Yasmine El Garhi

The hardest part after getting laid off, at least for me, was deciding what direction I should take. What choice would give me the greatest results for my effort as I continue to look for the next step in my career. This article outlines my thoughts and the results of my research into the best directions for your energy! ⚡➡️

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Somtimes the content that can up your UX game comes from unlikly sources. This article puts into context some of the best places to start!

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👀 Designers: Is your portfolio missing this crucial element? New in my "Nessa's Knowledge Bombs" series: "Show Your Design Process in Your Case Studies." As a hiring manager, I can't stress enough: don't just show the final product. Reveal your journey! Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQu4vrTd #DesignPortfolio #UXDesign #CareerTips

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🤝Designing Together: The Power of Trust in Cross-Functional Teams Let’s talk about something often overlooked in the hustle of deadlines, roadmaps, and launches: the human connections that hold our squads together. As product designers, we live at the intersection of user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility. In this space, our product managers and engineers aren’t just “other functions.” They are our partners—the people we rely on to bring ideas to life. Yet, the real challenge is less about tools, processes, or even skillsets, and more about building relationships rooted in honesty, transparency, and trust. Here’s the truth: without these values, even the most brilliant designs can falter. Why? Because product development isn’t a solo act. It’s a collaborative symphony, where alignment, constructive friction, and mutual respect drive success. Honesty: The Foundation Honesty starts with dropping the ego. Be real about what you know, what you don’t, and where you need help. For example, if a design direction feels risky, say so. Likewise, invite your PM and engineers to challenge your assumptions. The best ideas emerge when all perspectives are heard, not when we hold back to avoid discomfort. Transparency: The Glue Transparency isn’t just about sharing updates—it’s about inviting others into the process. Share your messy explorations, involve engineers in user research, and talk openly about constraints. A transparent team is a team that avoids surprises. And when everyone understands the “why” behind decisions, alignment comes naturally. Trust: The Multiplier Trust doesn’t happen overnight—it’s earned through actions. It’s being consistent in your delivery, showing empathy when conflicts arise, and treating criticism as an opportunity rather than an attack. When trust is solid, something powerful happens: debates shift from “proving a point” to “solving a problem.” The Role of Feedback Feedback is where these values are put to the test. Constructive criticism isn’t just about improving a design—it’s about building a better partnership. When a PM critiques your work, they’re helping align it with the strategy. When an engineer pushes back on feasibility, they’re ensuring it’s buildable. Embrace these moments. They’re not threats; they’re gifts. The Big Picture In a squad, the lines between roles blur. Success isn’t about who “owns” the best idea—it’s about delivering the best solution together. When honesty, transparency, and trust become your defaults, your team stops being just a collection of functions. You become a unit, operating with shared purpose and collective accountability. So, product designers: How are you fostering these values in your squads? What’s one thing you’ll do differently this week to strengthen your partnerships? Let’s commit to designing not just great products, but great relationships. That’s where the real magic happens. #Collaboration #ProductDesign #TrustMatters #Teamwork #productdesign

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Hot Take: There is a pervading concept in UX that designers have intentionally avoided responsibility to the business and/or the product team for our design work. I think that's a myth, out and out. I've never seen designers actively try to put their product outcomes on others except in the following 2 cases: 1) Design is so junior as to not be capable of driving conversations about product strategy (skills and experience lacking) or 2) There was an epic battle over strategy and the designer was threatened/bullied/harassed by leadership into being quiet. I've been in both positions many times. Once I learned strategic product skills, I stopped being a victim to the former. After that, I was exclusively a victim of the latter, in nearly every design gig I held. If you don't want change or strong opinions, don't get design involved. If you want to blame design, don't do it around me unless you want an earful.

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Just listened to this interview with Katie Dill, Head of Design at Stripe - a great listen. 😊 If you're interested in UX leadership and knowing where to add value - this is definitely worth listening to! #uxleadership #designleaders #uxjobs #designvalue #product

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With the help of Felix Lee and Jason Saltzman, I’ve done a deep dive on the state of the job market for UX Designers. This report looks at data from over 640,000 job changes dating back to 2019 and provides the top 10 insights I uncovered. Have a look and let me know what you find most interesting!

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If you want to be really, really good at UX... Focus on what really matters and avoid making dumb mistakes. What matters: -Stakeholder buy in and commitment -Good user research -Iterative design + testing with users -Detailed specifications and robust component libraries -Extensive QA testing to flush out the bugs before shipping Dumb mistakes: -Berating design suggestions from non-UX team members -Behaving like design prima donnas, thinking that designers can do no wrong -Whining about not having a seat at the table when you have neither earned it nor demonstrated the capacity to sit there -Criticizing engineers and PMs for behaving like engineers and PMs Note: both lists are incomplete, but hopefully they give the gist #ux  #userexperience  #userresearch #design

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Org design and how designers fit within cross functional teams has been at the top of my mind recently. Peter Merholz and John Cutler have an idea that in the future empowered design and engineering leads take on the majority of produce responsibilities. PMs focus on product strategy and in lieu of running daily rituals for 2 pizza sized squads. I’ve actually lived a version of this reality and can say it’s possible — with caveats. 1. The product-thinking mindset and skill set is needed for design and engineering leads. 2. A mature design practice with solid design ops is must. 3. Clear alignment and connection with business stakeholders. 4. An empowered insights practice based on UX research, driven by evidence, generates novel growth opportunities while enhancing current user journeys and experiences. 5. Great relationships across product, design, engineering, business. The truth is skill sets and preferences vary so widely that this model simply can’t work for every company or even every team. A full stack PM/UXDev sounds great on paper but rarely plays out well in reality. However, well supported leads could totally pull it off if well supported by practice area ops squads and empowered PMs.

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A word of caution for designers thinking about a move to product management. I know, I know: design can be frustrating. Product managers seem to have more influence. It is hard to care, and have a PM dash those hopes. It feels better to "join 'em" instead of to keep struggling. The hype seems to be around product. And yes, design jobs at companies that seem to value design are in super high demand, whereas product manager jobs seem to crop up everywhere (though it is still tough). But also consider this: you have to consider where things are going. Companies are rethinking what constitutes a product meaning we may see far fewer PMs. The hype of "multi product" and "turn everything into a product" is fading. It is very hard to argue that every little pod of engineers and designers NEED a PM, when these things aren't even products. A great designer with an engineering partner can effectively run most product areas. Slowly slowly, and with fits and starts, we are seeing companies mature their approach to product, which has the net effect (in many ways) of elevating design. In many companies, PMs are becoming more of a "business role", which means you can kiss the creativity you enjoy, and the ability to "make" goodbye. Advancing in product within a company can be highly competitive (job advancement is harder). A lot of PMs realize how brutal the advancement schemes are. Yes, some companies appreciate the idea of a highly skilled individual contributor, but there is a lot of pressure to move up solely through management roles. Which is all to say that the grass may seem greener right now, but it might not stay that way. We *need* skilled and experienced designers.

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Our company is acquired. Now what? “Business as usual” applies no more to us UX professionals if we must navigate organizational changes. Here are a few questions to consider to handle uncertainty. #UX #productDesign

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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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Diversity in design isn't just a buzzword—it's a business imperative. 🌈 As a hiring manager, I've seen firsthand how diverse teams boost creativity, product quality, and profitability. I believe in building teams that reflect our users and bring fresh perspectives to every project. How do you ensure fairness during the hiring process when you have to look at portfolios? Here is my perspective on the challenges of inclusive hiring. #DiversityInDesign #InclusiveHiring #TeamBuilding

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🍿Want some good news? Can 445 curated UX jobs lighten up your mood? If yes, please go ahead and read this post! This weeks 445 UX job opportunities can be found here: https://lnkd.in/dyk5vkWH This weeks notes: - Nina Weber and I have been working on an interview with a wonderful recruiting executive, to bust the ATS myth. We are going to publish an interview soon. If you are interested, make sure to follow Nina too, as she will be publishing the video. - There are only a few spots left in our upcoming December 9th free webinar on how to level up your job search skills: https://lnkd.in/dTKaaZ6U - The wonderful Vitaly Friedman wrote a post about the UX interview process (https://lnkd.in/drdK_u_y), based on “A Complete Guide To Design Interviews” (https://lnkd.in/e8339Uwz) by the equally wonderful Aaron James. Highly recommended if you are on the job market. - You might notice a few layout changes in the job document. The pageless mode plus left hand nav (sections) were suggested by another wonderful person, Michael Leggett. I am always open for suggestions on how to improve this effort, thanks Michael. - Finally, if you appreciate this job list please let me know by commenting, sharing and liking it, so we can ensure together to help as many UXers out there as possible. At your service… Javier

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🤦‍♂️ "Just hire more designers!" ...said every exec who's never managed a marketing team. Stop throwing bodies at the problem. I learned this $200,000 lesson the hard way. Adding 5 new designers to our team actually SLOWED us down for 6 months. Onboarding chaos, inconsistent outputs, and endless revision cycles. The real solution? We built a template system that 3X'd our output with the same team size. Quick breakdown: • Audited top design requests • Created flexible templates • Trained team on the system Now my designers focus on innovation instead of recreating the same buttons 50 times. Plot twist: We're delivering more projects than teams twice our size. Sometimes the best solution isn't hiring more people - it's working smarter. #DesignOps #B2BMarketing

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I recently wrote about design system metrics, including adoption. Adoption can be pushed as a mandate. Having seen hundreds of design systems up close Dan Mall points out that there is no definitive evidence that high adoption doesn’t hurt. But, it certainly doesn’t differentiate between useful design systems and that frankenstack monster that has documentation in Excel with hundreds of links to a private Git repo along with multiple swim lanes with infinite scroll. The only reason why adoption persists as a common metric is because even really bad design systems have the ability to generate significant value. Full article in the comments.

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UX Designers, listen up! Resumes are out, referrals are in. Don't believe me? Over the last year, referral-driven hiring has skyrocketed. Employers are seeking talent with "social proof" and that comes from referrals. So, what does that mean for you? Simple. Network, build your brand, and get hired. Become a name in your field and cultivate a strong reputation. But wait, there's more! In 2024, working to hire will be the norm. Companies will get to know you and your work through referrals. That means every project you work on, every connection you make, every day that you work to improve your craft, is an opportunity to get hired. Don't wait for HR to call you back. Take control of your career and focus on referrals. Remember, talent gets noticed, but referrals get hired. #networking #ux #career #design #uxdesign

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If you or someone you know in UX has been impacted by #Layoffs, or you are considering entering the #UX Job market and are feeling the weight of the #UXindustry right now - I highly recommend this particular podcast episode. ✨ There is so much value in sharing our professional experiences. So much value in hearing from folks who have #coaching backgrounds, so we can learn how to continue to move forward, and get unstuck. Shout out to Amy Santee and Jeremy Miller for this honest discussion that I know many of us can not only relate to or perhaps commiserate with, but to also take actionable steps from. 🌟 https://lnkd.in/g8b8NUFt #coaching #leadership #layoffs #jobmarket #UXResearch #thestateofUX

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I've seen multiple folks here claim that design is failing because #UX designers don't deserve to be at the big table, they don't "Think Business". I could not disagree more. There are naive designers out there of course and we can always do more but shipping is a team sport and requires a culture where multiple teams cooperate well. My point is that it's absurd to imply the problem with UX design today is 100% our problem. Of course there are things we can do better! But it's not one-sided. Design can't succeed if it's not in a company's culture. Put it this way, if a CEO says something horrific and gets bad press, is it the PR team's fault? If they were telling the CEO over and over to not do it and the CEO did it anyway, were they just "saying it wrong"? This video from Peter Merholz does a good job framing this problem in a more nuanced way.

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