UI Breakfast: UI/UX Design and Product Strategy

Finally we get to talk about "real" design subjects! Today's guest is Liam Sarsfield, a seasoned creative director. We define the term "creative direction" and break down the process into edible steps. You'll learn how to put together a creative brief, conduct visual research, present visual work, follow up with clients, and source inspiration from famous creative directors. Show Notes MetaLab — Liam's previous company Pixel Union — Liam's theme division of MetaLab Literistic — Liam's side project for writers Google Material Design Guidelines MetaLab, thoughtbot, Instrument, TM, 3drops — awesome companies to draw inspiration from Liam's website Fluorescent — Liam's agency Follow Liam Sarsfield on Twitter: @liamsarsfield

25 Mai 201648min

How do you get playful with your SaaS business? How do you create and promote a remarkable, strong brand? Today we get together with Laura Roeder, the founder of Edgar — famous social media automation software which rotates your most important content. Laura shares her founder journey, the structure of their team, some content marketing secrets, and her formula for success (even though she says there is none). Show Notes Meet Edgar — Laura's SaaS product for social media automation Tom VanBuren — the writer who created Edgar's awesome language Special page with a free webinar from Laura for our listeners Follow Laura Roeder on Twitter: @lkr

18 Mai 201637min

It's so tough to "get into the flow" these days — with social media, distractions, calls, and alerts. Anders Thue Pedersen, author of the famous TimeBlock method, joins us today to share his insights on productivity. We discuss the best ways of getting into the flow and staying there for significant amounts of time, while making the work process transparent for clients and teams. Show Notes TimeBlock — the productivity method (and related SaaS) developed by Anders Episode 204 | 9 Tactics for Aggressive Time Management (Startups for the Rest of Us) Deep Work — a great book by Cal Newport You Need a Budget — SaaS by Jesse Mecham that works "method first" Follow Anders Thue Pedersen on Twitter Drop Anders a line at anders@timeblock.com

5 Mai 201642min

Today we're wrapping up the season with Christopher Hawkins! This episode is all about marketing. We talk about promoting individual podcast episodes, building an email list, and other marketing challenges that all of us face. You'll learn why 60 subscribers is better than zero, and why no product (even the most glorious one) will ever "sell itself." This episode is a huge reminder that everything requires marketing! Show Notes Fundamental UI Design — Jane's free course with InVision Justin Jackson — the most awesome product guy we all admire Designer News Inbound.org Reddit Product Hunt Episode 1: From Freelancer to Bootstrapped Product Launch w/Rob Walling Episode 17: Startup Realities w/Amy Hoy Follow Christopher Hawkins on Twitter Record & Release — Christopher's book on podcasting (use code UIBREAKFAST to get $10 off)

25 Apr 201642min

Today Christopher Hawkins shares his favorite stories after recording 40 episodes of Chasing Product. We talk about cash flow in bootstrapped SaaS businesses, the importance of networking, starting small, choosing the right audience, and many other things. You'll find links to all original episodes below. Show Notes Episode 26: Long-Term Product Success ft/Tom Rossi Episode 27: Founder Success Habits w/Dan Martell Episode 28: Teach Everything You Know w/Nathan Barry Episode 1: From Freelancer to Bootstrapped Product Launch w/Rob Walling Build A Better Network: The Third Tier Theory by Chase Reeves Episode 25: Build Something Small, Build Something Now w/Justin Jackson Episode 17: Startup Realities w/Amy Hoy “If You Don’t Like Drunk Frat Boys, Don’t Open an Irish Pub…” (Amy Hoy's talk at MicroConf 2012) Follow Christopher Hawkins on Twitter Record & Release — Christopher's book on podcasting (use code UIBREAKFAST to get $10 off)

21 Apr 201629min

In this episode we double down and explore the nitty-gritty production details of a single episode. We talk with Christopher Hawkins about planning an episode lineup, selecting and inviting guests, sticking to a topic, using intros wisely, and much more. Secret advice in the end of the episode: be fearless, keep producing, and change your thinking from "I have to do this" to "I have permission to do awesome things." Show Notes Calendly — my favorite scheduling software (even though Christopher prefers doing it manually to establish a personal connection with a new guest) Follow Christopher Hawkins on Twitter Record & Release — Christopher's book on podcasting (use code UIBREAKFAST to get $10 off)

13 Apr 201628min

This is the second founder interview from Jane’s new book, The UI Audit. Today Rob Walling, the founder of Drip, shares their story of finding the desired product-market fit. By positioning Drip as an email marketing automation tool they were able to reduce churn, rapidly grow the customer base, and gain a clear vision of new features. If you enjoyed the interview, you're welcome to get your copy of the book here while the launch discount is still active. Show Notes HitTail Software by Rob MicroConf Startups for the Rest of Us Rob's and Derrick's audio documentary on building Drip: startupstoriespodcast.com Rob Walling on Twitter: @robwalling Drip's website: getdrip.com

7 Apr 201641min

This is a special founder interview from Jane's book, "The UI Audit." In this interview Tope Awotona, the founder of Calendly, shares his product development journey. To build this revolutionary scheduling tool, he reviewed over 30 competitors — all to find out their strengths and weaknesses. Tope shares how he developed his product as a non-technical founder, and how Calendly leverages free plans as a viral form of marketing. Show Notes Jane's book: The UI Audit Calendly website: calendly.com Pivotal Tracker — for feature development Intercom — for communicating with customers Tope Awotona on Twitter: @TopeAwotona

22 Mar 201641min