Alex Dumitriu Carcoana

In my conversation with Sanjay Raval we discussed hiring practices for design roles in tech firms, including recent change in hiring pattern, assignments, and the issue of ghosting. If you’re interested in understanding the hiring process from a recruiters perspective, you should watch this video. https://lnkd.in/ggwSgGuw For a more efficient viewing experience, I recommend watching it at 1.5x speed.

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Am I an artist as a product designer? For me, the answer is no—and here’s why 👀 While art doesn’t have to make sense, an interface does. PLEASE NOTE: This isn’t to diminish the hard work in either profession—both product designers and artists pour immense effort into what they create. Trust me, it’s tough work, no matter the title. Being great at either is its own form of art 💪🏻 But over time, my views on how creative I can be as a product designer vs. when I step into my role as an artist have evolved. Why? It’s simple: The interfaces I design evoke emotion, but I have only a split second to convince the user whether the product is worth revisiting daily, weekly, or monthly—while also meeting business and stakeholder goals. Don't get me wrong, the lines are blurred, it has been for me for a while until I understood the following: 𝗔𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁, 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱. Would love to hear your thoughts on this 🧠💡 #artist #UI #UX #productdesigner #thoughts #mindful #growth #stakeholders #businessneeds #interfaces #impact #users

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In my 20+ year design career, I've never heard a design client say... I'm looking for someone more: • Creative • Strategic • Data-driven • Collaborative • User-centred And yet, if you open 100 design agency websites, you'll see some variation of these 5 descriptors. I noticed this discrepancy a few years ago. So, I started taking notes every time a design client complained about design and design services. The truth is, none of the above ever showed up in my notes. Instead, here are the top 5 concerns: 1. Communication Issues 2. Slow Design Cycles 3. Scope Creep 4. Disagreement on Design Decisions 5. Difficulty Measuring ROI Here's my full summary note: Communication Issues: Founders may feel that designers don't understand the technical limitations of the product or the business needs of the company. This can lead to frustration on both sides, as founders may feel like designers are designing products that can't be built, and designers may feel like founders aren't giving them the freedom they need to be creative. Slow Design Cycles: The design process can be slow, especially for founders who are used to moving quickly. This can be frustrating for founders who need to get products to market quickly. Scope Creep: SaaS products are constantly evolving, and founders may feel like designers are constantly adding new features to the product, rather than focusing on the core features that will drive user adoption. This can lead to products that are bloated and difficult to use. Disagreement on Design Decisions: Founders and designers may not always agree on the best way to design the product. This can lead to disagreements that can slow down the development process. Difficulty Measuring ROI: It can be difficult to measure the return on investment (ROI) of design decisions. This can make it hard for founders to justify the cost of hiring designers. I hope this helps you the next time you pitch your service. #design #ux #productdesign #designservice #copywriting

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Anotha' day, anotha' person discovering how OOUX (Object oriented UX) can make their lives easier... Last Friday, I spoke at 200OK Dev Conference hosted by Techlahoma Foundation with my talk "UX in a Bottle: Intro to Object Oriented UX for Web Devs. We walked about: • What OOUX is • How it works • How to apply to any project My favorite part about OOUX, which is why I shout from the roofs is that ANYONE (not just devs) can do it to better understand a problem, breakdown requirements in a thorough way, and make something easier to understand. Phenomenal job by all the speakers: Kristy K. Boone:  EI + AI = The Human Side of Tech Camille Hall: The Frontend Revolution: Building Seamless AI-Driven User Experiences with React.js Rhia Dixon, MBA: Getting Good (or Better) at Code Reviews Joel Tosi: Blending Product Thinking with Architecture If you want a copy of my talk, or any of the other speakers - comment below and I'll link you when the playlist comes out! Shout out the Techlahoma team, led by Queen Emily Harden, Geoffrey Harden, Maxx Crawford and the rest of the volunteers and Atlas School for sponsoring and hosting us. And of course, Sophia V Prater for bringing OOUX into my life. I'm ramping up my OOUX posts, so follow me so learn how to apply OOUX into your projects and life. #ooux #webdevs #ux #productdesign

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We hit another personal podcast milestone, 60 episodes! 🏅 On #60, PJ Onori and I talk about the hidden costs of relying on contributions and federated design help, especially when a lot of our design teams are experiencing the reality of staying lean. If you're interested in our first episode about Contributions, go back in time to Episode 18. https://lnkd.in/gM4qRdpu #designsystems #podcast #productdesign

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Turning the UX design process into a PBJ sandwich tutorial? In a job market as tight as a packed subway, I'm trying something a little different: 🚀 A UX process guide tailored for diverse audiences, served with PBJ on the side🚀 🥪 Why this approach? It's my hands-on attempt to demonstrate that design can be inclusive and fun. My invitation to users to step into the designer's shoes—while simply making your favorite sandwich. What's in it for you? ✅ Master the UX design process through digestible, engaging bites ✅ Discover how designing effectively for diverse audiences can work wonders What's in it for me? ✅ Hopefully, some bragging rights for the sharp design thinking and UX writing skills in my portfolio! 🎯 Here's the kicker: Am I juggling too much by straddling design and writing? Perhaps. But wielding these two disciplines is where I shine— eyes closed, head first, can't lose! Jokes aside, this blend of skills deepens my project impact, making them as well-rounded as they come. 🔗 Ready to see how a sandwich can teach UX? Dive into my portfolio here! https://lnkd.in/ghBgJVS7 Calling attention to yourself in today's talent pool brimming with exceptional individuals is daunting. Needless to say, while Mitchell's post on standing out with your portofolio (we all saw Marta right?) was incredibly uplifting, I chickened out. But when I heard Emilie in an excellent podcast with Jeremy— "You have to be your own cheerleader," I knew it is truer now than ever for us on the market! So, here goes: 📬 To all recruiters: If you’re on the lookout for a UX designer/writer who not only understands design but articulates it accessibly, my DMs are open. 🌊 And to my fellow job seekers navigating these rough tides, I wish you buoyancy and swift currents! #uxdesign #productdesign #jobsearch #uxportfolio

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The right code, when you need it. Deliver component code from your libraries to Dev Mode with Code Connect, now in beta! Get ready for the big next step with Figma

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🎥 I'm excited to share my latest YouTube video where I delve into the art of crafting compelling UX portfolios. Whether you're an aspiring designer or looking to refine your portfolio, this video is packed with actionable insights to help you stand out. 📋 In this video, I cover: Visual Appeal: How to make your portfolio visually engaging. Content Structure: The importance of organized and concise content. Effective Presentation: Tips on clear CTAs and enhancing readability with visuals. I had the pleasure of critiquing portfolios from two talented designers, Celia Hazard and Chofi Chang, offering a detailed analysis from a hiring manager's point of view. 👀 Why watch? - Valuable Tips: Learn how to improve your portfolio to impress potential employers. - Real Examples: See practical critiques of actual portfolios. Professional Insight: Gain a better understanding of what hiring managers look for. - Don't miss out on these essential tips to elevate your UX portfolio and make a lasting impression! 👉 Watch the full video here and start transforming your portfolio today! #UXDesign #PortfolioReview #HiringManager #DesignTips #CareerAdvice #UserExperience

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Five brilliant articles for designers I found while doing research for my upcoming book: 1. Being right vs. being effective https://lnkd.in/e8tTj3Pf by Cate Huston 2. The three questions I ask every designer I interview https://lnkd.in/e7ndapwk by Michael McWatters 3. On Quality — A practical framework for evaluating design work https://lnkd.in/eu6ZBmBB by Darrin Henein 4. The Perfect Company — what to do when you feel not valued https://lnkd.in/emhucFhf by Cap Watkins 5. Bottom Line Up Front: write to make decisions faster https://lnkd.in/e5HUJ_ih by Matthew Ström-Awn

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🪴 How To Make Sure Teams Follow Design Guidelines? (https://lnkd.in/ewF4F4a8), a practical case study by Linzi Berry on how the Lyft team enforces design quality by clearing time for designers, distributing ownership and pushing design QA early in the process. 🤔 Sprints are often 100% packed with features, no time for QA. 🚫 Following guidelines takes time designers often don’t have. 🚫 If guidelines are launch requirements, they aren’t prioritized. 🚫 Some guidelines will always be missing in the design system. 🚫 Checklists often gather dust in forgotten fringes of Sharepoint. ✅ People ignore guidelines created without their involvement. ✅ Checklists work if PMs protect designer’s time to do them. ✅ Guidelines must be embedded early in the design process. ✅ Guidelines should be ways of working, not recommendation. ✅ Best guidelines live within UI components themselves. ✅ Set guidelines as ready-to-use-templates and examples. ✅ Embed design QA as a step in the product design process. ✅ Better sprints: 80% time tasks, 20% quality improvements. ✅ Sprinkle a bit of design QA all over your product teams. I see many teams trying to mandate design guidelines by blocking launch unless the design meets every single criteria on a 4-pages-long checklist. While this might work to ensure consistency, often it breaks the team’s spirit as guidelines feel heavily, rigorously enforced — often without exceptions. Instead, try to make sure that designers have a strong sense of ownership over the guidelines that they personally shape and develop. These guidelines are seen as an evolving document that everybody is encouraged to contribute to. Naturally everybody then shares the accountability for following the guidelines. Ultimately, the guidelines shouldn’t be a compliance check at the end of the process. The earlier they are a part of conversations between designers and engineers, the more likely they are to be considered in early review sessions. And most importantly: make time and space for designers to set and follow the guidelines. They might not need stricter rules or mandates; they need time, trust and autonomy to make good decisions on their own. Useful resources: Why Design Systems Fail, by Karen VanHouten https://lnkd.in/eMYjfTzh How To Keep Your Design Documentation Alive, by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/gfvKgCwj How To Align Stakeholders and Designers With Guidelines, by Daniël de Wit https://lnkd.in/eJXY-akC Design Debt and Why You Should Treat It Seriously, by Michal Mazur https://lnkd.in/dJq8ZG7U Paying Off Design Debt, by Alicja Suska https://www.debt.design #ux #design

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Five insightful articles designers should read

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How to land entry-level design jobs? Nothing special but some basics. → Ask for referrals. → Have a solid portfolio. → Innovate your job applications. → Explore lesser-known job platforms. More deep-dive on them here 1. How to Stand Out as a UI/UX Designer When Applying for a Job? https://lnkd.in/gKueUbC8 1. How I Landed My First Job as a Founding Product Designer? https://lnkd.in/dCbJjxve 1. How I built a winning portfolio and got my dream offer? https://lnkd.in/g8PvWWan ♻️ Repost if you found this helpful. P.S. Have any questions ask in the comment.

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This week, I watched a roundtable on connecting design systems to business value organized by Into Design Systems Community & Conference. A big thanks to the experts for sharing their knowledge! Elyse Holladay, Staff Design Engineer @ Color Marcela Rodriguez Joos, Design System Leader @ UPS Adam Lagerhausen, Sr. Product Marketing Manager @ Omlet Brian Alfaro, Design Lead @ The Washington Post It’s not always easy to directly connect the value of a design system to business metrics like conversion rates. However, here are a few key business benefits: 💥 Scalability: Supports product expansion with minimal redesign efforts. 💥 Reduced Maintenance: Lowers future costs by minimizing tech debt and keeping designs up-to-date. 💥 Reduced Tech Debt: Lowers long-term maintenance by standardizing code and design assets.

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Metaphors and analogies are powerful teaching tools. And if you're not following Frankie Kastenbaum, you're missing out on some truly great examples of how we can learn quite a bit about UX Design from everyday life. Next week I'm excited to have Frankie on the show to talk about how she uncovers these UX insights from the seemingly mundane most people just pass by. Stay tuned! #UXdesign #Podcast #UXlessons

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#portfolio Insights

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I am excited to announce my Product Design portfolio has been featured by Florian Boelter on OpenDoors newsletter! Here are a few things they had to say about it: • Focusing on Impact: The first case study my eye falls to is titled "Increasing retention by 7x through expert volunteers"—I'm hooked. This is a title done right. The case study itself is lightweight but focuses on the right things before returning to what I came through: the impact. In easily comprehensible numbers Samantha explains how she and her team didn't just smash the goal but exceeded it by far. To me, as a hypothetical hiring manager, this shows how Samantha doesn't just get that her designs have a purpose beyond "making things pretty" but that she really understands how to set goals, design for and measure against them. • Using Visuals Effectively: The golden rule is: no visual without context. Don't put screens or other visual elements into your case studies without them serving a purpose and helping the narrative. Samantha masters this. Every visual is connected to the light text accompanying it and they make sense. To save space and make everything a bit more engaging, Samantha has a video mockup of the most essential flows she is talking about. This is a much better way of conveying a critical flow than just using static mockups and arrows. • Leveraging Testimonials: Especially for juniors (but also beyond that) testimonials of current or former co-workers attesting to critical skills that hiring managers are looking for can do more than you might imagine. Samantha selected two especially powerful (and short!) testimonials backing her design skills in a great way. You can re-use recommendations you might have received through LinkedIn for this (make sure to ask the person that gave it though) or just request new ones specifically for this. I have lots of room for improvement but extremely grateful for the positive and constructive feedback I received! Going to keep working hard to keep improving 😊 Here's my portfolio: https://lnkd.in/gESaVUTD

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What people think Design is when finishing bootcamp: → 5 user interviews → User personas → Basic wireframes → 5 user tests What Design actually is: → Identifying market opportunities → Navigating complex problems → Understand human psychology → Managing multiple stakeholders → Balancing fidelity vs. quality → Impactful Storytelling → Keeping up with never ending design trends → Analyzing complex data to inform decisions → Facilitate coordination with cross-functional teams → Achieve business outcomes And soo much more... 🙅‍♀️ Following the cookie-cutter process and mastering the tools along won't build a sustainable career. 🙌🏽 Adding the ability to think and speak strategically will. # productdesign #uxdesign #designcareer #Ui #strategicdesign

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Thinking about migrating to Figma, but not really sure where to start? We gotchu! Join Clara Ujiie and me as we talk through our experience as designers migrating our teams over a few years ago, and what we've learned as designer advocates helping other teams migrate over as well! Let us know what questions you have about migrating to Figma in the comments, and we'll answer them on Thursday! https://lnkd.in/eAQxqJ4M

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Illuminating insights from Nisreen Salka McConkie on 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 by building bridges with other research teams from our recent Ladies that UX Atlanta event! Here are my takeaways: 🎯 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 • There’s a lot of overlap in how market, UX, and other research teams work—use that to your advantage by 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 so everyone knows what each team is all about. One way to do this is to conduct a Mission Statement workshop! • 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 by bringing research discussions, documents, and plans together to create a cohesive language that will show org value over time • Combine forces by 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 to tackle the same questions for deeper, more enlightening insights. • 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘀 to practice collaboration; pitch ideas to your team and cross-functional teams to improve storytelling, get feedback, and secure buy-in 🔄 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 • Standardize processes to make collaboration smoother by 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺; makes requests easier to process, prioritize, and action on • It's worth the initial effort to 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗴𝘀 to classify and organize your tasks so everyone can align on what projects to prioritize; Nisreen is a big fan of Condens! 🤔 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 • Everyone may not be fully on board at first (even from within your research teams!) so consider 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗼𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 and practice communicating the value of an aligned research org • Keep stakeholders up to speed and in the know by 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀; maybe monthly meetings for direct teams and quarterly for sister teams and leadership Thank you Nisreen for these lived and learned lessons! 💛 #ux #uxresearch #researchops #buildingbridges #uxcommunity

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