Anfi and Ioana discuss what factors influence promotions and strategies for designers in various contexts to achieve advancement in your career. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. In this episode: • What factors come into play when seeking a promotion? • How can designers in different contexts achieve promotion? • What are the tips for designers who feel frustrated about not being promoted? • What strategies can designers employ if they work in environments that d...
Mar 05, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 127
Anfisa and Ioana delve into the challenges that senior designers face as they reach the peak of their careers. In this episode: • Anfi and Ioana share their personal experiences • Should you aim for a management position, or is it better to focus on growing as an individual contributor? • What skills should I learn next? Check out these links: Join Anfi’s Job Search community . The community includes 3 courses, 12 live events and workshops, and a varie...
Feb 25, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Chris Abad is a design leader at ex-director at places like Google, Square, Dropbox, and Salesforce . He is launching Design Storytelling: Turn Resistance into Buy-in course , which starts on February 17th. Anfisa and Chris discuss the essential qualities that make a great designer, the importance of storytelling in portfolios, and the role of designers in today's market and beyond. In this episode: • Do you think the roles of Product Manager and Product Designer will merge in the...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Anfisa and Ioana explore strategies for navigating the design market in challenging times and discuss what essential skills designers need to acquire. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. In this episode: • What skills should I focus on learning now to stay relevant in the design market? • How will technology advancements impact the job market and skills demand in 2025 and beyond? • How can I adapt to emerging technologies, including AI? Check out these links: Io...
Jan 21, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Anfisa and Ioana share their reflections on the year. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. In this episode: • What achievements are we most proud of from this year? • What were the defining high and low moments we experienced? • What key themes or words resonate with our intentions for the coming year? Check out these links: Ioana's AI Goodies Newsletter Join Anfi’s Job Search community . The community...
Dec 24, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Ioana and Lena explore the design market for 2024-2025, highlighting key trends, in-demand skills, and insights to help you navigate and thrive in this dynamic industry. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. In this episode: 0:59 Episode starts 1:54 Wix Sponsorship 4:46 How did Lena get into recruitment, and what’s her background? 9:17 What’s the current state of the design industry? 17:06 Are specialized roles still relevant? 19:23 In light of economic downturn...
Dec 17, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Ioana engages in a thoughtful discussion about burnout with guests Meg Rye and Laurence Galland. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. In this episode: 0:46 intro 02:05 Wix sponsorship message 04:11 - Guests' background and interest in burnout 07:36 - Observations on designer experiences and industry challenges 15:57 - Symptoms and manifestations of burnout 20:17 - Steps to take upon realizing burnout + prevention tips 28:23 - Advice for those facing burnout thr...
Dec 10, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Anfisa and Ioana talk about their favorite UX design books. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. In this episode: • What were some of the most influential books that shaped our careers? • What are some of the must-read books that we would recommend to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry? Design book classics we mentioned: The design of everyday things (by Don Norman) Don't make me think (by Steve Krug) Visual Explanations (by Edward Tufte) Stea...
Dec 05, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Anfisa and Ioana dive into how design roles might evolve in the future. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. In this episode: • What trends are currently shaping the design landscape? • How do you envision the future of career growth within the design field? • What do you anticipate for researchers and content designers, who also play integral roles in design organizations? Check out these links: Ioana's AI Goodies Newsletter Join Anfi’s ...
Nov 21, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Anfi and Ioana explore whiteboarding exercises and take-home assignments, discuss their experiences and share tips for successfully completing them. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. In this episode: • What are whiteboarding exercises and take-home assignments? • What are some common examples of whiteboarding challenges and take-home assignments? • When should you accept or decline assignments? • What tips can help you successfully complete whiteboarding challenge...
Nov 12, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Anfi and Ioana dive into the journey of an AI designer, exploring the transition from concept to production, the unique challenges of designing AI features, and the insights gained from user research that shape the process. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. Episode Timestamps: 0:51 – Episode Intro 1:55 – Wix Sponsorship 3:26 – Regular Catch-up 5:43 – Can you share your journey joining the new team as an AI Designer at Miro? 19:27 – How many of those initial concepts m...
Nov 05, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Anfi and Tommy delve into the value of specialization vs. generalization, managing tool overload, and strategies for intentional, high-quality design decisions within large companies. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. Episode Links: Tommy's website Tommy's UX Decisions online course UXtools survey and past reports Episode Timestamps: 0:31 — Episode start 1:51 — Wix Studio partnership 3:31 — Tommy shares his journey as a designer 12:26 — Tommy discusses his unique st...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 116
Anfi and Rachel delve into the creative journey of a designer, with Rachel sharing her experience of how she approached a pitch, exploring non-linear approaches to design thinking, the value of diverse backgrounds, and the art of storytelling in design. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. Episode Timestamps: 0:35 - Episode Intro 1:45 - Collaboration with Wix Studio 3:07 - Can you share your story as a designer? What led you to work with me at Mews on guest experiences? ...
Oct 23, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Anfi and Ioana explore the key factors that have shaped their career decisions and offer insights on making thoughtful choices for your professional journey. This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Studio. Episode Timestamps: 0:58 - Episode Kickoff 1:04 - Special announcement about our new partnership with Wix 3:01 - Life Updates 8:43 - Reflecting on the mechanisms behind career decisions and key learnings so far 25:40 - How to assess team dynamics, company culture, and project fit d...
Oct 16, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Anfi and Ioana share their experiences collaborating with engineers, what makes a great developer, and offer tips for improving teamwork. Timestamps: 0:41 Episode’s intro and updates from Anfi and Ioana 05:00 How has your collaboration with engineers evolved over the last 10 years? 11:52 What qualities make a good engineer from a designer’s perspective? 22:54 Tips for effective collaboration: How can regular syncing help improve teamwork? What are the strategies for staying on the same page with...
Oct 01, 2024•33 min•Season 3Ep. 113
This episode was recorded during the Hatch conference in Berlin. In this episode: • What key trends shaped the design industry in 2023 and 2024? How do they influence the design market in 2025 and beyond? • What can designers do today to stay competitive in the evolving design industry? Check out these links: Ioana's AI Goodies Newsletter Join Anfi’s Job Search community . The community includes 3 courses, 12 live events and workshops, and a vari...
Sep 17, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 112
In this episode: • What does it mean to be a mature designer? • What key traits should you focus on developing as you advance in your design career? • Is maturity in design the same as seniority, or is it something else? • Hosts share practical tips, insights, and personal stories about navigating workplace conflicts and growing into a more mature designer. Check out these links: Ioana's AI Goodies Newsletter Join Anfi’s Job Search community . The co...
Aug 20, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 111
In this episode: • Why is storytelling important? • Why is everybody talking about storytelling? What does it mean to have a story in your portfolio? • How should a good case study be structured? • What are some tips and tricks for effectively using storytelling in your portfolio? Mentioned in this episode: Hatch Conference in Berlin, September 4-6 Ioana's Instagram live on how the life of an AI product designer looks like. Join Anfi’s Job Search community . The co...
Aug 06, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Today, we are joined by Pablo Stanley, who is a designer based in Mexico. He is the co-founder and CEO at Musho & Lummi — AI design tools aimed at unlocking people's creativity. Previously, he co-founded Carbon Health and Blush , and held roles as a staff designer at Lyft and lead designer at InVision. Episode's timestamps: 01:05 Episode introduction 05:42 How did you become interested in the intersection of AI and design? What are the use cases of AI in your workflows and design pro...
Jul 31, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Today, we are joined by Nitya, who successfully landed a job at META at the beginning of the tech crisis in 2022. Currently, she works on Instagram and Messenger. In addition to her role at META, she is a product design judge at Boston University and is a guest speaker at Columbia University. In this episode: • How to Secure Your First Job Through Proactive Outreach Discover how Nitya successfully landed junior designer positions at Google and Meta. Learn about the hiring processes at these top ...
Jul 24, 2024•46 min
In this episode: • How can you leverage your secondary skills in your UX journey? • How can you utilize your background when transitioning into a UX career? • How can you begin identifying which of your skills are relevant to design? LinkedIn post mentioned in the beginning of the episode Check out these links: Ioana's AI Goodies Newsletter Join Anfi’s Job Search community : Enroll in Ioana's AI course ...
Jul 02, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 107
In this episode: • Hosts' Experiences with Office vs. Remote Jobs: • Why understanding cultural aspects is crucial for remote work? Mentioned in this episode: "Culture map" book Check out these links: Ioana's AI Goodies Newsletter Join Anfi’s Job Search community : Enroll in Ioana's AI course " **AI-Powered UX Design: How to Elevate Your UX Career"** on Interacti...
Jun 27, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 106
In this episode Anfisa and Ioana discuss how can you learn what you are good at as a UX designer. Mentioned in this episode: "Which of the million UX roles suits you best? A personality type analysis" article by Bas Wallet Hatch Conference in Berlin Check out these links: Ioana's AI Goodies Newsletter Join Anfi’s Job Search community : Enroll in Ioana's AI course " **AI-Powered UX Design: How to E...
Jun 06, 2024•28 min
In this episode, Anfisa is discussing collaboration with Michael at MEWS: • How does collaboration between UX designers and content designers look like? • What are the differences between journalism and UX writing? • What brought Michael from a journalist into UX writing? • Is it important for the UX writer to read a lot? • What's the typical workflow of the UX writer? • What UX designers can learn from content designers about accessibility? • How do you prepare yourself to enter the UX writ...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 104
In this episode: • Where does the pressure to hustle come from for designers? When can you say enough is enough? • What hustling can bring you in a positive and in a negative way? • Are junior designers more prone to hustle or feeling that they need to prove themselves? Are they having a harder time to stop compared to senior designers? Check out these links: Ioana's AI Goodies Newsletter Join Anfi’s Job Search community : Enroll in Ioana&#...
May 22, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 103
In this episode: • What are the common reasons for which stakeholders pushback on the design vision? • What are the tips and tricks for navigating pushbacks? • What were the toughest moments in your career when you got push back from stakeholders despite giving your best set of arguments? Mentioned in this episode: " Articulating Design Decisions " book Check out these courses: Join Anfi’s Job Search community : Enroll in Ioana's AI ...
May 14, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 102
In this episode: • What to do if you feel you are not good enough as a designer in the beginning of your career? • What are the factors influencing the feeling of being an impostor? • Tips and advice form Anfi and Ioana on how they dealt with impostor syndrome. • How does company culture Iinfluence your response to impostor syndrome? Mentioned in this episode: "Culture map" book Check out these courses: Join Anfi’s Job Search community : Enro...
May 01, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 101
April 22 is Earth day, which is great timing for this episode 🌎 🌿 In this episode: What does sustainability mean in digital design? • How can sustainability principles be applied to digital design? What is carbon-friendly design? • Is there a difference between life-centered design and sustainable design? • How can we introduce sustainability to our stakeholders and position it as a value? • What are the current sustainability regulations? Who would be the quick early adopters in the industry?...
Apr 23, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Apologies for the strange noises when Anfisa talks. That’s baby Greg participating in the talk. In this episode: How to articulate strong opinion and stand your ground in collaboration? When as a designer you try to get your point across, should you go for a soft strategy or should you be more pushy? How to become an effective communicator? Why building relationships with your teammates is important? Why designers should be facilitators for good decisions? Resources: "Articulating Design Decisio...
Apr 16, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 99
This Episode's sponsor: Mobbin is the world's largest mobile & web design reference library where you can find practical design inspiration from real apps that solve real design problems. Don't forget to mention Honest UX Talks, if you register at Mobbin. In this episode: • What to do if you consider quitting design industry and feel less motivated as a designer? How do you know it is time for something new? • What to do if you feel burned out from your design role? • Wha...
Apr 02, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 98
