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 Introduction04:42 – Dave’s Instinct to Amplify Others Over Himself08:36 – Weathering Layoffs and the Power of Staying the Course12:43 – From Personal Crisis to Mission-Driven Work17:24 – Why Hope and Long-Term Thinking Matter in Design21:24 – Courage, Critique, and Speaking Truth to Power24:20 – Design’s Role in Policy and Sustainability28:17 – Is UX Dead? Navigating the AI Disruption32:35 – Spectral Thinking: Understanding the Human Spectrum37:11 – The Hard Cost of Empathy in Design42:05 – Why Executives Must Experience Real Empathy48:13 – Empathy, Judgment, and Learning from Outliers54:10 – What Research with Outliers Teaches Us58:13 – How Physical Labor (Like Bricklaying) Changes Perspective1:04:09 – Think Like a Gardener, Not an Architect1:07:00 – Why Design’s Work Isn’t Done Yet1:10:54 – Taste, Design Leadership, and Meeting Halfway1:11:57 – 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! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/brave-ux-with-brendan-jarvis/id1552607805 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7j2ocni6A00fzgHkj6TtCK YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpaceInBetween Podbean: https://braveux.podbean.com/ ====== Follow Brave UX for more great content! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brave_ux Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/ ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/