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Dave Hoffer – Empathy, Courage, and the Future of Design

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Manage episode 487934603 series 3293389
Content provided by The Space InBetween. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by The Space InBetween or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Dave Hoffer shares why design demands empathy 🧠, courage 🛡️, and long-term thinking 🌱—and how amplifying others can transform leadership in uncertain times 🚀.

He explores design’s shifting role in business, the disruptive rise of AI, and why resilience and critique will shape the future of design.

======

Episode Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
04:42 – Dave’s Instinct to Amplify Others Over Himself
08:36 – Weathering Layoffs and the Power of Staying the Course
12:43 – From Personal Crisis to Mission-Driven Work
17:24 – Why Hope and Long-Term Thinking Matter in Design
21:24 – Courage, Critique, and Speaking Truth to Power
24:20 – Design’s Role in Policy and Sustainability
28:17 – Is UX Dead? Navigating the AI Disruption
32:35 – Spectral Thinking: Understanding the Human Spectrum
37:11 – The Hard Cost of Empathy in Design
42:05 – Why Executives Must Experience Real Empathy
48:13 – Empathy, Judgment, and Learning from Outliers
54:10 – What Research with Outliers Teaches Us
58:13 – How Physical Labor (Like Bricklaying) Changes Perspective
1:04:09 – Think Like a Gardener, Not an Architect
1:07:00 – Why Design’s Work Isn’t Done Yet
1:10:54 – Taste, Design Leadership, and Meeting Halfway
1:11:57 – Closing Reflections and Where to Find Dave

======

Who is Dave Hoffer?

Dave Hoffer is a seasoned design leader and strategist whose career spans product design, digital innovation, and design transformation 🌎.

He has:

  • Led design teams at Frog Design, PwC, and McKinsey & Company

  • Grown McKinsey’s global design practice from a handful of designers to hundreds 📈

  • Brought design strategy into the heart of business and policy change

  • Advised mission-driven organisations like Safe Kids AI 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

  • Advocated for amplifying others and championing empathy and critique as foundations for impactful leadership ✨

Today, Dave advises organisations as an independent consultant, helping them embed human-centered design practices into strategy and transformation initiatives.

======

Find Dave Hoffer here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-hoffer/
Website: https://www.mpqd.com/

======

Subscribe to Brave UX

Like what you heard?
🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!

======

Follow Brave UX for more great content!

======

Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:

  continue reading

153 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 487934603 series 3293389
Content provided by The Space InBetween. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by The Space InBetween or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Dave Hoffer shares why design demands empathy 🧠, courage 🛡️, and long-term thinking 🌱—and how amplifying others can transform leadership in uncertain times 🚀.

He explores design’s shifting role in business, the disruptive rise of AI, and why resilience and critique will shape the future of design.

======

Episode Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
04:42 – Dave’s Instinct to Amplify Others Over Himself
08:36 – Weathering Layoffs and the Power of Staying the Course
12:43 – From Personal Crisis to Mission-Driven Work
17:24 – Why Hope and Long-Term Thinking Matter in Design
21:24 – Courage, Critique, and Speaking Truth to Power
24:20 – Design’s Role in Policy and Sustainability
28:17 – Is UX Dead? Navigating the AI Disruption
32:35 – Spectral Thinking: Understanding the Human Spectrum
37:11 – The Hard Cost of Empathy in Design
42:05 – Why Executives Must Experience Real Empathy
48:13 – Empathy, Judgment, and Learning from Outliers
54:10 – What Research with Outliers Teaches Us
58:13 – How Physical Labor (Like Bricklaying) Changes Perspective
1:04:09 – Think Like a Gardener, Not an Architect
1:07:00 – Why Design’s Work Isn’t Done Yet
1:10:54 – Taste, Design Leadership, and Meeting Halfway
1:11:57 – Closing Reflections and Where to Find Dave

======

Who is Dave Hoffer?

Dave Hoffer is a seasoned design leader and strategist whose career spans product design, digital innovation, and design transformation 🌎.

He has:

  • Led design teams at Frog Design, PwC, and McKinsey & Company

  • Grown McKinsey’s global design practice from a handful of designers to hundreds 📈

  • Brought design strategy into the heart of business and policy change

  • Advised mission-driven organisations like Safe Kids AI 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

  • Advocated for amplifying others and championing empathy and critique as foundations for impactful leadership ✨

Today, Dave advises organisations as an independent consultant, helping them embed human-centered design practices into strategy and transformation initiatives.

======

Find Dave Hoffer here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-hoffer/
Website: https://www.mpqd.com/

======

Subscribe to Brave UX

Like what you heard?
🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!

======

Follow Brave UX for more great content!

======

Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:

  continue reading

153 episodes

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