Your stakeholders tell you to skip research and just ship it. We'll test later is what they say, but later never comes. The design misses the mark. And now you're doing twice the work to fix what could have been done right the first time. That's the cycle we're discussing in this episode of the Design Table Podcast.

In this episode, we talk about what designers are really hired to do and why your job is closer to being an insurance policy than a pixel pusher.

We dig into how to handle stakeholders who think UX slows things down, why "ship it and learn" almost never leads to actual learning, and how to reframe your design process in a language executives actually respond to.

In this episode you'll learn:
🔸 Why designers are an insurance policy between ideas and production
🔸 How to handle stakeholders who think UX slows teams down
🔸 Why "ship it and learn" usually means "ship it and forget"
🔸 How to reframe research as risk reduction, not extra work
🔸 Why designers need to stop apologizing for their process
🔸 When you should and shouldn't do research on a feature

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Stakeholders who say "just ship it"
03:14 Designers are salespeople and therapists
06:12 Design as an insurance policy
07:05 The myth of "ship and iterate"
10:15 Getting faster to make room for research
12:31 Why designers need to stop being too nice
17:05 Selling design through company goals and KPIs
22:41 When should you actually do research?
27:06 Quick summary and takeaways

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

Everyone tells you design is about making things look good. But it is not. Design is about saving time, reducing risk, and creating leverage inside a business. That's what we're talking about in this episode of the Design Table Podcast.

This is part 2 and we cover the overlooked reasons designers get hired and how to turn your work into measurable impact.

We go beyond revenue and look into time savings, operational efficiency, risk reduction, compliance, and long-term brand impact. We share real examples from different industries (construction, pharma, SaaS, and product design) to show you how designers create impact that goes far beyond visuals.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 How design saves time across teams and operations
🔸 Why time saved often turns into revenue and scale
🔸 How UX work can reduce business risk including compliance, errors, and lawsuits
🔸 Real-world examples from construction workflows and pharma packaging
🔸 Why brand, differentiation, and ownership still matter
🔸 The hidden trait that makes designers stand out

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Intro to Part 2
02:00 Reason 3 Designers save time
08:00 Construction workflow example
14:00 Translating time saved into money
18:00 Reason 4 Designers reduce risk
23:00 Pharma compliance example
27:00 Brand, differentiation, and ownership
32:00 Final thoughts

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

While most designers talk about “crafting delightful experiences", companies hire designers for something else entirely. And that's a problem... for designers looking to get hired.

In this episode, Tyler and Nick share the real business reasons designers get hired and how to position your case studies to prove your value.

This episode introduces a framework from business thinking applied to UX and product design careers. They discuss why companies hire designers to make money and save money, and how most portfolios completely miss this. You’ll learn how to connect UX work to revenue, conversion, adoption, and cost reduction so your case studies speak the language of business.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why "delightful UX" is not a strong business argument
🔸 How designers help companies make money through conversion, MRR, and adoption
🔸 How design reduces support costs and operational waste
🔸 How to quantify business impact in your case studies
🔸 What to do if you do not have access to metrics

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss a shift that most SaaS and startups are not ready for: internal tools are getting real investment in 2026. That's because their customers are realizing they can build exactly what they need on their own.

This changes how SaaS operates. Instead of buying another one-size-fits-all product, more buyers will ask: why don’t we just build this ourselves? Tyler and Nick figure out how SaaS products can survive this shift and why being integration-ready is about more than just “having Zapier.”

If you are building B2B SaaS, working in product, or designing enterprise tools, this episode gives you strategy you can actually apply.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why internal tools are getting bigger budgets in 2026
🔸 The new SaaS threat: customers building their own tools
🔸 Why enterprises want software tailored to their workflows
🔸 The real SaaS moat: flexibility, integrations, and ecosystems
🔸 Zapier, Make, MCPs, and why they change retention
🔸 Using integrations as product signals for what to build next
🔸 Founder-led SaaS, branding, and why “slop” is the new competition

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick break down what product design will look like in 2026 and why this year will feel like a shock to a lot of designers. Tyler calls it the year of the builder, where titles start collapsing and the market rewards people who can actually ship.

They discuss why design has been misunderstood for years, how that misunderstanding is costing you still today, and why design is slowly getting eaten by product and engineering departments.

This is not AI fear and it is not a rant. It is a practical blueprint for how designers stay relevant when the goalposts move.

If you want to protect your career and increase your leverage, the answer is simple: skill stack and build.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why 2026 will be “the year of the builder”
🔸 Why design roles are merging into hybrid titles
🔸 The designer vs. developer gap and how it wastes time
🔸 When building real prototypes beats building Figma prototypes
🔸 How AI changes what teams expect designers to ship
🔸 The next wave: builders who can design, ship, and think business

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick pull back the curtain on the recruiter side of the design job market. This is not a rant and it is not recruiter hate. Instead, it is a practical explanation of how the system actually works.

They break down what preferred suppliers are, why some recruiter outreach goes nowhere, and how designers accidentally hurt themselves by ignoring messages or being unprepared. The conversation reframes recruiters as long-term career relationships instead of one-off transactions.

If you are job hunting, freelancing, or just want leverage when opportunities appear, this episode gives you context most designers never get.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 How recruiters really source and screen designers
🔸 What preferred supplier lists are and why they matter
🔸 How to identify low-value recruiter outreach
🔸 Why replying even when uninterested pays off later
🔸 Screening recruiters the same way they screen you
🔸 Keeping your CV ready before you need it
🔸 Signaling availability without oversharing
🔸 Playing the long game with career relationships

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick break down how experienced product designers are actually using AI in real workflows. Not the hype. Not the panic. The practical reality.

They talk through where AI is genuinely useful, where it creates more problems than it solves, and why most of its real value shows up after discovery, not before (like most say).

From copy refinement and edge cases to design system consistency and handoff support, this episode shows how AI helps designers move faster without outsourcing judgment.

If you feel behind because you are not “AI-first” or worried that tools like Figma Make will replace your role, this conversation will help how you think about AI and your craft.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Where AI actually fits in a real design process
🔸 Why AI shines in later-stage design work
🔸 Using AI for copy limits, constraints, and edge cases
🔸 How Figma Make and vibe coding fit into real projects
🔸 Treating AI like an assistant instead of a decision-maker
🔸 Why strong design systems matter more than prompts
🔸 The risks of hallucinated UI and false confidence
🔸 Shipping faster without lowering quality

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In the second half of this conversation, Tyler and Nick shift gears and answer a question they hear constantly:

“If I am brand new to design, where do I even start anymore?”

They break down what actually matters when entering product design today, what beginners should ignore, and how to build real skills without getting lost in tools, certifications, and AI panic.

This episode is a practical, honest guide for anyone considering product design in 2026 and beyond. No shortcuts. No fake guarantees. Just clear steps and hard-earned perspective from two senior designers who have seen the industry evolve multiple times.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 The first steps every new designer should take
🔸 Mentorship vs. coaching and when to pay for help
🔸 Why copying work is not cheating at the start
🔸 The right way to learn Figma before touching AI tools
🔸 Hard skills vs. soft skills and when each matters
🔸 Why AI will not replace designers who understand fundamentals
🔸 How to avoid burnout, fear cycles, and bad advice online

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld