To kick off Season 2 of Uncut Design, I sat down with Matt Shelton, Principal UX Content Designer at Microsoft, for a heartfelt conversation about the importance of building genuine relationships in tech.

Matt shares how leading with kindness, empathy, and authenticity has helped him build real connections across teams. These relationships aren’t just valuable during challenges—they shape everyday collaboration and make it easier to navigate feedback, design critiques, and even major career shifts.

This episode is a reminder that design is about people—and the relationships we cultivate along the way are what truly shape our careers.