UXPERTS

There’s always far more to do than time to do it, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed or spend time on less important tasks. In this episode, Jason Moore and Ephie Risho tackle this challenge head-on with a system called the personal kanban. At the time of this recording, Ephie had just come through a time when he had far more on his plate than time and was losing steam on everything. Revisiting thes...

The UX Engineer role ensures the software has top quality, consistent experiences. UX and UI diverge in this podcast, where Jason Moore and Ephie Risho dig into the depths with two special guests. UX covers the user flows and experiences, whereas UI is focused more on making everything look and feel seamless. Special guests Matthew and Cody discuss how they got into the field of UI design, what is...

How do user story map tools work for large companies building enterprise software? In this episode, Jason Moore and Ephie Risho finish their five-part series on Jeff Patton’s book User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product.   Topics covered include building deep, shared understanding, working with personas, using minimum viable product cycles to the best effect, prioriti...

In part three, Ephie and Jason dig deeper into Jeff Patton’s book User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product . As they cover chapters 10-13, they delve deeper into more examples and stories to flesh out the practice of using story maps to guide the entire product development process, from early discovery to breaking down big efforts into smaller chunks. Breaking down a l...

Way out West there is this fella by the name of Jeff Patton. At least, that was the handle his lovin’ parents gave him. But we just call him the User Story Mapping Dude. Now, this dude was no stranger to product development. Some might even say, when it comes to story mapping, well, he wrote the book.  And as it was, two big fans of his were doing a podcast series on that said book, and decided to...

Story mapping in tech companies of all sizes can have a significant and immediate positive influence. Join Ephie and Jason as they dig into Jeff Patton’s book User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product . As they cover chapters 4-9, they delve deeper into the practical application of user story mapping, emphasizing the importance of a cohesive narrative that reflects user...

Shared documents do not equal shared understanding. Rather than sharing a document, teams need to work with visuals like whiteboards and sticky notes in order to build true shared understanding. One core tool that is invaluable in charting out users’ needs and what product should be built is story mapping.  Join Ephie and Jason as they dig into Jeff Patton’s book User Story Mapping: Discover the W...

Our smartphones have become our core computer for ongoing daily tasks. Even when sitting at a desk with multiple screens on a powerful computer, some tasks are quicker and easier on a mobile device. What are some examples of good uses of this powerful device that’s always at hand? Join Jason & Ephie as they discuss the top mobile apps they use, and why. As an experiment, they each took a scree...

At the heart of knowledge workers’ jobs is the need to do critical thinking and ideation around complex concepts. If the end goal is known clearly, moving from point A to B can be a project management task. But a more interactive, innovative approach is needed when B is fuzzy or unknown, and there are many ways to get there. Introducing Gamestorming, activities that engage people, just like a game...

Interviewing for a UX role requires providing solid case studies showcasing your work level. But what should be included to make a case study shine, and what are some of the pitfalls? Join Ephie & Jason as they dive into their real-world experiences with interviewing and what makes a solid case study or portfolio stand out.  This episode goes into depth on case study structure and the most ess...

How do heuristic principles make for better design? In this episode, Jason and Ephie dig into the second half of the NN/g usability principles for interaction design, making interfaces easy to use and understand. They kick it off by encouraging design for recognition over recall, so users don’t have to keep anything in mind to complete tasks. Next, they look at flexibility and efficiency, allowing...

Are you ready to unpack Jakob Nielsen's 10 usability principles for interaction design with Jason and Ephie? They begin by looking at the first five usability heuristics, which are guidelines for making interfaces easy to use and understand.  Ephie and Jason kick things off by discussing best practices to ensure system status visibility, so users are kept in the loop with timely feedback. Next...

Setting reasonable goals is critical for your personal and professional success. Solid goals and a disciplined approach can lead to more extraordinary achievements at work and more intentional activity overall. In this episode, Jason and Ephie delve into many aspects of setting goals, from how to set them, what makes a goal measurable, the purpose of goals, how to keep disciplined and on task, and...

What advice do you have for someone interested in UX? What about someone considering switching from an individual contributor to a management role? Jason and Ephie cover many topics in their first-ever question-and-answer episode. Topics also delve into tools of the trade, what core skills are most important for UX design, what role content should play in design, ethical considerations in UX, and...

What big trends in UX have we seen in 2023, and what does 2024 hold in store? Join us as we dive deep into unpacking this year’s Trends of UX article and what resonates or completely misses the boat. In this episode, Jason and Ephie welcome the UX podcaster, Jeremy Miller, to join the discussion. The episode begins by delving into AI and automation, both for the role of UX and the focus of designs...

Does UX touch every aspect of our lives? What about raising children? Driving a car? Baking a cake? The answer to all of that is YES. UX touches everything we interact with, both our day-to-day physical experiences and the digital world.  No place does this have more relevance than when two professionals decide to step outside their comfort zones and enter the world of book publishing. Join local...

How can a strong team culture influence building good products? Join Jason and Ephie as we finish our series on Marty Cagan's brilliant book, "Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love," and dig into the most critical elements of being a strong team.  It's all about scaling the magic – finding ways to maintain that special spark and effectiveness as your company grows. Main...

Now that we’ve discussed strategy, how does this play out in practice? Join Ephie and Jason as they dive into Part 4 of Marty Cagan’s book, “Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love.” We’re talking execution – the secret sauce that mixes strategy and nitty-gritty details for product success. In this podcast, we delve into team empowerment – fostering that sense of responsibility and account...

How do you create a strong product vision to guide teams? In the third part of Marty Cagan’s awesome book, “Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love,” Ephie & Jason dive into how to assemble a powerhouse of a product team—top-notch, creative minds that have a crystal-clear vision everyone can rally behind. The goal is to ensure we’re not just creating but creating with purpose. We’ll ex...

What makes a solid team, and how can you nurture that? Join us for Part 2 of Marty Cagan's insightful book, “Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love.” In this episode, Jason and Ephie explore a problem-centric approach, where we connect with real customer needs, and how to supercharge product teams by giving them the keys to autonomy and ownership. We’ll dig into the secrets of fosteri...

The product discovery cycle is dramatically improved with face-to-face engagement with real users. Many companies have in-person events where UX can take advantage of this opportunity. Join Jason and Ephie as they dig deeper into the discovery process that UX goes through and how to leverage in-person opportunities to make the greatest impact on gathering insights, creating lasting relationships,...

Join us for Part 1 of Marty Cagan's insightful book, “Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love.” In this episode, Jason and Ephie uncover top insights for improving product development in enterprise tech companies. They dive into robust product leadership, shedding light on the role of product managers, engineers and designers working together. They explore what a true customer-centric appr...

What does it mean to be human in this ever-evolving big tech whirlwind? Join us for a captivating episode where we sit down with the remarkable Janie Greenwood, an engineering leader who brings a breath of fresh air to the tech world. Janie is an experienced women in tech pioneer who focuses on leading humbly while achieving remarkable feats with her teams. She covers topics from battling imposter...

Jason and Ephie pick up how UX can influence the product roadmap by debriefing a strategic planning session Ephie attended in Boston. They look at a wide range of elements that make a planning session successful by walking through the day-and-a-half working session. Using the most recent session for inspiration, they dive into various topics, from setting objectives and metrics to engaging with ch...

Ever wondered how UX can shape the future of your favorite products? In this episode, our host, Jason, shares his insights and experiences on the fascinating journey of influencing product roadmaps. 🚀 Looking to learn how to navigate through those long-term roadmap discussions? Or you're curious about those pivotal moments when a one-off pivot can change everything. Thank you for subscribing to t...