In this episode of Technically Speaking, the Experience Designer at NWEA (and my Clubhouse friend) Chris Thoms joins the show to unravel the events that led him into the creative business after dedicating his life to soccer coaching. We touch upon the value of transferable skills and creating safe spaces to reframe the conversations inside a work environment. Plus, he shares how he got in touch with the children and communities that he is designing for and how that is part of his purpose.
Chris has been a member of several early-stage immersive tech startups and has designed with the human experience at the center of bleeding-edge technologies. A relentless questioner, he is constantly asking: who is enabled by this experience, who is not?
(01:18) - From soccer fields to experience design: Discussing biased preferences and systemic racism within sports coaching, design industry and entrepreneurship.
(11:23) - The offseason: Get to know more about Chris’ life and the events that led him to the creative business.
(21:01) - Switching industries: Why it’s important that all companies recognize transferable skills?
(25:48) - The landmark work: How does Chris approach design and the creation of equitable outcomes?
(32:32) - Safe spaces in business: How does Chris enable safe spaces for opinion and power inside his work environment?
(36:42) - Aggressive collaboration and teamwork: On locker room communication, reframing conversations and individual success.
