Dave Hoffer – Empathy, Courage, and the Future of Design

2025-06-11

Dave Hoffer shares why design demands empathy 🧠, courage 🛡️, and long-term thinking 🌱—and how amplifying others can transform leadership in uncertain times 🚀. He explores design’s shifting role in business, the disruptive rise of AI, and why resilience and critique will shape the future of design. ====== Episode Chapters 00:00 – Welcome and Introduction04:42 – Dave’s Instinct to Amplify Others Over Himself08:36 – Weathering Layoffs and the Power of Staying the Course12:43 – From Personal Crisis to Mission-Driven Work

Dave Hoffer shares why design demands empathy 🧠, courage 🛡️, and long-term thinking 🌱—and how amplifying others can transform leadership in uncertain times 🚀.

He explores design’s shifting role in business, the disruptive rise of AI, and why resilience and critique will shape the future of design.

======

Episode Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
04:42 – Dave’s Instinct to Amplify Others Over Himself
08:36 – Weathering Layoffs and the Power of Staying the Course
12:43 – From Personal Crisis to Mission-Driven Work
17:24 – Why Hope and Long-Term Thinking Matter in Design
21:24 – Courage, Critique, and Speaking Truth to Power
24:20 – Design’s Role in Policy and Sustainability
28:17 – Is UX Dead? Navigating the AI Disruption
32:35 – Spectral Thinking: Understanding the Human Spectrum
37:11 – The Hard Cost of Empathy in Design
42:05 – Why Executives Must Experience Real Empathy
48:13 – Empathy, Judgment, and Learning from Outliers
54:10 – What Research with Outliers Teaches Us
58:13 – How Physical Labor (Like Bricklaying) Changes Perspective
1:04:09 – Think Like a Gardener, Not an Architect
1:07:00 – Why Design’s Work Isn’t Done Yet
1:10:54 – Taste, Design Leadership, and Meeting Halfway
1:11:57 – Closing Reflections and Where to Find Dave

======

Who is Dave Hoffer?

Dave Hoffer is a seasoned design leader and strategist whose career spans product design, digital innovation, and design transformation 🌎.

He has:

Led design teams at Frog Design, PwC, and McKinsey & Company
Grown McKinsey’s global design practice from a handful of designers to hundreds 📈
Brought design strategy into the heart of business and policy change
Advised mission-driven organisations like Safe Kids AI 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
Advocated for amplifying others and championing empathy and critique as foundations for impactful leadership ✨

Today, Dave advises organisations as an independent consultant, helping them embed human-centered design practices into strategy and transformation initiatives.

======

Find Dave Hoffer here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-hoffer/
Website: https://www.mpqd.com/

======

Subscribe to Brave UX

Like what you heard?
🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/brave-ux-with-brendan-jarvis/id1552607805
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7j2ocni6A00fzgHkj6TtCK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpaceInBetween
Podbean: https://braveux.podbean.com/

======

Follow Brave UX for more great content!