Designing a Better Future: Exploring Innovation & Problem-Solving - Philip Wallage - S3 Ep. 3

Philip Wallage, Sr. Freelance UX Designer, ASML, is a master of the digital space. With over two decades of expertise, he serves as a brilliant mentor and advisor to entrepreneurs and startups, guiding them toward success in the digital realm. Philip is known for his innovative problem-solving skills and strategic thinking, leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of innovation.

Discussion points -

• What has your journey been like in the creative domains of design and innovation? 2:04
• What are your thoughts on the design sprints, planning, and how the work is managed? 7:17
• Rapid fire round 10:27
• What makes a product user-centered, or ego-centered in the narrative? What is the difference between the two? 19:16
• You are in the process of coming up with a solution that is going to help freelancers. What is it about? 23:39
• How can one join your program for freelancers? 28:04
• What advice would you like to give to somebody who's just starting as a freelancer and has a career in design? 34:42

Show notes-

• The thing I always found most fascinating, fun, and engaging to do was talking to the business owners and asking them, why do you do what you do and why do customers choose your product or your service?
• It's always quite difficult to place user research in a project, especially on the agency side, when there is hourly billing.
• The idea of adopting user-centered design is the exact opposite of ego-centered design. It's about being open and being okay with not knowing things for sure. Being willing to contribute ideas, but not claiming them as an absolute truth.
• What I liked about design sprints, it's that you have a very productized service. So it's a way of not only getting away from hourly billing, but having something where you can say, okay, you have a problem, and I have a solution for it.
• I'm heading down that direction to build a three-month program in which I want to help freelancers create a unique offering, figuring out who they are, and what do you like to do. and what is the most valuable thing you can offer to a client, and wrapping that in a nice package.
• One of the challenges that agencies face is standardizing their services.
• If you find something you enjoy and you get good at it, you'll also find a way to make some money from it.
• I would highly recommend people get their own CRM to keep track of the people that they've met and spoken to, and not lose those people out of sight.

Links -

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipwallage/

Website: https://www.philipwallage.com/