After 32 episodes, Tom and Craig record one last episode of Opacity in Jan 2022. In what we hope is an on-brand move, we explain our reasons for wrapping the podcast up. Thank you so much for all the listeners and guests we've had over the past few years. We hope that you found something interesting, insightful or just plain fun about the content we've put out. We've both really enjoyed doing this podcast and getting to know each other in the process. If you're new to the industry, we hope some of the words we've shared will help demystify the industry for you. There's so much to learn and so much room to grow. We hope your journey through the world of design is a fulfilling one.
Farewell,
From Tom & Craig
21 Jan 2021
31. Generalists and Specialists
Welcome to the new year. In the first episode of 2021, Craig and Tom jump into an evergreen topic on the minds of designers everywhere. Should we be generalists or specialists, and why?
Specialization and generalization are tough terms to define. There are generalist designers who have a breadth of skills that cover the full design process. And then there's a wider definition of generalist that includes knowledge, skills, and experience outside of design. Similarly with specialization, it can be narrow, or wide. There's no standard way of saying what is general and what is specialized.
But saying "it depends" isn't too helpful. It can be a real conundrum in a designer's professional life. In the episode Tom and Craig talk about how they approach the topic, and some pros and cons of each. And in the end, it's all about recognizing you're unique "shape" as a designer.
If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to share it with your friends and colleagues. You can support the podcast by leaving us a review or rating wherever you listen. You can subscribe to Opacity anywhere audio is distributed. Connect with us on twitter @opacitypodcast (https://twitter.com/opacitypodcast), and by checking out our new YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxTG4SMCepWNq3CHVfemFOA).
31 Dec 2020
30. Wrapping up 2020, Lacing up for 2021
We've made it to the end of 2020, a year unlike any other. Putting aside the roller coaster of the past year, we wanted to take some time to reflect on what's changed for designers in the workplace, and what these changes may mean for us in the coming year.
A major theme for this episode was on the move to remote work and it's far reaching impacts, for good and maybe-not-so-good. We also get into some of the following topics:
Global asynchronous work, and ways to communicate effectively and efficiently
The dangers of a more output-centric work environment for designers
Remote facilitation as a designer superpower
Finding balance and setting boundaries when everything has blurred together
...and more!
This episode was fun to record, and we really hope you enjoy it. As you close out the year, take some time to reflect on the new work-reality we find ourselves in, and how you can make it work best for you in 2021.
Here's to wishing you all a very happy new year, and all the good things in the year to come.
If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to share it with your friends and colleagues. You can support the podcast by leaving us a review or rating wherever you listen. You can subscribe to Opacity anywhere audio is distributed. Connect with us on twitter @opacitypodcast (https://twitter.com/opacitypodcast), and by checking out our new YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxTG4SMCepWNq3CHVfemFOA).
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
4.5 / 5
2 ratings
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