PODCAST · arts
Opacity
by Tom Cunningham, Craig Phillips
A podcast about working in design.
Episodes
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32. A Bid Farewell
After 32 episodes, Tom and Craig record one last episode of Opacity in Jan 2022. In what we hope is an on-brand move, we explain our reasons for wrapping the podcast up. Thank you so much for all the listeners and guests we've had over the past few years. We hope that you found something...
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31. Generalists and Specialists
Welcome to the new year. In the first episode of 2021, Craig and Tom jump into an evergreen topic on the minds of designers everywhere. Should we be generalists or specialists, and why? Specialization and generalization are tough terms to define. There are generalist designers who have a breadth…
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30. Wrapping up 2020, Lacing up for 2021
We've made it to the end of 2020, a year unlike any other. Putting aside the roller coaster of the past year, we wanted to take some time to reflect on what's changed for designers in the workplace, and what these changes may mean for us in the coming year. A major theme for this episode was on…
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29. Starting your design career (part 1)
Starting out is hard. We've all been there, and have all had different experiences of this time. Regardless of how well or rough your entry to a design career is going, it takes real work. In this episode, Tom and Craig get into the topic, reflecting on their personal experiences as well as some...
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28. The moments that matter most
Looking back through your career you'll find a series of memorable moments that stand out. Highs, lows, and transitions likely make up the bulk of those memories. These memorable, defining moments are some of the most impactful on your career. These ideas are explored in depth in the well-known...
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27. Ethics on the Table
It's easy to assume that UX design is inherently ethical. After all, designing with people's interests in mind is a big part of what we do. So why then, are certain technologies driving the downfall of civilization? ::cue ominous thunder:: Technologies that designers have played a big role in...
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26. Embracing Serendipity
Our careers (and life) are made up of cross-roads and decisions we make on where to go next. We can approach these moments through detailed calculation—trying to find the right way to go based on the information we have available. Or, we can embrace a bit of randomness, and follow our gut. In…
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25. Designing Design Systems
We all know about them. Probably even dipped our toes into making one. Everyone wants one. Many are willing to sell their souls for the chance at designing one. They're a lot of work, but they're worth every drop of blood, sweat, and tears. Of course, we're talking about design systems. There are…
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24. Accessible Analogies
Accessibility and usability are core to our profession. Despite this fact, they often don't take center stage. Many designers even feel that putting too much emphasis on them can take away from pushing creative boundaries. In this episode, Tom and Craig chat about the tensions that exist between...
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23. Getting to Know Yourself
The experience of work is evolving faster than ever in this era of extreme uncertainty. In ways we're all still trying to make sense of. In this episode Craig and Tom get into it, talking about how working remotely has opened up a reevaluation of what we do, what we're good at, how we work, and...
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22. Content & Conversational Design with Grace Hughes, Fjord
Content is integral to good quality products and services, but doesn't always get the attention it deserves. In this episode Grace Hughes, Content Design Lead at Fjord joins Tom & Craig to discuss the role of content design, conversational design, content strategy and much more. You'll never use...
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21. Research & Plan Your Career, with Sinead Davis Cochrane, Workday
In this episode Tom sits down with Sinéad Davis Cochrane, a User Experience Manager at Workday, where she lead a team of designers and researchers. We discuss her education, career path from researcher to manager and views on planning your career. As well as advice for listeners who may be…
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20. Looking After Yourself - From Burnout to Pandemic
It's been a while, but we're back! After taking a few months off from the podcast, Craig and Tom are back in the saddle to discuss the state of being a designer (and person) in troubling times. We discuss Tom's burnout—which led to us taking the break in recording—as well as the situation we're…
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19: Baking your Design Roll, with Mindaugas Petrutis, Invision
Helping designers have more fulfilling careers is like being a baker. An artisanal bread baker, where the designer is the dough in your hands. Or maybe the job is the dough... Regardless, the analogy is oven-proof. This week, we talk with an expert baker. From hospitality, to design recruitment…
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18. Making a Design Podcast
With over 700,000 podcasts in the world, why make another one? Early in 2019, Tom and Craig decided to get together to create Opacity, a podcast framed around the general topic of working in design. 18 episodes and 8 months later, they reflect on how it started, what they've learned along the…
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17. Dazed & Composed, with Ben Taylor, Hubspot
Is composure underrated? One thing's for sure. Working nicely with others can be a challenge. And when we lose our composure, we can lose a lot more in the process. The modern work environment is full of tense moments, difficult conversations, and unreasonable egos (our own included). When…
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16. Is anyone a designer?
How do you feel when you hear these statements and questions? Everyone's a designer Should designers code? Jay-Z is a member of the Illuminati If you're like most, you probably get a little too worked up. We all do, and that's natural. In this episode, Tom and Craig talk about these questions.…
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15: Time & Energy
Time and energy are the elusive fuel for projects, both personal and professional. In this episode Craig and Tom discuss their thoughts on how to deal with finite resources and getting things done. Thanks for listening—share and subscribe!
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14: Interview with Kim Lenox, VP Design at Zendesk
Kim Lenox currently heads up the product design organization at Zendesk, a global company that builds software for the best customer experiences. She is responsible for driving strategic priorities and scaling the impact of an international team of product designers, researchers, content...
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13. Before we were designers
The jobs that we've had in the past shape the professionals we become. No matter how mundane, low paid, or seemingly inconsequential. A recent twitter dot com trend had people from far and wide sharing 5 past jobs they had. In the process, we saw people we know (and many we don't) showing how…
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12: Don't be an Asshole, with Paul Woods, Edenspiekermann
Has your mother ever told you to not be an asshole? In case not, this episode should do the trick. Paul Woods is Chief Creative Officer at the renowned design firm Edenspiekermann. He has accomplished much in his career as a designer, working with companies like Red Bull, Google, The City of…
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11: Banking on Research, with Lar Veale, AIB
If you know Lar Veale, and his current role at the bank AIB, then you know the title of this week's episode is a pun. If you don't know Lar, this is a great chance to hear from someone who has a lot of experience bringing research into the design practice at a big financial institution. And…
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10: Learn by Doing
'Twas a dark and stormy night in Dublin... Tune into this week's episode to hear Tom tell a riveting tale of a disaster corrected by the power of DIY. Experience makes life bigger. It expands our worldview. People decide more and more to pay for experiences than buy stuff. The same goes for...
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9: Design Education, with Colman Walsh, UX Design Institute
Colman Walsh's head has been in UX design education for the past decade. Who better to continue our design education topic from episode 4? In 2013 he founded UXTraining.com, and ran it successfully as in-person training for individuals to corporate groups. Then came the opportunity to scale this...
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8: Imposter Syndrome, with Aoife O'Dwyer, Each&Other
Raise your hand if you've ever felt like an imposter. 🤚 Imposter Syndrome is something we're all familiar with. Maybe a bit too familiar. It shows its face across industries, but for creative professionals it's especially palpable. In this episode Tom and Craig talk about their personal...
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7: Interview with Pete Bowker, CEO of Glug
This is exciting. Did I say how excited I am? We've hit episode 7, and are bringing on a new format with special guests. In this episode I had the privilege of chatting with Pete Bowker, CEO of Glug. We talked about everything from his childhood eating bee larva in Papua New Guinea, through his...
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6: What's in a Process?
What's in a process? That which we call design, by any other name would still smell as sweet. What's design process, and what's the value in following one? Having a process is a good thing, but does that mean not following one is a bad thing? Tom and Craig get into it, exploring when they're...
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5: Expectations of the Modern Designer
We started this episode with a simple question. "What's expected of the modern designer?" Turns out it's the perfect topic to uncover rabbit holes. Tom and Craig have a convo that starts here, and ends somewhere else altogether. From specialists/generalists, to management career tracks, to the...
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4: The Design of Design Interviews
Interviewing is a gentle dance. A staged performance where the interviewer and interviewee meet on the battlefield of employability. In other words, it's hard on both sides of the table. Design challenges are a common component of interviewing for a new gig. But not everyone's a fan. Tom read a...
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3: What's the Future of Design Education?
Should designers learn? Yes, yes they should. But the real question is how. How should designers learn their craft? What prepares a designer and gives them the skills they need to be successful for todays jobs? How about those of the future? There's no shortage of options out there. College...
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2: Hot/Mild Takes on the Year to Come
What does the future hold? We all have opinions on where the coming year will take us. Tom and Craig are no exception. In this episode the guys discuss a few bits and bobs floating in the empty cavern where their articulate minds used to be. The best thing about the future is no one can say…
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1: Experience Design—High Horses & Reality Checks
Welcome to the first ever episode of Opacity! Tom and Craig go down a variety of rabbit holes as they think out loud about experience design. Craig tries to instigate, but Tom remains stoic as ever. Everything is on the table, from the designing bathroom experiences to artificial intelligence. In...
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Trailer
Welcome to Opacity, a podcast about working in design. What does it mean to be a designer? As a craft, design lives and grows. But with growth comes complexity. Designers today are often navigating their career paths on their own. Forging new ways to do new types of design. It isn't easy, and the...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Opacity have?
Opacity currently has 33 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Opacity about?
A podcast about working in design.
How often does Opacity release new episodes?
Opacity has 33 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Opacity?
You can listen to Opacity on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Opacity?
Opacity is created and hosted by Tom Cunningham, Craig Phillips.
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