Designing is Not Your Superpower - Joe Leech

Design Feeling

#020 - Advisor and coach to CEOs and recovering neuroscientist and UXer, Joe Leech, gives a pep talk for designers who’re feeling bored or trapped and encourages them to question what they’re doing and why.

Most designers pride themselves on their craft. After all, that’s what clients are paying for, right? But is that what they need? In this episode, Joe Leech challenges the notion that delivering designs is a designer’s superpower and how you can find your real superpower instead. We also talk about work-life balance and doing less for more.

Most designers pride themselves on their craft. After all, that’s what clients are paying for, right? But is that what they need? In this episode, Joe Leech challenges the notion that delivering designs is a designer’s superpower and how you can find your real superpower instead. Joe is an advisor and coach to CEOs and recovering neuroscientist and UXer. We also talk about work-life balance and what to do if you’re bored as a designer.

In this episode:

• Why inexperienced designers look for answers
• The role of craft
• What can you do if you're bored as a designer
• What if you realise design is not for you
• Quiet quitting
• A designer's superpower
• A better way to do things
• Determining your value as an employed designer
• Things that scares CEOs the most

Shownotes

Find Joe Leech at

https://mrjoe.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeleech/

@mrjoe on Twitter

Professional Principles to work and live by

https://mrjoe.uk/principles-work/

The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna

https://medium.com/@elleluna/the-crossroads-of-should-and-must-90c75eb7c5b0

https://www.goodreads.com/uk/book/show/22859551-the-crossroads-of-should-and-must

Are you an ‘insecure overachiever’?

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20180924-are-you-an-insecure-overachiever

Show credits

Illustrations by Kim Habib

http://iamk.im/

Music by Brad Porter

https://prtr.co/

Episode edited by Niall Mackay

https://sevenmillionbikes.com/

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Chapter

1. Designing is Not Your Superpower - Joe Leech (00:00:00)

2. Joe's most favorite memory from childhood (00:01:56)

3. Influence of Joe's childhood in shaping a design career (00:03:16)

4. Joe's way into design (00:04:27)

5. Pivotal moments that shaped Joe's career (00:06:41)

6. Why inexperienced designers look for answers (00:10:18)

7. The design journey (00:11:55)

8. The role of craft (00:14:05)

9. What can you do if you're bored as a designer (00:18:40)

10. What if you realise design is not for you (00:20:52)

11. Quiet quitting (00:27:09)

12. A designer's superpower (00:33:21)

13. Joe's superpower (00:36:02)

14. Looking for a coach as a designer (00:38:35)

15. A better way to do things (00:39:55)

16. Determining your value as an employed designer (00:45:12)

17. Things that scares CEOs the most (00:51:01)

18. is it about having faith in what of a choice you're gonna make? (00:53:55)

19. Advice for interacting with CEOs (00:56:10)

20. Joe's advice to his younger self (00:58:56)

21. A resource that's been most helpful to Joe (01:02:01)

22. A question Joe would ask himself (01:04:54)

23. Joe's last few words for humanity (01:06:28)

24. Nirish's recap (01:08:52)

25. Coaching offer for your boss or boss' boss (01:13:01)

26. Finding Joe online (01:13:42)