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Are Agile and UX really compatible ? Does a workflow involving Agile exclude or include UX ? What are some of the pitfalls ? Video Version: Is Agile good for UX? - YouTube If you enjoyed this episode, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you watching this is thanks enough for me ! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podcastandahalf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastandahalf/

Trust is the buildingblock of all business relationships. Coincidentally, it's also the building block of well-functioning teams. Trust enables people to focus on the work instead of regulating the relationship, and keeping an eye, on what their colleague is doing. Cultivating a transparency culture and a feeling of trust within a well-performing team is paramount. Video Version: Using trust to build teams - YouTube If you enjoyed this episode, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you watching this is thanks enough for me ! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podcastandahalf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastandahalf/

As a Junior, I would've benefitted so much from someone telling me what I'd be facing, going into my design career. That said, I thought of a couple of things that I really wished someone told me about, that would've helped me lower my expectations significantly and be happier overall with myself and my career.   If you fancy viewing this episode, it's also available on Youtube If you enjoyed this episode, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you listening to this is thanks enough for me !  Facebook Instagram If you want to support the podcast, I have small redbubble shop with accessories and clothes :) sorinjurcut Shop | Redbubble

2020 is over, and Design and a Half is back in black, with a mean attack. What about ? Stats. They seem to be everywhere, and everything seems to be measured and quantified against stats. But are stats enough ? Are they the be-all and end-all of design ? Of Things in our lives ? Aren't we a bit too focused on getting high stats that we soemtimes lose sight over what's important ? Why we started, why we are doing what we do, and just enjoy our time ? The answer is yours to find. I'm just rattling the cage. :) Video Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFy1TsKXzCk If you enjoyed this episode, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you watching this is thanks enough for me ! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podcastandahalf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastandahalf/

Sometimes people say things we don't agree with. Sometimes, we say those things. Whichever the case may be, there is a definite need to express one's disapproval with a situation, conversation or status quo. However, more often than not, those situations can get rather hairy. So, in order for us to get over them, we tend to give in to our most basic desire to forego conflict and discard our own belief. This could lead to dire consequences and may even send of a signal of lack of confidence and disposition to be influenced. Sometimes, we need to confidently say NO. If you enjoyed this episode, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you watching this is thanks enough for me !   Facebook Instagram RedBubble Merch

Leaders, managers, leads and CEOs everywhere. But not a leader in sight. Well maybe that's not entirely true. There's plenty of leaders out there. But they might be buried knee deep in work, menial tasks, pushing from the back, where nobody notices them, not really wanting recognition for themselves but for their teams. In today's episode, I'm going to touch on the subject of leadership and management, what pushes us to pursue those changes. What motivates us to do it ? Why do we want to climb the corporate ladder ?   If you enjoyed this episode, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you watching this is thanks enough for me !   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podcastandahalf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastandahalf/ RedBubble Merch: sorinjurcut.redbubble.com

Did you ever try to use what you made ? Probably one of the simplest things to do, yet for some very difficult. The concept of dogfooding is something widely used in the tech industry nowadays when talking about using your own products and services to determine how good or bad they are, or to find out what their shortcomings are.

Games games games! It seems like they are everywhere and are part of our lives! They are here to stay! But are they useful? Are they more than just a waste of time? Is it more to gaming than meets the eye? We’ll find out in today’s episode of Design and a half.If you enjoyed this episode, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you listening to this is thanks enough for me !

Since Black Friday is just around the corner, it seemed natural to pick out this topic for today's episode, and explain a little bit about the effects of FOMO, as it is so endearingly called among people. FOMO is as old as marketing and was always used to produce artificial need and want in people. Why ? Because limited edition and exclusives are more desireable and they feed the ego, as much as the pockets of those that use this technique.If you enjoyed this episode, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you watching or hearing this is thanks enough for me ! More on FOMO:Coping with FOMOWhat is FOMO ?

Constraints are part of our everyday lives. We're constrained by budget, tech, availability, and most importantly time. We need to learn that perfect designs don't exist except within the realm of the imaginary and the impractical, and as designers, wee need to make constraints a part of our daily routine. Flexing that muscle to develop creative solutions. In the end, most people have the same problems and the same constraints. Where creativity comes in to play is how we all solve those problems in a different manner.If you enjoyed this video, consider liking, subscribing or sharing ! It helps me a lot ! :) However, you listening this is thanks enough for me !

Ever wondered what the best design tool is ? Ever wondered how to choose between them ? Today I'm debating over how to properly chose design tools within your organisation and why a design budget is quite important to have. If the subject is of interest to you, let me know either by commenting or messaing me, and I'll dive a bit more indepth on the subject.

Whenever we're talking about a project, we're talking about stakeholders. Project manager, designers, developers, Architects. You name it ! But each of them has their own agenda, their own objectives and thoughts. Is it possible to all coexist in harmony without ripping each other to shreds? Let's find out.If you liked it, subscribe, leave a thumbs up and if you fancy, join Design and a Half Facebook community for more tips, news, and discussions.For the video version, check out my youtube channel

Just why ? What is it that makes companies not want to add juniors on to their rosters ? Why do they keep adding additional hurdles on them, when they know perfectly fine that a junior does not have any type of experience whatsoever ? Is it some sick fetish ? Now more than ever, we need juniors with the correct motivation and mindsets to join organizations. And organizations need to make sure to have juniors on their teams to invest in. School never built professionals. Work has. School was a always a way to educate them and point them in the general direction. Help people uncover their paths.

Is there such a thing as too much collaboration ? Well, as a matter of fact, YES. There is. Every person out there is an individual, and while, some thrive on just having endless conversations and ideation sessions, or shadowing session over zoom, slack or skype, some, like me, tend to enjoy when they get some alone time. Time to think for themselves. Time to grab a pen, and just go wild sketching whatever scratches your brain to find a solution. Not worrying about complying to XYZ constraint, or making sure ABC collegue will agree with you or find your solution acceptable. Why does this happen ? We're individuals and, as individuals, we all want and need to stand out and be validated. Within a crowd, nobody stands out. Within a team, everything is done together. But when you have to change your job, your team won't be there to support you. That's when your achievements need to speak for themselves ! Paradoxal ? You betcha.Sub if you found the episode thought provoking, and share with a friend who is struggling with all of this over-collaboration-thing that we're going through. And if you have something you'd like to get off of your chest ? Comment ! I'd love to know your stories ! :)

Or the challenges of creativity. Problems, own experiences, battle scars... Stuff that is wrong about design right now, and stuff that I would have benefitted me know before diving into design. Every time you do something as a designer, you expose a bit of who you are to the world, and you hope the world will be as gentle as possible. Oftentimes that's now the case. Often times, we break down because of how much we are invested into this passion that is more than just a job. Into this career path...A like, share and comment is greatly appreciated, but if not, the time you spent listening to my episode is equally valuable and I thank you for sharing it with me. :)

We as consumers, can drive and steer the behavior of product companies towards something that adds value and brings change, rather than overselling and underdelivering. Oftentimes, we fall prey to our own vices, but oftentimes, we're manipulated or just purely forced into accepting predatory product tactics from companies that are seeking aggressive profit margins. What we can do, is be more mindful about our purchases, and say NO more often, by making a conscious choice, instead of an impulsive one.If you liked this episde, a follow/subscription, a like or a share would be greatly appreciated !

In this episode I'll talk about the 5 why technique and its use cases, origin as well as some tips related to UX interviews. This technique along with a lot of other popular concepts in IT nowadays actually originated in automotive, and more specifically, in the Toyota company, in Japan. Why ? Well, for starters, the Toyota company was one of the pioneers of making things more efficient and reducing waste, as well as Quality Management. Things like Poka Yoke or The fishbone diagram also originated in Japan.If you want to learn more about the inventor of the 5 why technique, you can do so by reading about him on his wikpedia page:Sakichi ToyodaEvery like, share or subscribe is greatly appreciated and it nudges me to push myself for more content ! :)

This episode talks about the drawbacks and the advantages of early adopters, applied to the current case of the newly released iphone. I'm not going to debate specs, since there are lots of ways people can get their hands on them, but I will look at some reasons behind the choices of this new version that was just released. I believe, now, more than before, early adopters look a lot more like angel investors whenever we're talking about products, because of how unstable and insufficient new products are. Tune in for more information !Don't forget to subscribe and share with a friend, if you feel like it :)

We've all been there. Beating ourselves up for not finishing something on time, trying to squeeze in those extra work hours to finish something up that needs to be polished juuuuust a little bit more. Ever think why we do that ? What causes that ? Today's episode is a foray into our own selves as we discuss about perfection and the downsides of always trying to be perfect as well as how this ties into our current society.Seeking approval, wanting validation and feeling the need to be appreciated. We all do it. What about some self-love ? Make more mistakes. Enjoy playing the game more than the outcome and the score. Focus more on what's important for us, than what's important for the world. As usual, hit subscribe if you liked this, or share this with someone in need of some mistakes, and imperfection. After all we're all human. :)And before I forget, here's that book I was talking about:No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work:  https://amzn.to/349LMox

Thinking about today's status quo, and the economic situation we find ourselves in, it might not be that farfetched for education to become fully online and more accessible to people that would otherwise not afford a college or university education via traditional means. Looking at you United States ! That's right ! Imagine how great it would be for companies to accept people with online education as often as ones with ivy league education  and to give people access to jobs. This would be especially crucial in developing countries, but also in countries where the cost of education still means only some get to pursue it. We live in interesting times, and the ones ahead look even more colorful !If you liked this episode, don't forget to follow or subscribe, and if you're on Apple Podcast, give it a rating ! Much appreciated ! Stay amazing !