In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the real answer to the question that’s been haunting LinkedIn threads, Reddit posts, and bootcamp Slack groups:

Is it still worth becoming a UX or product designer in 2025 and beyond?

They look back on their own (non-)traditional paths into product design, the current state of the industry, and how AI is changing design roles differently than what most people say on social media.

They also share what separates the top 10% of designers from the rest, how you can make it to be within that top 10%, and why most bootcamp portfolios are outdated from the start.

This episode's super useful for new designers, career-switchers, and anyone wondering if it’s still worth it to invest time, money, and energy into a formal design education when it feels like AI is going to replace it all.

🔸 An important skill no design school teaches: rejection tolerance
🔸 Why “just stand out” is both great advice and terrible advice
🔸 AI isn’t replacing designers (but lazy designers might self-replace)
🔸 How to evaluate design programs without falling for hype
🔸 Portfolio strategy: what actually gets you hired
🔸 Why some hiring managers say “there are hundreds of applicants, but no one good”
🔸 Fundamentals vs. tools: what matters in 2025
🔸 Personal branding, mentorship, and zooming out

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In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick go into the chaotic world of branding. They discuss why it matters more than ever, when it’s completely overhyped, and how to make the most of it as a product designer looking to build a career.

Well-known branding moments include the Jaguar rebrand and Apple’s liquid glass 'feature'. Nick and Tyler talk about how branding decisions influence users and why some branding changes work wonders while others just cause social media uproar.

They also have quite something to say about personal branding for product designers: what it is, how to find your voice, and why soft skills don’t show up in your Figma file.

🔸 Why branding is your biggest moat—or just overpriced vibes
🔸 What the Jaguar rebrand got wrong
🔸 How Apple’s “failures” still drive loyalty
🔸 The emotional psychology behind iconic brands
🔸 Personal branding tips for designers
🔸 The underrated power of testimonials
🔸 Social proof, client trust, and repeat work
🔸 How to niche down (without boxing yourself in)

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In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the role of animation and motion in modern product design workflows and why it’s not just about looking slick.

From micro-interactions to loading states, they find out where animation improves UX and where it becomes a distraction. They also get into motion for video editing, designing for product marketing, and why most designers need to reconsider the amount of motion they use in their work.

Along the way, they touch on mentorship, design tools, and what junior designers should focus on when learning motion design in today’s world of product design.

🔸 Why subtle motion design is more effective
🔸 The psychology behind informative loading states
🔸 When animation delights users—and when it distracts
🔸 The value of documentation for preserving ideas
🔸 Tools for animation: Figma, Lottie, After Effects, and more
🔸 How animation can elevate product marketing
🔸 Mentorship, design education, and learning by doing
🔸 “Done is better than perfect” when shipping MVPs

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In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick talk about how the lines between designers and product managers are getting more and more blurry.

AI tools speed up our way of working and startups grow using smaller teams than ever. Does that mean we are heading toward a new unicorn role for a designer-product-manager-hybrid?

From working with founders instead of PMs, to shielding teams from company politics, to the rise of fractional roles and hybrid titles, we explore how the designer and PM responsibilities are evolving and whether we’re just overcomplicating the whole thing.

🔸 Why strategy and design are merging
🔸 The slow disappearance of traditional PMs
🔸 What “fractional” actually means (and why it’s not just a buzzword)
🔸 Whether small teams still need dedicated PMs
🔸 The mental toll of context switching
🔸 When meetings are useful — and when they’re just expensive
🔸 The future of the product designer title (or lack thereof)

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In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld discuss the fast-evolving world of design tools, AI integration for your tools, and why your current workflow might (or might not) already be outdated.

From tool fatigue to the Figma vs. Framer debate, they explore how designers are adapting (or not) to new tech, what makes or breaks productivity today, and whether a single tool could truly bridge the gap between design and development.

They also discuss the shifting responsibilities of designers and product managers, and why understanding code might soon be part of your job description.

Whether you're curious about the next big thing, feeling overwhelmed by the AI tool race, or wondering if Figma is still the go-to, this conversation is packed with insights that will shape the way you think about design in 2025 and beyond.

🔸 Why AI tool overload is killing designer productivity
🔸 The hidden cost of switching tools
🔸 Can Framer replace Figma for marketing sites?
🔸 What “designing in code” actually looks like today
🔸 How integrated tools could merge design and dev roles
🔸 Why Figma’s future depends on its website builder
🔸 How product management and design are merging
🔸 The tradeoff between speed, craft, and business impact
🔸 What every designer should know about using AI effectively
🔸 A future with multiple tools sharing market dominance

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In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld discuss the (design) updates Apple showcased at WWDC, including the much-hyped Liquid Glass, and what it means for product designers, users, and the future of UI.

They discuss why both the product design community and Apple focuses too much on Liquid Glas, what to focus on instead, and the more interesting subtle announcements.

The focus is less on Liquid Glass and more about UX because UI, UX, and product design isn’t just about visual polish. It’s marketing, emotion, accessibility, and trust. This is especially important when working on the devices we use a lot during the day.

At the same time, the episode highlights the growing importance of emotional design, the return of personality in UI, and the tension between trends and usability.

Inside this episode:

🔸 Why the design community is split on Liquid Glass
🔸 How Apple’s marketing may have overplayed the announcement
🔸 The return of 3D design and why people are tired of flat design
🔸 Why accessibility and readability always beat shiny aesthetics
🔸 How emotional design is becoming a bigger part of UX
🔸 Spotlight and Search improvements that actually boost productivity
🔸 How user expectations are shifting thanks to Apple’s design leadership
🔸 The risk of letting aesthetics overshadow real usability gains
🔸 How to position design updates for better user acceptance
🔸 Why design is key in marketing, branding, and product adoption

🎧 Listen now and stay sharp as design continues to evolve.

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🎯 "Good design speaks for itself."

...except when it doesn’t.

In this episode, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld break down how to present your work—and yourself—in a way that actually influences decisions. Whether you're in a client pitch, a job interview, or a high-stakes design review, how you communicate your value is just as important as what you design.

We’re breaking down:
✅ Why context matters—and how to tailor presentations to different audiences.
✅ The secret to stakeholder engagement (hint: it starts before you show the design).
✅ How to frame your work from a business perspective and prove ROI.
✅ Why transparency and preparation turn meetings into momentum.
✅ Specialist vs. generalist: how to position yourself for the right opportunities.
✅ How AI tools are quietly reshaping the way designers prep, present, and build trust.

If you’ve ever struggled to get buy-in, felt overlooked in meetings, or bombed an interview you thought you nailed, this episode will give you the strategies to turn it around.

🎧 Listen now and start presenting like your career depends on it—because it does.

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🛠️ "Design is just making pretty screens, right?"

...Wrong.

In this episode, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld dive into the real (and messy) side of product design—from research and collaboration to freelancing and client communication. It's everything they don't teach you in design school.

We’re breaking down:
✅ How user research actually works (and why users shouldn’t design the product).
✅ Why rough sketches and early wireframes still matter—even in an AI world.
✅ Freelancing vs. in-house: the surprising trade-offs you need to know.
✅ How collaborating with developers (and knowing a little code) can boost your impact.
✅ Why side projects aren't a distraction—they're your creative playground.
✅ How mentorship, mistakes, and continuous learning can skyrocket your career.

If you've ever felt stuck between "designing" and "delivering real outcomes," or wondered how to stay relevant in a world moving at startup speed, this episode is packed with insights you can start using today.

🎧 Listen now and make your design career future-proof!

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