Technical Difficulties Liz Gerber

Join Radhika, the founder of Reground Design, a practice focused on developing implementable solutions to civic challenges in healthcare, education, human migration and community resilience.
Watch the video version on Youtube
Tune in to hear Radhika’s perspective on:
- The power of design, and structuring engagements that build partnership
- Racoon birthday parties
- Designing, film-making, robotics, biology, and music!
- “Traditional” design studios or consultancies
- Pursuing independent projects and freelancing as self discovery
- Balancing constraints and fluidity
- Building intuition

Radhika’s shoutouts:
- Reground Design

Follow Radhika!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmagarwal

This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Erin, CEO and co-founder of Desklight, a learning innovation firm that brings a learner-centered focus to instructional design. Erin is passionate about helping individuals and companies unlock their learning potential, and tells us about her journey as a design entrepreneur.
Watch the video version on YoutubeTune in to hear Erin’s perspective on:
- Creativity tools and her start in graphic/visual design
- Emojis
- Learning in the Wild, Erin’s book!
- Creating tension to learn
- Design leadership, owning a studio, and workplace culture
Erin’s shoutouts:
- Desklight
- Canva
- Miro
Follow Erin!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinhuizenga

This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Maalvika, a dual PhD student at Northwestern studying Computer Science and Communication who is excited about understanding “how we exist on and with the internet.” You might also know from her podcast, “show me how good it gets” and @maaltoks on TikTok!
Watch the video version on YoutubeTune in to hear Maalvika’s perspective on:
- Connections between her PhD interests and her observations on TikTok
- Pursuing a PhD and finding her path in STEM
- External validation
- How we exist on the internet
- Being loud about what you love
Maalvika’s shoutouts:
- Micron pen + a journal
Follow Maalvika!
Personal Website: www.maalvikabhat.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maaltoks?lang=en

This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Sarah, Global VP of Design where she leads designers, researchers and writers to bring us meaningful and accessible user experiences to an app that we all know and love—LinkedIn!
Watch the video version on YoutubeTune in to hear Sarah’s perspective on:
- Her educational path in HCI
- Being an individual contributor vs. managing
- Prioritizing user experience and trust in LinkedIn products
- Design leadership
- Careers and finding a place that aligns with your values
Sarah’s shoutouts:
- LinkedIn!
Follow Sarah!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sculbers/

This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

What does design leadership look like in tech? Join Nicole Kahn, VP of Design at Carta, as she reflects on discovering design research, the secret to telling sticky stories, and transitioning into tech. She has led design at companies like IDEO and WeWork, and is now building out what good design looks like at Carta. Nicole coined the "Bar Test" for storytelling, and is dedicated to unlocking the creative potential in all.
Watch the video version on Youtube
Tune in to hear Nicole's perspective on:
- Transitioning from chemical engineering to design research to tech, and the realities of grad school
- Learnings from WeWork: hypergrowth and authentic leadership
- UX debt
- The "lone designer type"
- The "Bar Test" for better stories
- Realizing your expertise as a designer
Nicole's shoutouts:
- The Bar Test developed with Neil Stevenson
Follow Nicole!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-kahn-a497a11/
Technical Difficulties is hosted by Liz Gerber and produced by Lauren Lin & Gilli Nieh. Special thanks to the Alumnae of Northwestern and Northwestern’s Center for HCI + Design.

How did researching buffet lines inspire the pursuit of designing technology? Join Emily Harburg, CEO of PairUp, as she takes us along her adventures in industry, startups, and academia. Emily worked on theme park technology at Disney Imagineering, UX research at Facebook (Meta), and led Emerging Tech and Innovation and EF Education First. Emily received her PhD in Technology and Social Behavior from Northwestern! Her startup, PairUp, is a digital mentorship platform all about creating workplace relationships that help everyone grow.
Watch the video version on Youtube
Tune in to hear Emily's perspective on:
- Discovering design by researching buffet lines at Disney
- Blending computer science and psychology (and not majoring in anything tech-related in undergrad)
- It's hard—but not impossible.
- Building tech with empathy
- Co-founding a nonprofit, Brave Initiatives, dedicated to helping women build tech skills and confidence in coding for social impact
- Transitioning from research and academia to the tech entrepreneurship
Emily's shoutouts:
Check out PairUp here! https://pairupapp.com/
PairUp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pair-up-inc/
Follow Emily!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyharburg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eharburg?lang=en
Technical Difficulties is hosted by Liz Gerber and produced by Lauren Lin & Gilli Nieh. Special thanks to the Alumnae of Northwestern and Northwestern’s Center for HCI + Design.