Andy Zhang - From early Figma to design engineer at Windsurf
This week's episode is with Andy Zhang who was the lead design engineer at Windsurf. So we're going to shine a light on all of the ways you can make an impact as a design engineer including:Owning more of the frontend polishThinking through design patterns and packaging featuresBridging the gap between technical features and intuitive UXSaying “no” to features to preserve the simplicity of the systemHe also shares some great stories and advice including:What it was like working as an intern at Figma with <10 peopleHow designers can start to get more comfortable with codeHow he taps into his experience as a PM at Uber while selecting the right design processa lot moreRasmus Andersson (https://x.com/rsms) - Designer/engineer at Figma, mentor to AndyKevin Hou (https://x.com/kevinhou22?lang=en) - Lead product engineering at Windsurf, Andy’s basketball teammate who helped him get the job
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Vitaly Friedman - Beyond Chat: What's Next for AI Design Patterns
I’d bet real money that you have been on Smashing Magazine at some point in the last 18 years…Good news is, this week I got to interview the founder, Vitaly Friedman, who is also one of the leading thinkers in UX right now.In this episode we go deep into how AI is changing the way we interact with digital products and how our patterns and processes are evolving as a result.Some highlights:The use case for dynamic interfaces with AIHow to design a less painful refinement journeyThe best AI design patterns to use for inspirationWhen to use quiet AI vs. visible AI in your interfacesWhy more products should be “AI-second” not “AI-first”Why we need to slow users down when designing AI productsHow designers can establish trust when users interact with AIa lot moreConsensusElicitaiuxpatterns.comEpisode with the Gamma Head of Designexa.aiPerplexityChatGPTGeminiNorman Nielsen Group
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From Uber to Apple to new design founder 💡
If I told you someone had a background as a senior designer at companies like Uber, Dropbox, Apple, and Patreon then you'd be pretty impressed, right?Same.But Adam Noffsinger walked away from all of that to start Alma (which you might remember from the Smith+Diction episode).So this episode is a deep dive into what it really looks like to go 0→1 as a design founder.Adam even walks us through his Figma file for Alma so if you’re interesting in startups or designing something from nothing, then I think you’ll really enjoy this conversation 👇
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Pietro Schirano - AI just gave designers a promotion
This week’s episode is with Pietro Schirano who is the founder of the new design tool MagicPath and one of the true forward thinkers on AI. We go deep into the future of prototyping, design workflows, and what it takes to catalyze your career with AI.Some highlights:How design workflows will evolveUsing AI as a collaborator not just a toolHow Pietro was able to build influence at AnthropicWhy interactive prototypes are becoming table stakesWhat designers need to understand to master the modelsWhy design architects will be the highest paid role in the futurea lot moreDesignerGPT (5 million users)TweakCNOrigami (Facebook’s prototyping tool)Figma.ai domain purchase
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Why AI has changed prototyping forever
This week I got an inside look at Figma Make while talking to Holly and Nikolas all about the future of prototyping…We get into real world use cases for different kinds of prototypes and how our workflow is evolving as designers.One thing is abundantly clear, things aren’t so linear anymore.Some highlights:How Figma Make fits into your workflowRethinking what “high fidelity” means for a prototypeHow code is the glue and what it means for collaborationWhat are the less obvious use cases for prototyping with AIMeta prototyping with interactive playgrounds and inspect panelsa lot moreFigma Make - AI-powered prototyping tool within FigmaVariables in FigmaAdvanced Prototyping in Figma
Where designers never stop learning 💪Dive Club is an interview series hosted by Ridd that is designed to unlock knowledge from today's most prolific designers. We go deep into craft, storytelling, tools, design engineering, startups, and much more.You can find all of the episodes, key takeaways, and bonus resources here 👉 Dive.club
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