The Brief: Afraid of losing your job? Become irreplaceable
Design Better20 Mar 2025

The Brief: Afraid of losing your job? Become irreplaceable

Becoming an irreplaceable designer By Aarron Walter The software industry is in a tough contraction phase. Teams are downsizing, and companies are prioritizing efficiency. It’s a stressful time for many. But it’s also an opportunity—to reflect on your work, your skills, and the unique value you bring as a designer. What could you do to make yourself indispensable to your team? In my career, I’ve worked with a number of truly irreplaceable designers, and they all share a common trait: they became more than just a designer. They bring additional skills in coding, research, or business that expand their value, make them better cross-team collaborators, and help them solve problems more effectively. Irreplaceable designers thrive in the blurry space between disciplines. They adapt their language and perspective as they work across teams, earning respect from their peers. These designers are rare—but they shouldn’t be. AI is making it easier for all of us to bridge the gap between disciplines. While there’s a lot of excitement about how AI can help designers improve their craft, the real opportunity lies in designers learning to build as well. Continue reading this issue of The Brief on Substack

Episoder(241)

Christian Madsbjerg: How ethnography leads to a deeper understanding of users

Christian Madsbjerg: How ethnography leads to a deeper understanding of users

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/christian-madsbjerg In today’s tech-driven economy, it seems like it can be hard to justify the value of a traditional liberal arts education. But given t...

15 Okt 201752min

Jake Knapp: Lessons from running 150+ design sprints at Google Ventures

Jake Knapp: Lessons from running 150+ design sprints at Google Ventures

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/jake-knapp-design-sprint If we asked you to name a recent book that’s really changed how product teams address sticky challenges, there’s a good chance Ja...

1 Okt 201757min

Laura Martini: So your boss doesn't believe in design research

Laura Martini: So your boss doesn't believe in design research

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/007-laura-martini-getting-to-the-right-finish-line If there’s anyone we’ve interviewed on the Design Better Podcast so far that really embodies the produc...

17 Sep 201740min

Michael Leon: How skateboarding prepared him for Nike, Patagonia, and Sonos

Michael Leon: How skateboarding prepared him for Nike, Patagonia, and Sonos

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/michael-leon How do you go from being a self-professed skate punk, to a design director at Nike, creative director at Patagonia, and land as the global cr...

3 Sep 201740min

Alex Schleifer: Airbnb's hasty Super Bowl decision guided by a clear mission

Alex Schleifer: Airbnb's hasty Super Bowl decision guided by a clear mission

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/alex-schleifer Airbnb’s mission is both simple and powerful: to help create a world where you can belong anywhere. Alex Schleifer, Airbnb’s head of design...

20 Aug 201749min

Albert Lee: Learning UX from Frank Gehry, IDEO, and Chez Panisse

Albert Lee: Learning UX from Frank Gehry, IDEO, and Chez Panisse

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/albert-lee Albert Lee has had an amazing arc to his career. From his beginnings as a wine-steward at Chez Panisse, to working at Frank Gehry’s architectur...

21 Jul 201744min

Dan Winger: The evolution of LEGO from simple bricks to interactive storytelling

Dan Winger: The evolution of LEGO from simple bricks to interactive storytelling

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/dan-winger If you’re anything like us, playing with LEGOs was a foundational part of your childhood, and a big part of the reason you got interested in de...

21 Jul 201734min

David Kelley: The birth of design thinking and what he's most proud of

David Kelley: The birth of design thinking and what he's most proud of

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/david-kelley-creative-confidence David Kelley doesn’t like to claim to have come up with the term design thinking, even though a most people would say he...

20 Jul 201749min

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