of what he is up to!

• Twitter: @jmodesigns10
• LinkedIn: Jarvis Moore
• Website: https://www.jarvismoore.net

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

In episode 43 of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Karsten Rowe, Director of Product Design at Axon; a mission-based organization focused on public safety.

During our chat, Karsten shares how he launched his career path, the soft skills he believes are underrated, where he has found the most powerful bursts of career growth, and his advice on breaking into mission-driven product design.

During our interview with Karsten, you will learn:
🚀 How Karsten launched his career path
🔥 Underrated soft skills in product design
👀 What he wishes he would have learned at 21
💡 Where to find the biggest career growth
👏 Karsten’s advice on breaking into mission-driven product design

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe so we can keep making content for you good people!

💡 Don't forget to read our blog and sign up for reminders when new episodes will be available!

Make sure to follow Karsten after the podcast to stay on top of what he is up to!

• Twitter: @karstenrowe
• LinkedIn: Karsten Rowe
• Instagram: karstenrowe
• Website: http://karstenrowe.com

Other mentioned links:

• Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

In episode 42 of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Scott Hurff, Founder and CPO at Churnkey, a platform that fixes every type of churn by supercharging all aspects of customer retention. Scott is also the creator of Super Like, a product feature he led while at Tinder, which allowed users to pay extra to get an edge at making a match.

During our chat, Scott shares where he gathers creative inspiration away from the screen, what he learned while working at Tinder, and the secret he believes can make your product make you a lot of money!

During our interview with Scott, you will learn:
💡 Where Scott gathers creative inspiration
🔥 How Scott landed at Tinder and what he learned there
👀 How to stand out and get attention from budding startups and unicorn companies 🎯 Scott’s take on moving from B2C to B2B
👏 What’s next for Churnkey and Scott

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe so we can keep making content for you good people!

💡 Don't forget to read our blog and sign up for reminders when new episodes will be available!

Make sure to follow Scott after the podcast to stay on top of what he is up to!

• Twitter: @scotthurff
• LinkedIn: Scott Hurff
• Website: https://www.scotthurff.com
• Churnkey Website: https://churnkey.co

Other mentioned links:

• Getting Real from Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/gettingreal

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog

In episode 41 of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Kim Hodges, Director of Digital Accessibility at the University of South Carolina. Kim has a fascinating origin story that led him to accessibility, which he tells us in the full episode. He has over fourteen years of personal and professional experience making digital environments more functional for individuals with disabilities.

During our chat, Kim shares exactly what led him to a career in digital accessibility, the biggest mistakes and most common misconceptions of accessibility, and the best strategy to follow when starting a new project to ensure your product is functional for individuals with disabilities. Kim’s interview is packed with things to consider, from an accessibility standpoint, as you approach your next project.

During our interview with Kim, you will learn:
👉 How Kim discovered his passion for accessibility
🔥 Getting involved and learning more about accessibility
🚨 Biggest digital accessibility mistakes
🎯 Most common accessibility misconceptions
👏 Accessibility strategy to follow when starting a new project

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe so we can keep making content for you good people!

💡 Don't forget to read our blog and sign up for reminders when new episodes will be available!

Make sure to follow Kim after the podcast to stay on top of what he is up to!

• LinkedIn: Kim Hodges

Other mentioned links:

• The A11Y Project
• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
• Karl Groves Blog

Thanks for listening to The Product Design Podcast with Seth Coelen, CEO at UX Cabin!

Where to find UX Cabin:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/uxcabin
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uxcabin/
💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxcabin
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uxcabin?lang=en
📹 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UXCabin
🎨 dribbble: https://dribbble.com/uxcabin
⌨️ Website: https://uxcabin.com
✍️ Blog: https://www.uxcabin.com/blog