Have you ever wondered how product managers turn chaos into a symphony? Our latest episode, featuring the perspicacious Simon Berry who shines a light on the crucial role these maestros play in harmonizing user needs with project realities. From the stormy beginnings of a product's life to its standing ovation in the market, we chat about everything that makes or breaks its success. We promise you'll come away with a renewed appreciation for the delicate balance of art and science in product management.

Dive into the heart of the tech world with us as we unravel the subtle yet impactful differences between product management and project management. Hear firsthand accounts of the tightrope walk balancing business pressures and customer ecstasy. Then, eavesdrop on the secret language of UX professionals and developers as we share strategies for better collaboration that could spell the difference between a digital masterpiece and a one-hit-wonder. Simon’s extensive experience in the startup and FMCG landscapes brings a richness of insights that you simply can't miss.

To cap things off, we get real about the agile development process, sprint estimations, and our collective drive to 'fail fast' and learn faster. We also detour through the world of personal finance apps, contrasting their quirky features and understanding what makes users tick—or kick. And for a little extra spice, we share our gripes with apps like Spotify when they hit a sour note. It's an episode that fuses tech talk with real-world wisdom, all underscored by the hum of user experience. Join us for a session that's as informative as engaging—with a side of laughter.

All this and more are answered in this episode of Faster Horses, a podcast about UX, UXR, UI design, products and technology (sometimes!)

🐎 80% comedy, 20% UX, 0% filler

👕 Get stickers and tees at https://www.paulwilshaw.com/shop/

The show is hosted by:
Paul Wilshaw
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulwilshaw/
and
Mark Sutcliffe
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sutcliffemark/

If you want to suggest an idea, or join us on the show, send us a message 👆.

In this episode of "Faster Horses," the hosts, Paul and Mark, delve into the world of AI and UX. They discuss how AI has become increasingly prevalent in various industries and platforms, with a particular focus on social media. Paul shares their experience in creating their own AI tool, GhostPosts.ai, with the aims to assist users in generating better social media posts and written content.

The hosts emphasise the importance of making AI accessible and ethical, with the goal of enhancing the quality of content on platforms like social media. They envision 
AI as a tool that can replace mundane or  bland content with more valuable content. The hosts also discuss concerns about the potential homogenisation of online content due to AI, as well as the fear that AI might replace jobs.

In summary, the episode explores the impact of AI on user experience, highlighting the role of AI in content creation and the need for ethical and accessible AI tools. It also touches on the potential challenges and benefits associated with the widespread adoption of AI in various industries.

All this and more are answered in this episode of Faster Horses, a podcast about UX, UXR, UI design, products and technology (sometimes!)

🐎 80% comedy, 20% UX, 0% filler

👕 Get stickers and tees at https://www.paulwilshaw.com/shop/

The show is hosted by:
Paul Wilshaw
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulwilshaw/
and
Mark Sutcliffe
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sutcliffemark/

If you want to suggest an idea, or join us on the show, send us a message 👆.

It seems that people are very often confusing a Design System with a component library. The differences are nuanced, drawing the line between those two will be hard, and there’s no right or wrong — but maybe this story might help us understand those differences a little bit better, and maybe it will help us understand the effort it takes to build and maintain a Design System.

It is more than just a UI Library. The whole purpose of a Design System is to define the design principles, style guide, patterns, content tone, and the rules and specifications of the “reusable” components. These rules are very specific to the product and can differ from company to company.

When does a UI library turn into a design system?

For a design system to thrive and survive, it needs a sufficient level of management:

• Who’s making the decisions? Modern design systems have a product manager who’s driving decisions, assertively aligning with partners, and serving as the go-to person.
• Who’s doing the work? Sustaining a design system can involve a significant amount of design, development, writing, and other work done by people committed (at least partially, > 4hr/week) to the endeavour.
• Who’s paying for it? It’s near impossible for a system to survive long-term without a sponsor deliberately providing a budget in the form of properly allocated time.
• What are each of you working on right now, and where do you record and prioritise things you might work on later? Yup, time for task management, which many high-performing teams increasingly formalise into a backlog over sprints using tools like Trello and Jira.
• What can your customers (products using the system) expect over the next 6–12 months? Don’t discount the power of an effective, concisely communicated system roadmap. It generates awareness, discussion, faith that you’ve got your act together, and trust that what you do provides for what they need. 

A Design System isn’t a Project. It’s a Product, Serving Products.

Discuss!

All this and more are answered in this episode of Faster Horses.

🐎 80% comedy, 20% UX, 0% filler

👕 Get stickers and tees at https://www.paulwilshaw.com/shop/

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PEACE!

Produced by:

Paul Wilshaw

Nick Tomlinson

Mark Sutcliffe

Anthony Jones

Chris Sutcliffe

Title music: Jame

All this and more are answered in this episode of Faster Horses, a podcast about UX, UXR, UI design, products and technology (sometimes!)

🐎 80% comedy, 20% UX, 0% filler

👕 Get stickers and tees at https://www.paulwilshaw.com/shop/

The show is hosted by:
Paul Wilshaw
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulwilshaw/
and
Mark Sutcliffe
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sutcliffemark/

If you want to suggest an idea, or join us on the show, send us a message 👆.