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UX Cake

Building the layers you need to be more effective and happy in UX

UX Cake is helping you become more effective in your UX work and career. Join host Leigh Allen-Arredondo as she speaks with leaders in the field from around the globe, bringing you practical advice to get the best outcom
Latest Episode2/22/2023

(Best of) On Recovering and Reinvention: Navigating Career Changes with John Maeda

Season 3, Ep. 61
With so many people facing changes in their work and careers right now, navigating the complex and turbulent waters of layoffs, org changes, and economic adjustments can be incredibly challenging.My guest today is renowned design leader and author John Maeda - who is no stranger to career shifts and changes. In this inspiring episode, John shares his message of focusing on recovery instead of failure, the importance of intentional reinvention, and the benefits of renewal and rebuilding.This episode is a replay from 2019, and it's just as relevant today as it was then. Since our conversation in 2019, John has gone on to take on different roles and is now the VP of Design and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft. We mentioned his keynote at Interaction 19, which has since been recorded and is available online - we've included the link to that and other inspiring references we mention in the show description and on our website at uxcake.co.This episode covers a lot of ground - John talked about why we should focus on recover fast vs. fail fast, why inclusive design is so important, and why we should be using Anpanman to train our AI platforms. Links from this episodeJohn’s Keynote on Recovering & Reinvention at Interaction19John Gardner’s Essay “Self Renewal” Get the Collected Works of classic poet Kahlil GibranJoy and Sorrow - poem excerpt from “The Prophet” by Kahlil GibranBooks by John MaedaThe Laws of SimplicityHow to Speak Machine: Computational Thinking for the Rest of UsRedesigning LeadershipLinks for John MaedaYouTube LinkedIn TwitterMore resources from John available on his site https://maedastudio.comConnect with UX Cakeuxcake.co | Twitter | Instagram | Linked In | YouTube
2/22/2023

(Best of) On Recovering and Reinvention: Navigating Career Changes with John Maeda

Season 3, Ep. 61
With so many people facing changes in their work and careers right now, navigating the complex and turbulent waters of layoffs, org changes, and economic adjustments can be incredibly challenging.My guest today is renowned design leader and author John Maeda - who is no stranger to career shifts and changes. In this inspiring episode, John shares his message of focusing on recovery instead of failure, the importance of intentional reinvention, and the benefits of renewal and rebuilding.This episode is a replay from 2019, and it's just as relevant today as it was then. Since our conversation in 2019, John has gone on to take on different roles and is now the VP of Design and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft. We mentioned his keynote at Interaction 19, which has since been recorded and is available online - we've included the link to that and other inspiring references we mention in the show description and on our website at uxcake.co.This episode covers a lot of ground - John talked about why we should focus on recover fast vs. fail fast, why inclusive design is so important, and why we should be using Anpanman to train our AI platforms. Links from this episodeJohn’s Keynote on Recovering & Reinvention at Interaction19John Gardner’s Essay “Self Renewal” Get the Collected Works of classic poet Kahlil GibranJoy and Sorrow - poem excerpt from “The Prophet” by Kahlil GibranBooks by John MaedaThe Laws of SimplicityHow to Speak Machine: Computational Thinking for the Rest of UsRedesigning LeadershipLinks for John MaedaYouTube LinkedIn TwitterMore resources from John available on his site https://maedastudio.comConnect with UX Cakeuxcake.co | Twitter | Instagram | Linked In | YouTube
2/9/2023

Unleashing Your Best Work Through Healthy Conflict and Feedback with Billie Mandel

Season 3, Ep. 60
Do you want to unlock your creative potential and foster innovation? We know that collaboration and communication are vital to producing outstanding work, but what you might not know is that the foundation of that is healthy conflict. Without it, we can't achieve our creative best.On this episode, we welcome Billie Mandel, a seasoned expert in design, coaching, and education with a focus on critique, conflict, and creativity. We'll delve into the importance of expressing divergent ideas, how to ask difficult questions, and creating a safe space for diverse thoughts, mistakes, and asking "what am I missing." Additionally, we'll highlight the critical role of feedback in this journey and offer tips on how to solicit, offer, and receive feedback with care and effectiveness. So tune in as we uncover the impact of productive conflict in the quest for creativity and innovation.Books mentioned in this episodeDaring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live by Brené BrownRadical Candor: How to Get What You Want by Saying What You Mean by Kim ScottConnect with Billie MandelCEO and Chief Instigator, Mandel CreativeSpeaking engagementsLinkedInTwitterInstagramConnect with UX Cakeuxcake.co | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with LeighStrategic UX Leader Coaching and WorkshopsFollow on LinkedIn
2/1/2023

Do More With Less: The Power of a Strategic Mindset

Season 3, Ep. 59
If you're in UX, you've likely heard the question, "How can we do more with less?" especially during any economic squeeze. Many companies are cutting back on resources and downsizing teams, while still expecting the same results. Some common approaches are to argue the value of UX, or simply say "no" to requests due to lack of resources. But there’s another way, one that can increase the value of your work and foster cross-team relationships. You can look for ways to be more strategic in the work that you do.In UX, being more strategic means producing bigger outcomes instead of bigger output. It requires understanding the big picture, aligning with stakeholders, and prioritizing work based on impact.Join me as I describe a framework to help you approach your work more strategically, in a way that achieves more for the business and users’ goals without working longer hours.Links from this episodeUser data research portalBaymard InstituteDevelop strategic UX leadership skillsStrategicUXLeader.comConnect with UX Cake!uxcake.co | Twitter | Instagram | Linked In | YouTube
1/19/2023

Making Space For Meaning and Success with Tutti Taygerly

Season 3, Ep. 58
As human beings, it is embedded in us to seek purpose in everything we do. We want to do meaningful work that affects other people or pursue the passion within us.But many people wonder, is it too much to ask for an opportunity to work on something valuable?In today's episode, we are joined by Tutti Taygerly, a Leadership Coach, speaker, and author of the book “Make Space To Lead: Break patterns to find flow and focus on what matters” Tutti's primary focus is to help high-achievers make space for sustainable success, so we dive deep into conversations about making space for the things you want to do and achieve. We delve into how we can create more fulfilling work and build a career that is sustainable, by making space for what matters most to us, and how you can navigate through your current environment to maximize your creativity. Join us in this jam-packed episode filled with actionable tips on how to deal with the "Achievement Monster" and what steps you can take to create your space and utilize it the best way possible.Tutti coaches cofounders and tech leaders to embrace their unique leadership style to achieve professional impact and a sustainable company culture. She focuses on working with women, people of color, and immigrants. Previously she was a design leader at design firms, startups, and large companies including Disney and Facebook. Tutti writes for Harvard Business Review, Business Insider,  and Fast Company and her book Make Space to Lead shows high achievers how to reframe our relationship to work.  Connect with Tuttihttps://www.tuttitaygerly.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuttitaygerlyhttps://www.instagram.com/tutti/Connect with UX Cake
1/12/2023

Beyond Titles: The Real Meaning of Leadership

Season 3, Ep. 57
Join host Leigh Allen-Arredondo for this UX Cake Pop - short and sweet when you just want a bite of UX Cake! In this UX Cake Pop, I’m sharing my experience with the true meaning of leadership, which is not about having a specific job title or position of authority, but about inspiring and guiding others towards a shared goal. Anyone can be a leader at any point in their life, regardless of their title or level of experience. There are different ways of being a leader without a traditional leadership title or authority, starting with being a leader in your own life. UX pros in particular have an opportunity to create positive change through collaboration and effective communication. Listen in and consider what kind of leader you are, and what kind of leader you want to be!For more leadership resources, workshops, programs, and coaching, visit StrategicUXLeader.comConnect with UX Cake!uxcake.co | Twitter | Instagram | Linked In | YouTube
1/4/2023

Outsiders In Design - with Ryan Rumsey

Season 3, Ep. 56
In this episode I’m talking with Ryan Rumsey about feeling like an outsider in design,the very human need to belong, and some of the affects that feeling like an outsider can create in our lives and in our careers. Find out how we’ve overcome feeling like outsiders, and what we’ve done to find community. My guest Ryan Rumsey is author of Business Thinking for Designers and CEO of Second Wave Dive and the Chief Design Officers school. Before founding Second Wave Dive, Ryan worked for over 20 years as a designer and executive at Apple, Electronic Arts, USAA, Nestlé, and Comcast.  Ryan has a plethora of experience and titles in design, and yet, as we discuss, those things aren’t what we need to combat the feeling of being an outsider, or to create a feeling of belonging. —-Grab your FREE PDF download of Ryan’s book: Business Thinking for Designers by Ryan Rumsey https://www.secondwavedive.com/bookLearn more about Ryan Rumsey's Chief Design Officer School:https://thecdo.school/Other resources:Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider Worldhttps://amzn.to/3iwyU5qOriginals: How Nonconformists Rule The Worldhttps://amzn.to/3VwwyT2Follow along Leigh’s upcoming workshops & programs:www.strategicuxleader.comwww.uxcake.co
10/3/2022

Building Design Teams That Scale with Anjali Deswandikar

Ep. 55
A business can only grow as much as its people. That is why it is important to build teams with the knowledge that each of them is a key member who will eventually become a senior as you grow. In this episode, Leigh Allen-Arredondo interviews Anjali Deswandikar, the Design Director at Terralogic, Inc. and Design Team Lead at Lollypop Design, about building design teams that scale. Anjali talks about the process it took to build her teams across the globe, seeing as they grew from a handful to over 250. She takes us through the structures in place as well as how she ensures that teams are both values-driven and function with high performance. As design leaders, you don't have to bear all the weight alone. You have your team with you who can help, so build them well through this conversation.