While most designers talk about “crafting delightful experiences", companies hire designers for something else entirely. And that's a problem... for designers looking to get hired.

In this episode, Tyler and Nick share the real business reasons designers get hired and how to position your case studies to prove your value.

This episode introduces a framework from business thinking applied to UX and product design careers. They discuss why companies hire designers to make money and save money, and how most portfolios completely miss this. You’ll learn how to connect UX work to revenue, conversion, adoption, and cost reduction so your case studies speak the language of business.

In this episode you’ll learn:
🔸 Why "delightful UX" is not a strong business argument
🔸 How designers help companies make money through conversion, MRR, and adoption
🔸 How design reduces support costs and operational waste
🔸 How to quantify business impact in your case studies
🔸 What to do if you do not have access to metrics

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss a shift that most SaaS and startups are not ready for: internal tools are getting real investment in 2026. That's because their customers are realizing they can build exactly what they need on their own.

This changes how SaaS operates. Instead of buying another one-size-fits-all product, more buyers will ask: why don’t we just build this ourselves? Tyler and Nick figure out how SaaS products can survive this shift and why being integration-ready is about more than just “having Zapier.”

If you are building B2B SaaS, working in product, or designing enterprise tools, this episode gives you strategy you can actually apply.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why internal tools are getting bigger budgets in 2026
🔸 The new SaaS threat: customers building their own tools
🔸 Why enterprises want software tailored to their workflows
🔸 The real SaaS moat: flexibility, integrations, and ecosystems
🔸 Zapier, Make, MCPs, and why they change retention
🔸 Using integrations as product signals for what to build next
🔸 Founder-led SaaS, branding, and why “slop” is the new competition

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick break down what product design will look like in 2026 and why this year will feel like a shock to a lot of designers. Tyler calls it the year of the builder, where titles start collapsing and the market rewards people who can actually ship.

They discuss why design has been misunderstood for years, how that misunderstanding is costing you still today, and why design is slowly getting eaten by product and engineering departments.

This is not AI fear and it is not a rant. It is a practical blueprint for how designers stay relevant when the goalposts move.

If you want to protect your career and increase your leverage, the answer is simple: skill stack and build.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why 2026 will be “the year of the builder”
🔸 Why design roles are merging into hybrid titles
🔸 The designer vs. developer gap and how it wastes time
🔸 When building real prototypes beats building Figma prototypes
🔸 How AI changes what teams expect designers to ship
🔸 The next wave: builders who can design, ship, and think business

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld