Voice of Design

We sit down with Max-Beverton Palmer, Head of Tech and Society at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, to discuss his work helping policy-makers address challenges around the world. Max wanted you all to know that the world has clearly changed a lot since this podcast was recorded, but the political and technology principles discussed haven’t. The Institute Max works for has pivoted to tackling the crisis. You can find more here, and two reports on how we use tech to get through the current crisis: Digital Policy for a Lockdown: How Tech Can Help Us Adapt to a Radically Altered World A Price Worth Paying: Tech, Privacy and the Fight Against Covid-19 EPISODE LINKS Max on TwitterNarratives of Hate: The Spectrum of Far-right Worldviews in the UKDiversify by June SarpongThe Bretton Woods Conference, 1944Sky parental control design

We get the band back together! Our lawyer Gabe Levine joins us to reminisce about contract negotiations past and discuss the fundamentals of negotiation for designers, or anyone, really. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Gabriel Levine | LinkedInMatchstick | Lawyers for creative businessMatchstick | Service Agreement Field ManualRunning From the LawWelcome to the age of surveillance capitalism | The Guardian

Accessibility consultant and trainer Elle Waters joins us to talk about the importance of inclusive design, and why we aren’t there yet. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Level AccessUniversal design - Wikipedia There's also a transcript available here.

Yonah Camacho Diamond, union organizer with the Communications Workers of America explains how unions works in the US. We discuss why tech workers might want to consider organizing and the process for doing so. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Communications Workers of AmericaCWA District 9AFL-CIO

John Hanawalt, designer and co-founder of the Queer Design Club, returns to Mule to tell us about his work to celebrate queer contributions to the design industry and foster community, and especially the Queer Design Count. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS John HanawaltJohn on MediumQueer Design ClubStitch FixDesign Census 2019The Queer Design CountDiversity at Dropbox tweet

Kio Stark, author of When Strangers Meet, TED speaker, and person who by her own admission makes strange faces, joins us to talk about the benefits of talking to people you don’t know. We talk about ways to step out of your comfort zone to experience moments of ‘fleeting intimacy’ without coming across as a sociopath. And it turns out this is all connected to research. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Kio StarkKio on TwitterWhy you should talk to strangers | TED TalksWhen Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform YouGlide.orgKindergarteners are choosing how they're greeted...BBC interviewee interrupted by his children live on airJust Enough Research, Second Edition

Kristina Halvorson, founder of Brain Traffic and Confab: the Content Strategy Conference joins us to talk about content, and strategy, and why some people continue to be wrong on the internet. Also, what’s up with supervillain lairs? ----more---- EPISODE LINKS contentstrategy.comBrain TrafficKristina on TwitterConfab: The Content Strategy ConferenceWhat is Design Thinking? - IDEO UWhat Does a Content Strategist Do?

Design pioneer, entrepreneur, author, and longtime friend of Mule Nathan Shedroff joins us to talk about innovation, sustainability, and the Cats trailer. Nathan co-founded one of the first web services firms ever, went on to create the ground-breaking Design MBA program at California College of the Arts (CCA), and is now executive director of Seed Vault Ltd, building an independent, trusted bot economy on the blockchain. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS nathan.comNathan on TwitterMake It So: Interaction Design Lessons from Science FictionCats (2019 film)Jupiter AscendingThe US Navy will replace its touchscreen controls with mechanical ones on its destroyersSecrets of the Dead | World War SpeedBanned TED Talk: Nick Hanauer "Rich people don't create jobsBusiness Today Needs Deanna TroiHot deskingDesign is the Solution

Mike wrote a book about ethics. We also talk inexpertly about equines and touch on the stupidity of gender reveal parties and Ayn Rand fans. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Mike on Twitterruinedby.design"Ayn Rand was a dick." shirt by Mule Design

Jeff Tidwell, entrepreneur and long-time friend of Mule joins us to talk about his latest project. Next For Me is a resource for people 50+ as they navigate new work and social contributions. We discuss ageism, opportunities to build a better society, and the relationship of kids these days to our lawns. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Jeff on TwitterJeff on LinkedInNext For Meencore.org

We are joined by Lynne Polischuik, a veteran researcher, founder of LynneUX, and Canadian with a small weird dog. She shares what she’s learned over her career moving from marketing and analytics to the qualitative side of things working with organizations like Google, Automattic, and HealthCare.gov. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Lynne on TwitterClement MokOn Surveys

Mike, who makes better coffee than Larisa, and Larisa, who is better at math than Mike, are joined in the studio by David Dylan Thomas to talk about cognitive bias. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS daviddylanthomas.comDavid on TwitterDavid on MediumCognitive bias - WikipediaHawthorne effect - WikipediaClever Hans - WikipediaOrchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of“Blind” Auditions on Female MusiciansRhyme-as-reason effect - WikipediaPlain Language Act18FWhen It Comes to Gorillas, Google Photos Remains BlindThe Cognitive Bias podcastThink CompanyLetter from Birmingham Jail - WikipediaThe LobsterThe FavoriteRizzo statue will remain at Thomas Paine Plaza for now

We sit down with the legendary Jen Simmons, currently Designer and Developer Advocate at Mozilla, to take stock of the web in 2019. Design, technology, platforms, ethics, operations, remix culture, CSS. It’s all in there. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Jen SimmonsJen Simmons on TwitterThe Web AheadCSS Grid InspectorSay hello, new logo | The Official Slack BlogThe Experimental Layout LabCut the Bias | A Mule WorkshopThe Anatomy of Change | What we’ve learned from our own gender bias workshopThe Little Book of Common Sense InvestingIn Praise of Idleness by Bertrand RussellLayout LandThis is Marketing | Seth’s BlogEverything You Know About Web Design Just Changed by Jen Simmons

We catch up with John Mahoney, Vice President of Digital Products at National Audubon Society for the National Audubon Society. Four years after a successful launch, we reflect on what it took to create a flexible new design system and achieve lasting change for a complex organization. A big part was “soaking in the pain.” ----more---- EPISODE LINKS National Audubon SocietyJohn Mahoney on TwitterThe Audubon Bird Guide AppBirds!American AnimalsA Rare Copy of Audubon’s ‘Birds of America’ Heads to Auction to Benefit Conservation

We welcome Nate Bolt, the founder of Ethnio and author of Remote Research, to talk about talking to the right people, why so many businesses go about qualitative research the wrong way, and how powerful a simple conversation can be. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS EthnioGeneral MagicDementia & User Research image: Casual Friday Gets *Really* Weird by Nate Bolt via Flickr

Stephanie Lucas, Senior UX Designer at LinkedIn joins us to share how she incorporated principles from the Mule ethics workshop into her practice. Inspired by a comment from another participant, Stephanie created a Red Team/Blue Team workshop to uncover how bad actors might wreak havoc on the platform. We talk about using an ethical framework to make better choices. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Stephanie Lucas - Senior UX Designer, Member Trust, Privacy, and HelpWhat Are“Ethics in Design”?Mule Workshop :: Design EthicsA Designer’s Code of Ethics PostersMadame BovaryHBO | Silicon ValleyBlack MirrorBoJack HorsemanOne of UsThe WellVice News | We posed as 100 Senators to run ads on Facebook. Facebook approved all of them.The Matrix

It’s a new season of VOD, and the theme is design practice. After contemplating the tyranny of seaside pumpkins, Erika and Larisa talk about the promise and pitfalls of various approaches to design in the delivery-focused organization. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Trader Joe’s pumpkin productsPumpkin FestivalThe Irish Coffee Story

Is the problem with systems design that we’ve forgotten how to make good compromises? Strategic designer and co-founder of Dash Marshall Bryan Boyer talks about his work thinking about the future from the vantage point of Detroit and formerly, Finland. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Dash MarshallCivic Futures: Notes on Dash Marshall’s work at the intersection of architecture, technology, and societyHDL Blog - Helsinki Design LabConstruction of Michigan's tallest building begins with underground demolitionSix Powerful insights from the creative shape shifter, R. Buckminster FullerRichard Buckminster Fuller, Furthering Humanity

Scratch a follower of Ayn Rand and you’ll find someone who looks to the government for help in a hurricane. Pragmatic design leader and public sector champion Cyd Harrell joins us to talk about the practice of designing systems for citizens. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS 18FSpace CampThe Legacy Museum & The National Memorial for Peace and JusticeWhy Disney World Has Its Own GovernmentGet Into Government: An Insider's Tips for Breaking InCalifornia Government Operations AgencyWeb Standards and Design System for California GovernmentU.S. Web Design SystemCode for America Brigade NetworkTech for CampaignsRagtagMenudoHatch Act of 1939, An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political ActivitiesSlow IdeasEveryoneOn

While we weren’t paying attention, software ate the world and barfed up a hellscape. By taking a broader set of perspectives, designers can work with informed intention to create ethical and profitable systems. ----more---- EPISODE LINKS Thinking in TriplicateFacebook Ad CampaignJohn ElkingtonTriple bottom lineSlaughterhouse-FiveToo good to survive: The rise and fall of RdioBasecampBarber surgeonWomb ChairBall ChairThey Live