The Design Podcast

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May 16, 202345:04

3.5 | Niccolo Miranda: From Amsterdam with Love

Niccolò Miranda is an award-winning Art Director, Interactive Designer, and Developer based in Amsterdam.

In just five years since Niccolò entered the web design scene, he has captured our attention with his playful and bold work for a spectrum of clients, including Prada, Cobo, and Chiara Luzzana. Niccolò has become a familiar name with Awwwards collecting numerous recognitions, teaching at their virtual academy, and talking at their conference. His work has also received recognition from The FWA, Cannes Lions, and DDA.

It's no surprise, given the rocket ship that Niccolò's riding, that we spend time unpacking his personal principles, creative process, and sources of inspiration from the more recognisable influences in his work, such as graphic novels and gaming to cooking and even Harry Potter's Daily Prophet (the latter perhaps evidently present in his personal site - Paper Portfolio).

Niccolò also reveals his developing interest and work with AI, NFTs, and the Metaverse. Oh… and his latest celebrity-backed project in the space.

Join us for a light-hearted yet deeply reflective conversation with one of this generation's most inspiring digital designers.

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Mar 16, 202348:16

3.4 | Jakob Wagner: Homo Sapien 2.0

Jakob Wagner is a multi-award-winning Product Designer who has been creating iconic work from his Copenhagen-based studio for the last 30 years.

His minimalist yet sophisticated style has seen him reach international acclaim, with his work winning numerous awards from IF and Red Dot. He’s been awarded Designer of the Year, and you can find his work displayed in MoMA's permanent collection next time you're in NYC.

In 2020, his studio made a pivotal change to work exclusively with brands that align with his personal commitment to "improve our shared future". Along with this new direction, Jakob set out to develop an entirely new product company – Rejoyn, which strives to create products with a deeper meaning, helping us to reconnect with our ancestral past and discover the next "human operating system".

We look at his studio's three decades of invention and innovation, touching upon some of his most famous collaborations with technology and furniture brands. But, where it gets really good, is where we get deep into the 'unseen, but felt' aspect of design – the intangible energy and meaning that objects have provided the human race throughout millennia and how Jakob's new focus is a commitment to taking a look at the past, to inform the future. In other words, how design can help us unlock a better version of ourselves, moving from the distraction of modern life to a new 'human OS’.

If that didn't intrigue you enough, Jakob wraps up our interview with his personal design values – over thirty years of experience boiled down in a few short minutes (which gives Dieter Rams a run for his money).

This might be the most profoundly philosophical conversation yet on The Design Podcast.

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Feb 21, 202356:14

3.3 | Michael Fullman: Let’s Make Cool Sh*t

Michael Fullman is Chief Creative Officer at VTProDesign, an interactive design consultancy with the mantra "let's make cool sh*t".

Our conversation focuses on unpacking the studio's culture and creative secrets – how they utilise emerging tech, theatre, and diverse experiences within the team to develop opinions for clients, including; Ray-Ban, Netflix and Pokémon.

We look at the risks required to produce 'something new and bold' and the value in embracing the unknown. The secret? To have fun with the process and bring everyone on the journey. Alongside your ability as Michael puts it, "to drown your baby"... (it has to be said he is referring to ideas, not literally infants). This made us laugh, given the brutalist framing, but he makes a great point. You must set aside some of your emotions at a particular stage to develop as an individual and produce meaningful work.

We discuss the unseen vibe and energy of good design, that intangible yet authentic feeling when something unexpected or magical happens. Alongside this, given Michael's experience and portfolio, we ask for his perspectives on Web 3.0 and the Metaverse – its potential of being an enabler for the next evolution in 'community' and the challenges of adoption, purpose and making it accessible for the masses.

You're going to love this one. Tune in now and hear us laugh as we unpack some big topics with Michael.

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Jan 31, 202347:51

3.2 | Geetika Agrawal: The Nomadic CEO

Geetika Agrawal is a former Creative Director, and avid traveller turned tech Founder and CEO of VAWAA. An award-winning travel company with a unique offering – switching a week on the beach for an immersive mini-apprenticeship with a master artist.

Our conversation explores the twists and turns of starting your own business – done in a fashion that challenges convention and has us reflecting on the art of the possible.

We found ourselves inspired throughout as Geetika revealed her journey, from moving halfway across the world to study in Los Angeles to her choice to leave a successful career at R/GA and New York to spend a year travelling the globe and building VAWAA.

Geetika imparts almost a decade's worth of start-up stories and experiences with us – made even more intriguing as she kindly shares advice relevant for any designer looking to move from creating products to building their own company.

Tune in now and hear directly from the inspiring Geetika Agrawal.

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Jan 11, 202343:27

3.1 | Martin Lotti: A Man Of Flight

We're over the moon to launch the podcast's third season with the renowned Martin Lotti, Chief Design Officer for the Jordan brand at Nike!

Martin is a 25+ year veteran at Nike, with his work having made history on countless global stages – from the iconic Volt footwear showcased at the 2012 Olympics to his collection of national kits for the 2014 World Cup.

Today Martin oversees the creative direction at Jordan, where he and his team continue to develop outstanding garments and footwear that permeate court and street culture - with that distinct and iconic identity that resonates deeply with millions worldwide.

If that wasn't enough of a sales pitch, Martin has appeared in countless interviews with publishers, including The Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, Dezeen and Fast Company.

In this exclusive interview, we look at this iconic designer's backstory, unpacking his earliest memories and influences, his incredibly charming and heartwarming relationship with Nike and Jordan's unique cultural relationship with athletes and customers.

As one of the century's most successful designers, of course, we had to ask Martin to share his insights, and personal design values, alongside some of the unique cultural aspects that drive one of the world's most iconic brands.

You don't want to miss this episode!

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Dec 20, 202244:09

2.6 | Richard Jones: Product Design Truth

We're thrilled to be joined by the wonderfully insightful Richard Jones, VP of Product Design at Typeform.

Over the last two decades, Rich has worked with some incredible brands and held senior roles leading Creative, UX and Product Management teams for the BBC, ASOS, OVO and MindGym.

With such an incredible and unique resume, we couldn't help ourselves from asking Rich some arguably challenging questions on Product and Design. Kindly and with a good deal of laughter, we discuss some of his personal stories and insights that we know you'll love!

We hop into our time machine once again to explore the twists and turns of Rich's career. From his childhood interest in art to his uni days studying sculpture, his experimentation with running an art gallery masquerading as a high street store and how its economics prompted his venture in digital design. We dig into his experience as Creative Director for BBC iPlayer and how his curiosity about the bigger picture led him to work in multiple senior Product roles before returning to his love of design with Typeform.

This is an episode that no Product Designer should miss! Literally decades of insights from someone who has worked their way to the highest level in both Product and Product Design.

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Jul 30, 202201:03:19

2.5 | Daina Lightfoot: Choosing Your Path

We're delighted to be joined by Daina Lightfoot, a Lead Designer at Shopify, Creative Director and Offline Creator.

Daina has led and crafted brand identities and experiences for some of the tech industry's most adored brands, including Disney, Slack, Hootsuite, Dropbox and Abstract.

Today Daina works with Shopify as a Lead Designer, shaping brand and product marketing experiences for their global portfolio of financial products.

In our conversation, we explore Daina's origin story to the present day, revealing insights about work ethic, graft and passion, and the choice between pursuing a path of management or a track focused on craft.

If that wasn't enough, we explore the realities of the creative process and the nuisances of building successful brands and campaigns. We also discuss Daina's current role at Shopify and how the business retains a creative and productive culture as a globally distributed team.

Let's get into it!

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Jun 21, 202257:08

2.4 | David Schwarz: Designing Your Experience

We're joined by David Schwarz, a multi-award-winning Creative Leader, Entrepreneur and Founding Partner of HUSH.

David has spent his career designing brand experiences that integrate content, interactivity, architecture, and technology.

After graduating from Art Center College of Design, he worked for notable creative studios, interactive agencies, and design firms in Los Angeles and New York.

Since founding HUSH, David has developed numerous projects across technology, corporate, sport, luxury, beauty, and entertainment categories, most notably for Google, Equinox, Meta, Nike, Barclays, Sonos, and Uber, among others. He also serves as a mentor at New, Inc., the New Museum's incubator program for art, technology, and design.

Thinking about starting your own business? Or simply curious about what it takes to run a design studio? We have you covered. This is an epic episode focusing on creative entrepreneurship with insights from one of the industry's most exciting studios.

Let's get those headphones on (or speaker ready, listeners choice) and get you tuned into this convo with the fantastic David Schwarz!

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May 24, 202201:00:50

2.3 | Hugo Martin: Inside The Studio

In this episode, we’re joined by WMP’s multi-award-winning Director of Product Design, Hugo Martin.

Hugo leads a multidisciplinary creative team taking a holistic approach to design, addressing industrial, brand, film, packaging, and digital experiences. A strategy that's seen the studio's work shape successful outcomes for Wahl, Bolin Webb, Salomon, OCLU and Doro, receiving multiple awards at Red Dot, CES, iF Design Awards.

This wonderful conversation explores a diverse range of topics from Hugo’s personal journey to WMP’s success story and an in-depth look at his work with OCLU, a GoPro competitor that takes a fresh angle to the user experience, from form factor, mounting and film production.

Naturally, we couldn’t resist diving into the studio’s culture and Hugo’s approach to developing client relationships.

Kindly, Hugo, helps us answer some of the big questions for consultants “how do we price our work?” and “can we diversify our revenue streams?”. Hugo talks us through how his transparent approach to pricing and talent sourcing has led to multiple long-term relationships and how that has diversified the studio’s revenue streams.

All this and so much more! Let’s get into it!

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May 03, 202246:20

2.2 | Jonas Zieher: Creative Rituals

We are delighted to welcome Jonas Zieher, Partner and Design Director at Spin.

Over the last decade, Jonas has dedicated himself to shaping an eclectic portfolio through graphics, communication and motion design.

Prior to Spin, Jonas spent time at the world-renowned Pentagram and ran his own studio; Studio Jonas Zieher, with his work featured at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art and Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Today Jonas leads the creative efforts of Spin alongside partners Tony Brook and Patricia Finegan.

The studio has worked with impressive clients, including Apple, BBC, MUBI, Samsung, Nike and Tate Modern, shaping identity systems across digital, print and physical environments.

In this episode, we explore Jonas's personal journey into the creative fields, the role of a Design Director and unpack the creative rituals behind Spin's thriving culture and success.

This is a fascinating conversation for any designer, but particularly for those of you leading and building design teams. Jonas kindly talks us through the studio's work ethic, the importance of cooking and eating together, and how a strict routine enables space for creativity.

Naturally, how could we not explore some of Spin's work? Jonas kindly talks us through the creative journey for 'Waste Age', created for The Design Museum.

That's enough from us, let's hear from Jonas. Headphones on and play...

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Apr 10, 202249:49

2.1 I Leon Barrett: The Modern Agency

We're joined by the lovely Leon Barrett, Product Director at the award-winning product agency 383.

Leon trained initially in software engineering and grew his career to Director of Engineering before transitioning into a Product Leadership role. Over his 14 year career, he has created digital products for government, hospitality, finance, automotive, education and retail brands.

Leon currently leads the Product team at 383. Where he and his team of Business Analysts, Product Owners, Product Delivery Leads and Strategists have created experiences for Hilton, Chevrolet, VWFS, Busy Bees, Jaguar Land Rover, E.ON, HomeServe, The AA, National Express and Adidas.

A passionate advocate for Product, Leon engages in public speaking, mentoring and coaching. He is also Curator for the Canvas conference and a Trustee at Awesome BHX.

We discuss Leon's career path, unpack some of the secrets behind 383's success and hear his advice on all things Product. As Leon is our first Product leader on the show, we couldn't resist talking about that vital collaboration between Designers and Product Managers.

We loved the conversation with Leon and share an affinity with perspectives on the Product and Design relationship - it will be music to many creative's ears.

Let's get into it!

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We are thrilled to be joined by a former award-winning Industrial Designer, now UX Researcher, Catherine Suen.

Jan 30, 202201:14:03

1.6 | Catherine Suen: Be Water

And yes, Catherine works closely with our Creative Director at Smart Tech - as we've said before when you have access to a pool of incredible talent, why not share their stories and experience with the world?

With her career spanning just a decade, Catherine has already created an impressive portfolio, designing experiences for Microsoft, RCA, Honda, Jaguar, Hive and most recently, Vodafone Smart Tech.

Catherine trained initially as an Industrial Designer and worked for a design studio in her home town of Hong Kong before moving to London and completing a double Masters degree in Innovation Design and Engineering. She then went on to work as an Innovation Consultant and helped set up a design lab in Tokyo before returning to the UK and transitioning into UX Research.

Catherine's work has received global recognition picking up awards from Core77, HKDA Global Design Awards, Red Dot and iF! She is also passionate about inspiring others and works as a guest lecturer for the Royal College of Arts.

In our conversation, we discuss Catherine's academic and professional path. What fuels her work and has driven her to try a variety of creative roles.

Naturally, we couldn't have her on the show without giving you expert guidance on UX Research practices. Catherine very kindly shares practical advice that you can bake into your own process.

What are you waiting for? Let's get into it.

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Today we're joined by a creative leader, designer and award-winning photographer, Karl Randay.

Oct 27, 202101:07:12

1.5 | Karl Randay: Imperfect, Perfect.

Karl currently leads the design team for the Brummie (Birmingham) based 383, a digital product studio that has created experiences for E-On, Home Serve, Busy Bees, AA, Jaguar and Audi.

Karl has a diverse creative career spanning over two decades, in which he has shaped product solutions for the fashion, leisure, healthcare, energy, automotive and broadcast industries. An advocate for design, Karl regularly speaks on the subject. He also runs a design vlog, 'The User Lab' and works as a mentor with Adplist and Designed.org.

In addition, his creative work doesn't stop with products. He's also an award-winning photographer, with his work featured by National Geographic and displayed in exhibitions in the U.S.

We had a wonderful conversation with Karl about design theory, philosophy, and cognitive science. This episode mixes career stories and practical advice for shaping successful user experiences.

What are you waiting for? Let's get into it.

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What an episode we have for you today! We’re joined by an absolute legend of Industrial Design, the multi-award-winning, Robert Brunner.

Jul 25, 202101:21:56

1.4 | Robert Brunner: From Apple To Ammunition

Robert is a creator with an awe-inspiring portfolio. Designer, founder, creative leader, author and public speaker. Robert’s career spans over three decades, in which he has worked in some of the worlds most famous studios and created some of the most iconic products to date.

Robert is Founder and Partner at Ammunition, where he and his team have created experiences for Polaroid, Square, Lyft, Adobe, Ferrari and many others. He is also the Chief Designer for Beats by Dre. That’s right, we said Beats!

Earlier in his career, he co-founded Lunar Design before joining Apple and creating the Industrial Design Group, hiring many talented individuals, including Sir Johny Ive. He was also a partner at the internationally renowned Pentagram!

If that wasn’t enough to impress you, he’s been named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business,” and his work is featured in MoMA’s permanent design collections.

We couldn’t resist diving into each incredible chapter of his career. Robert was kind enough to share many beautiful stories about his time at Apple, Pentagram, Ammunition and his collaboration with Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine at Beats.

Robert also shared his perspectives on design today and where it can go in the future, lessons on creative leadership and the principles that underpin his work.

We loved this interview (and of course, we would say this), but seriously, there is some epic content for you in this one. Let’s get those Beats connected (naturally, all other well-made Bluetooth or wired headphone brands are welcome) and play!

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Join us for another incredible conversation with award-winning Industrial Design Director, William Stuart.

Jun 07, 202101:25:54

1.3 | William Stuart, Context Is Everything

Will has built an incredible portfolio over the last fifteen years, working on many well-known products, including; August Lock, FORME Life, Coway Icon Air Purifier, Vodafone Neo and Hive View.

Will currently leads an industrial team at the world-famous FuseProject, working alongside the legendary, Yves Behar.

If you’re not familiar, you have got to check out this studio! Their work is continuously receiving recognition from Good Design, Dezeen Awards, Red Dot and Core77.

In our conversation, Will shares his personal journey from designer to design leader and his move from London to San Fran. Along the way, we explore his creative process, leadership style and discuss some of his favourite projects.

This is a great chat for designers of all levels, but there is some wonderful content for those leading teams.

Designer, check. An outstanding portfolio, check. Great character and open to sharing with the Design community, check.

Let’s get into this one.

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Welcome back for another great conversation in this episode we speak with the award-winning Creative Director, Neill Furmston.

May 17, 202101:25:02

1.2 | Neill Furmston: Creative Legacy

Neill has an impressive resume, with his career spanning almost three decades! He has shaped successful brand strategies and campaigns for Google, Dyson, Persil, Chanel, Cancer Research U.K., Graze, Moët & Chandon, Jack Daniels, Jaguar Land Rover, KFC, and Legal & General. And breath... we told you, impressive resume!

He is currently working at Vodafone Smart Tech as Global Creative Director, where he leads the brand development for the "Design and Connected By" range. And yes, if you googled our team, you'll know he works closely with the Creative Director of this podcast… what can we say when you have connections to talented creatives? Alongside his busy life developing campaigns and brands, Neill is also a passionate pop artist which he sells under the brand ‘Furmie’.

In our conversation, we focus on Neill's expansive career and hear the twists, turns, and, importantly, the lessons learned along the way. We discuss everything from advice for those looking to get into the creative fields to his experience of founding and leading ICHI, a creative agency with studios in London and L.A.

Naturally, how could we resist discussing leadership and fostering a creative community? Well… we couldn’t, kindly Neill shares a lot of thoughts on the subject expanding on the partnership between the Creative and Design Studios at Smart Tech, alongside the challenges and opportunities of creating consumer IoT experiences.

Now, let’s get into the conversation. And play...

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We're delighted to be joined by internationally renowned designer, Gadi Amit.

Apr 10, 202101:03:35

1.1 | Gadi Amit: The Culture Of Design

Gadi is a multi-award-winning designer and a leading authority in the industry. He's been named one of the ‘1000 most creative people' and a 'master of design' by Fast Company Magazine. Numerous publications have featured his work, including Wired and The Verge. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he's a regular keynote speaker on Design and an advocate of the creative arts.

For the last 20 years, he has created products for Dell, Comcast, AT&T, Google, and Fitbit at his NewDealDesign studio, where he is President and Principal Designer.

In our conversation, Gadi explains how he and his studio have shaped a unique egalitarian culture and how that approach has shaped many successful projects for their clients.

Naturally, we couldn't resist asking Gadi about some of his methodologies and techniques… I mean, how could we not ask such a master of the craft?

Gadi was kind enough to expand on his ideas and ideals. Describing one of his personal design mantras, "The wisdom of the hand", alongside other principles and practices of the NewDealDesign studio.

We discuss everything from his passion for visual communication, to simplifying complex problems. His reflections on the state of western education and his desire to see more significant investment for the arts.

It goes without saying we had to ask Gadi's thoughts on the current state of the Design industry and where we need to invest as creatives and leaders in the future.

Oh, and we best not forget that we also discussed his trip to the White House, where he received the U.S. National Design Award from Michelle Obama! Now that is a demonstration of the importance of Design - Bravo!

Now... let's get those headphones on, and you tuned into the conversation.

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