Finding Your Problem to Solve
Finding Your Problem to Solve
About This Talk
Some of my best ideas didn't come from my 15+ years in UX — they came from problems only I was positioned to see.
In this talk, Denise shares two stories that look nothing alike: self-publishing a book of Cuban sayings that grew into a publishing company, and the research infrastructure she built at Zumba that keeps a constant pulse on users and quietly kills most bad ideas before they ever reach a sprint. Assumptions get challenged as we look at how technology, research, and human insight intersect to create meaningful impact — and how listening, both to the people we design for and to ourselves, reveals the work that truly matters. It closes with an entrepreneurial perspective and a invitation to reflect: What is the problem only you are uniquely positioned to solve?
You'll Learn
How to tell the difference between a problem worth solving and one that just feels good in a meeting
How to spot the friction only you can see — at work or in your own life
How research infrastructure can quietly kill bad ideas before they reach a sprint
What it looks like to turn a personal/cultural project into a real business
Who It's For
Designers, researchers, and product folks at a mid-level or above — anyone who already knows the fundamentals and wants to go deeper on how to choose the right problems to work on.
🎤 Speaker: Denise Miqueli
Director of Product Design & Research at Zumba Fitness, where she leads UX strategy and research across a global digital ecosystem of instructors, members, and on-demand experiences. In 15+ years as a design leader, she's built a reputation for knowing which problems are worth solving — and having the nerve to say no to the ones that aren't. That same instinct built a business outside of work: Denise is the creator, illustrator, and publisher behind Pin Pan Pun and other Cubanisms — a book of Cuban sayings that's sold over 10,000 copies and grown into a publishing company, a second volume, and a children's coloring book. She now helps other creators turn their own cultural sayings into books of their own. At Zumba, she's leading the shift toward AI-augmented design, teaching her team to direct AI tools rather than just operate them. Whether she's scoping a product roadmap or illustrating a Cuban saying, her throughline stays the same: find the problem only you're positioned to solve — then go build it.
LinkedIn: delmiqueli
Website: http://pinpanpun.co
Instagram: @pinpanpunco
🏠 Hosted by: Designed Forward — a coaching community for designers, researchers, and entrepreneurs
📅 September 30 | 9:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM EST
🖥️ This event is online only. A Zoom link will be emailed to registered attendees before the event.
People who made this event possible:
Designed Forward is a coaching community for designers and career-driven professionals — built on real accountability, honest feedback, and the belief that growth happens faster with people around you who actually push you forward.
Pin Pan Pun is Denise Miqueli's publishing company behind the Cubanisms book series — a project born from turning a personal, cultural passion into a growing business.