From Psychology to Design: Renuja Marshall Talks UX Strategies for Business Success
In this episode, Renuja Marshall, Experience Design Lead at IDP Education, shares her expertise in aligning user needs with business goals. She discusses her journey combining psychology with design and how it shapes the user experience. From the importance of thorough UX planning to working within business constraints, Renuja reveals the strategies and techniques that drive success in complex environments. Learn how to navigate between quick wins and sustainable design solutions while maintaining a focus on customer experience.
Whether you're a designer, product leader, or business strategist, this conversation provides invaluable insights on aligning design with business objectives and understanding the broader impact of design decisions.
🔑 Key Themes
Aligning UX with business strategy
Understanding customer needs through research
Balancing quick wins with long-term solutions
The importance of design systems for consistency
Overcoming business constraints to innovate
Educating the business on the value of UX
Building cross-functional collaboration
Designing for sustainability in business
How UX can drive product success
🔗 Resources
— Connect with Renuja Marshall on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/renuja88marshall/
— Connect with Joe Woodham on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-woodham-torii-uxdesign/
⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps
00:00 - Intro: Renuja's Design Journey
01:38 - Balancing Quick Wins vs. Thorough UX Planning
04:36 - Aligning Strategy, Stakeholders, and Design for Successful Projects
07:26 - Focus on the Customer: Build Personas Based on Real Insights
9:18 - Make Time for UX: Why Research Shouldn't Be Rushed
14:20 -Understanding the 'Why': Unlocking Deep Insights for Better Product Design
18:05- Ask the Right Questions, Not Just 'What' – Digging Deeper into User Needs
21:24 - Communication Over UX Jargon: Making Your Message Clear for All
23:35 - From "User" to "Customer" - The Key Shift in Design
25:24 - Connect with Renuja: LinkedIn for Direct Access
📌 Tags
#uxdesign #businessstrategy #productdesign #designsystems #designleadership #customerresearch #stakeholdercommunication #userexperience #businessgoals #designthinking #sustainabledesign #UXInnovation #designstrategy #CrossFunctionalCollaboration #productsuccess
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25:43
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25:43
From Solo Designer to Leading 40+ - Steve Packham on Building Design Culture
This week on All Things Design, I sat down with Steve Packham — Chief Design Officer at Macquarie Group — to dive deep into how to build a thriving design team from the ground up.
We explored what it takes to scale from a solo designer to leading a 40+ person team, the mindset shifts required to lead with empathy, and how to embed feedback, play, and psychological safety into your team’s culture.
Whether you're just starting out in design leadership or scaling a team in a complex organization, this episode is packed with insights on what makes design teams truly thrive.
🔍 Key Topics Covered
• Growing a design team from 1 to 40+
• Leading without a traditional design background
• Using design thinking to guide leadership decisions
• Building a culture of play, safety, and feedback
• Overcoming impostor syndrome
• The power of iteration over perfection
🔗 Resources
— Connect with Steve Packham on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-packham-63a82999
— Connect with Joe Woodham on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-woodham-torii-uxdesign/
⏱️ Timestamps
(00:00) — Introduction - Steve’s journey into design
(01:25) — Building a strong culture in a design team
(03:57) — Prototyping everything: a mindset for leadership
(05:14) — The leadership is facilitation in slow motion
(05:50) — Embracing Imposter Syndrome: Why It Means You’re Growing
(07:40) — Why Feedback Culture Is the Backbone of Great Design Teams
(17:54) — Why a Culture of Play Drives Creativity and Team Bonding
(20:29) — Building Inclusive Team Culture and Fostering Collaboration
(21:42) — Fostering a Collaborative Team Environment
(26:49) — Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning & Growth
(34:08) — Balancing Excellence with Progress & Building Culture from Scratch
(36:31) — How Designers Can Drive Change Without Authority
(40:16) — Earn Trust First, Evangelize Design Later
🏷 Hashtags
#DesignLeadership #TeamCulture #UXDesign #FeedbackCulture #CreativeLeadership #AllThingsDesign #JoeWoodham #StevePackham #ProductDesign #DesignThinking #PsychologicalSafety
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42:06
Why AI Literacy Matters Now — Business Risk, Talent, and the Future of Design
This week, I sat down with Riley Coleman — design leader, ethical AI strategist, and founder of AI Flywheel — to explore what it really means to build AI literacy inside design teams and organizations.
We unpacked the real risks of waiting, what “trustworthy AI” actually looks like, and how design leaders can guide their teams responsibly through this transformation. This one’s packed with actionable takeaways for designers, product leaders, and execs navigating AI today.
—
Key Themes:
— Why design leaders must build AI literacy now
— The business risks of staying still
— Three layers of designing with AI: literacy, integration, and trust
— How to evaluate AI tools without compromising privacy
— The emotional impact of AI on team identity and leadership
— Communicating the value of design in an AI-first world
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Resources:
— Visit AI Flywheel: https://ai-flywheel.com
— Connect with Riley Coleman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileycodes/
— Connect with Joe Woodham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joewoodham/
—
Timestamps:
(00:00) — Why not training for AI is putting your team at risk
(05:05) — Australia’s shift to mandatory AI regulation
(10:03) — Why fact-checking AI is a human responsibility
(15:01) — ChatGPT can’t replace real skill—here’s why
(20:03) — Is AI giving you time back or creating noise?
(25:00) — How to choose the right AI tools for your team
(30:01) — Why corporate blockers are hurting your AI readiness
(35:02) — Interface design and the illusion of intelligence
(40:04) — Most AI prompts don’t work—here’s the fix
(45:04) — Designers must lead responsibly with AI
(50:04) — Final thoughts: Trust, ethics, and moving forward
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#AILiteracy #DesignLeadership #FutureOfWork #ResponsibleAI #AllThingsDesign_Torii #JoeWoodham #RileyColeman
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50:50
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50:50
The Future of Design Teams (Unlock Your Team's Potential)
This week, I sat down with Brad Alphonso, Senior Manager of Service Design at Bupa, to talk about what design leadership really looks like today.
We went deep on the shift from generalist to specialist, how to communicate design’s value in business terms, and the role leaders play in creating space for real innovation.
Brad brings a brilliant perspective on strategic design, and this one’s packed with takeaways you can apply straight away.
Key Themes:
Specialist vs generalist design skillsets
Design as a business problem-solving tool
Communicating design’s value to stakeholders
Creating space for strategic conversations
Building high-impact service design teams
Resources:
For more about Torii Consulting: https://toriiconsulting.com.au/
Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joewoodham/
Connect with Brad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-alphonso-637914126/
Timestamps:
(0:00) - Introduction
(1:00) - Communicating Design Impact to Stakeholders
(5:41) - Understanding Stakeholder Needs
(11:20) - Aligning Design with Business Objectives
(24:01) - Proving the Value of Design
(32:13) - Redefining Design: From Aesthetic to Problem Solving
40:17) - Transitioning from Designer to Design Leader
(45:49) - Rebranding Design Leadership
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48:57
The Simple Way to Scale Your Design Team (and Fast!)
Join me in this insightful episode featuring Abi Iyer, a leading expert in design leadership and UX team management. We explore practical strategies for scaling UX design teams, building ownership-driven cultures, and hiring critical thinkers over mere problem solvers. Abi provides invaluable insights on why successful scaling isn't about headcount but about cultivating the right mindset.
Key Themes
- Why scaling people doesn’t work
- Building ownership-driven teams
- Problem solvers vs critical thinkers
- Hiring for mindset, not just skills
- Evolving team chemistry for success
Resources
- For more information about Torii: https://toriiconsulting.com.au/
- Follow Joe Woodham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joewoodham/
- Follow Abi Iyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iyer/
(0:00) - Introduction
(1:09) - From Design to Strategy: The Evolution of a Designer
(7:18) - The Importance of Communication in Design
(9:00) - Building a Design Team: Challenges and Growth
(10:57) - Scaling Design: Strategies for Success
(17:31) - Finding the Right Talent: Interviewing for Success
(29:46) - Building a Cohesive Team Culture
(38:42) - Scaling Operations in a Rapidly Growing Company
(18:45) - Practical ways to evolve team culture
(43:33) - Strategic Planning for Future Growth
#DesignLeadership #UXDesign #ProductDesign #TeamManagement #ScalingUX #DesignTeamCulture #UXHiring #DesignStrategy #UXManagement #CriticalThinking
Welcome to ”All Things Design”—the podcast that unpacks how design is driving digital transformation. Each episode dives into the crossroads of design, business, and tech, sharing practical insights on how design thinking, UX, and collaboration fuel real change.
Join us as we chat with industry experts on aligning design with business goals, streamlining processes, and igniting innovation. Whether you’re a designer, product manager, or business leader, ”All Things Design” delivers actionable takeaways to power your digital transformation and Transformation Experience (TX)
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