12 Recommendations: Phillip Randolph Carter

Design methods are core to industrial design education. They teach a variety of tools for approaching problems, researching requirements, and making better decisions. But you choose the methods to fit the problem, time, and resources available. And anyone can play. When I coach design-thinking I cover these three things:

1. Work the right problem
2. Alternatives and iteration
3. We all get there together

Of those, the third one is most important.

Communication and relationships are vital for great results. None of us can do amazing work on our own, we need to engage with skilled teams and understand and collaborate with stakeholders.

Here are a few perspectives from people I've been fortunate to know.

"I have worked with Randy since 2013 and hired him at two separate companies. In short, Randy was my right arm. His intellectual knowledge of technology blended with customer experience was invaluable for the teams I managed. He generously gives his time to take the complex and make it simple for teammates and customers. I could not recommend someone more highly."
Dan Rood - VP Marketing at LeadIQ

"Randy is a rare breed: both a logician and an out-of-the box thinker makes him an amazing product manager and designer. He possesses a broad and deep knowledge of frameworks and theories with the practical experience having implemented most of them. His product development experience across a wide range of markets means he knows what to do - and more importantly what not to do! He is happy to educate those around him ("a rising tide lifts all ships" should be his mantra!) and worked collaboratively to achieve better group outcomes than expected on complex, cross-organization projects. I hope our paths cross again and look forward to wargaming with him in the future." Stephanie Gray - Competitive Intelligence guru

"Randy’s mind is invaluable on a Product Marketing team. He has a unique ability to understand deeply technical material and concepts and translate it in a way that is not only accurate and comprehensible, but enjoyable to consume as well. Randy is also a talented writer, making cross-functional collaboration a breeze. I really enjoyed working Randy and hope we cross paths again soon." Maria Spaniciatti - Senior Content Marketing Manager at Gladly

"Randy has a really broad knowledge base, but that doesn't prevent him from being an expert on software design...and design in general. He is generous with his time and has an amazing ability to answer complex to simple questions in complex to simple ways -- whatever the hearer needs. His left-brain, right-brain combo is a gift to any department that wants creatively framed ideas to be more technically accurate or vice versa. Randy uses his immense capacity for idea generation to nudge every group in a customer-centric direction." Zach Franzen - Marketer at LeadIQ

"If Randy played Major League Baseball, he would be the ultimate utility player. His deep technical knowledge and business experience let him move effortlessly between positions and bring excellence to product, marketing, design, creative, content and more. I have worked with Randy at two different companies and always learned from him because he is generous with his time and knowledge and able to communicate the most complex technical concepts in a way that is conversational and human. And like any great player, he brings out the best in his teammates." Gina Clarkin - Senior Product Marketing Manager at Glia

"Brilliant and passionate are how I would describe Randy. I was so fortunate to work with him over my tenure at Genesys and learned something new every project, every day. From personas to podcasts, Randy brought his unique style and drive towards perfection. Hoping our career paths cross again soon!" Bobbi Chester - Senior Director Product Marketing at Genesys

"Randy is one of the few "dual sided brain" people with whom I have had the fortune of working. He is simultaneously both analytical and creative, and equally comfortable in both roles. A great colleague and friend, Randy is 1 in a million." Michael Campbell - Staff Software Developer at Simply Business

"I can't say I've ever had a manager who was as talented, intelligent, and experienced as Randy is. He not only possesses valuable insights into user experience, design, layout, modeling, and mockups - but he isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty by creating rich mockups with javascript, css, and including the complex interactions that can take place within a software application. He doesn't compromise when it comes to the user, and makes it his mantra to ensure that every user is important and accounted for, while still keeping an eye on the larger picture to maximize efficiency and feature completeness without bloat. He was the greatest asset that Lulu has ever had with regard to design, UX, and front end development. Whatever team he leads next will be incredibly lucky to have his knowledge, experience, and determination." John Morris - Software Developer at Procured Health

"When I was first hired on at Wachovia, Randy took the time to sit down with me and explain the functionality of the systems that I would be interacting with. He is very knowledgable and skilled at what he does." Derrick Love - Senior Program Manager, Threat Intel at Microsoft

"Randy is an extremely strong user experience professional who has a deep understanding of the psychology of his craft. He has amassed an immense body of knowledge around user experience and continues to hone it daily. Additionally, he possesses the critical skill of applying research results (both his own and the research of others) to actual business applications." Chris Anderson - VP Service Strategy & Operations at Salesforce

"Randy is the expert's expert in user experience and design. His unassuming style would lead you to think otherwise, but he is consistently the smartest guy in the room about the wants and needs of software users. The vast majority of software engineers and user interface experts in the field of Information Technology would benefit by learning the merest 1% of design knowledge that Randy has accumulated, and indeed, by putting to practice the wisdom that Randy possesses. If you get the opportunity to hire Randy, do it -- you'll thank yourself many times over." Kevin Kreamer - Principal Software Engineer at Elastic

"Randy was a gifted designer at Lee Payne Associates when I worked with him. He showed me the ropes and provided professional and personal leadership for the group. His talent as a designer and natural leadership ability impressed and educated me. It's no surprise that he has accumulated a remarkable record of accomplishments since then." Con Underwood - President at Con Underwood Consulting

"Even though I only worked with Randy for a short time, I was blown away by his ability to take something super technical and explain it in a way that was comprehensible and value-driven. Randy is a stellar storyteller and overall excellent teammate. He was very enjoyable to work with and I appreciated his constant willingness to teach me new things." Michelle Morales - Senior Product Marketing Manager at Faire