logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2020
55m 52s

337: The Metagame of Design

Brian Lovin, Marshall Bock
About this episode

This week, we discuss the metagame of product design, thinking out loud about the skills we do in between the craft work that help us to be more effective, have more impact, and grow faster in our careers. As always, we dig into followup, talk about some fleeting news, and share our cool things of the week!


Sponsor:

Fathom Analytics – we love it, we use it, we can't recommend it enough. Fathom is a privacy-first analytics tool that provides all the right information about traffic to your websites. Some of our favorite features:

  • Fathom doesn't use cookies, which means you can skip the GDPR notice
  • The data it collects is simple and straightforward, meaning that it can load your analytics dashboard incredibly quickly and gets you straight to the most important information
  • Fathom is a small two-person team that charges money for the service. Your data is not sold or leveraged in another way. Simple, straightforward pricing makes the world go 'round.
  • And so much more.

Learn more at designdetails.fm/fathom and if you sign up using that URL you will save $20 off your first invoice!

Golden Ratio Patrons:

We're looking for partners to work with. If your team is hiring, launching a new product, or wants us to get the word out about a new initiative, please get in touch!


Latest VIP Patrons:

Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!

  • Vinnie
  • Matthew Atkinson
  • Adam Fuhrer
  • Mathias Arlund
  • Keaton Taylor
  • Ethan

Follow-up:


Tweets:


News:

  • Fleets have arrived: short ephemeral tweets that can't be retweeted, liked or replied to. It's Twitter's interpretation of Stories, and we are intrigued.

Listener Question:


Cool Things:

  • Brian shared Jojo Rabbit, a satire by Taika Waititi. It's about a young boy in Hitler's army who finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.
  • Marshall shared Locke and Key, a new drama on Netflix, based on a comic book series of the same name by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez.

Design Details on the Web:


Auf wiedersehen!

Up next
Nov 2023
464: AI Grab Bag
This week, we talk about Open AI's GPTs-as-apps strategy, FigJam's AI tools, and our dreams for a future Jarvis-like experience.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus conten ... Show More
34m 27s
Oct 2023
463: Design Medley, Vol. 1
This week, we talk about the delicate art of using animation in interface design, how to use button sizes, and managing margins in type styles.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access ... Show More
34m 13s
Sep 2023
462: Refactoring a Design System
This week, Marshall breaks down his process, tips, and tricks to redesign a design system in Figma.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at p ... Show More
47m 33s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
Episode 228: Design Advisory with Brian Lovin
Can designers make an impact as startup advisors instead of providing capital? Our guest is Brian Lovin, founder of Staff Design and product designer at GitHub. You’ll learn how Brian invests in companies with design expertise instead of capital, why design advisory is helpful to ... Show More
38m 45s
Nov 2020
Episode 195: Minimalist Design with Brian Gardner
Minimalism may be considered merely an aesthetic choice, but it also determines many other decisions we make in product design and life in general. How can designers implement and stand by their minimalist principles in web and product design? Our guest today is minimalist design ... Show More
37m 50s
Jun 2023
Robert Brunner: The design giant who hired Jony Ive
Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/robert-brunner-where-art-and-commerce Our guest today, Robert Brunner, once joked that his tombstone will say: “Here lies the guy who hired Jonathan Ive.” But there’s much more to Robert than that. He did indeed build out the industri ... Show More
53m 18s
Nov 2021
Episode 227: Product Design Exercises with Artiom Dashinsky
How can we leverage product design exercises in our hiring process? Our guest is Artiom Dashinsky, author of Solving Product Design Exercises and founder of Swag Fair. You’ll learn how to prepare for interviews as a designer, how to evaluate designers as a manager, tips for build ... Show More
43m 34s
Feb 2023
Episode 260: Managing the Design Process with Paul Boag
There’s so much more to the design craft than just designing. How can you work harmoniously with stakeholders in a project? Our guest today is Paul Boag, a CRO expert. You’ll learn how to involve clients in the design process, how to communicate your design to different stakehold ... Show More
1 h
Apr 2024
Engage More, Talk Less - The Key to A Thriving Design Business - RD341
Welcome back to another insightful episode of Resourceful Designer, where today's message is all about the art of engagement over trivial chatter. I'm your host, Mark Des Cotes, and in episode 341 we dive deep into the importance of engaging more and talking less. We explore how ... Show More
13m 13s
May 2022
Episode 240: Designing for Play & Delight with Richard Ward
Can play and delight be an afterthought? Or must they be integral to a product from day one? Our guest today is Richard Ward, chief design officer at Otter.ai. You'll learn how to balance designing for delight and utility, how to bring joy to product users, ways to get design ins ... Show More
37m 32s
Mar 2023
Episode 263: Sharing Work in Progress with Brian Lovin
What value can designers get from sharing their work in progress? Does it outweigh the fears? Our guest today is Brian Lovin, the founder of Campsite. You’ll learn about Brian’s motivation for creating the platform, how peer feedback improves the design process, the anxiety that ... Show More
39m 22s
Oct 2022
Episode 250: The Laws of Creativity with Joey Cofone
Designers or not, we practice creativity every day. What are some of the laws that govern creativity? Our guest today is Joey Cofone, founder of Baron Fig. You’ll learn about his decade-long journey of writing the book, his advice for storytelling, why you should care about creat ... Show More
44m 14s
Dec 2020
The Power of Play
It's our very last episode for this season of Overtime! Before riding off into 2021, let's take a look at some of the predicted design trends for next year. Then, we'll talk about the pros and cons of being a niche vs. generalist designer to help you figure out which path is righ ... Show More
36m 20s