Josh Brewer: A journey of discovery, building trust, and leading by example

Josh Brewer's career in design started with a transition from teaching to freelance work. He developed his skills through self-education and a deep dive into web and graphic design. His early experiences in collaboration with talented engineers shaped his understanding of the importance of design and engineering working together. He emphasized the need for honesty, trust, and integrity in professional relationships and the value of being open and transparent about project challenges. Brewer's work at Twitter led to the genesis of Abstract, a tool that enables designers to work collaboratively and efficiently. Josh Brewer shares his career journey from being a teacher to working at Twitter, starting his startup, and now helping startup founders. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration between designers and engineers and the need for designers to understand the business side of things. He also talks about the challenges he faced in his career and the importance of being true to oneself. Josh advises young designers to lean into their unique qualities, develop business acumen, and constantly create and learn. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:51 Getting Started in UX Design 04:59 Self-Education in Graphic and Web Design 07:46 Transitioning to Startups and the Importance of Collaboration 11:28 Confronting Challenges and Making Career Moves 29:18 Building Trust and Leading by Example 37:43 Navigating Career Transitions and Taking Risks 47:25 Developing Business Acumen as a Designer 49:54 The Value of Creating and Making Things 57:18 Finding Enjoyment in the Work and Being True to Oneself 01:04:54 The Unique Perspective of a Designer in Business