Mex Design Talk

James Auger and Julian Hanna, the duo behind the Crap Futures blog, talk to Marek Pawlowski about what motivated them to take on a provocative question we all ponder from time-to-time: whether or not the digital age we’re ushering in really represents the path to a better future? They talk about some of the dystopian examples they’ve highlighted at Crap Futures and share techniques we can all use to ensure the future really serves those who have to live in it. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/category/podcast/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Gregg Vanderheiden talks to Marek Pawlowski about the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPii) - a multi-partner, multi-country effort to ensure technology is universally accessible. As well as being the initiator and one of the driving forces of the GPii, Gregg is a professor in the school of information studies at the University of Maryland and the director of the Trace Research & Development Centre. He talks about the aims of the initiative, as well sharing stories from over 40 years in the area of accessibility, including working with Apple and Microsoft in the early days of personal computers to help them build the first inclusive features into their operating systems. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/category/podcast/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Tim Burrell-Saward is working at the frontier of experience design, where the digital and physical dimensions combine in surprising, delightful ways. In this conversation with MEX founder Marek Pawlowski, Tim talks about his journey from lighting design and architecture to working at start-up company Sensible Object on a fascinating multi-touchpoint game called Beasts of Balance. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/category/podcast/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Louise Oakham’s career in experience design has ranged from leading in-house departments for large companies to specialising as a freelance independent practitioner. After being inspired by her talk on international user research techniques, MEX founder Marek Pawlowski sat down for a chat with Louise to hear about her tools and insights. Their discussion ranges from Louise’s early interests in curation and museums to the opportunities for improving UX in the corporate environment. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/category/podcast/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Joe Macleod's book 'Ends' asks us to consider why we have such difficulty designing closure experiences. He talks to MEX founder Marek Pawlowski about how the thinking behind the book emerged from a career in mobile technology with Nokia and design agency Ustwo, where he saw companies unable to address important issues around off-boarding. The conversation ranges across the diverse areas Joe explores in the book, from historical behaviour patterns in religions, industry and health to modern trends in consumerism. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/category/podcast/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Christian Lindholm, a pioneer of mobile experience design, has his sights set on enabling a new generation of wearables for health and fashion. He talks to MEX founder Marek Pawlowski about his journey from Nokia in the 1990s, where he shipped the Navi Key UI on hundreds of millions of mobile devices - to his current ventures, including the Koru UI platform for wearables and an accelerator for digital health startups. The conversation also explores Christian's time as a managing partner at design agency Fjord, when the company grew from a small design studio to become a global business subsequently acquired by Accenture. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/category/podcast/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

With Amazon's $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods placing a spotlight on the future of retail experience design, MEX founder Marek Pawlowski talks to Josh Shabtai of Lowe's Innovation Labs about how the home improvement giant is experimenting at the cutting edge. Josh shares some of the techniques they're using to maintain organisation-wide narratives around user-centred innovation, from creating comic books to tapping into the design skills of shop floor employees. The conversation goes on to explore how Lowe's is combining applied neuroscience and more traditional user research techniques to get a clearer sense of people's reactions to pioneering technology - like robotic exoskeletons - as well as Josh's own journey from creative agencies to designing one of the first augmented reality games with a Star Wars-themed Laser Tag gun. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileu

As design grows in strategic influence, how important is language in helping diverse practitioners from different fields collaborate towards an overall goal? Kwame Nyanning, VP of Experience Design at McKinsey, talks to MEX founder Marek Pawlowski about how pattern language informs his work helping global clients transform their businesses. The conversation explores Kwame's path into the emerging field of experience design in the late 90s and new challenges in industries like banking. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/category/podcast/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Death remains one of the subjects we find hardest to address. Paula Ceballos, co-creator of When We Die, talks to MEX founder Marek Pawlowski about her attempts to create a safe space - in virtual reality - where people can come to terms with their own mortality. After the usual show and tell, where Paula has some thought provoking examples, we talk about the experience design challenges of the When We Die project, her participation in NYU's ITP programme and what might come next in her career. Marek also has an announcement about MEX Jobs, a new service for the MEX community. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/category/podcast/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

This episode is a story which gets to the heart of the challenges facing digital agencies, from remote working to incubating in-house ventures, as Craig Bryant talks to Marek Pawlowski about his journey co-founding We Are Mammoth. Craig shares his thoughts on becoming a ‘remote first’ company, creating and scaling two successful software businesses and what it takes to keep delivering for clients. We also hear about his own path, from musician to Flash developer and on to becoming an agency owner. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/design-talk-31-craig-bryant-we-are-mammoth-patience-and-incubating-agency-ventures/4729/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Ruby Steel's path in design has been characterised by her interest in multi-sensory experiences and finding ways to help people overcome impairments. Recently, she appeared in the BBC television series 'The Big Life Fix' as part of a team of designers working to improve life for specific individuals and groups. In one episode, Ruby and the team use digital to help a man communicate with his family again after suffering a stroke. We recorded at Smart Design's London studio, where Ruby is senior design strategist, and go on to talk about Ruby's early motivations for design, her work on multi-sensory and inclusive design projects and how digital itself is becoming far more multi-dimensional. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/design-talk-30-ruby-steel-smart-design/4666/ Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Driving change with strategic design in diverse industries - from healthcare to automotive - has emerged as the dominant theme in the first year of the MEX podcast. Hosts Marek Pawlowski and Alex Guest review memorable insights from some of the 20+ guests who've been on the show over the last year and discuss how they've evolved since. The conversation leads to a discussion of user experience lessons Alex is now applying in his own start-up and exciting plans for the future of MEX Design Talk. Thanks to all our guests, listeners and contributors for a great first year! Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://www.mobileuserexperience.com/?p=4607 Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Roger Andersson Reimer, co-founder and UX Director of Swedish design agency TOPP, talks to Marek Pawlowski, founder of MEX, about multi-touchpoint experience design. The discussion includes TOPP's emergence from the history of TAT and Blackberry, their work on wearables for Samsung and Pins Collective, design tools for next generation distributed experiences and the roots of Roger's design education. Feedback @mexfeed or designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://mobileuserexperience.com/?p=4498 Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Alex Genov, head of UX Research at Zappos, talks to Marek Pawlowski, founder of MEX, about designing retail experiences, understanding users as people and emerging user research methods. The conversation covers Genov’s early interest in experimental social psychology and expands into a discussion of how he has applied his knowledge in both financial services and retailers. Genov and Pawlowski also talk about Zappos’ core commitment to customer service and how its adoption of the holocracy organisational principles influence its ability to conduct user research without silos. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://mobileuserexperience.com/?p=4392 Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Marek Pawlowski and Alex Guest take up Patrizia Bertini's challenge from the last episode and go in search of wearable technology beyond the smartwatch. After questioning the term 'wearable' itself, Marek and Alex cite examples ranging from illuminated clothing to medical implants, before searching for design approaches which might result in products more relevant to users' lives. Marek challenges listeners to abandon the smartphone as the anchor point for wearable products and see whether it leads to greater creativity...tweet us your feedback @mexfeed or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed: https://mobileuserexperience.com/?p=4277 Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Patrizia Bertini, Alex Guest and Marek Pawlowski pick their most memorable digital - and non-digital - user experiences from 2016. With examples ranging from virtual reality and conversational interfaces to home baking and biodegradable thank you cards, the MEX team try to unpack what makes for an extraordinary UX. The conversation turns to the year ahead and the hosts' hopes for skills and technologies to improve digital design in 2017. Patrizia leaves listeners with a challenge: to send in your examples of wearable technology beyond the smartwatch...tweet us @mexfeed or email designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com. Show notes with links to everything discussed (it's a mega list this time around!): http://www.mobileuserexperience.com/?p=4180 Contact: T: https://twitter.com/mexfeed/ E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Mat Hunter, Managing Director of the Central Research Laboratory, talked to Marek Pawlowski, founder of MEX, about the manufacturing heritage of CRL’s unique startup acceleration facility and his plans for a design-led hardware renaissance in the UK. The CRL resides in the Shipping Building on the old EMI site, where the evocative slogan ‘His Master’s Voice’ is emblazoned in huge letters across the exterior, recalling the history of a location closely associated with British industry and creativity. Today the Central Research Laboratory is an accelerator of digital and manufacturing innovation, helping a new generation of hardware companies achieve industrial scale. Mat took on the role in 2016, after a career which has included time as a partner at IDEO, Chief Designer Officer for the Design Council and lecturing at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College. (Updated, Sunday, 18th December to correct audio issues) Shows notes with links to everything discussed & bonus photos from visiting the Central R

The healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are increasing their investment in digital experience design at a key moment in their wider transformation. With experimental new business models such as payment based on patient outcomes rather than product volumes, digital services are being trialed for both patient health tracking and as a form of direct treatment. Rob Graham, Global Head of UX at the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, and someone who has led user experience departments in large telcos and retailers, sat down with Marek Pawlowski at the MEX/16 conference to record a live interview and audience discussion for the podcast. The conversation ranges from the challenges of user experience research in heavily regulated markets like healthcare to Rob's career motivations. Show notes with links to everything discussed: http://mobileuserexperience.com/?p=4130 Contact: T: @mexfeed E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

Agile has become the de-facto approach to rapid, user-centred product development. However, it is not just for coders. In fact, Agile is at its most effective when product management and marketing work in the same rhythm. In this episode, hosts Marek Pawlowski and Alex Guest are joined by Roland Smart, author of 'The Agile Marketer' and someone who has seen these practices first-hand on the agency side with pioneering UX consultancy Adaptive Path and now client-side with Oracle, one of the world's largest software companies. The episode explores the diverse ways in which marketers’ knowledge of existing users, and potential customers, can be integrated with design process. Show notes with links to everything discussed & bonus content: http://mobileuserexperience.com/?p=4107 Contact: T: @mexfeed E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com

MEX/16 brought together a diverse set of designers, strategists and digital pioneers to define new ideas and best practice for experience design. The two day conference, hosted in London by Marek Pawlowski, Alex Guest and Patrizia Bertini, is recapped in this special edition of MEX Design Talk. Building on 12 years of MEX events, the conference combined workshops, expert talks and tangential inspirations to push the boundaries of design practice. Show notes with links to everything discussed & bonus content: http://mobileuserexperience.com/?p=4092 Contact: T: @mexfeed E: designtalk@mobileuserexperience.com