west & ease

Your design portfolio might be working against you

The 75% framework to help you find the right balance to get your portfolio to start conversations with the right teams and companies as a product…

8 hrs ago • Leslie Luo

1

Happy Lunar New Year!

Wishing everyone a wonderful, prosperous, healthy, and well-read new year. Plus 1 month free of west & ease.

Feb 17 • Leslie Luo

1

On safety and the work of becoming with Kimmy Wu

Meet Kimmy Wu, a New-York based licensed psychotherapist and sex therapist, writer, and founder whose work centers on community and creating safer…

Feb 10 • Leslie Luo and Kimmy Wu

4

2

January 2026

Practicing community

Notes from a year of hosting, participating, and showing up

Jan 5 • Leslie Luo

6

4

3

December 2025

Sam Ray Lee on Umami House's Jam Battle and building space for musical conversation

An audio conversation with Sam Ray Lee

Dec 23, 2025 • Leslie Luo

4

2

33:46

August 2025

Ka Yee Chan on how a nonlinear path driven by passion matters

Meet Ka Yee Chan, a Hong Kong-born, Brooklyn-based maker and third-culture kid whose creative journey is rooted in curiosity, care, and community.

Aug 26, 2025 • Leslie Luo

6

3

June 2025

Possibilities with Laura Sandoval

Meet Laura Sandoval, a Chilean and Peruvian designer and creative based in Brooklyn, NY.

Jun 4, 2025 • Leslie Luo

8

3

1

May 2025

On building confidence and going the extra mile with Hope Idaewor

Meet Hope Idaewor: a Nigerian-born, Atlanta-raised design researcher, educator, and mentor based in Seattle, Washington.

May 5, 2025 • Leslie Luo

5

1

9

March 2025

Becoming a confident facilitator

Essential tools and techniques to help you confidently guide collaborative sessions in any environment—as a designer in tech and beyond.

Mar 4, 2025 • Leslie Luo

3

2

February 2025

On defining individuality in fashion and purpose with Peter Nguyen of The Essential Man

Meet Peter Nguyen, the New York and Austin-based founder of The Essential Man, where he helps men elevate their style and look really fucking good.

Feb 2, 2025 • Leslie Luo

5

5

September 2024

Eric Li on becoming a design founder through intentional career exploration

Meet Eric Li, co-founder of Versive, an AI-powered user research platform that helps companies conduct and analyze research faster.

Sep 12, 2024 • Leslie Luo and Eric Li

6

3

July 2024

Driving influence as a designer*

Ways to understand what influence means and tangible tools that you can try to adapt, apply, and iterate in your workflow.

Jul 29, 2024 • Leslie Luo

10

2