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

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.

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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

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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.

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Find Dave Hoffer here:

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

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Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:

• Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/
• The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/