Get to Know Design Instructor: David Kadavy

David Kadavy is the author of Design for Hackers, which debuted at #18 on Amazon! He has also been a freelance designer and design lead at a number of startups in Silicon Valley. David is currently a design instructor for Femgineer’s Lean Product Development course.

Read our interview with David and get to know this dynamic designer!

David we know you love to do improv… Tell us the first interesting thing about yourself that pops into your head?

I once went 25 years without puking. (Damn, you, Mexico)

You’ve been a designer for awhile now, but do you have any other career aspirations?

When I was a kid I really wanted to be a professional bowler, so hopefully I’ll get around to that someday.

 Work-life balance is super important to keep the creative juices flowing! What do you do after work or to relax in general?

I like dancing Salsa & Tango. Other than that, I’m always trying to learn something new. I’m even taking singing lessons right now.

I want to understand how and why you ended up becoming a Designer. What led you to it, and how long have been a Designer?

I was just obsessed with all things visual from a very young age. I remember drawing logos during recess in 4th grade. I was always obsessed with drawing.

In parallel, I also became obsessed with computers and the internet. This was the perfect storm that led me to being a designer. I never thought twice about it.

I started working with clients professionally when I was in college, so that was about 13 years ago.

I’ve designed in just about any medium: architectural installations, video and motion graphics, print, and yes, of course, lots and lots of web.

These days I’m focused almost entirely on teaching design.

Did you have key mentors or people who deeply influenced you?

I’m probably most inspired by historic figures, so I really enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies to learn about how influential people lived. Some that I’ve enjoyed have been Benjamin Franklin, Warren Buffett, and Steve Jobs.

Did you have any life-changing experiences that put you on the path that led you to be doing what you were doing today?

In the process of trying to get a talk slot at SXSW, I wrote a blog post about design. A couple of days later, I had an offer for a deal to write Design for Hackers. I wrote it, and the ideas behind it became my focus from then on.

What would you say motivates you the most to do what you do? What are you most excited or passionate about?

I’m most excited about how people can build a great life for themselves and others through entrepreneurship. Design is an important piece of that puzzle because it can create so much value out of thin air. Being able to communicate visually has been my secret weapon as an entrepreneur.

 What are the personal goals you most want  to accomplish in your work?

I just want to make the best possible use of the talents and relationships that I have. I want to build off of those things in a way that helps me and others grow.

 What were the skills you had to acquire? Where and how did you learn those skills?

The skills for thinking visually came from thousands of hours of drawing in my room, taking every art class I could in high school, getting my degree in graphic design, and tinkering around and experimenting on my own time.

The technical skills, such as coding HTML and CSS, as well as a little PHP, and Python came from just building stuff, doing tutorials from books, and working on projects with friends. It didn’t hurt living through a few harsh winters where there was nothing else to do but sit inside and code.

Now that you’re an instructor for Femgineer’s Lean Product Development course, was is your favorite part about teaching the course?

Definitely meeting students that are motivated to keep pushing themselves to get better at making great products.

Best Design tip?

Pick one typeface, forget about colors, and try to make it look great. Once you can do that, you’ll be well on your way!

We have both startup founders and students from larger companies who attend our Lean Product Development course, what are some takeaways students will get from attending your classes?

If they’re a startup founder they’ll learn the following:

• How to determine just how much of your precious resources you should be investing in design.

• Know how to evaluate the design of your competitors so you can differentiate with design.

• Which design decisions to simplify for the best result with the minimum effort.

• The perfect questions to ask a designer to see if she can add value to your business through design.

• How to “bridge the gap” and take the ambiguity out of design conversations when hiring and working with designers.

If they’re from a larger company they’ll learn how to:

• Get smooth communication going between designers and developers on your team.

• Invest the right amount of time in design so you don’t waste resources.

• Keep conversations about design focused on how the design supports your business objectives.

• Hire and communicate with designers to get the best results.

Thank you David, it’s been a pleasure!

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To stay in touch with David check out Design for Hackers. Are you interested in learning from David how to incorporate design into your product using lean techniques? Then apply to our upcoming iteration of Femgineer’s Lean Product Development course today!

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