UX Banter

In this episode we are joined by Luis Berumen, Executive Director of Calgary UX. He brings deep experience working across enterprise platforms, government initiatives, and grassroots communities. He is passionate about shaping meaningful product direction, championing inclusive and accessible design, and mentoring the next generation of designers while actively contributing to the global design community.  Discussion Points -  Share your story, what experiences shaped you into who you are today? 2:00 How did your professional journey evolve from your early roles to where you are today? 6:26 How has growing up across different cultures and languages shaped the way you approach design? 15:02 You’ve built a strong UX community in Calgary through meetups, conferences, and mentorship. What drives you to invest in this, and what does mentorship mean to you when it comes to giving back? 25:13 What advice would you give to someone from a country under construction who wants to build an international design career? 35:51  Show notes -  If you always feel like you're fighting your environment, the means of the environment is wrong, not you. If what you love dies with you, then you never really loved it enough. You have to share it. You need to know that you can do it. As soon as you are in the room with creative people and you participate, you will be at the level. It doesn't matter where you're coming from. If you're going to migrate, you're going to experience rejection and loneliness. But that shouldn't define you. It's just one way to build resilience and keep going. Humour in UX is not just about being funny. If it's functional for the goal, like recovering from an error, then it's welcome. Otherwise it just humiliates the user when they're already down. People have three different feelings at the same time, influenced by so many things that are not just your application. You need to dig deeper into how people feel and keep understanding the human heart. Luis’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisberumen/

In this special crossover episode, we’re joined by AJ Bubb, host of the podcast Facing Disruptions, for an unscripted, high-energy conversation that flips the format. Instead of a traditional interview, this episode brings two hosts together for an authentic exchange on UX, product thinking, and the evolving role of designers. From hybrid roles and AI disruption to building high-performing teams and breaking silos, this episode dives into what it really takes to stay relevant in today’s fast-changing landscape. Discussion Points Tell us about your Journey. (AJ to Dushyant) 2:24 How do you design with empathy when you’re not at the edge, close to the user? (AJ to Dushyant) 6:42  How do you build teams that handle pressure and solve the right problems, not just deliver solutions? (Dushyant to AJ) 20:08 What does the future of high-performing teams look like? (Dushyant to AJ) 26:35 As new tech reshapes the rules, has it actually made your work better, especially on products like your podcast app? (Dushyant to AJ) 40:11 AI went from doing the work to supporting thinking. What changed, and what does that mean for the future? (Dushyant to AJ) 44:30 With AI speeding up product builds, are clients now expecting working products instead of just wireframes? (AJ to Dushyant) 59:50  Show Notes   ~ You can't just give one screen and say, can you please beautify it? You are not going to get the output. - Dushyant Kanungo  ~ You're hiring to solve the problem, not for the solution. You need people who can think about the problem. - AJ Bubb  ~ You need to give them that levy, the time to breathe, think, and do their best. — Dushyant Kanungo ~ We now get more time to think about the strategy part of UX than we ever had before. - Dushyant Kanungo  ~ If you're an engineer and you think you're being paid to code — you don't know what your job is. - AJ Bubb  ~ A dream without a plan is just wishful thinking. You are not going to win the lottery without buying the ticket. - Dushyant Kanungo   AJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbubb/  His Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@FacingDisruption   #DesignLeadership #UXDesign #AIandUX #ProductThinking #Podcast 

In this episode, we’re joined by Bryan Dávila, Design Director at Hook Studios and a creative leader known for shaping award-winning digital experiences for global brands. With experience spanning top agencies and iconic organizations, including being one of the key designers at Apple, he brings a thoughtful perspective on design direction, branding, and creative leadership. He’s also deeply involved in industry juries and creative forums, where he continues to influence and mentor the design community. Discussion Point -  Take us through your journey from Ecuador to Silicon Valley and how you got to where you are today. 3:16 You started in print and physical design before moving to digital. How has that shaped the way you approach design compared to those who started natively in digital?  10:46 As a design leader, how do you guide your team through the constantly shifting landscape of AI and new tools?  14:15 Rapid fire round 16:14 Tell us about the Google Language Inclusion and Language Explorer projects and what drove you to work on them. 34:32 You have worked both in-house at Apple and at an agency working with Google. What is the key difference between those two worlds? 42:09 What advice would you give to someone who wants to get a job at a company like Apple? 49:23  Show notes -  Discipline counts double than talent. Talent might get you noticed early, but discipline is what compounds over time. Good design doesn't happen solo. Leading a design team is mostly about creating the right environment for smart and thoughtful work to come to life and thrive. The work I'm most proud of isn't just the work that wins awards. It's the work that actually helps someone understand, feel and act with less friction. Design used to be seen as decoration. Now it's infrastructure. It shapes how people learn, communicate and make decisions and that's a huge shift in responsibility. The medium has changed but the perception hasn't. Good design still starts with people, not platforms. It's not necessarily something that looks good, but something that truly impacts the world. That is what makes the work meaningful.  Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davilabryan/  Explore the Google Language Inclusion initiative: https://sites.research.google/languages/ 

In this episode, we are joined by Kevin Forister, Creative Director at Flywheel and a seasoned creative leader with deep experience across ideation, concept development, and team leadership. His work has earned multiple national awards and global recognition. Beyond client work, Kevin is passionate about mentoring creatives and shares practical insights through his book Breaking Into Art Direction and his YouTube channel, Open Door Creative.  Discussion Points  ~ How did your journey start, and what led you to become a Creative Director?  1:35 ~ What does the role of a Creative Director actually entail, and how do you manage a team of creatives? 5:16  ~ How do you balance working within brand guidelines while still pushing creative boundaries? 9:03  ~ How is AI changing the creative industry, and what is your take on the fear and imposter syndrome around it? 22:51 ~ Tell us about your YouTube channel, Open Door Creative, and what drove you to create it? 34:44  ~ Tell us about your book, Breaking Into Art Direction, and what can readers expect from it? 37:16   Show notes  ~ Design doesn’t exist only on screens or inside tools. It’s shaped by how much you pay attention to the world, the conversations you listen to, and the ideas you allow yourself to explore outside of your immediate work. ~ A lot of what I know didn’t come from formal training. It came from listening, observing, and staying curious about things that didn’t seem directly related to design at the time. ~ Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating space for better questions, better conversations, and letting people grow into their own strengths. ~ You never really stop learning in this field. We’re all still figuring things out, making assumptions, testing ideas, and adjusting as the world keeps changing. ~ Curiosity is one of the most underrated skills in design. The more curious you stay, the more perspectives you collect — and that always shows up in your work. ~ What excites me most is seeing people take what they’ve heard, make their own assumptions, and form their own point of view. That’s where real creative confidence begins.  Kevin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinforister/ His YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenDoorCreative  

In this episode, we are joined by Justin, a designer, author, and speaker who focuses deeply on the human side of design. Justin has spent years exploring how culture, values, and craft shape the way designers build products and teams, helping creatives think beyond tools and trends to create more meaningful work. He’s also the author of Creative Culture and In Fulfillment: The Designer’s Journey, where he shares reflections on growth, humility, and lifelong learning in design.  Discussion Points -  What was your journey from deciding to become a designer to building your own studio? 2:11 Has your perspective on agency work evolved over time, or is it what you originally envisioned? 5:28 How do you balance your day job with personal creative pursuits without feeling like you’re missing out on other opportunities? 14:53 How has your workflow evolved from traditional tools to today’s AI-driven design processes? 24:18 When choosing new projects, do you prefer working with specific types of clients or project sizes? 27:53 What advice would you give your younger self, and do you think it still holds true today? 30:06 Show notes - Designers need to think beyond tools and trends if they want to create work that truly matters. People are engaging with our experiences in real, imperfect environments, and that responsibility should guide how we design. Design is a profession, but for many of us, it’s also a passion and a calling. Early success can be dangerous if you’re not prepared for it. Ego can quietly hurt the work. Leveraging humility while still respecting your expertise is one of the most important lessons in a design career. Never stop learning. Never stop being a student of your craft—this advice will always be relevant.  Justin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pseudoroom/  Company’s Website:  https://anomalibydesign.com His books, In Fulfillment: The Designer's Journey (https://in-fulfillment.com) and Creative Culture (https://the-culturebook.com)