Design Table Podcast

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick pull back the curtain on the recruiter side of the design job market. This is not a rant and it is not recruiter hate. Instead, it is a practical explanation of how the system actually works. They break down what preferred suppliers are, why some recruiter outreach goes nowhere, and how designers accidentally hurt themselves by ignoring m...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick break down how experienced product designers are actually using AI in real workflows. Not the hype. Not the panic. The practical reality. They talk through where AI is genuinely useful, where it creates more problems than it solves, and why most of its real value shows up after discovery, not before (like most say). From copy refinement a...

In the second half of this conversation, Tyler and Nick shift gears and answer a question they hear constantly: “If I am brand new to design, where do I even start anymore?” They break down what actually matters when entering product design today, what beginners should ignore, and how to build real skills without getting lost in tools, certifications, and AI panic. This episode is a practical, hon...

2025 felt like two years packed into one. In this episode, Tyler and Nick look back on the biggest shifts in product design over the past year and what they actually mean for designers going into 2026. They discuss how AI changed the way design work enters teams, why designers are becoming prototype-first thinkers, and how tools like Cursor, Figma MCPs, and AI image generation are closing the gap...

After last week's live portfolio review, Tyler and Nick continue where they left off and go deeper into the challenges designers face when trying to stand out in a global job market. They discuss what changes when you apply for design roles in another country and why most designers struggle. They explain how to adapt your portfolio for a new region, why English mockups can make or break interviews...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick review and fix a real portfolio from a junior designer who is struggling to land interviews. You will see exactly what is holding him back and the specific changes that turn a forgettable portfolio into one that gets you hired. They break down whether a Figma file can replace a traditional portfolio, the layout and writing issues that sil...

In Part 2 of our UX Portfolio Episodes, Tyler and Nick go one step deeper. They break down portfolio strategy, case study structure, personal branding, and whether junior designers should create free work to build real experience (or not). This episode explores what separates forgettable portfolios from the ones that open doors. Tyler and Nick find out how to niche yourself when you don’t have exp...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the one thing every product designer struggles with the most: creating a portfolio that actually gets interviews, callbacks, and job offers. Most designers ship portfolios that read like academic essays. They're too long, too vague, too generic, and way too similar to everyone else’s. Even great designers get ignored because their...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick attempt something different: a live, real-time brainstorm where two senior product designers tackle an actual business problem — low feature adoption and poor upgrade conversion. Companies keep shipping features that barely anyone uses. New tiers launch and… crickets. PMs blame “awareness” while designers blame “UX,” marketing blames “mes...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the big gap between what UX education teaches you and what real product design work looks like on the job. Most junior designers leave school excited to “help users” and “make the world a better place” only to slam face first into business goals, tech debt, and stakeholders who want results... well... yesterday. Tyler and Nick com...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick figure out the hard truth about why so many UX and product designers struggle to get hired. Hint: it is not your (lack of) Figma skills. They discuss best practices and advice from their experience as UX coaches. From confidence gaps to portfolios that all look the same to the finding out that design careers are built through stakeholders...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick share conversion optimization secrets they've learned over their combined 20 years of design experience. From the psychology behind high-converting ads to the small tweaks that always boost your landing page performance, they share the tactics that have moved the needle for many of the design projects they've worked on before. Tyler bring...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick become the "Design Mythbusters" and tackle the biggest misconceptions about UX design that both designers and non-designers believe. From the idea that UX is just about making things pretty to the pressure of getting everything right the first time, they bust (or confirm) myths that hold you back in your design career. Tyler shares his pe...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick are trying to untangle the confusing world of design job titles and their many, many variations. From UX designer to product designer to the emerging UX engineer role and everything inbetween. They share what each title actually means, their differences, and how to survive the ever-changing landscape of design careers today. Also, Tyler s...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick talk about the actual day-to-day of being a product designer and how it is very different from what social media tells you. One's an in-house designer while the other is a freelancer. Both have over a decade of on-the-job design experience. Together, they discuss how AI creates overlap between design, product, and engineering, and why goo...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the real answer to the question that’s been haunting LinkedIn threads, Reddit posts, and bootcamp Slack groups: Is it still worth becoming a UX or product designer in 2025 and beyond? They look back on their own (non-)traditional paths into product design, the current state of the industry, and how AI is changing design roles diff...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick go into the chaotic world of branding. They discuss why it matters more than ever, when it’s completely overhyped, and how to make the most of it as a product designer looking to build a career. Well-known branding moments include the Jaguar rebrand and Apple’s liquid glass 'feature'. Nick and Tyler talk about how branding decisions influ...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the role of animation and motion in modern product design workflows and why it’s not just about looking slick. From micro-interactions to loading states, they find out where animation improves UX and where it becomes a distraction. They also get into motion for video editing, designing for product marketing, and why most designers...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick talk about how the lines between designers and product managers are getting more and more blurry. AI tools speed up our way of working and startups grow using smaller teams than ever. Does that mean we are heading toward a new unicorn role for a designer-product-manager-hybrid? From working with founders instead of PMs, to shielding teams...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld discuss the fast-evolving world of design tools, AI integration for your tools, and why your current workflow might (or might not) already be outdated. From tool fatigue to the Figma vs. Framer debate, they explore how designers are adapting (or not) to new tech, what makes or breaks productivity today, and whether a sing...

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld discuss the (design) updates Apple showcased at WWDC, including the much-hyped Liquid Glass, and what it means for product designers, users, and the future of UI. They discuss why both the product design community and Apple focuses too much on Liquid Glas, what to focus on instead, and the more interesting subtle announce...

🎯 "Good design speaks for itself."  ... except when it doesn’t. In this episode, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld break down how to present your work—and yourself—in a way that actually influences decisions. Whether you're in a client pitch, a job interview, or a high-stakes design review, how you communicate your value is just as important as what you design. We’re breaking down: ✅ Why context m...

🛠️ "Design is just making pretty screens, right?"  ... Wrong. In this episode, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld dive into the real (and messy) side of product design—from research and collaboration to freelancing and client communication. It's everything they don't teach you in design school. We’re breaking down:  ✅ How user research actually works (and why users shouldn’t design the product).  ✅...

The design community is divided. Some love the Figma Config announcements while others hate it. We've seen every type of comment from 'the output code sucks' to 'Figma just ended Illustrator'. But which one is true? Or is none of it true? In this episode, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld discuss Figma Config's 2025 announcements and how Figma Make , Figma Sites , and the rest impact product and UX...

💻"Designers don’t need to code."  ...but is that advice still true today? In this episode, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld unpack why the designer role is evolving fast —and why the next generation of designers will need more than just Figma skills to stay relevant. We’re breaking down: ✅ Why polished prototypes now speak louder than polished decks. ✅ How AI is reshaping prototyping—and why it’...