#186 - Positioning Your Portfolio for AI Skills with Aneta Kmiecik of Be Your Own Design Team

#186 - Positioning Your Portfolio for AI Skills with Aneta Kmiecik of Be Your Own Design Team

Author: User Interviews March 31, 2026 Duration: 42:51

Erin May sits down with Aneta Kmiecik, founder of Be Your Own Design Team, to tackle one of the biggest questions facing designers today: how to position AI skills in portfolios and resumes. With 15 years in creative industries and a community of 200,000 followers, Aneta brings unique insights into navigating career strategy during this AI transformation.

Aneta reveals her Past Present Future framework for career positioning and explains why most companies aren't explicitly requiring AI skills yet, but smart candidates should still showcase them strategically. She discusses the three designer archetypes emerging at AI native companies and shares practical advice on standing out when AI can generate portfolios and case studies for everyone.


CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

04:06 AI Skills in Job Descriptions Reality Check

06:52 Research Strategy for AI Portfolio Positioning

14:23 Audience Context Determines AI Skill Positioning
17:49 Past Present Future Portfolio Framework

27:10 Common Portfolio Mistakes in AI Era

35:46 Future of AI Skills in Applications

38:39 Favorite Research Interview Techniques

RESOURCES
Lenny’s Podcast featuring Jenny Wen, Design Lead for Claude - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh8bcBIAAFo
2024 AI in User Research Report - https://www.userinterviews.com/ai-in-ux-research-report 

CONNECT WITH ANETA KMIECIK:

- LinkedIn: Aneta Kmiecik

- Instagram: @ux.aneta

- Newsletter: Be Your Own Design Team

- Portfolio Course: uxportfolio.co



Awkward Silences is a conversation about the human side of building things. Hosts Erin May and Carol Guest, both VPs at User Interviews, don't just talk about theory-they get into the messy, real-world practice of talking to users and making sense of what they say. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the craft of user research, featuring candid chats with the practitioners who do this work every day. You'll hear stories about navigating tricky interviews, the weight of interpreting qualitative data, and how genuine understanding directly shapes better products and smarter business decisions. This isn't a dry lecture; it's a geeky, relatable dive into the questions and quiet moments that define UX research. The Awkward Silences podcast lives in the intersection of technology and business, focusing on the people and processes that connect them. Listen for practical insights, empathetic strategies, and the occasional shared laugh about the inevitable fumbles that come with trying to understand anyone. It’s for anyone who believes that building effectively starts with listening well.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Awkward Silences
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