How to Influence Through Communication, With Alastair Simpson (VP of Design at Dropbox)

Alastair Simpson is a design leader and mentor, serving as VP of Design at Dropbox. Prior to Dropbox, Alastair was Head of Design at Atlassian, where he helped scale the design team from 20 to over 250. On today's show we chat about craft and how important it is for designers at any level, persuasion, how to present work, and how to deal with puzzling feedback.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:28 – Alastair's journey into Design06:34 – On building the right habits11:24 – Sharing work, getting feedback, and storytelling27:45 – How to get good at presenting work31:44 – Soft skills that are important for designers33:56 – Craft of Design vs. surgical optimisation41:29 – Leading through craft47:16 – The importance of inspiring others50:06 – What Alastair hopes will happen over the next decade52:02 – End of show questionsConnect with AlastairLinkedIn, MediumSelected links from the episodeThe one critical skill most designers overlook, by AlastairInfluence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert CialdiniStart With Why, by Simon SinekAtomic Habits, by James Clear