Respect for Design - with Scott Zimmer - Part 2

On building respect for designers in an organization, with our guest Scott Zimmer.

In part 2 of this guest episode, Juli and Scott continued their hike on the Buda Hills, discussing hiring designers, giving them a seat at the table, and building a culture that respects design.

The path we took:

• Treating designers as a partner, not a resource;
• The risks of hiring external design help;
• Explaining and selling the idea of iteration;
• Why the first impression is important, and how a bad experience with a designer can feed bad stereotypes;
• The dangers of the agency model, and a better alternative for dedicated persistent internal design teams;
• Pleasing versus challenging the client;
• Hiring for aptitude and interest, and filling the rest with mentorship;
• And finding upsides for AI, supercharging human connections.

Further reading:

• https://www.tmpt.me/
• https://medium.com/user-experience-design-1/this-is-why-i-dont-call-myself-a-service-designer-any-more-5dcf639bebe0
• https://www.amazon.com/Elements-User-Experience-User-Centered-Design-dp-0321683684/dp/0321683684/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Grab your headphones, and come walk with us!

Ps. If you want to chime in, DM us, comment on our Instagram, or find us on Threads - we're @paths.puddles.products and would love your feedback!

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Creators & Guests

Host

Juli Mata

I work in product, and I come from (product-service-system) design. I focus on help linking product to business strategy these days.

Guest

Scott Zimmer

A Disney-bred creative and seasoned business leader, Scott has spent his career as an intrapreneur, establishing and growing businesses inside some of America’s most well-known companies.

What is Paths, Puddles, Products?

Trails to innovation: Wandering in design, development & business on foot

Welcome to the Paths, puddles, products podcast, where we explore the paths and puddles of innovation. We are a duo of international product designers with over a decade of experience working in diverse industries, and we're here to share our insights, stories, and takeaways with you.

Join us as we walk and talk about the realities of product design, debunking myths and shedding light on the good, the bad, and the ugly. We'll go beyond the buzzwords to give you a true picture of what it's really like to work in design, development, and business.

And don't forget, just like hiking, it's not just about the destination - it's about the journey. So grab your headphones and come walk with us.