Honest Design Talks

#182 Why Is Being a Designer So Confusing in 2026?

Ioana explores how designers in tech are experiencing their work, and the industry itself, right now. She noticed that what designers share publicly often differs from wh

#181 We're Back for a New Season! Work + Life Updates, and What's Next

Anfi and Ioana are back with new episodes! In this one, they share life updates, reflect on the current state of the design industry, and preview what’s coming in the new

#180 The state of job hunting in 2026

Anfi and community members from Into UX Jobs share their real job‑search journeys — how many applications they submitted, how many interview stages they went through befo

#179 Building career capital with intention w/Dan Cariño

nfi and Dan discuss the insights he gained from his experiences at H&M, Klarna, and Meta. They delve into his time working abroad in Hong Kong and how user interface desi

#178 What we got wrong about AI replacing design?

Anfi and Ioana discuss how AI has changed the approach to design systems. They explore the idea that AI was expected to replace UI systems, but in reality, design systems

#177 What even is a design engineer? w/ Mehmet Baytaş, Senior Design Engineer @ Attio

Ioana and Baytaş discuss what being a design engineer entails. They explore whether vibe coding can be a pathway into design engineering and whether learning to code is n

#176 Design is not dead, but has changed

Ioana and Anfi discuss how the design process has evolved in the age of AI: should we rely on educated guesses or actual research? How can we reach insights faster? What'

#175 The "dream job" has changed. What are designers aspiring to in 2026?

Anfi and Ioana discuss their past dream careers from a few years ago, explore whether big tech companies still shine on a CV, and share what kinds of companies designers

#174 What makes a portfolio feel senior in 2026?

Ioana talks about the key skills to showcase in a UX design portfolio in 2026 that hiring managers value, highlights timeless design principles alongside new rules shaped

#173 How to build taste in the age of AI?

Anfi and Ioana discuss what it means to develop taste and how, in the age of AI, cultivating refined taste—whether in aesthetics, craft, or judgment—becomes a crucial dif

#172 You don’t need a bootcamp to become a designer anymore

Ioana and Anfi discuss how to start design career in 2026, why bootcamps are going out of the market and how to utilize AI in the job search process. This episode was re

#171 Inside Lovable & Intercom: what top design talent looks like in 2026

Ioana shares recent field insights on vibe coding, design culture, and AI-driven strategies she learnt from Lovable and Intercom designers. She talks about the value of r

#170 Lessons learned from 4y at a scale up

Anfi shares insights on her journey working in a fast-paced scale-up, transforming weaknesses into strengths, strategic product pitching, effective communication at scale

#169 How to speak the business language

Anfi and Ioana discuss how to get buy-in and communicate effectively with stakeholders. They explore how to present designs convincingly, articulate decisions clearly, an

#168 Will we still have design jobs in the future?

Anfi and Ioana explore the future of design jobs, questioning whether design roles will remain the same as the tech industry transforms. They discuss how design roles are

#167 How to stay sane in the age of AI

Anfi and Ioana explore the mental health challenges of recent years, sharing strategies to preserve self-identity, manage anxiety, and set healthy boundaries in the conte

#166 How to get hired in 2026

Anfi and Ioana discuss their strategies for preparing for the upcoming hiring season, covering key topics such as portfolio, the interview process, practical take-home ch

#165 Skills and traits UX designers need in 2026

Ioana and Anfi discuss how values are shifting in the design world amidst rapid change. They explore the traits that designers should cultivate, current market observatio

#164 Year-End Reflections

Anfi and Ioana reflect on the past year, sharing how their careers have evolved and how AI has impacted their journeys. Looking ahead to 2026, they discuss their goals an

#163 Surviving Design - Why I Wrote a Book

Ioana offers a glimpse into her upcoming book release. This episode was recorded in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wix Studio.⁠⁠ Preorder your copy here. Th