What does it take to build a long, meaningful career in UX and stay relevant in an ever-changing industry?

In this episode of Elevate Your UX Career, host Brittany Cates sits down with Jonathan Bond, a self-taught designer turned startup product lead with over 25 years of experience in UX and product design.

Jonathan shares his inspiring journey from early days in design to leading product strategy at a fast-paced startup, offering hard-won lessons on career growth, adaptability, and business-savvy design. If you’ve ever wondered how to blend creativity with impact, or how to thrive in the scrappy, high-stakes world of startups, then this episode is for you.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• 
  

  How to break into UX and grow your career, without a traditional design background

  
  


• 
  

  Why empathy and business understanding go hand in hand for successful product design

  
  


• 
  

  How to navigate messy team dynamics, design disagreements, and rapid change

  
  


• 
  

  What AI means for the future of UX (and how to stay ahead of the curve)

  
  


• 
  

  Actionable advice for building confidence, advancing your skills, and finding mentorship

  
  

Whether you’re an early-career designer or a mid-level pro wondering what’s next, this episode will give you the clarity, encouragement, and strategy to grow with purpose in your UX journey.

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe to Brittany’s newsletter for more career tools, personal stories, and UX leadership insights: brittanycatesco.systeme.io/ux-email-list