UI Breakfast: UI/UX Design and Product Strategy

What makes a perfect product demo? How do you engage and convert a potential customer instead of boring them to death with a monotonous screenshare? Today our guest is Aaron Krall, a SaaS enterprise sales coach. You'll learn when SaaS demos are a good fit, how to organize and structure your call, and how to move the sale forward by making it all about the user. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://si...

Chats and messengers represent a huge design challenge: there's always room for innovation, but the users are deeply attached to existing UX patterns (think of the latest Skype update). Our guest today is Kostya Gorskiy, Design Lead at Intercom. We talk about their recent messenger redesign, peculiarities of popular chat platforms, and how to design a messaging interface for your own product. Podc...

Optimizing the trial-to-paid conversion rate is one the most effective ways to improve any SaaS business. Our guest today is Alli Blum, a SaaS onboarding optimization consultant. You'll learn how to define the user's path to success (and their common roadblocks), write onboarding emails based on research data, segment your users, and A/B test every step in your onboarding funnel. Podcast feed: sub...

We've been building websites for decades, yet each project imposes new challenges when it comes to navigation. Our guest today is Els Aerts — a famous usability expert, speaker, and co-founder of AGConsult. We talk about the core principles behind effective navigation, how to figure out what information deserves the spotlight, and how to avoid common pitfalls. You'll also learn how to deal with na...

What is a product strategy? More importantly, what makes a good one? Our guest today is Zack Naylor, co-founder and CEO at Aurelius. We talk about product strategy vs tactics, the objectives and key results framework, the elusive product-market fit, and customer research as the foundation for all of the above. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts/1441/rss in your favorite podca...

According to research, 70–80% of all websites in the world have Google Analytics installed! However, only a fraction of them use it well. Our guest today is Jeff Sauer, founder and lead instructor of Jeffalytics. You'll learn why Google Analytics can be so frustrating, how to approach your data, what tools can help, and how to get yourself up to speed in the topic. Podcast feed: subscribe to http:...

What do founders really get out of accelerators? What are the wins and the trade-offs? Our guest today is Nina Stepanov, Associate and Head of Platform at Acceleprise. You'll get familiar with the industry terms, learn how accelerators work, and how all parties can benefit from such collaboration. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts/1441/rss in your favorite podcast app, and f...

How do you help a team of creative professionals achieve their best results? Our guest today is Andy Vitale, the director of user experience at Polaris Industries. You'll learn how to manage and grow an in-house design team, bring new members up to speed, and optimize the UX process. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts/1441/rss in your favorite podcast app, and follow us on iT...

What does the world of decentralized apps (dapps) hold for us? Our guest today is Matt Cyrankiewicz — a designer, creative director and founder at HOO KOO E KOO. Matt explains how dapps work, what makes them so challenging UX-wise, and shares his insights on the future of this exciting ecosystem. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts/1441/rss in your favorite podcast app, and fo...

Custom sales copy will always outperform general copy — with very little effort on your side. That's the magic of personalization! Our guest today is Brennan Dunn, co-founder of RightMessage. Brennan talks about different ways of personalizing websites, shares his favorite case studies, and explains how to get started with small experiments. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts...

Is that new project really worth your attention? Should you say "yes" to that new client? Freelancers and consultants face these challenges daily. Today our guest is Matt Inglot, the founder of Freelance Transformation and micro-agency owner. You'll learn how to identify your ideal client, qualify incoming leads, organize your client intake, and avoid common red flags. Podcast feed: subs...

Surprisingly, most web applications offer the same "out of the box" experience to all users — skipping on the opportunity to delight them with custom details. Today we talk about UX personalization with our special guest Samuel Hulick, the ultimate guru of user onboarding and the creator of UserOnboard.com. You'll learn how to make web app experience more suitable for each individual user, and how...

We all receive plenty of "let's get started" emails when we sign up for new software. Some of them stand out, the rest don't even get read. What makes the difference? Our guest today is the amazing Val Geisler, an email onboarding copywriter and strategist. You'll learn what exactly you should be sending to your new users, how much is enough, what subject lines and CTAs work best, and mu...

Templates and frameworks are a whole separate design industry! Today our guest is Seth Coelen, the author of Bootsketch — a comprehensive library of Bootstrap components for Sketch. You'll learn the success story behind his product, and get tips for building (and selling) design resources on your own. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts/1441/rss in your favorite podcast app, a...

It's episode one hundred today — and we have a spectacular guest to celebrate! It's Patrick McKenzie, a SaaS thought leader who doesn't need an introduction. We talk about leveling up your business — starting with smaller products like books, and then progressing towards more complex ones. Patrick explains why products can make such positive influence on your life and business, shares stories and...

What comes first, the product or the team? Without any doubt, the team is #1 priority for Natalie Nagele, co-founder and CEO of Wildbit. We discuss their strategy around multiple SaaS products, how they became a product agnostic team, and how they juggle resources while staying focused and productive. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts/1441/rss in your favorite podcast app, a...

How do you measure value in such abstract industry as design? Today we continue on the topic of value-based pricing with our guest Nick Disabato, a famous designer and writer. You'll learn how to identify and demonstrate the value of your UI/UX services, what exactly stands behind a high price tag, what KPIs to measure, and how to bring maximum business value to the table. Podcast feed: subscribe...

Feeling trapped in hourly billing forever? Welcome to our two-part miniseries on value-based pricing. Our guest today is Jonathan Stark, a famous consultant and author of Hourly Billing Is Nuts. You'll learn why hourly billing is detrimental to your earnings and to your productivity, how to transition to value-based pricing, and how to conduct all the hard conversations with your clients. Podcast...

Thanks to technology, the whole world is at your fingertips. But how exactly do you approach customers from other countries? Our guest today is Ed Freyfogle, co-founder of OpenCage Geocoder. You'll learn how to sell SaaS products internationally, build trust, engage with local communities, and handle details like pricing and billing. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts/1441/rs...

Being a founder is a tough, lonely job. How do you stay sane (and happy) on this journey? Our special guest today is Sherry Walling — a clinical psychologist, founder of ZenFounder, podcaster, and author. We discuss how founders can overcome their emotional challenges, how to make sure that your family is on your side, and how to maintain physical and emotional health. Podcast feed: subscribe to h...

Building a product is never a simple linear process, not to mention processes in large UX teams. Our guest today is Kurt Shmidt, the president of Foundry and host of The Schmidt List podcast. You'll learn what makes a good design team, what tools and methods are available, how to distribute tasks and make smooth transitions between different project stages. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simple...

Everything has been done before. But where is that fine line between getting inspiration, copying, and downright stealing? Our guest today is Ferdinand Vogler, a product designer who specializes in digital experiences. We discuss the ethical side of repurposing design ideas, how copying can help designers master their craft, and why you shouldn't be afraid of repeating yourself in your own work. P...

This is a special behind-the-scenes episode with Claire Suellentrop, one of my co-founders for Userlist.io (alongside Benedikt Deicke). We share our co-founder story, product strategy, and the initial research process. You'll learn how to do a brand sprint exercise, how to run customer interviews, and how to transform your data into product insights. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm...

Meaningful motion can make a huge difference in your product, yet it's so often overlooked! Our guest today is Adrian Zumbrunnen, a designer and engineer at Google. We discuss how to approach motion strategically, who's responsible for the implementation, how to document transitions when you hand off your work, and how to "breathe life" into an existing web app. Podcast feed: subscribe t...

The world would be a different place if all ideas were brought to life! Even getting started is hard, not to mention making it to the launch. Today our guest is the awesome Marc Köhlbrugge, founder of BetaList and multiple other products. Marc shares some of his product stories, and we discuss methods and tools for building software products more effectively. Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simp...