The Many Ways to Slice a Watermelon: A Design Journey with Vitaly Friedman

In this episode of Beyond UX Design, Jeremy Miller interviews Vitaly Friedman, founder of Smashing Magazine, about how his quest to find the perfect way to slice a watermelon is a metaphor for education and self-learning. They discuss the many ways to approach design challenges, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, exploration, and embracing the journey of discovery over fixating on the perfect solution. Vitaly shares personal anecdotes about his obsessions with coffee and ironing, relating these experiences to the value of vulnerability, seeking help, and connecting with others in both personal and professional settings. The conversation touches on enterprise UX design, the need for innovation, and the significance of understanding business goals to deliver value, ultimately advocating for a people-centric approach that fosters trust and collaboration within teams.