Design Details

This past week we sat down with Ryan Sims, the former head of design at Rdio. We caught up with him about his latest career change as he heads to Adobe, what it was like growing the design team at Rdio and what it means to have a design mentor. This was an insightful episode, and we hope you all enjoy! If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Iconfinder (use promo code 'ROBOT' for 50% off your first month!) InVision Ryan on the Web: Website Twitter Dribbble Rdio Instagram Show Notes: 3:00 - We catch up with Ryan on his latest adventures in funemployment. @veen Future of Web Design Typekit @wilsonminer 9:00 - a mispronunciation kicks off a backstory of Ryan's journey at Rdio. Rdio Virb EveryBlock @malthe 15:00 - A brief diversion into Ryan's latest music. @pusha_t Clipse The Neptunes @pharrell @kendricklamar To Pimp a Butterfly My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Radiohead OK Computer Warren G 18:00 - We chat branding, Vdio and working at a music startup. Vdio Janus Friis 21:00 - Ryan explains his path to get into Rdio and how he managed a growing design team. Ryan Sims on The Great Discontent 42:00 - The two traits that Ryan looks for in a designer. @mtowber 53:00 - Ryan explains his views on design mentors and why he wished he'd had one. Styleboost @ludwig 1:06:00 - How do you navigate a career transition? @koopacetic PureVolume Neubix

This week we caught up with Erika Hall, co-founder of Mule Design and author of Just Enough Research. We dive deep into a handful of topics, from user research to gender in tech, from the Apple Watch to the evolution of San Francisco culture - we had a lot of fun recording this one! If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Iconfinder (use promo code 'ROBOT' for 50% off your first month!) Pixate (click here to save 25% on a yearly subscription!) Erika on the Web: Twitter Medium Instagram Just Enough Research Mule Design Show Notes: 3:00 - We catch up with Erika to learn about design research. Erika Hall on Medium Just Enough Research Observing the User Experience 8:00 - What are some of the myths of design and research? Steve Jobs building NeXT 16:00 - Has Mule ever considered launching original products? Mule Radio Syndicate Mule Evening Edition Unsuck-It Mule's Audubon case study The new Seattle Times 1:17:00 - Plugs! You're My Favorite Client Chug Life

Today we're excited to release a special bonus episode of the Design Details Podcast! After today's Apple Watch event we grabbed Sam Soffes to chat about the implications for us as designers and what the watch means for app design going into the future. This is our first "bonus episode" and we'd love to hear your thoughts! We're excited to explore more weekly episodes in the future but we want to make sure we get the content and format just right. If you have feedback or suggestions on this style, give us a shout on Twitter at @designdetailsfm! Sponsor: Iconfinder (use promo code 'ROBOT' for 50% off your first month!)

This week we caught up with Tim Van Damme, an amazing designer who has been a part of some of our favorite products including Instagram and Dropbox. For this hour we chat about Tim's past experience in design, working on Mailbox, Dribbble and the future of design/technology. We had a lot of fun with this show and we hope you all enjoy the conversation! If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Iconfinder (use promo code 'ROBOT' for 50% off your first month!) Hover (use promo code 'bragdriven' to save on your first order!) Tim on the Web: Website Twitter Exposure Instagram Dribbble Show Notes: 2:00 - We dig a bit into Tim's past interview experiences and first steps into the design world. The Great Discontent with Tim Van Damme net magazine 24 Ways (Tim's piece) atebits (Tweetie, Loren Brichter) 14:00 - Tim talks about taking breaks and disconnecting. Tim's Instagram Storehouse Exposure 20:00 - What it's like working on Mailbox for Mac; Tim tells us about his personal style. Mailbox 27:00 - We get into the ethos of UI design, talking about the details and emotional design. The Design Details blog posts Design Details: Tumblr for iOS Screenshot of Dropbox's uploader 37:00 - Let's talk Dribbble. Dropbox on Dribbble Tim on Dribbble 48:00 - We chat about the current state of user interfaces and what the next big leap will be. Susan Kare A polyphasic sleep experiment 55:00 - What will be the next breakthrough in input mechanisms? Paralysed woman flies F-35 fighter jet using only her mind 1:03:00 - We chat about email as a communication method and what's next for Mailbox. Email is the Worst 1:05:00 Little Big Details on Dropbox

For Episode 9, we had our first chat with two guests! This time we caught up with Paul Stamatiou and Avi Cieplinski from the Photo and Video Team at Twitter. We covered a lot this week - chatting about prototyping, wearables, design process and what it's like to work at Twitter and Apple! If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Iconfinder (use promo code 'ROBOT' for 50% off your first month!) Hover (use promo code 'bragdriven' to save 10% on your first order!) Paul on the Web: Twitter Website Instagram Github Avi on the Web: Twitter Show Notes: 2:00 - We sat down with Paul and Avi to chat about what they've been working on. Twitter Video Framer Pixate 6:00 - The importance of sharing the design process in public. Building Twitter Video 16:00 - We dive a bit deeper into prototyping at big tech companies. Origami 2.0 Sketch Beta 21:00 - We dig a bit into Paul's background as a designer. Paul's blog 53:00 - The conversation makes a quick transition into past startups and fun Twitter spin-off products. Super #IDARB twiDAQ (incorrectly called Twitstock on air) 1:00:00 - Do you have a design philosophy? @aprilzero - aprilzero.com Gyroscope 1:07:00 - We dig into some of the hiring processes in place at Twitter. Twitter Design Twitter Engineering Twitter Careers

Episode 8 everyone! This week we sat down with the lovely Chloe Park, an experience designer making things happen at OpenTable. We chat about everything from the design process at OpenTable to Chloe's biggest problems with relationships in tech. This was a fun episode for us to record and we hope you enjoy it! If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Iconfinder (use promo code 'ROBOT' for 50% off your first month!) Hover (use promo code 'bragdriven' to save on your first order!) Chloe Park on the Web: Website Twitter Dribbble Instagram Show Notes: 2:00 - We catch up with Chloe on everything she's working on at OpenTable. OpenTable 7:00 - What's the design process at OpenTable? OpenTable is hiring! The OpenTable design family 23:00 - Chloe shares a "project" she's working on... Keezy

This week we caught up with Cap Watkins, the recently-appointed VP of design at BuzzFeed. We picked Cap's brain about hiring designers, A/B testing, beard-growing, East Coast design and more. Oh, and robo-horses! If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Weebly and their Dribbble team Hover (use promo code 'bragdriven' to save on your first order!) Cap Watkins on the Web: Website Cap's Blog Twitter Instagram Video: Designing at Scale Designer News AMA Show Notes: 02:00 - Cap tells us what he's been up to lately. BuzzFeed Etsy 03:00 - We explore life as a designer on the East Coast. Bagel.io - unregistered! Kim Bost 11:30 - Cap Watkins: VP of Unnecessary Redesign. Two Weeks at BuzzFeed 15:00 - We explore a bit about the hiring decisions being made at BuzzFeed. The Boring Designer Big Nerd Ranch 18:00 - What prototyping tools are you using? Flinto InVision OOCSS Origami + Quartz Composer Pixate Form 28:30 - What does it mean to be a VP of design? Randy Hunt Reflections from a First-Time Manager 32:00 - We learn some management advice for designers. The Switch from Designer to Manager Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager 37:00 - We get down with some chef biographies. Anthony Bourdain Marcus Samuelsson Grant Achatz Kitchen Confidential 52:00 - We get back to the biggest challenges of hiring designers and some of the most common mistakes people make when applying for a design job. Dribbblification of Design 59:00 - Cap shares his process as a designer. My Design Process, Part 1 My Design Process, Part 2 My Design Process, Part 3 1:09:00 - Winding things down, here's where you can find Cap. Cap's links Satisfy your cat needs

This week we hung out with Marissa Louie - a rather prolific designer, activist, and creator who has worked on many of our favorite products at places like Apple, Yahoo, Ness Computing, and Wanelo, among others. We discussed everything from teddy bears to social justice - and the profound impact of emotional design. If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Weebly and their Dribbble team InVision Marissa Louie on the Web: Twitter Behance Dribbble BearBear Show Notes: 01:05 - Marissa's "Origin Story" Yahoo Homepage + Search OpenTable buys Ness Wanelo Marissa on Wanelo BearBear, Inc. 15:45 - How did you transition into building stuffed animals? Bear Ball 30:00 - What's a product with a really great experience? Wanelo 32:00 - Bringing emotion to data-driven products Yahoo Search Results Brian in Shanghai Yahoo Weather App 35:00 - Designers Guild On Facebook Osandi Sekoú Robinson Designer Fund Enrique Allen Designer Bridge UX Night Andi Galpern Code for America Designers Guild for Justice 44:00 - How can designers best help people? Flyers Designers care about people / affect emotions Neili (Jones) LeCarol 52:00 - BearBear + charity World Wildlife Fund

This week we had a chat with Gabriel Valdivia, a Product Designer at Facebook. He's a close friend and a remarkable designer best known for his work at Automatic. We had a great time chatting about a lot of Gabe's favorite things - from prototyping to Serial to meat/candy hybrids. If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Weebly and their Dribbble team InVision Gabe Valdivia on the Web: Website Twitter Medium Dribbble Show Notes: 01:45 - Gabe tells us about his upcoming Facebook adventure in London Facebook London 05:45 - Does the design culture at Facebook encourage bold new ideas? Slingshot 07:05 - Gabe shares about his transition from startup life to big corporation Automatic 17:30 - We learn a bit more about Facebook's latest experimental apps Facebook Labs Rooms 25:00 - What are the prototyping tools being used at Facebook? Origami Framer Sketch Pixate 37:00 - How do you design an emotional experience? Designing Happiness 45:00 - Jay did it Serial Podcast 60:00 - Gabe shares about a meaningful mentor in his life Margaret Stewart Twitter

This week we caught up with Kristy Tillman, a former designer at IDEO who now leads the design charge at Society of Grownups. We had a great time chatting across a huge range of topics, from diversity in tech to meatspace user onboarding! If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Weebly (and their Dribbble team) Hover (use coupon code "thatshouldbeaplugin" to save 10% on your first purchase) Kristy Tillman on the Web: Twitter Website Society of Grownups Detroit Water Project Show Notes: 00:00 - We catch up with Kristy about what she's working on Society of Grownups IDEO Detroit Water Project 07:00 - We explore some of Kristy's work in helping marginalized communities, including why there's less diversity in tech NY Times: Women and Minorities as Targets of Attack Online Twitter Apple Facebook Google Youth Design Eddie Opara Jared Erondu 15:30 - Kristy adds context to explaining why there are fewer prominent female designers The Confidence Code Lean In Satya Nadella: Women, Don't Ask for a Raise Imposter syndrome 19:00 - We circled back around to talk about Kristy's current work at Society of Grownups Society of Grownups Dan Cassaro Erik Marinovich 36:30 - Kristy explains some of the challenges in hiring for designers and developers on the East Coast Christopher Michon

Another Monday means another episode of Design Details! This week we caught up with Wilson Miner, an insanely thoughtful and talented designer well-known for his work at Apple, Rdio and Facebook. In this episode we talked with Wilson about game design, his favorite products and more - we hope you enjoy the show! If you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly ([email protected]) Sponsors: Weebly and their Dribbble team Hover, use coupon code "sovanilla" to save 10% on your first purchase Wilson Miner on the Web: Website Twitter When We Build Dribbble Quora Show Notes: 2:00 The Factory Rdio 3:00 - Games Hearthstone TableFlip14:10 Framer Quartz Composer Content Generator Sketch Plugin Parse George Kedenburg's piece on prototyping with Parse and Framer Paintcode (mistakenly called "Codepaint") Origami Unreal Engine Blueprints Visual Scripting Pixate 27:00 Mike Matas Brandon Walkin 34:00 Ryan Sims Adam Polselli 37:00 Hearthstone 42:00 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Fantastic Four Batman: Arkham series Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis System 49:00 "When We Build" 53:00 "I guess I just like liking things." 55:00 Image Comics Robert Kirkman Saga Sex Criminals Matt Fraction Hawkeye 1:01:00 - Don't let the frustration own you 1:01:50 - There are no dream jobs

Here we go, episode two of the Design Details Podcast! This week we caught up with Nick Slater, an insanely talented designer and illustrator doing wonderful work at Palantir. We had a lot of fun recording this show and we really think you'll enjoy it! Full Disclosure: this episode is a bit longer and does have some strong language. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to reach us on Twitter at @designdetailsfm or email us directly! Sponsors: Weebly and their Dribbble team Hover (use coupon code "bragdriven" to save 10% on your first purchase) Nick Slater on the Web: Dribbble Twitter Show Notes: 0:05:45 - We dig back into Nick's origins - corgi conversations ensue. Thorgi the Corgi on Instagram 0:07:00 - We start digging into Nick's journey to joining Palantir. Palantir Palantir on Dribbble 0:28:00 - What's it like working with a quickly-growing team of designers? Collin Roe-Raymond Daniel Mendez Viet Huynh Sophia Umansky Mika Kunisaki Nixie Melendres John Joh 0:37:00 - Why is there such a huge focus on investing in illustrators at tech companies? Ryan Putnam Alice Lee Justin Pervorse Screenshot of Dropbox's downgrade fishbowl Dropbox Guide 1:00:00 - Exploring the many Lord of the Rings inside jokes at Palantir. Through the Wormhole Chrono Trigger's Unique Design Battletoads (The bad level is Wind Tunnel) 1:10:30 - Adventure Time Rogie's BMO print Jake "Jake the Dog" Marsh 1:12:00 - Dribbble and Nick's lack of online presence. Dan Cederholm Interview with Trevor Gerzen Jared Erondu The Industry Bob's Donuts' Giant Donut Sam Soffes Teespring Jeff Broderick Brian Benitez Collective Ray 1:20:50 - Nick's motivation for working hard to succeed. Brag-Driven Motivation 1:26:00 - Nick's current projects The Unicorn Skull The Monster Project Nick's Submissions The Corgiboros (Not by Nick)

The first episode of Design Details has arrived! For our opening show, we sat down with designer and developer Sam Soffes to talk about his latest project (Whiskey), building in public, brag-driven development and his interest in working as a designer. This is our first episode and we're learning a lot! We'd love your feedback or suggestions - give a shout on Twitter, @designdetailsfm or send us a private email! Sam Soffes on the Web: Website / Portfolio Twitter Github Instagram Nothing Magical Whiskey Markdown Editor Sam's Blog Sam's Video Podcast More About Sam Hire Sam Show Notes: 1:35 - We chat with Sam about his latest labor of love, Whiskey. Tim Van Damme of Dropbox designed a theme Sam is building Whiskey in public via feedback on Twitter and with public release notes 6:30 - We talk about some of Sam's older projects. Cheddar (which we compared to Whiteboard) Shares 7:50 - Discussion about the difficulty selling apps, including Cheddar and Roon Ghost.org Ghost Acquires Roon Roon's open-source Ghost theme 11:15 - How do you balance freelancing with clients and building your own side projects? Nothing Magical 12:10 - We dive a bit deeper into the challenges of building Whiskey - what's your product philosophy? iA Writer 18:45 - Sam shares a brilliant product development hack. Example of the changelog process 22:33 - What does it take to design a text/markdown editor? Whiskey App Icon on Dribbble Louie Mantia 26:05 - Sam has built several photo apps; we dive into the process. Tiiny Kevin Rose Marc Hemeon Marc Hemeon's blog post on Building Tiiny A screenshot of Tiiny's onboarding instructions Sam on Github Over Aaron Marshall 37:40 - We chat about Sam's motorcycle trip through South Africa Sam's public photostream Sam's Instagram Aaron Marshall on Instagram 43:52 - Dan Cassaro for Deus 44:01 - Sam tells us about designing an onboarding experience in Litely Litely Litely was named one of Apple's Best Apps of 2014 50:50 - Sam talks about his move from development to design. Can taste be learned? Aaron Draplin Takes On a Logo Design Challenge 57:27 - We briefly chat about prototyping and the tools Sam uses. Sketch Sublime Text

This is a little teaser recording for us to test our equipment, set up our feeds and get the website up and running. You can subscribe to the podcast by heading to http://designdetails.fm and following on iTunes, RSS or email! The first Design Details episode is coming January 5th, 2015 - stay posted!