Sally Carmichael

We secured $770k in design salaries in our first month operating in the US 🎉 We placed exceptional: • Product Design Director in California • Two Senior Product Designers in Oregon and North Carolina • Senior Product Designer in London Some of these searches started before July, but last month was when all the offers were finally signed. I could not be more excited with the results! Shoutout to the most design-savvy and caring recruitment team at Hirey | Design Recruiters 🖤 Looking back all I can say is that: Last year was D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-I-N-G. I believe many of you experienced the same. I was full of self-doubt and nagging thoughts: "Will what I do ever be needed again?" “Maybe it’s time to shut down and go back in-house?” “Am I just a good IC, but not a business owner?” Now, everyone says the market is picking up, and autumn should be fruitful in hiring. Fingers crossed! But we’re ready to face any challenges that come our way. To all small business owners who’ve made it through hard times without losing the team: I believe now we can do anything! #hiring #recruitment #entrepreneurship #motivation #community #design

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This is a long post regarding my take on the controversial topic of Design Portfolios. You will find at the bottom excerpts from a portfolio that I reviewed for the Product Designer II roles that we opened. I feel free to post it here, because it is so vague and void of substance that it is an example of what not to do. Actually, I would not be surprised if Chat GPT or another AI regurgitated that text. Let me know what you think! But first, here is my take on the topic: to be successful in landing a job with a portfolio (at least with people like me), one must be able to explain their thought process: Which method(s) or framework(s) did you use? Why these specifically? What insights did you learn? How did you present your findings? What project constraint(s) did you have? How long did it take? Where there any conflicts? If so, how did you resolve them? What could you have done better? etc etc Tell me a story so that I can learn about your design approach by answering similar questions. Do not give me too many details either. You can keep it short as I need to have just enough to see a tangible proof of work and to support the conversations we will have during the interview. Finally, I believe this can be done by being honest and transparent without breaching any NDA you may have signed. Hope this can help any candidate to our postings or others. Now the excerpts: Initiation and Empathize We began by immersing ourselves in the experiences of potential users through interviews, and focus groups. This approach allowed us to gather authentic insights and understand user pain points deeply. Define and Ideation We synthesized user data into actionable insights, creating personas and journey maps. Brainstorming sessions focused on generating ideas to leverage high-quality visual content, ensuring we pinpointed the most impactful features. Prototype and Interaction Design Starting with low-fidelity wireframes, we developed interactive mockups. Key interaction design principles ensured an intuitive, engaging application, making navigation and dining decisions seamless. Usability Testing and Evaluation Usability testing combined quantitative and qualitative methods to assess performance and gather feedback. This phase was crucial for refining the design and optimizing user interactions.

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As designers, we often find ourselves needing to defend our design decisions—whether we’re presenting to stakeholders, working with developers, or chatting with our team. You’ve probably heard the question, "What informed this design decision?" especially if you’re in a product-led organization. We get asked this question for various reasons, depending on who's asking. But a key reason is to make sure our design choices are based on real user needs and behaviors, not just personal preferences, assumptions, or gut feelings. Picture this: you’re in a design review meeting for a new feature, and someone asks "What informed this design decision?". The best way to respond from the user's perspective is by using data from the product. Data helps set the right context for the question. This means explaining which metrics were measured, what was observed, where it was observed, any further tests conducted to confirm findings, the insights drawn, and so on—until you can clearly state the goal of the change and its impact on the product and users. Using data to back up design decisions not only strengthens your argument but also builds trust with all stakeholders. But remember, this shouldn't be done in isolation. Make sure to involve everyone on your team. Everyone needs to be on board before and after changes are made. I’d love to hear your thoughts! How has data-informed your design decisions? Share your insights in the comments below! #ProductDesign #Data #Analytics #UserExperience #DesignThinking #ProductAnalytics

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Hey friends, I find it challenging to ask directly for support, but I need your opinions on what it means to center the most impacted in design 💬 To "Centre the Most Impacted" is the second principle I'm writing about, following "To be a Designer is to be a Facilitator." I'm passionate about capturing diverse voices on this topic, but I'm struggling to gather people's thoughts 😖 Feedback is at the core of designing for collective spaces - your thoughts, opinions, and ideas are incredibly valuable! The article on what it means to "Center the Most Impacted" is slated for release next Monday. So before then, I would love if you could: 🙋‍♂️ Share your thoughts in the comments, 🔄 Reshare this post, 🗣 And/or use the Miro board linked below to provide feedback! I want to emphasize that every voice matters in this process, and I really cannot write these articles without you - so anything helps! Even suggestions on making it easier to interact 😊 Thank you so much for your support!

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When was the last time you slayed a dragon? A "hairy dragon" project that no one wants. That was me at IDEO, fresh out of grad school, working on a new modular furniture system for Steelcase. A rookie tasked with load-testing shelves under extreme conditions. Not exactly glamorous, right? But I remembered my dad's advice, which I later found out was an adaptation of a quote by Martin Luther King: "Whatever you want to do with your life, just do it with excellence." So, I instrumented our prototype shelves with strain gauges, built a killer Excel worksheet to model the system and track the system deflection as a function of load, and made the design better, more rigid, easier to assemble, and cheaper. Because of my testing and willingness to dig in with all I had, we made some very important modifications to the design. I focused on the many things—both BIG and SMALL—that would make or break the product. And you know what? People noticed. They noticed I was willing to conquer any challenge, from high profile to low—from fun to tedious. And from that flowed the right to take on the hard, but enjoyable projects… and the next ones after that. So, what's the point here? Take on the gnarly-but-need-to-get-done projects. Don't avoid the unglamorous grunt work. Conquer it "with excellence." That's how you move up to meatier challenges. Slay the big ugly dragon, and you’ll earn the right to fight an even bigger one.

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What makes a story or presentation great? Earlier this year, I sat down with the Stripe design team to share my advice on creating effective presentations and telling engaging stories. Here’s what I shared with the team: 👇 Creating engaging presentations involves two steps: 1️⃣ Building structure 2️⃣ Adding detail -- Step 1️⃣: Building structure -- 🤨 → Start with why–Understand why your presentation exists. What are you trying to achieve? Are you explaining, motivating, or convincing? Who is your audience? ✍️ → Write it out—Writing a script helps you quickly outline possible structures and keeps the focus on the content that best meets your presentation’s purpose. 🎨 → Draw it out—If writing isn’t working, try drawing! Think about key visuals or concepts you want to convey. Sketch those out in logical order. 🔬 → Avoid jumping into detail—Add detail only when your structure can support it. Otherwise, you'll get bogged down in unnecessary content—a common issue for new designers. 📐 → Use a blueprint—If you’re struggling, use familiar story structures like Rags to Riches, Hero’s Journey, or Elevator Pitch. ⚔️ → Define your timelines and tensions—Across any good story are clear timelines and tensions. Ask yourself “what are the key events or moments of tension in my story?” Build off those. -- 2️⃣ Adding detail -- 🖱️ → Keep it simple—Simplicity helps your audience understand your message. And that's the ultimate goal. 🎯 → One thing at a time—Avoid overloading slides with information. Present concepts, images, and data points one at a time to help your audience absorb the material. 🤔 → Fidelity dictates feedback—Use a level of fidelity that reflects the feedback you want. Higher fidelity tends to prompt detailed feedback, while lower fidelity focuses on overall structure and flow. 🧑‍🔬 → Ditch the jargon—Avoid using technical jargon and acronyms without explanation. It can confuse your audience and distract from your message. Meet them at their level of understanding. 🛠️ → Make it real—Use real-world examples to help your audience visualize the context of your presentation. On the other hand, using 'lorem ipsum' in your designs can make it challenging for your audience to provide useful feedback and critique. That's it! I hope these tips help you create and present your work with greater confidence. If you'd like to see the full presentation or share your tips, let me know in the comments below! 👇 #storytelling #design

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This might be one of the best pieces I've read in awhile. "As designers, as digital product builders, as people in this world, we should follow the example of nature. We should shift from trying to create the next perfect service for users and business to building services that are balanced with their surrounding ecosystems." Thanks Thorsten Jonas 🙌 https://lnkd.in/epgP-hxT

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After interviewing many designers on ADPList, I consistently offer the same advice: Simplify and reduce the amount of text and process sketches. Focus your case studies more on the finalized designs rather than the journey to get there. This might seem counterintuitive, but your portfolio serves as a validation of your high-quality visual and interaction design skills, as well as your product thinking. Showcase these qualities by emphasizing the designs themselves rather than the process behind them. Once you reach the 1:1 interview stage, you’ll have the opportunity to dive deeper into your process and explain how you achieved these designs. For now, let the designs speak for themselves. #designportfolio #designadvice #portfolioreviewtips

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Incredibly excited to be giving a new talk—"Design is 'Connection' Made Manifest"—on Seattle Design Festival 's main stage this August 18th. The themes in this presentation have been congealing for me over the past few years, evolving through my other conference talks, written works, and even business / career decisions. Across "why" we're creating, "how" we're creating, and "where" we're creating, our value is infinitely greater than the sum of our choice of digital tools. I'll (currently) be giving this talk only twice this year, with the second event to be announced soon. The 'formal' talk description: "What is design, if not ‘connection’ made manifest? Given the state of the world over the past few years, with designers navigating the global pandemic, mass layoffs, hybrid / remote work, and a struggling economy, connection is at is apex of relevance. The connection of us to one another, us to our work, and our work to those who engage with it. Be it a concert venue poster, a website, or an app icon, design is solving the problem of engaging people—agnostic of their circumstances—to connect and convey an experience. When we’re in touch with our values, focus on craft evolution over tool loyalty, and create in an environment of support and inclusion: ‘connection’ is the result. Via the power of storytelling with actionable methods, Justin Dauer will show us how to get there." And on the Seattle Design Festival itself, via their website: "The Seattle Design Festival is a platform for bold design conversations. We believe that design is for everyone and that inclusive co-design practices are essential to shaping an equitable Seattle. We are multidisciplinary, socially engaged and civic minded. The Seattle Design Festival was founded in 2011 as a strategic initiative of AIA Seattle to promote public dialogue and community engagement about the role and impact of design in urban life." Seattle Design Festival is a FREE event for the public. My presentation's page: https://lnkd.in/gaQNA5GD The full list of festival programming: https://seadesignfest.org/ #ux #productdesign #uxdesign #creativity #design #culture #seattle #seattledesignfestival

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It's clear from the amount of designers seeking career advice that we're still in a tough job market. But things are improving, I'm seeing great talent quickly being snapped up, especially by smaller, more dynamic teams looking for hands-on generalist designers and IC’s. I get a lot of designers reach out to me for guidance, and I always try to offer some time to help, I know I was in their position once upon a time. So, inspired by the progress I've seen in these talents, I'm opening up a few more slots on my Calendly over the next week or so. A little help can go a long way, so if you're a designer looking for advice on; — How to power up your portfolio — How to get to the next level — How to ace that interview — Or if you just wanna chat about anything design, I’m here for you Grab a 1-to-1 slot with me here: https://lnkd.in/dn4ap-2H 👊🏼 Ps these slots are for mentorship and discussions only — no sales pitches please :)

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Excited about supercharging your design team? 🌟 Don't miss our April Gather & Grow webinar! Learn how DesignOps can transform your design crew into your brand’s MVP and drive sustainable ROI. 🚀 Join Aletheia Delivre from Zapier, Jasmine Price from Airbnb, and Kim Marchant from JPMorgan Chase & Co as they dive into strategies for keeping that creative spark alive, seamlessly integrating brand and product, and why embracing progress over perfection matters. Plus, get insights on leveraging AI for feedback and shifting from centralized to distributed teams effectively. Ready to elevate your design game? Sign up now and let's make magic happen together! ✨ #DesignOps #Webinar #CreativeMomentum

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So, a quick moment for Figma Slides aka ✨magic✨ for anyone personally victimized by trying to drive a slide deck for someone else. We just launched a tool to create super sweet and sleek presos, but there's one thing I have to share with the world that has blown me away: the Spotlight feature. I can't tell you how USEFUL this would've been in my career, but good news is I'm never going back. Let's paint a picture: you're presenting virtually or IRL and now someone else needs to drive the presentation. You can channel clairvoyance and opt for trying to anticipate when to advance for that person. Cue the painful utterance of "next slide". You've failed your one job. Or, the second avenue, which is to stop presenting, do a little shuffle, then let someone else start screen sharing. You're trying to make it as seamless as possible, and spoiler, it is never seamless. 🥲 I can't tell you the number of presentations, internally and externally with customers, that the ability to click a button and have someone else drive your screen could've changed the game for. So I'm telling you all now: Figma Slides 🤝 Spotlight. Don't sleep on this.

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I flag brand integration as a critical skill for product designers to develop–it’s a versatile ability to add to your skill set. I’m not talking about learning how to create a brand (logo, color palette, typography, etc.). The skill I advocate designers to cultivate involves the ability to assess and understand all attributes of an existing brand–visual identity, voice/personality–and skillfully integrate those elements into the product experience. Do this, and you add tremendous marketability to yourself because you will know how to ensure that marketing's brand-led first impression will make a seamless handoff to the product experience. We’re in a state where, like Moore’s Law, there is exponential growth in the importance of branding for all businesses, not just corporations. If you know how to wield it in the design of the product experience, you will distinguish yourself.

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Boom! Love a good Friday release (as long as it's not software, if you know you know). Our Use Case for Brand Tracking just dropped. Here's what we've put inside: • Helps you map your metrics to KPIs • Gives you a format to collect a variety of leading metrics • Walks you through a case study using the Slack homepage https://lnkd.in/gSaciYfS

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Before BRICX, I gave a whiteboarding interview at a massive company for a Sr. Product Design role. My interviewer said that it was one of the best whiteboarding sessions he has conducted. Sadly, most new designers don’t understand the goal of a whiteboarding round. I see this problem routinely when I’m hiring for new designers at Bricx. A whiteboarding round is where you & the interviewer will brainstorm about a problem trying to find a solution. I know it sounds absurd but the goal of the interviewer is actually not to see the solution, but your thought process. I’ll give you an example. You’re presented with the problem: Design a kayak rental service Firstly, ALWAYS start with ‘why’. Why are we designing this? What are we trying to accomplish? Secondly, talk about the user. What are our user personas? What are their demographics? What are their psychographics? What are their behaviors? Next, talk about things like constraints, taking assumptions, business goals, KPIs, existing research, etc. The more you clarify your thoughts & create constraints, the more specific your solution will be. The WORST thing you can do is dive right into the solution after hearing the problem. It absolutely ruins the purpose of the round. Think. Be creative & talk as much as possible with the interviewer. When you’re working as a product designer, you will be working on problems you haven’t ever worked on before. With this interview, you have to show your thought process towards tackling new problem statements. Would love to hear your thoughts on your whiteboarding session as an interviewer or interviewee :)

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Really annoyed at Figma's price gouging here. There is no reason other than greed: https://lnkd.in/gfdrEiWH Oh, and I emailed them about it and this line from their reply was particularly poignant: "Additionally the minimum for enterprise is a $5k invoice minimum. 6 enterprise seats or made up with other products." To put that in context... our monthly Adobe bill (for 8 CC, 7 PS, 6 Acrobat licenses) is ~NZ$2k... Amazing how quickly enshittification sets in... #Figma #Design #SoftwareLicensing

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I've treated my entire career as a journey to get as many snaps as possible to make what was once unknown for me (making, doing, thinking, directing, delegating, etc.) into a highly developed muscle that situationally flexes as necessary. AND I continue to adapt to my surroundings, and sacrifice what I may have once considered to be core to my integrity as a design professional in order to meet the moment fully. It hasn't felt like a clear progression into the commodification wall that Ryan describes; more like bits and pieces, here and there, more or less in various domains. Operating today in an early stage startup within a speculative industry (tech) for a conservative problem space (pharma & healthcare) yet with intelligent leadership who are true SMEs creates a stew of interesting trade-offs and opportunities as a function leader. Generally speaking, I've experienced what Ryan describes, but as with analytics in basketball, there's a big difference between a generalized approach to manifest offensive efficiencies and the individual choices one must make in a game seven. Matchups dictate adaptive strategies.

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Everyone wants fabulous brand identity. 🚀 But few will do what it takes to design one correctly. Most new businesses move too fast. 💨💨💨 The founders do it themselves. Without hiring designers and an IP attorney. 😬 Instead, based on their personal, anecdotal knowledge… They come up with a name and a tagline out of thin air. They develop a “voice” haphazardly.⚠️ Then they build a “visual identity” out of that.⚠️⚠️⚠️ Cohesion? Doubtful. Consistency? Not likely. It’s easy to end up in an echo chamber where our own voice sounds good to our own ears.🗣️📣 “You can’t see the forest for the trees.”🌲 What’s the solution? 1. If you’re going to DIY your brand identity, SLOW DOWN. Learn the foundations of brand design in Designing Brand Identity by the late Alina Wheeler (THE BRAND DESIGN MASTERCLASS) and run through a framework like StoryBrand by Donald Miller. (My favorite) There is no shortcut. You have to do the work. And it might take you years to really dial it in unless you are some sort of savant. 2. Not going DIY? Hire Experts from the start. Hire a name designer, brand designer and an IP attorney. They will make sure every decision is based on research and give you a very high likelihood of success in all of the metrics for visibility, memorability, recognition, differentiation and more. And they will do it a lot faster than most DIY’er brands. (Not that DIY can’t be just as strong) 3. DIY with no help or knowledge. This will lead to an eventual rebrand that is far more expensive than doing it right the first time. No one wants this. Want help? Thats what I’m here for. 👋🏻 DIY? Crawl my posts. I’m giving away the farm one post at a time. I’ve posted something about branding everyday for a while now. Got a question? Shoot it over. There’s no gatekeeping here. Funded and ready to rock? Go to my profile and click the Work With me link or send me a DM if you want to chat first! Thanks for reading! See you on the next one. Jesse

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