In this episode of Digitally Diverse, we sit down with Gareth Rydon, co-founder of Friyay, Australia's first generative AI studio. Gareth shares his unique career journey, transitioning from accounting to human-centered design and eventually to the cutting-edge world of AI. He discusses the challenges and rewards of starting a value-driven AI company, emphasising the importance of augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them. Gareth offers insights into maintaining work-life balance as an entrepreneur, the significance of continuous learning, and the power of asking good questions in the age of AI. He also shares valuable career advice, stressing the importance of aligning work with personal values and the benefits of diverse experiences. This conversation is packed with wisdom for anyone navigating the tech industry or considering a career change, highlighting the crucial role of designers in shaping the future of AI and technology.

This episode of the Digitally Diverse podcast features a conversation with Rebecca Preston, a Senior Product Designer at Zipline. Rebecca discusses her career journey, the importance of user research and design collaboration, and the challenges and rewards of working in a remote-first environment. She also offers valuable advice for aspiring designers and emphasizes the power of networking, self-improvement, and the willingness to pivot and adapt in the ever-changing tech industry.

Join us as we chat with Jitesh Ramesh, Lead UX Designer at Rate My Agent. Jitesh shares his journey from mechanical engineering to industrial design and eventually to digital product design. He discusses the complexities and challenges of bridging the gap between tangible and digital products, reflecting on his experiences working on projects ranging from motorcycle design to construction and fintech software. Jitesh emphasizes the importance of being adaptable, stepping away from the details, and recognizing that design is a shared goal. He also shares valuable career advice, including the significance of collaboration, the potential for job hunting within the design field, and the importance of putting one's ego last in order to prioritize the craft and make meaningful contributions.

Join us as we follow Sarah's journey from industrial design student to senior product designer at a bank. We'll hear how she leveraged work experience to land her first packaging design role and then made a big move to the UK. After struggling to find work abroad, Sarah returned to Australia, pivoted to commercial flooring, and discovered user experience design. She then honed her skills at a cloud platform startup before deciding to learn about banking. Through roles at various companies, Sarah gained broad experience and became a senior product designer at Bendigo Bank. She also worked nights designing for a telehealth startup that sold for $135 million! Now, Sarah mentors students and continues to learn from creative people. Hear how trusting her instincts led Sarah through an exciting career journey so far.

Kathryn Sadler joins us to discuss her winding career path through linguistics, UX design, and conversation design. After studying languages at university, Kathryn worked in business consultancy and tech startups in Australia. She then transitioned into voice user interface design and UX before returning to her passion for conversation design. Kathryn gives us the inside scoop on her day-to-day work crafting conversational experiences. She also shares how her background in languages informs her approach to crafting natural dialogues. Tune in to hear Kathryn's insightful perspective on conversation design and her advice for aspiring designers.

Links

• https://vux.world/
• https://voicebot.ai/

• https://www.theneuron.ai/

• https://womeninvoice.org/wiv-anz/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-voice-australia-new-zealand/

• https://www.tafensw.edu.au/iat

• https://sxswsydney.com/

Lara Summers joins us to discuss her multifaceted career journey, from finance and government to education, and her current role as manager of the Service Experience team at the University of Newcastle. We explore the university environment, Lara's collaborative team culture, and how she balances work, family, and personal interests. Lara opens up about how taking time off to care for her children impacted her path, as well as her motivations for continuing education and development. Tune in as Lara shares what inspires her, from design leaders like Bruce Mau to her curiosity about history and culture. Discover how she leverages her background in design and visual culture to focus on user experience and service design across the university's digital systems.

Join us as we follow Jane's journey from a small town in Australia to leading design at a fintech startup. Growing up near Port Macquarie, Jane found her passion for design while studying graphic design in Newcastle. After some globe-trotting adventures and a career change, she discovered user experience design and honed her skills in Sydney. Jane built her experience at agencies before realizing fintech was her true calling. Though a stint at a corporation proved too restrictive, Jane finally found her fit as Head of Design and Experience at Superhero. Now, she leads a growing team focused on design systems and research. Tune in to hear how Jane continuously evolved both her skills and her career to end up doing what she loves.