Explore every episode of the podcast UX Leadership By Design
Dive into the complete episode list for UX Leadership By Design. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino talks with Ryan Glasgow, CEO and founder of Sprig, about the future of UX research in an AI-first world. Ryan shares how Sprig was built to replace legacy survey tools like Qualtrics and SurveyMonkey by enabling real-time, in-context feedback and powerful AI-driven analysis. The conversation dives deep into how modern research can scale with fewer resources, why AI should be seen as an intern—not a threat—and how researchers can thrive by shifting toward strategic influence within organizations. If you’re in product, design, or research leadership, this one’s for you.
Key Takeaways
Legacy research tools are broken – They’re disconnected from user behavior and painfully slow—Sprig fixes that by embedding surveys in key workflows.
AI isn’t here to replace you—it’s your intern – The most successful teams treat AI like an eager junior teammate that accelerates insights and frees up strategic thinking.
UX research is evolving toward strategic impact – Tactical research is being democratized across teams; researchers who shift toward company-level strategy will thrive.
Tool bloat is real—consolidation is the future – Many orgs are replacing 3–5 survey tools with Sprig to reduce costs and streamline workflows.
You can’t scale great product experiences without scaling insights – Research embedded across the product journey is the only way to keep up.
Designers and Product Managers are sharing research responsibilities – It’s now table stakes for cross-functional teams to gather, analyze, and act on feedback.
Sprig uses Sprig – The team applies its own product to optimize A/B testing, feature development, and in-product recruiting—truly eating their own dog food.
Chapters
From Product to Founder: Why Build Sprig – 01:00
What Legacy Survey Tools Get Wrong – 04:00
Sprig’s End-to-End Research Workflow – 07:30
Using Sprig to Build Sprig (Meta UX) – 09:45
AI as Intern: Supercharging Strategic Work – 22:00
The New Research Stack: Strategic > Tactical – 29:00
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino sits down with Sara Fortier, CEO and founder of Outwitly, a UX talent solutions firm that evolved from a UX consultancy into a staffing partner for UX, research, and service design teams.
Sara shares her journey from agency consulting to UX staffing, explaining how shifting market dynamics, including digital transformation, AI disruption, and the rise of the blended workforce, led to her firm’s transformation. She and Mark discuss the traits that make contract designers successful, how leaders can better manage mixed teams, and the growing pressure for design teams to align with business outcomes.
Sara also offers practical advice for designers at every level—on building trust, navigating uncertainty, and developing the soft skills and business fluency necessary for long-term career success.
Key Takeaways
Pivoting with Purpose: Outwitly’s shift from UX consulting to staffing wasn’t just reactive—it was strategic. Sara shares how market demand, revenue signals, and hard-earned confidence drove the transition.
Blended Teams Work—With the Right Talent: Contract designers can provide speed, flexibility, and specialization—but only when they bring seniority, stakeholder savvy, and initiative. Soft skills are non-negotiable.
Leadership Is Getting Pulled in Every Direction: Today’s UX leaders are balancing emotional support for their teams, pressure from execs on AI, and increasing demands to prove business value—all while staying current themselves.
Designers Must Embrace Business Fluency: Career longevity increasingly depends on understanding how design impacts revenue, costs, and KPIs. Designers need to connect their work to strategic business drivers.
Trust Is Built Through the Basics: Responding to emails, sending updates, raising risks early—these are simple but critical practices that build stakeholder trust and create long-term credibility.
Relationships = Resilience: Strong networks and internal relationship-building help designers navigate layoffs, transitions, and career pivots. Build trust across teams, not just within design.
Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Guest Welcome
01:30 – From Industrial Design to UX Leadership
05:15 – The Pivot to UX Staffing
09:45 – What’s Driving the Rise in Contract UX Talent?
12:40 – What Makes a Great Contractor?
15:40 – The Pressure on Design Leaders
21:30 – Career Longevity in UX: Advice for Designers
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino talks with Dave Seligsohn, founder of A2O Consulting, about creating a culture of innovation and driving business growth. Drawing from his rich background in education and leadership, Dave shares insights into the challenges small businesses face, such as breaking revenue ceilings, optimizing operations, and achieving growth. He highlights the importance of fostering innovation through intentional processes, forming dedicated teams, and leveraging data-driven decision-making. The conversation offers practical strategies for establishing an innovation pipeline, validating ideas, and navigating organizational challenges, making it an invaluable guide for leaders and entrepreneurs.
Key Takeaways
The Cycle of Innovation – Effective innovation is intentional and embedded into company culture, driven by an innovation team tasked with surfacing, testing, and implementing ideas.
Breaking Revenue Ceilings – Small businesses often face growth plateaus due to overreliance on founders; collaboration, delegation, and external advisors can help overcome these challenges.
Prevention Over Cure – Leaders should prioritize continuous innovation to avoid desperation-driven solutions during crises.
Structured Idea Validation – A systematic approach to market validation, involving customer feedback and financial analysis, reduces risk and ensures alignment with business goals.
Leadership’s Role in Innovation – Leadership should sponsor and support innovation initiatives, but remain hands-off during idea generation to encourage creativity.
The Power of Data in Decision-Making – Businesses must identify and focus on the most relevant data points to track progress and ensure operational efficiency.
Overcoming Fear of Change – Allocating budget and fostering openness to new ideas are critical to embracing innovation as a business growth driver.
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino sits down with Joe Sticca, a seasoned expert blending technology, digital experiences, and product innovation, to explore the transformative impact of generative AI on product management and design. Joe shares his journey from software development to digital experience leadership, emphasizing the importance of adopting an "editor mindset" to harness AI for efficiency, creativity, and strategic decision-making. The conversation delves into how AI accelerates feedback loops, enhances data analysis, and mitigates risks, empowering teams to deliver richer MVPs and foster better collaboration. Joe also touches on the evolving role of Web3, tokenization, and platforms like Roblox and Decentraland in shaping the future of customer engagement.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The "Editor Mindset" for Success - Generative AI empowers professionals to focus less on manual tasks and more on refining and validating creative ideas, improving product value and user outcomes.
Efficiency Meets Creativity - AI tools enable teams to test, iterate, and mitigate risks faster, allowing for richer MVPs and more impactful user experiences.
Depersonalizing Decision-Making - Using AI to analyze and act on data removes bias, fosters objectivity, and encourages Socratic discussions for better outcomes.
Expanding the Idea Set - With time saved through AI, teams can shift their focus to exploring more innovative and valuable ideas that enhance user and business value.
Shortening Feedback Loops - Real-time data insights powered by AI allow product teams to make faster, more informed decisions without waiting for traditional analytics cycles.
Adapting Skills for the AI Era - Professionals must develop a nuanced understanding of business value, context, and creative problem-solving to thrive alongside AI tools.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:09 The Impact of Generative AI on Development
06:02 Navigating Trust in AI Tools
08:52 The Role of AI in Product Management
11:46 The Editor Mindset in Product Development
14:47 Future Trends in Product Management and Design
17:51 Closing Thoughts and Future Opportunities
LINKS:
Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joesticca/
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino and Bruce McCarthy discuss the challenges and solutions around stakeholder alignment in product management. Bruce highlights the importance of bridging communication gaps across departments to achieve unified goals and emphasizes the role of empathy, strategic prioritization, and effective stakeholder management in driving organizational success. He also touches on methods for identifying influential stakeholders, leveraging trust, and fostering cross-functional collaboration for product teams, especially in remote settings. Drawing from his book Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders, Bruce provides actionable strategies for navigating the complexities of building consensus and aligning teams with the organization's overall mission.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Understanding and Aligning with Key Stakeholders: Successful product leaders prioritize stakeholder alignment, actively engaging across teams to achieve cohesive objectives that serve the organization's mission.
The Role of Empathy in Collaboration: Effective alignment requires empathy, listening to stakeholders’ perspectives, and validating their challenges to build a foundation of trust and cooperation.
Focusing on Value Creation: Product teams must balance user needs with market demands by identifying and prioritizing solutions that drive real value for both customers and business.
Proactive Communication Strategies: Building trust and clarity within cross-functional teams is essential, especially in remote environments; proactively reaching out to influential figures strengthens alignment.
Defining and Mapping Organizational Influence: Identifying informal power players within an organization can be more effective than relying on an org chart, allowing product leaders to foster essential alliances.
Leveraging Remote Tools for Connection: In a virtual setup, choosing high-bandwidth communication (like video) and maintaining consistent, high-touch engagement with stakeholders enhances team synergy.
Using Vulnerability to Drive Authentic Relationships: Showing vulnerability and a willingness to ask for help or clarification can build stronger relationships, ultimately promoting an aligned and transparent culture.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Bruce McCarthy and His Journey
01:51 Identifying the Tipping Point for Product Culture
03:50 Understanding Alignment and Misalignment in Organizations
07:57 Challenges in Product and Design Teams
12:08 Building Cross-Functional Relationships
15:59 Navigating Organizational Dynamics
20:05 Strategies for Remote Collaboration
24:10 The Role of Vulnerability in Leadership
28:00 Aligning Product and UX Teams
31:59 Resources for Further Learning
LINKS:
Connect with Bruce on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucemccarthy/
Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders: https://www.alignedthebook.com/
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Rina Alexin, CEO of Productside, joins Mark Baldino , Co-Founder of Fuzzy Math, to discuss the state of product management today, including challenges like misaligned strategy, poor stakeholder management, and data utilization. She emphasizes the need for clearer communication of strategy across all levels of an organization, enabling product teams to focus on valuable discovery and execution. Rina also shares insights on navigating the complexities of data, enhancing team skills, and leveraging AI to empower more effective product management.
Key Takeaways
Misaligned Strategy: Many product teams struggle due to poorly defined business strategies or prioritization, which ultimately affects their ability to deliver impactful results.
Stakeholder Management: A key challenge is the lack of proper governance in decision-making, which leads to difficulties in aligning priorities across the organization.
The Value of Communication: Clear and repetitive communication from leadership to product teams about business goals is crucial to ensure alignment and strategic focus.
Overwhelmed Product Managers: Product managers often feel overwhelmed with tasks, which highlights the importance of balancing stakeholder communication with delivering product outcomes.
The Role of AI: Product managers should learn to effectively use AI to increase efficiency. Avoiding AI will be detrimental to productivity in the future.
Data Utilization: Lack of data or mistrust in data quality can lead to poor decision-making. Gathering reliable metrics is essential for driving impactful business decisions.
Enabling Product Managers: Providing product managers with the tools, training, and clear expectations helps them excel in their roles and contribute to the organization's success.
Chapters
02:58 Current State of Product Management
06:08 Leadership's Role in Product Management
09:03 Challenges in Product Management
11:56 Stakeholder Management and Governance
15:08 Overwhelm in Product Teams
17:58 The Impact of AI on Product Management
21:03 The Importance of Data in Product Management
In this episode of UX Leadership By Design, host Mark Baldino speaks with Gerard Dolan about the challenges teams face in communication, problem identification, and leadership in dynamic work environments. Gerard discusses practical strategies for addressing issues like silos of information, aligning teams, and the importance of building relationships and fostering empathy within an organization. He emphasizes the value of identifying the right problems, facilitating open communication, and maintaining clarity in organizational roles. Gerard also touches on how team structures and leadership decisions can create bottlenecks and how to overcome them through transparency and collaboration.
Key Takeaways
Breaking Silos to Enhance Communication: Teams often struggle with sharing information across departments. Breaking down "silos of excellence" fosters collaboration and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Empathy and Understanding Pain Points: Spending time with colleagues and understanding their pain points can build bridges within organizations and improve team cohesion.
Identifying and Addressing Real Problems: Taking the time to properly identify problems before jumping into solutions is critical for long-term success. Playing back the problem helps ensure everyone understands and is aligned.
Prioritizing Open Feedback Loops: Regularly following up with team members on research findings or new information builds trust and ensures continuous improvement.
Leadership Requires Clear Communication: Leaders must be proactive in communicating vision and strategy, ensuring that their teams are aligned and informed, particularly in large or complex organizations.
In this episode of UX Leadership By Design, host Mark Baldino speaks with Pablo Stanley. Pablo, a designer and artist, shares his journey from being a graffiti artist in his teenage years to becoming a creative director and founder of multiple companies. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of leading a team of creatives, including the balance between guiding them and allowing them to explore new ideas. Pablo also emphasizes the importance of bringing one's full self and passion to work, promoting work-life integration rather than separation. He highlights the benefits of integrating personal interests and hobbies into the creative process, leading to more motivated and efficient employees. Pablo thoughtfully emphasizes the importance of collaboration, autonomy, and allowing others to make decisions. Pablo also shares his perspective on AI in design, highlighting its potential to unblock creativity and free up time for more impactful work -- while acknowledging the concerns around AI and the need for ethical and legal regulations.
Key Takeaways
The transition from being an artist to a leader in the creative field can be gradual and natural, with experiences like being in a band or playing video games helping to develop skills in teamwork and collaboration.
Leading a team of creatives requires finding a balance between guiding them and allowing them to explore new ideas, while also fostering trust and respect.
Promoting work-life integration and allowing employees to bring their personal interests and passions into their work can lead to more motivated and efficient teams.
Creatives often crave control and perfection, but it's important to embrace the culture of making mistakes and learning from them.
Work should feel less like work and more like fun, where employees can bring their full selves and passion to what they do. Leadership involves bringing people together, fostering collaboration, and avoiding silos and isolation.
As a leader, it's important to let go of control and allow others to contribute and make decisions.
AI in design can unblock creativity and free up time for more impactful work, but human input is still necessary for selecting and refining ideas.
There are concerns and ethical considerations around AI, particularly in terms of artists' work being used to train models without consent.
Learn how Pablo's tool, Lumi, offers AI-generated assets for creative projects.
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, host Mark Baldino speaks with Harry Max, author of the book "Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions". We discussion the importance of intentional prioritization, particularly in complex organizational settings. Harry explains that while many people think they are good at prioritizing, most struggle when faced with dynamic and adaptive environments. He introduces his DEGAP process model (Decide, Engage, Gather, Arrange, Prioritize), which offers a structured approach to prioritization, ensuring that decisions are made based on the best possible options. The conversation also touches on the challenges of gaining team and organizational alignment and the significance of making prioritization a deliberate and strategic activity.
Key Takeaways:
Prioritization Needs Intentionality: Successful prioritization requires a structured approach, especially in complex organizational settings.
DEGAP Process Model: The DEGAP model (Decide, Engage, Gather, Arrange, Prioritize) provides a comprehensive framework for effective prioritization.
Importance of Strategic Alignment: Aligning teams and gaining executive support are crucial for the success of any prioritization effort.
Recognizing the Need to Prioritize: The first step is deciding whether prioritization is necessary in a given situation, considering the potential benefits and risks.
Prioritization as a Skill: While people may be good at prioritization in simple environments, complex settings require more refined methods and tools.
Outputs vs. Results: Focus on achieving better results by selecting the best possible options rather than just prioritizing tasks.
Avoiding Pitfalls: Without intentional prioritization, organizations risk making decisions that do not align with their strategic goals, leading to inefficiencies.
Scalability of Prioritization: Effective prioritization processes can scale from individual teams to entire organizations.
Designing for Flexibility: The prioritization process should be adaptable to different contexts, stakeholders, and organizational needs.
Building Consensus: Engaging all relevant stakeholders in the prioritization process ensures that the outcomes are understood and supported across the organization.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
05:19 The Importance of Prioritization
11:39 Prioritizing Prioritization
19:43 The DEGAP Process Model
22:19 Aligning Teams and Achieving Organizational Success
29:23 Gaining Executive Alignment and Getting Traction
Links:
20% Discount Code to Buy the book "Get the book - Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions". Use Code "UXLBD" during checkout at: https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/managing-priorities
Hary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrymax
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino, co-founder of Fuzzy Math, speaks with Evan English, Vice President of Design and User Research at American Express. Evan shares her journey from product management to UX leadership at Amex, where she has spent 15 years. She highlights the company's significant investment in leadership training and development, which has allowed her to build a strong design leadership team from within the organization. They discuss the importance of aligning design work with business value, the challenges and rewards of building a mature design system, and the strategic role of information architecture in delivering business results.
Key Takeaways:
Leadership behaviors, such as communication, collaboration, and empathy, are crucial for UX leaders.
Designers possess unique qualities that make them great leaders, including empathy, active listening, storytelling, and systems thinking (dot connectors).
Shared goals with product partners and design maturity goals are important for driving business value.
Information architecture and design systems play a critical role in supporting the evolving business needs.
Measuring metrics and setting goals are essential for tracking the impact of design efforts and improving customer satisfaction.
In Episode 7 of Season 2 of UX Leadership by Design, host Mark Baldino chats with Mike LaVista, CEO and Founder of Caxy, a digital transformation constancy. They explore the importance of clear goals, change management, and mitigating risks for successful transformations. They also highlight the need to involve customers in the process and consider future-proofing these systems. The conversation emphasizes the importance of building a strong business case, prioritizing pain points, and introducing new features to drive adoption. They explore the importance of legacy app modernization, and the practical steps organizations can take to mitigate risks associated with these transformations.
Key Takeaways: Definition and Impact of Digital Transformation: Digital transformation involves a comprehensive integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how organizations operate and deliver value to customers. Mike emphasizes that it's not just about technology, but also about driving change that enhances business performance and sustainability.
Challenges of Legacy Systems: Legacy systems often pose significant challenges due to their outdated technologies and architectures. Both speakers discuss the complexities involved in modernizing these systems, including the risks of disrupting operational continuity and the difficulty in managing change among stakeholders.
Risk Mitigation Strategies: The discussion highlights the importance of a proactive approach to risk management. Mike suggests that addressing potential pains before they turn critical and involving key stakeholders early in the process are crucial steps in mitigating risks.
Change Management as a Key Success Factor: Effective change management is critical for the success of digital transformation initiatives. Mike points out that organizations must focus on managing both the technical aspects of the change and the people side, ensuring that all employees are on board and aligned with the new direction.
Future-Proofing Through Incremental Improvement: Both speakers agree that future-proofing business technology requires not only replacing old systems but also continuously improving and updating new systems. They discuss strategies for making incremental improvements that allow organizations to adapt to future needs without extensive rework.
The Role of Leadership in Transformation: Leadership plays a pivotal role in driving digital transformation. Leaders must not only endorse technological change but also foster a culture that embraces continual learning and adaptation.
In Episode 6 of Season 2 of UX Leadership by Design, host Mark Baldino chats with Bridget McMullan, Director of Technology Innovation at Elevance Health, about the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), user experience design, and product management. They dive into the critical role of human creativity and critical thinking in effectively integrating AI into product development and design processes. Bridget shares insights from her diverse background in product development and her teaching experiences, highlighting practical examples of AI applications. The conversation also touches on ethical considerations, potential biases, and the importance of human intervention in AI's development and implementation. Whether you're a designer, product manager, or simply an AI enthusiast this episode explores the transformative potential of AI in creating innovative, user-centered design solutions.
Key Takeaways:
AI and Human Creativity in UX Design: The integration of artificial intelligence in user experience design highlights a unique overlap where AI enhances human creativity, leading to the development of innovative solutions that blend the best of technology and human insight.
Human-Centered Design in the Age of AI: Despite the transformative potential of AI, the core principles of human-centered design remain paramount. This approach ensures that design solutions prioritize user-friendliness, intuition, and ethical responsibility, keeping human needs and values at the forefront.
Ethical AI Use and Bias Prevention: The ethical integration of AI in design practices emphasizes the importance of bias prevention and aligns technological advancements with human values, ensuring that AI serves the genuine needs of users.
Evolving Role of AI in Product Development: Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping the future of product development, introducing new methodologies that streamline the design process and encourage innovation, thereby transforming how products are conceived and brought to market.
Critical Thinking and Human Insight in AI Implementation: In the implementation of AI-driven solutions, critical thinking and human intervention play crucial roles, ensuring that technology is applied in a manner that is both practical and deeply attuned to user needs.
Navigating the AI Landscape in Design and Technology: As AI continues to evolve, understanding its impact on design and technology becomes essential. This encompasses both the benefits and challenges of AI, highlighting how it can enhance user experiences while also presenting new considerations for designers.
Connect with Bridget on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgetmcmullan/
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, host Mark Baldino is joined by three members of Pendo’s design team—Senior Product Design Manager Holly Reynolds, Senior Product Designer John Incampo, and Product Design Intern Ryan Markley—to explore how AI is reshaping real-world design work from the ground up.
They discuss how leadership at Pendo has created a culture of experimentation and empowerment, how AI tools like Bolt, Cursor, and Claude are integrated across the product and design process, and what it takes to balance speed with quality. Whether you're a new designer, an experienced leader, or somewhere in between, this episode is full of honest takes, practical tips, and forward-thinking insights into what AI actually looks like in a modern design team.
Key Takeaways: 1. Culture of Empowerment: Pendo’s leadership doesn’t just allow AI exploration—they encourage it, creating space for experimentation, risk-taking (without risking users), and team-driven innovation.
2. Hands-On AI Tools & Integration: From interns to senior designers, team members are actively using tools like Cursor, Claude, Bolt, and Figma’s AI features to accelerate research, prototyping, documentation, and collaboration.
3. Collaborative Learning Environment: Weekly product + AI sessions and open Slack channels create a culture of shared discovery where everyone contributes wins, tools, and ideas.
4. Practical Guardrails: While AI is everywhere, the team reinforces foundational UX process—reminding each other not to skip steps, misread data, or forget critical thinking in the rush to ship.
5. Real Wins in the Workflow: AI is unlocking richer prototyping, better animation handoff, faster research synthesis, and scalable documentation through tools like custom GPTs.
6. Design Ops Meets AI: The team is rethinking design systems and documentation with AI—exploring ways to automate OOUX structures, update components, and turn dead docs into dynamic tools.
7. Advice for AI Newcomers: Whether you’re overwhelmed, underexposed, or unsure where to start, the team shares practical tips for getting started, experimenting safely, and staying ahead of the curve.
Chapters 00:00 – Welcome + Meet the Pendo Design Trio 01:00 – Career Paths and AI Exposure 05:30 – How Pendo’s Leadership Encourages AI Exploration 08:00 – Internal AI Forums, Slack Channels, and Culture of Sharing 10:50 – Guardrails, Trust, and Responsible Use 13:00 – Balancing Speed with UX Process 15:30 – Cost, Tool Chaos, and What’s Next 17:20 – When AI Skips the Process (and How to Handle It) 20:00 – AI in Design Education: A Student’s POV 25:10 – Real Wins: Richer Prototypes and Faster Handoffs 27:50 – Using AI for Hiring, Microcopy, and Design Systems 33:00 – Turning Design System Docs into Chatbots 36:00 – Advice for Hesitant Designers and AI Newbies 42:30 – Wrap-up + Final Thoughts
In Season 2, Episode 5 of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino is joined by Pooja Vijay Kumar from Autodesk to discuss the transformative shift from product-centric to platform-centric design. Pooja shares her journey and the strategic importance of breaking down complex systems into atomic elements for better communication and understanding. The episode highlights Autodesk's approach to supporting a myriad of products and features while maintaining a cohesive infrastructure. The conversation offers practical advice for designers, product managers, and technologists navigating the evolving landscape of design. Tune in to learn about the future of design and how to thrive in a platform-centric environment.
Key Takeaways:
Shift to Platform-Centric Design Thinking: The episode underscores the essential transition from product-centric to platform-centric design, emphasizing the need for designers to adopt a mindset focused on creating systems that support multiple products and services. This shift involves breaking down complex systems into atomic elements for clarity and effective communication.
The Role of Strategic Questioning and Business Acumen: Designers are encouraged to ask pertinent questions to grasp the business value of their projects fully. Understanding and articulating the business context of design work is highlighted as a crucial skill for influencing decision-making and asserting the strategic importance of design in achieving business objectives.
Navigating Organizational Dynamics for Impact: The discussion on entering and exiting "the right rooms" metaphorically speaks to the importance of designers positioning themselves in situations where they can significantly impact and participate in crucial decision-making processes. It's about finding the balance between contributing value and seeking opportunities for meaningful involvement in strategic discussions.
Innovations in Platform Content Design: Pooja Vijay Kumar shares insights into the unique challenges and approaches in platform content design, including crafting language and metaphors that anchor user experiences. This involves a sophisticated understanding of data models, concepts, and the transition from legacy systems to more granular, data-centric approaches.
Future Directions in Design: The conversation points towards the future of design, stressing the importance for designers to equip themselves with platform-centric thinking, strategic questioning, and an understanding of business value to navigate the evolving landscape of technology and design effectively.
Connect with Pooja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poojavijaykumar/
Pooja on ADPList: https://adplist.org/mentors/pooja-vijay-kumar
In Episode 4, Season 2 of "UX Leadership By Design," Denise Tilles discusses the critical role of product operations in scaling businesses and enhancing product development. She underscores the necessity of integrating product and design teams with a strong emphasis on leveraging data and research operations to drive impactful business results. Denise targets a broad audience for the book, including product managers, VPs, CPOs, and CEOs, to emphasize the universal benefit of adopting product operations frameworks. Key insights include the essential nature of operationalizing product teams, the significance of data in refining product strategy, and the importance of cross-functional collaboration for effective operationalization.
Key Takeaways:
Data-Driven Insights: The transformative impact of integrating data analysis into product management to uncover revenue opportunities and drive strategic decisions.
Operationalizing Product Management: Identifying signs for the need to formalize product operations within growing organizations to enhance alignment and efficiency.
Broad Audience Engagement: The importance of product operations for a range of professionals from product managers to CEOs, highlighting its cross-functional relevance.
Value of Collaboration: Emphasizing the synergy between product, design, and technology operations to foster a cohesive and effective operational framework.
Learning and Growth: Encouraging a culture of continuous learning and adaptation within product teams to remain agile and responsive to market demands.
Strategic Alignment: The crucial role of product operations in aligning product development efforts with overarching business goals and customer needs.
Resource Optimization: How product operations can help in prioritizing and efficiently utilizing resources, especially in times of economic constraints.
Cross-functional Communication: Facilitating better communication and collaboration across departments to ensure a unified approach to product development and business strategy.
Empowerment through Education: The potential for operational roles to educate and empower teams in research and data literacy, enhancing their ability to contribute to product success.
Focus on Value Creation: Reiterating the core objective of product management and operations as the creation and delivery of value to customers and the business alike.
Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:13 Discovering Product Operations 04:26 Defining Product Management 05:29 Target Audience for the Book 08:14 When to Operationalize Product Teams 10:36 The Role of Data in Product Operations 18:09 Overlap and Collaboration with Other Ops Teams 22:03 Aligning Design and Product for Operationalization 23:45 The Importance of Research Ops 26:00 Collaboration between Design and Product 28:23 Talue of Product Operations
Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 2 of UX Leadership By Design. In this episode, Mark speaks with Mollie Cox, Director of Product Design at Fleet.io and Adjunct Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Mollie shares her career journey and the connection between her early career, playing hopscotch, teaching, and leadership style. She emphasizes the value of teaching practical skills. Mollie also discusses the concept of radical softness, using our emotions as a strength and not a weakness. She also explains how she carves out time for growth and mentorship within her design team, aligning individual goals with organizational goals. Mollie's commitment to designer growth is evident in her approach to leadership and mentorship. All leaders can learn a tremendous amount from Mollie's leadership style and ethos "Grow my people".
Takeaways
Teaching practical skills is important in design education to bridge the gap between theory and real-world application.
Radical softness in leadership involves being open, authentic, and transparent, while empowering team members.
Aligning individual goals with organizational goals helps create a sense of purpose and growth within the team.
Carving out time for growth and mentorship is crucial for talent retention and development.
Topics covered
Radical Softness in Leadership - Discusses the concept of using emotions as strengths in leadership and management.
Design Team Growth and Mentorship - Covers strategies for personal and professional development within design teams.
Aligning Goals with Organizational Objectives - Explores how individual aspirations can support broader company goals.
Teaching Practical Skills in Design - Highlights the importance of practical education in bridging the gap between theory and application.
Emotional Intelligence in Design - Addresses the role of emotional awareness in design leadership and teamwork.
Career Development in Product Design - Provides insights into navigating career paths and advancement in the design field.
Challenges in Design Education - Discusses the obstacles and rewards of teaching and learning design.
Empowerment through Transparent Leadership - Examines how openness and authenticity foster team empowerment.
Applying Classroom Learnings to Professional Work - Shares examples of translating academic concepts into workplace solutions.
Retention and Talent Development - Looks at the importance of nurturing talent for long-term retention and team success.
Links
Mollie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molliecox/
Mollie mentoring on ADList https://adplist.org/mentors/mollie-cox
The title says it all -- we cover a ton in Season 2, Episode 2 of UX Leadership By Design, as Mark Baldino talks with Shan Shen, a Principal UX designer at Custom Ink. Shan shares her background in design and her transition to a leadership role as they discuss the challenges designers face in a remote work environment and the importance of creating support systems. Shan shares tips for designers and leaders in navigating difficult situations and emphasizes the need for designers to understand the language of business and focus on delivering value. We'll say it again -- value is the love language of business.
Takeaways
Transitioning from a designer to a leadership role takes time and involves understanding one's unique design skills and how they can create impactful experiences.
Creating a support system and fostering open communication is crucial for designers, especially in a remote work environment.
Designers and leaders should focus on listening, empathy, and understanding to navigate difficult situations and support team members.
Designers need to embrace the language of business and communicate in terms of value to have a strategic impact in organizations.
Topics Covered:
Transition from Designer to Leader
Challenges of Remote Work in Design
Integrating Business Strategy with Design
The Role of Empathy in Design
Strategic Decision Making in Design
Balancing Self-Care and Professional Growth
Influences of Design Thinking on Business
Speaking the Language of Business
Leadership Skills in the Design Industry
Creating Value through Design
Links:
Shan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanshen1/
Shan on ADPList - https://adplist.org/mentors/shan-shen
Welcome to Season 2 of UX Leadership by Design. In this episode, we talk to Bryn McCoy, a seasoned UX design leader, who shares her journey from a maker in tech to a design leader. Bryn emphasizes the importance of collaboration between product and design teams, addressing challenges in the tech industry, and the need for innovation in times of uncertainty. Bryn also highlights the significance of maintaining creativity and motivation within teams and stresses the importance of personal and cultural growth. The episode covers various topics including the transition from making to leading, collaboration strategies, and maintaining team motivation amidst challenges, ending with recommendations for further resources.
Takeaways
Collaboration between product and design teams is crucial for successful projects.
Innovation is necessary, even in challenging times, and can involve retooling existing infrastructure.
Leaders should prioritize personal and cultural growth to maintain creativity and motivation within teams.
Taking time for self-care and giving oneself grace is essential for effective leadership.
Cultivating vision and voice is key to inspiring and leading teams in innovative endeavors.
Topics Covered
UX Design Team Collaboration
Innovation and Creative Design
Challenges & Growth in UX Leadership
Motivating Creative Design Teams
Resilience in Design Leadership
Synergy with Product Leadership
Strategies for UX Leadership
Cultural Dynamics in UX
Links:
Bryn McCoy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brynmccoy/
https://brynmccoy.com/
Mineral -Professional Coaching & Training: https://madebymineral.com/Professional
Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence--The Groundbreaking Meditation Practice by Daniel Dr. Siegel: https://www.amazon.com/Aware-Practice-Presence-Groundbreaking-Meditation/dp/1101993049
In this episode, we explore design leadership and entrepreneurship with Cameron Ridenour, Chief Design Officer of CoNote. Cameron brings listeners into the process of novel product design - highlighting the intricate journey of aligning user requirements with a company's strategic goals. Mark and Cameron discuss transitioning from a traditional design roles to a co-founders and product leaders.
This is a great episode for UX Design leaders who are interested in strategies for harmonizing often conflicting aspects of product development. Through practical, real-world examples, listeners gain an understanding of how to maintain a clear and consistent product design direction, even when faced with varying user feedback or short-term opportunities from stakeholders.
TOPICS: 1. Non-Traditional Paths to Design Leadership 2. The Evolution of UX Research Tools 3. Balancing User-Centric Design with Commercial Viability 4. The Role of UX in Product Development at Startups 5. Managing Technical Debt in UX Design 6. User-Centered Design Across Different Mediums 7. Building a Cohesive Design Team 8. UX Leadership and Positive Team Culture 9. AI in UX: Enhancing Research and Synthesis 10. Tools and Strategies for Effective Research Synthesis
LINKS: Cameron Ridenour on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/voltronfutura/ CoNote: www.conote.ai Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug : https://sensible.com/dont-make-me-think/ Fuzzy Math: fuzzymath.com Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbaldino/
In Episode 11 of UX Leadership by Design, Joana Castro, Director of UX at Buildium in Portugal explains how she leverages UX Maturity models at Buildium, and more broadly, how organizations can use UX maturity assessments to measure progress (and regression), demonstrate the value of UX, and secure investment in user experience. This episode offers practical advice for UX leaders interested in implementing a UX maturity model in their organization, effectively using storytelling as a strategy to help stakeholders connect to user problems, and hiring and developing junior designers.
TOPICS: 1. The State of the UX Market in Portugal 2. Building and Managing UX Teams 3. The Importance of Soft Skills in UX 4. Using storytelling to cultivate stakeholder buy in 5. Transitioning from Individual Contributor to UX Leader 6. The UX Maturity Model by Nielsen Norman Group 7. Assessing and Demonstrating UX Value 8. Demonstrating ROI and Business Value of UX 9. The Impact of UX Maturity Assessments
LINKS: Joana Castro LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joana-isadora-castro/ Buildium: https://www.buildium.com/ Atlas (North American Report) by Sequoia: https://atlas.sequoiacap.com/ Nielsen Norman Group: 6 Levels of UX Maturity Model: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-maturity-model/ Nielsen Norman Group: UX Maturity Survey: https://forms.nngroup.com/s3/Maturity-Quiz
Are design leaders and their teams neglecting the power of wireframing in UX design? In the latest episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino explores this question, and others, with Billy Carlson, a design leader and educator.
The episode dives deep into the often underestimated process of wireframing, emphasizing its critical role in project development. Billy underscores the value of staying in the the "gray areas" of low-fidelity design early on, as it allows teams to refine their ideas, establish content structures, and secure stakeholder buy-in before transitioning to high-fidelity design. They also talk about Billy's recent book, "Wireframing for Everyone," which aims to democratize wireframing, making it accessible to both designers and non-designers.
If you're a design leader in the UX field, this podcast episode offers a fresh perspective and actionable insights to elevate your team's design process.
ABOUT OUR GUEST: Billy Carlson is a design educator at Balsamiq, where he helps new and non-designers learn best practices for all phases of user interface and digital product design. He teaches university-level UX and design thinking courses, and, as a designer since 2005, he’s worked on myriad products and led large UX teams at various organizations.
TOPICS: The Role of Wireframing in UX Design Importance of Staying in Low Fidelity Strategies to Encourage Collaboration in Wireframing Challenges Faced by Design Leaders Benefits of Concept Development in Design Balancing Control and Collaboration as a Design Leader Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Design Lead The Intersection of Design Leadership and Education The Process of Writing a UX Design Book Effective Communication in Early Design Phases
LINKS: Wireframing for Everyone: https://abookapart.com/products/wireframing-for-everyone Balsamiq Wireframes Academy: https://www.balsamiq.com/learn Billy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billycarlson Balsamiq: https://www.balsamiq.com/
In Episode 9 of UX Leadership by Design Mark talks to Tom Scotto, a design leader and consultant. Tom explains how embracing a quirky and creative team environment fosters innovation and collaboration and provides strategies to navigate and communicate the disruptive nature of design, both within your team and outside the design walls.
Tom emphasizes the importance of recognizing that all design is disruptive and encourages a shared understanding of this concept among team members and stakeholders. Gain valuable tips on presenting disruption positively and collaborating effectively across disciplines. This episode is a valuable resource for UX Design leaders looking to drive change, build collaborative team cultures, and facilitate effective communication.
TOPICS: 1. The value of fostering a creative, quirky, and collaborative environment. 2. Disruption as an inherent aspect of design and its impact on all facets. 3. Encouraging a quirky mindset within design teams for enhanced creativity. 4. Balancing disruption with collaboration across different functional teams. 5. The importance of understanding disruption within and outside design. 6. Overcoming hurdles in communicating design changes and driving innovation. 7. Strategies for effectively presenting disruptive design concepts to non-designers.
LINKS: Tom Scotto on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjscotto Tom Scotto's Website - https://tomscotto.com/
EPISODE DESCRIPTION: UX design leader Maria Giudice joins host Mark Baldino to discuss the core qualities that UX leaders need to become effective change agents. Drawing from three decades of experience, Maria underscores the significance of integrating design principles into leadership roles, enabling anyone to champion change.
Maria's approach, outlined in her book Changemakers: How Leaders can Design Change in an Insanely Complex World focuses on empathy, shared goals, and effective communication, making it accessible for both designers and non-designers alike.
TOPICS: 1. Changemaker Approach in UX Leadership 2. Change Management 3. Building Trust and Vision 4. Empathy and Collaboration 5. Strategies for UX Leaders 6. Art of being a Changemaker
LINKS: Rise of the DEO, Leadership by Design: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-DEO-Leadership-Design-Voices/dp/0321934393 Changemakers: How Leaders can Design Change in an Insanely Complex World: https://www.amazon.com/Changemakers-Leaders-Design-Insanely-Complex/dp/1959029142 Maria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariagiudice
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino is joined by veteran UX strategist Paul Boag to explore what’s holding design organizations back—and how to fix it. With over 30 years of experience across sectors, Paul shares why small, underfunded UX teams must stop trying to “own” design and instead empower others through training, standards, and strategic leadership. From breaking down the four pillars of a strong UX practice to candid takes on titles, culture change, stakeholder influence, and democratizing design, this conversation is packed with perspective and practical advice.
Key Takeaways
Design isn’t yours to own: UX teams need to stop trying to control everything and instead focus on enabling others across the organization to improve user experience.
Democratizing UX scales your impact: A Center of Excellence (CoE) model empowers non-designers to participate in UX while design leaders maintain standards and guidance.
Perfection is the enemy of progress: You can’t scale UX by insisting on pixel-perfect quality. Impact at scale comes from breadth, not control.
Influence comes from empathy: We do user research for customers, but not for stakeholders. Understand your colleagues like users to gain traction.
Start with working policies: You may not be able to enforce org-wide UX standards—but you can set boundaries for how you work effectively.
Design leaders must become culture hackers: Changing design maturity in an organization means shifting how teams think, work, and value UX over time.
Chapters
00:00 – Introductions and background
05:45 – Designer Is the Problem Word
08:36 – UX Teams Are Too Small to Own Everything
10:58 – Democratizing UX at Oxford
13:09 – Letting Go of Pixel Perfection
17:02 – 4 Pillars of UX Leadership
23:51 – From Working Policies to Org-wide Standards
In this UX Leadership by Design podcast episode, host Mark Baldino of Fuzzy Math talks with Alfred Kahn, an experienced design leader and author. They discusses navigating complex problem spaces, infusing consumer-grade UX principles into enterprise design, and strategies for collaborative success between the "tripod" - design, product, and engineering. This episode is a valuable resource for UX Design leaders looking to better understand how to shift design's role within an organization, emphasizing metrics, research, and effective communication, and aligning teams with strategic objectives.
Topics:
Creating Collaborative Environments
Evolving Role of Design
Building Successful UX Teams
Building Alliances
Effective Design Leadership
Usability Testing as a Gateway to Enhance User-Centric Design
Design Metrics and Value
Evolving Role of Design in Organizations
Links: Alfred on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredkahn
Welcome to the "UX Leadership by Design" podcast, hosted by Mark Baldino, Co-Founder of Fuzzy Math. In Episode 6, we have the pleasure of featuring Santiago Viteri, the Associate Director of UX and Digital Accessibility Standards of the UX Center of Excellence at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Join us as Santiago shares his inspiring journey of helping shape a UX Center of Excellence within a large organization, emphasizing the significance of credibility and problem-solving through a user-focused approach. Discover the pivotal role he sees for digital accessibility and the "shift left" mentality in creating inclusive and user-friendly designs right from the start. Don't miss this insightful conversation on UX, accessibility, and the art of design with a science-driven mindset. Gain valuable insights for building successful UX teams and fostering a culture of innovation.
Topics:
Design Thinking for Healthcare
Agile Approach for Digital Accessibility
Product Development & UX Strategy
Measuring UX Impact
Accessibility Compliance
Digital Accessibility
Shift Left Mentality
Inclusive Design
Building Successful UX Teams
Links:
Santiago on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiagoviteri/
IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) credential: https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/s/certified-professional
Google HEART framework: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/google-s-heart-framework-for-measuring-ux
System Usability Scale (SUS): https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/system-usability-scale.html
In this episode of the "UX Leadership by Design" podcast hosted by Mark Baldino of Fuzzy Math, Greg Thomas, Director of User Experience at TaxSlayer, shares how his team captures user data at specific times to make data-driven decisions and presents a strong case to executives, business owners, and product leaders. By using a one-question survey with a one-to-seven scale (Single Ease Question or SEQ) , they prioritize fixes in the backlog and give users a voice without adding any overhead to the team. This episode is a valuable resource for UX design leaders seeking insights into capturing customer data and making better decisions.
Topics Covered:
- Making data-driven decisions in UX design
- Benefits of user-centered design for business success
- Importance of data capture tools and user feedback in UX design
- Understanding and using Single Ease Question (SEQ) Scores to improve UX design
- Prioritizing fixes and challenges in UX design
- Building and leading UX research teams
- Driving design decisions through in-context data capture
- Strategies for Prioritizing Fixes in a UX Design Backlog
About our Guest: Greg is a software industry veteran with an extensive background in researching and creating user-centered omnichannel customer experiences and in managing, advising Product Management and helping set strategy going forward. Examples of his work can be found on a wide array of platforms including; web, mobile apps, tablet apps, mobile web, point of sale, pin pad, kiosk, voice systems, mobile payment, and internal employee operation systems.
Currently, he is the Director of User Experience Design at TaxSlayer.com where he reports to the CEO and works directly with Senior leadership. Prior to joining TaxSlayer, he worked for Fortune 500 companies such as Walgreens, Motorola and for other industry leaders such as Peapod, and Legacy.com.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Human-Computer Interaction from DePaul University in Chicago, a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Butler University, and an executive certificate in Product Management from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
His innovations have led to him being listed as a co-creator of one patent and sole creator of another.
Resources & Links
- Find Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomas10/
- More about Single Ease Question (SEQ): https://measuringu.com/seq10/#:~:text=The%20Single%20Ease%20Question%20(SEQ)%20is%20a%207%2Dpoint,was%20the%20task%20to%20complete%3F
This episode of "UX Leadership by Design," the podcast by and for UX leaders, is brought to you by Fuzzy Math, the award-winning user experience design consultancy. In this episode, our host Mark Baldino chats with Nate Felt, a Senior Product Designer at Amazon, about stakeholder communication and management. As a designer, it's easy to focus on creating great UI and deliverables, but when transitioning to a design leader, communication and selling design ideas become crucial skills. Join us to learn from Nate's experiences and find the right balance between design output and communication.
Topics Covered:
- Transitioning from a design practitioner to a lead role
- Non-traditional paths into UX design
- Importance of digital storytelling in UX design
- Psychology & counseling skills in UX design
- Sales skills in UX design
- Collaborating with stakeholders in UX design
- Design thinking and problem-solving skills in UX design
- Importance of empathy in UX design
- The role of UX in the internal partner ecosystem
- Identifying champions for UX in different parts of the process
- Tips for identifying advocates for UX
- The importance of passion and decision-makers in UX advocacy.
About our Guest: Nate Felt is a Senior Product Designer at Amazon where he measures human behavior and interaction. Nate's goal is to discern people's motives and goals and he uses this information to help improve the technology we use. In addition to 6 years studying psychology and 6 years studying communication technology, Nate has been in the Bay Area working in UX Design for the past 12 years.
Resources & Links: 1. Articulating Design Decisions: Communicate with Stakeholders, Keep Your Sanity, and Deliver the Best User Experience by Tom Greever https://www.amazon.com/Articulating-Design-Decisions-Communicate-Stakeholders-ebook/dp/B08FVV7PDN?ref_=ast_author_dp
2. Find & Connect with Nate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanfelt/
On this episode of "UX Leadership by Design" join host Mark Baldino as he interviews Bryan Garvey, the Associate Director of User Experience and Insights at Radio Systems Corporation. Discover Bryan's multi-year journey in bringing UX design to the company, the crucial role of stakeholder management, and the power of fostering a growth mindset among his team. Hear about the challenges of balancing multiple focuses from E-commerce to marketing to physical product design. Learn why it's important to not get too caught up in titles and instead focus on growing the UX department within the organization. Bryan emphasizes the importance of empathizing with stakeholders and understanding the business. Enhance your UX leadership skills today.
Topics covered:
1. How to get initial buy-in from stakeholders
2. Identifying the right people to back your plans
3. Collaborative approach between design and development
4. UX design for marketing, websites, apps, to physical product
5. How to expand the role and function of your UX tea
6. Encouraging a "push mindset" in your team
7. Importance of small details to solving design challenges
8. The value of evangelizing
9. Empathizing with Stakeholders
About our guest: Bryan first started obsessing over experience details by putting on Star Wars plays in neighborhood backyards. Today he pushes to make things better through research, UX, and industrial design in the world of pet products. In his spare time, he creates different kinds of experiences on live music stages and in the outdoors.
Resources & Links:
Connect with Bryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-garvey-8a02a313/
Book Recommendation: Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Conversations-Tools-Talking-Stakes/dp/1260474216/
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, host Mark Baldino interviews Chris Willis, the Chief Design Officer at Domo. As a Chief Design Officer and futurist, Chris combines data technology and emerging trends to make Domo an indispensable platform for its customers. The episode provides practical advice for UX designers looking to have a more impactful career and for design leaders who want to grow and nurture their design team. This is a must-listen episode for anyone in the UX industry who wants to stay ahead of the game, stay competitive in their field, and future-proof their career.
About our guest: As Domo's chief design officer and futurist, Chris' hyper-focus on combining data, technology and emerging trends in innovative ways helps to make Domo an indispensable platform for its customers. He has nearly three decades of design leadership experience in web, mobile and data visualization. And as one of Domo's earliest employees, he's involved in every aspect – from initial design, strategy and execution – of building and developing solutions that solve even the most complex problems faced by customers.
Topics covered: 1. Transitioning from designer to design lead
2. Importance of a creative's background diversity
3. Data technology and design trends.
4. Soft skills for design leaders
5. Gaps in traditional design education curriculum
Mark Baldino is the host of the UX leadership podcast and the co-founder of Fuzzy Math, a UX design firm. In today's episode, he interviews Parisa Bazl, the Head of User Experience at Commvault, an enterprise data protection and data management software company. Bazl's work focuses on scaling the impact of UX teams within an organization while also promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the design community. She has been able to bring people with non-traditional backgrounds into the design field through a training program using a unique combination of system-level thinking and frameworks.
Topics covered:
1. UI and UX design 2. Digital product strategy 3. UX design operations 4. Growing and scaling a UX team 5. Hiring and recruiting for UX 6. Diversity and inclusion in design 7. Best practices for UX leadership
About our guest:
After studying Information Science in graduate school, Parisa has worked in UX for 12 years and now leads the team at Commvault Systems. Much of her leadership work is focused on scaling the impact of a UX team within an organization while also opening up opportunities for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the design world. She enjoys living in New York City, traveling outside of it, and working with people who bring out the best in each other.
In this joyful and energizing episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino is joined by creativity catalyst Melissa Dinwiddie — a Juilliard-trained dancer turned artist, jazz singer, improviser, and innovation strategist and coach. Melissa helps individuals and teams get unstuck and unlock their creative potential, even (and especially) when they don’t see themselves as creative. She walks us through her deceptively simple “Create the Impossible” framework—Play Hard, Make Crap, Learn Fast—and dives deep into why perfectionism is the enemy of progress.
Whether you’re a self-identified “non-creative,” an overthinking perfectionist, an analytically minded problem-solver, or a leader trying to build more innovative teams, this episode is packed with insight, laughter, and incredibly actionable advice. Bonus content: Melissa was kind enough to create an IMPACT Innovation Checklist for all of our listeners.
Key Takeaways
Play Hard, Make Crap, Learn Fast – Melissa’s 3-part framework helps people move through creative blocks with intention and joy.
Everyone is Creative – The belief that creativity is for “others” is one of the biggest blockers to innovation.
Perfectionism Kills Progress – Creatives often get stuck chasing an unattainable ideal. Melissa advocates for “intentional imperfectionism.”
Improv Builds Better Teams – Activities like “Time Traveler” help teams build empathy, communicate better, and influence with impact.
Self-Compassion Fuels Innovation – Letting go of judgment and leaning into curiosity enables us to grow, create, and experiment more freely.
Chapters
00:00 – Welcome & Guest Intro
00:22 – From Juilliard to Jazz
02:24 – The Creativity Myth
05:40 – The “Create the Impossible” Framework
07:02 – Breaking the “I’m Not Creative” Label
11:41 – Improv for Innovation & Communication
18:16 – Play Hard, Make Crap, Learn Fast
24:03 – Helping Creatives Let Go of Perfectionism
27:52 – Mark’s Tile Confession
32:40 – Where to Find Melissa & Listener Resources
What’s it really like inside a UX consultancy? In this special in-house episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino sits down with two incredible Fuzzy Math teammates — Senior Designer Madeleine Byrne and Senior Project Manager Jaléssa Savage — to talk about what UX leadership looks like from the inside out.
They unpack how projects are structured, how cross-functional teams communicate, and how empathy, clarity, and constraints shape successful outcomes. From wrangling stakeholders to making smart design trade-offs, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how Fuzzy Math keeps projects human, impactful, and on track — with a few hot takes and laughs along the way.
Whether you’re growing into leadership or just curious how collaborative teams actually work, this one’s packed with insights and energy.
Key Takeaways:
Balancing Empathy Across Users and Clients – True design leadership means understanding not just end-users but also the internal and external stakeholders shaping the work.
Why Design Needs Guardrails – PMs aren’t just managing scope — they’re helping passionate designers stay focused and productive within real-world constraints.
Visuals Are Alignment Tools, Not Just Outputs – Design artifacts aren’t just deliverables; they’re powerful tools for clarifying thinking and aligning teams.
Stakeholder Trust Starts Early – Trust-building begins with structured project kickoffs and intentional communication — not just when the work hits Figma.
Client Assumptions Need Evidence – Teams often bring mental models of what they want; our job is to validate, challenge, and guide them with research and strategy.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introducing the Fuzzy Math Team
00:51 – Madeleine’s Journey from Theater to UX
03:19 – Jaléssa’s Journey from Events to Project Management
05:57 – Listening and Building Trust with Clients
12:47 – How Fuzzy Math Project Teams Work Together
25:10 – Common Design Challenges and How We Handle Them
31:31 – Working with Clients Who Have a Mental Model
43:06 – Hot Takes and Advice for Aspiring Leaders
Links:
Connect with Madeleine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-byrne-150a959a/
Connect with Jaléssa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jalessasavage/
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino talks with Chris Silvestri, founder and chief conversion copywriter at Conversion Alchemy. Chris brings a rare blend of backgrounds—software engineer, UX designer, and conversion copywriter—to tackle one of the toughest challenges in B2B: turning complex decision-making into clear, effective messaging. We dig into his AI-powered empathy framework, PATH, and explore how he uses customer research, simulated personas, and real language to help teams write content that connects. For anyone working in UX, product, or content, this is a masterclass in aligning messaging with how humans actually think, feel, and decide.
Key Takeaways
Empathy can be “engineered” – Chris shares his AI-powered PATH framework (Prepare, Articulate, Test, Harmonize) to simulate customer personas and deepen user empathy.
Conversion is a series of micro-decisions – It’s not just about a final click—every piece of copy should guide users through their decision-making process one step at a time.
Vague messaging creates drop-off – If users can’t understand what you do, who it’s for, or why it’s different in a few seconds, they’ll bounce.
Expectation-setting is everything – From homepage copy to “Book a Demo” CTAs, clear expectations can dramatically reduce friction and build trust.
AI won’t replace writers—it augments them – Used correctly, LLMs can simulate customers, test ideas, and accelerate iteration—if humans remain in the loop.
UX, sales, and copy need a shared foundation – Chris’s work helps unify these functions by anchoring messaging in customer research and decision psychology.
Chapters
00:00 – From Engineering to Empathy
03:47 – Lessons from Dangerous Machines
06:02 – The Pyramid of Conversion
10:56 – Jobs to Be Done in B2B
13:47 – Selling to the Whole Buying Team
17:45 – Common Copy Mistakes
25:45 – AI and Empathy: The PATH Framework
31:00 – How Chris Uses AI Personas for Better Copy
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino talks with Mauricio Steffen, Senior Director of Product Management at Ericsson, about the crucial role customer research and empathy play in successful product management. Mauricio shares his unique career path, transitioning from corrections officer to frontline support, then into product management, highlighting how deep, empathetic listening skills have been essential across all roles. The conversation explores how to scale customer feedback processes, synthesize insights effectively, and navigate stakeholder management. Mark and Mauricio challenge the common misinterpretation of Henry Ford’s quote about customer research, emphasizing the importance of genuinely understanding underlying customer needs. Practical advice is offered for breaking through organizational blinders, advocating for meaningful change, and maintaining balance when strategic initiatives seem misaligned with immediate customer requests.
Key Takeaways
Empathy and Active Listening: Genuine empathy and active listening are key skills that transcend industry and job function, essential for product management success.
Scaling Customer Feedback: Utilize scalable methods like AI (LLMs) to analyze and summarize customer feedback at scale, uncovering patterns and root causes effectively.
Root Cause Analysis: Go beyond surface-level customer requests by digging deeper to uncover true underlying problems and needs, rather than just stated wants.
Stakeholder Engagement: Engage stakeholders early, make them feel heard, and clearly communicate decisions to achieve alignment and minimize resistance.
Embracing Customer Feedback: Treat customer feedback as a valuable gift; show appreciation and continuously demonstrate that input shapes your product decisions.
Admitting Mistakes: Develop the courage to pivot or stop projects when customer and market feedback indicates potential failure; maintaining an honest, reflective process is key to sustainable success.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Mauricio Steffen
02:09 Career Journey: From Corrections Officer to Product Management
06:57 The Role and Philosophy of Product Management
09:59 Influencing Stakeholders: Education, Listening, and Empathy
12:42 Scaling Customer Feedback and Leveraging AI
15:34 Why “Faster Horse” Is a Cop-Out: Understanding Customer Needs
22:49 Breaking Organizational Blinders with Customer Insights
26:07 The Challenge of Admitting Mistakes and Changing Course
29:37 Root Cause Analysis: From Wants to True Customer Needs
35:33 Empathy as the Key Skill for All Stakeholder Management
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino sits down with David Hirschfeld, founder and CEO of Tekyz, about the Launch First methodology—a metrics-driven approach to de-risking product development and achieving product-market fit before building software. David shares insights from working with over 90 startups, highlighting the common pitfalls that lead to failure, particularly the mistake of waiting too long to validate revenue. He breaks down how to identify the right niche, perform root cause analysis, and use high-fidelity prototypes to pre-sell software before investing in an MVP. Whether you're a startup founder, a product leader, or iterating on a new SaaS offering, this episode offers actionable strategies to validate demand, avoid wasted development, and accelerate success.
Key Takeaways
The Biggest Mistake Startups Make - Most startups fail due to lack of product-market fit, not running out of money. Waiting too long to validate revenue leads to wasted resources and increased risk.
Flipping the MVP Approach - Instead of using an MVP to test product-market fit, use it to validate product-solution fit—ensuring real customers will use it, not just buy it.
Pre-Selling Before Building - High-fidelity prototypes that feel like real software can be used to sell the vision and secure early customers before writing a single line of code.
The Power of Niche Analysis - Startups should identify a niche where pain points have both a high cost and a high perceived impact, ensuring customers are both willing and able to pay.
The Scientist vs. The Believer - Founders often wear the "black robe" of belief in their vision, but success comes from adopting the "white coat" of data-driven decision-making.
Speed Matters: Fail Fast, Fail Cheap - Instead of spending years and millions developing a product that may not sell, Launch First helps founders validate demand in 3-5 months.
Lifetime Licenses Aren’t Crazy - For some SaaS models, offering lifetime licenses in pre-sales can be a smarter way to fund development than raising capital and losing equity.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to David Hirschfeld's Journey
03:01 Why Most Startups Fail: The Real Reason
09:31 Understanding Product-Market Fit vs. Product-Solution Fit
14:46 Sell Before You Build: The Power of Pre-Sales
19:31 Finding the Right Niche with Data-Driven Decisions
24:31 From Founder to Scientist: The Mindset Shift
In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino sits down with Mike Nowak, Principal Product Manager at Deloitte Digital, to explore the philosophy and pragmatism behind product management. Mike shares his unconventional journey from theology and philosophy to product leadership, emphasizing the importance of humility, adaptability, and cross-functional collaboration in the product space. The conversation dives into the interplay between UX, engineering, and product management, the challenge of defining “what to build and why”, and how organizations can create a culture where mistakes lead to learning, not failure. The discussion also covers why product decisions are often political, the evolving role of product ops, and how businesses can better align incentives to build truly user-centered products.
Key Takeaways
Product as the Interstitial Role - Product management isn’t just about writing requirements—it’s about bridging the gaps between UX, engineering, and business stakeholders, ensuring alignment on desirability, feasibility, and viability.
Pragmatism in Product Development - The best teams focus on what works in the real world, not just what sounds good in theory. Product teams must fail fast, test ideas quickly, and iterate based on real user feedback.
Why Product Decisions Are Political - Prioritization isn’t just about logic—it’s about navigating internal politics, aligning incentives, and helping stakeholders understand why some initiatives move forward while others don’t.
The Rise of Product Operations - Many organizations struggle with operationalizing best practices. Product Ops can bring structure to decision-making, create data-driven prioritization frameworks, and help teams scale effective processes.
Psychological Safety Drives Innovation - The most effective teams aren’t afraid to say, “We don’t know yet.” Creating an environment where mistakes are learning opportunities is critical for long-term product success.
In this special Season 3 premiere of UX Leadership by Design, Fuzzy Math co-founders Mark Baldino and Ben Ihnchak sit down live with their team for a candid Q&A reflecting on nearly 18 years of building a UX consultancy. From stakeholder management and work-life balance to founding lessons and company culture, the two share honest insights on what it really takes to lead and grow a design firm. Whether you’re a UX leader, aspiring founder, or design professional, this episode is packed with real-world wisdom from two people who’ve lived it.
Key Takeaways
Trust is the foundation of a lasting co-founder relationship
Selling on relationships and outcomes matters more than selling on process
Helping people grow in their careers is one of the most rewarding parts of running a firm
Work-life balance looks different for everyone — knowing your priorities is what matters
Transitioning from founder-led to a leadership team model is a game changer
Stakeholder management is both the hardest and most rewarding part of consulting
Culture doesn’t disappear when you go remote — it just requires more intention
You don’t have to be passionate about every part of running a business to be great at it
Chapters
00:00 — Welcome & Intro: A Special Live Season 3 Premiere
01:00 — Introducing Ben Ihnchak: 18 Years of Fuzzy Math
02:24 — What Would Surprise You About Your Co-Founder?
05:10 — Advice We Wish We Had When Starting Out
09:28 — Work-Life Balance as a Founder & Parent
14:34 — Biggest Accomplishments & Milestones at Fuzzy Math
19:15 — Misconceptions About UX & Stakeholder Challenges
27:37 — How Fuzzy Math Started & What We’ve Learned