Season 5
|
Episode 6
Envisioning the art of the
possible
Michael Wandelmaier
Head of Design @ Metalab
Apr 4, 2024
|
53 mins
music by Dennis
Nick Basile
Nail the product design
interview
Crafting a beautiful portfolio and career story may
seem like art, but the candidates who stand out know
the exact science of what the person in the other chair
needs to see to get to "yes".
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About this Episode
Since the beginning of my design career, I’ve looked up to Metalab. So this interview is a
special one because we get to learn from their Head of Design, Michael Wandelmeier.
We go deep into how design works at Metalab and talk about specific strategies around:
•
Mike’s go-to storytelling tactics
•
The importance of opinionated design
•
When they ignore constraints on a project
•
The unique way they map out user journeys
•
Tips for driving alignment on complex projects
•
How they use the “ridiculously early hypothesis”
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Show Notes
•
Ian Wharton (storytelling coach)
•
Upwork (example client)
Transcript chapters
[00:00:00] Overview of how Metalab works
[00:01:59] How to run a great project kickoff meeting
[00:05:19] A different way to think about user journey maps
[00:07:33] Why Mike uses the "Ridiculously early hypothesis"
[00:12:18] Strategies for driving alignment with clients
[00:16:03] How Metalab's process evolves for startups vs. big-
name brands
[00:18:11] Understanding the core Metalab process
[00:21:26] Designing to find answers vs. finding answers to design
[00:23:21] Importance of storytelling in the informal working
context
[00:26:00] Traits of designers who are great storytellers
I've been feasting on ClassHub lately, and the value is unprecedented
Literally the only show about design I watch”
"
