Tech Wrap Queen

Terrell Griffith | A Mindfulness Journey into Design

Wrap Session 35: Lead Product Designer at Headspace [https://www.headspace.com/], Terrell Griffith [https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrell-griffith/] who at the time of the recording was a Senior Product Designer, takes the Royal Court through his very mindful & thoughtful journey into Design. From attending a small design school in his hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut, to working at ESPN/Disney and then having a career awakening in the midst of the global transformational year of 2020. In search for deeper purpose in helping the Black design community, Terrell also joined the organization Where are the Black Designers. [https://www.watbd.org/] Terrell details his own personal anxiety experience that drove him to downloading the Headspace⁠ [https://www.headspace.com/] app and ultimately applying to a design role at the mindfulness & meditation company after seeing a position on the job board he built for the Where are the Black Designer's [https://www.watbd.org/] website. This heartfelt episode that also includes a shout out to Terrells mother, helps to inform and celebrate a linear path to a career in design that was supported very early by Terrells family. Be inspired and encouraged by Terrells journey in this gem dropping cool & calm conversation.

Ere Santos | Beyond the Pixar Gates- An Animators Journey

Wrap Session 34: In this episode Ere Santos [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ere-santos-4673a51b/] , currently a Animator Supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios, takes the Royal Court on a captivating story telling journey of rejections and triumphs as he pursues his dream of becoming an animator and working at PIXAR Animation Studios [https://www.pixar.com/] and Sony Pictures Imageworks. [https://www.imageworks.com/] Born in Nigeria, raised in Scotland & currently living in Canada Ere, who started out as a self-taught animator describes his process and experience working on the critically acclaimed animation, Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqGjhVJWtEg]. Ere also shares how he hopes sharing his career journey, animation process and work across social media will inspires others especially other black kids to purse their animation dreams. Other animation movies Ere has worked on include Hotel Transylvania and Spirit Untamed. This episode inspires and encourages the Royal Court to remember a dream deferred is not a dream denied.

Aladrian Goods | Learn & Lead: A Journey to UX Content Design

Wrap Session 33 Design & Culture: In this episode, The Royal Court heads to sunny San Diego, California where we wrap with music lover, Lakers fan and Content Design Manager at Intuit, Aladrian Goods. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aladriangoods/] Aladrian candidly shares her journey from Marketing Events to UX Content Design, from working 3 part-time jobs at the same time to funding her Design Education, and describes the early days of ClubHouse helping to grow one of the largest Design rooms. Finally, Aladrian [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aladriangoods/] shares gems on leadership, becoming a People Manager, a list of resources that have helped her along her career including, Content Design by Sarah Richards [https://www.amazon.com/Content-design-Sarah-Richards/dp/1527209180/ref=sr_1_4?hvadid=580635325866&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9032180&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6923195518545923764&hvtargid=kwd-834915547818&hydadcr=22593_13493352&keywords=content+design+by+sarah+richards&qid=1687206904&s=books&sr=1-4&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc] and Writing is Designing by Micheal Metts [https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Designing-Words-User-Experience-ebook/dp/B082J3Z8R1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JZDZCIY1P415&keywords=writing+is+designing&qid=1687207083&s=digital-text&sprefix=writing+is+designing%2Cdigital-text%2C146&sr=1-1] , as well the songs she finds joy listening to by Stevie Wonder and Kendrick Lamar. Another episode overflowing with Energy, Vibes and Inspiration. Listen Now!

Eric Puplampu | Growing & Amplifying UX in Ghana

Wrap Session 32 Design & Culture: From Accra, the capital of Ghana, Tech Wrap Queen heads back to the continent of Africa to wrap with Eric Puplampu [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-puplampu-23639613a/], Co-Founder of UX GHANA [https://www.linkedin.com/company/user-experience-ghana/] and UX Product Designer. Eric shares his journey to a career in UX, his involvement in the early days of the popular Design Mentorship site ADPList [https://adplist.org/] ,as well as the inspiring & exciting origin, future, and importance of UX GHANA ⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/user-experience-ghana/] - a community of UX, UI, product designers and product managers shaping the future of the industry in Ghana and Africa as a whole. Eric drops gems on the importance of tapping into local African design talent and recommends several African books on design to help with decolonizing design bookshelves Spirit of African Design [https://a.co/d/49qYqqd] and Contempary African Design [https://a.co/d/2DdNPOf] Eric's passion and energy will leave the Royal Court ready to visit Ghana. Until then you can enjoy the rhythms from the popular Ghanaian artist Sarkodie [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipZvlG-wwWk] that Eric mentions during the wrap session.

Designing Equity Programs | Founders of Project InkBlot

Wrap Session 31 Design & Culture:  Jahan Mantin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahanmantin/] and Boyuan Gao [https://www.linkedin.com/in/boyuangao/] join the Royal Court for an in-depth discussion on how they are helping leaders, organizations, and individuals co-design a more equitable world. As the founders of Project Inkblot [https://www.projectinkblot.com/],  a BIPOC-owned and operated company that provides transformational design education, programs & support through Inkblot Design™ framework (formerly Design for Diversity™ or D4D) - their team equips people to become co-designers who with intentionality build for equitable futures. In this wrap session, we learn how the two New Yorkers' and their creative paths working at magazines brought them together and how their own passions for Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) birthed Project Inkblot⁠ [https://www.projectinkblot.com/]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahanmantin/ Jahan Mantin⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahanmantin/] and ⁠Boyuan Gao⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/boyuangao/] also share how they lead, coach, and create the dialogue to help others understand what it really takes to design equitable products & experiences and describe how the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd shifted their mission.