It was the Best of Times. It was the Worst of Times.
Summary
In this provocative talk, Brendan encourages us to stop worrying about the future, recognize that we have what it takes to overcome any challenge, and work together to create a future that our field is worthy of. He shares three stories to illustrate these points, taking inspiration from science fiction, Japanese samurai, and the enduring impression of his late Grandfather. If you want to worry less about your career, see situations more clearly, and discover the most important question for DesignOps professionals to ask themselves today - don't miss this presentation.
Key Insights
-
•
AI is already reshaping design craft and design operations, forcing professionals to redefine their roles and identities.
-
•
Fear and resistance to AI can lead to professional obsolescence, while proactive adaptation fosters relevance and innovation.
-
•
The samurai Miyamoto Musashi’s philosophy teaches the value of using both an observing eye (objective facts) and perceiving eye (context and meaning) to fully understand complex situations.
-
•
Separating what happens from what it means helps design professionals make better-informed, less reactive decisions.
-
•
Many factors impacting design careers, like company layoffs or economic shifts, are outside individual control, but responses remain within personal agency.
-
•
Regular critical self-reflection (the 'cognitive couch') is vital when experiencing career uncertainty or external stressors.
-
•
Design ops professionals must cultivate resilience and courage to persist and innovate amid adversity.
-
•
Historical and personal narratives provide powerful frameworks to understand modern challenges and foster optimism.
-
•
A clear, evolving understanding of what it means to be a design ops person is essential for strategic positioning and relevance.
-
•
Connection and sharing perspectives (such as on Slack) help expand understanding and avoid isolated reactions to industry fear or change.
Notable Quotes
"Fear is in the air as AI seems to be coming for our jobs, but fear doesn’t suit us—we are too optimistic, too creative, and too valuable."
"Fair is a choice, and we have better ones to make if we bring them into focus to build a better future."
"What does it mean to be a design ops person? That question matters and we must revisit it often."
"The observing eye sees things as they are; the perceiving eye looks beneath the surface to understand significance."
"Before responding to pushback or doom, separate what is happening from what you think it means—get the whole picture."
"Some things are up to us and some things are not. How we choose to respond is always within our control."
"Adversity is part of the human condition—what matters is how we face it, because that gives life greater meaning."
"The challenges we face are real, but so is our capacity to respond creatively and courageously."
"Being here alive at this moment is a statistical miracle—we must make the most of it."
"Our careers in design that aren’t regularly examined are unlikely to last."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"I was no longer a point person in recruiting or shaping the team, but that was okay."
Edward CuppsThe Principal Path: Journeying from Management to Individual Contributor
June 11, 2021
"We need to get really good at strategy board games to outsmart threat actors."
Heidi TrostTo Protect People, You Have to Protect Information: A Human-Centered Design Approach to Cybersecurity
January 23, 2025
"FEMA is not going to stand up a UX department; it’s our responsibility to witness and find ways to help."
Emily Danielson“I mean, I can lift a shovel”: Design Skills in Disaster Response
June 9, 2022
"We started to see children and teenagers as users, not just audiences."
Sofía Delsordo Kassim VeraPublic Policy for Jalisco's Designers to Make Design Matter
December 8, 2021
"You must remember this. A kiss is just a kiss. A sigh is just a sigh."
Susan Simon-DanielsWar Stories LIVE! Susan Simon-Daniels
March 30, 2020
"The international design government community started by reaching out individually via Twitter to people in governments around the world."
Kara KaneCommunities of Practice for Civic Design
April 7, 2022
"Even if the model is responsible for the behavior, there’s another piece of the puzzle: the context."
Paz PerezContext Architecture for AI systems
September 11, 2026
"Taking responsibility for our behaviors starts with an apology and continues with regular feedback and action."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"We’ve learned that clear communication about roles and process is key to reduce confusion between regular design work and self-service."
Nora Tejeda Giovanna AlonsoScaling Design Capabilities at BBVA Through a Self-service Design Model
June 10, 2021
