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Design Meets Business is a podcast that inspires designers to think beyond pixels. On this show you'll hear design leaders from all over the world talk about their stories, lessons they've learned during their careers, and how you can use Design to make a bigger impact in your organisation.
35 Episodes
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Vuokko Aro is Chief Design Officer at Monzo, where she has led the design function for nearly a decade through hypergrowth from startup to one of the UK's most loved fintech brands. She oversees a team of over 100 people across product design, brand design, and user research. On today's show we chat about scaling design teams, building trust through transparency, the value of constraints, and how to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses as you grow in your career.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:26 – Vuokko's journey into design and joining Monzo06:16 – Building in the open and transparency as a core value11:42 – Scaling design whilst maintaining craft and quality23:12 – Building design culture and protecting craft at scale37:44 – Managing stakeholders and navigating disagreement48:36 – Transitioning from IC to leadership and learning to let go55:48 – Career development and focusing on strengths01:03:22 – End of show questionsConnect with VuokkoLinkedInSelected links from the episodeThe Monzo Book of Money
Andrea Mangini is a design and creative leader whose career spans some of the most design-driven companies in the world — from Adobe and Autodesk to Netflix and Shopify. She’s led teams that built the tools and experiences shaping how people create, design, and build. Andrea’s work focuses on design craft, leadership, and helping teams find courage in the uncomfortable parts of growth. She believes great design comes from curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to keep learning, even when the path isn’t clear.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro and Andrea’s career arc06:45 – Taking risks and embracing discomfort13:20 – Reframing imposter syndrome18:40 – Balancing stability and growth24:50 – The importance of collaboration, improvisation, and jamming with others31:10 – Designing at the speed of conversation38:20 – Learning to let go: not every problem needs to be solved46:40 – Balancing collaboration with impact48:10 – Leading craft at scale54:00 – Reflections on growth, curiosity, and keeping design human72:38 – End of show questionsConnect with AndreaLinkedInSelected links from the episodeMidjourney11LabsKREA
Josh is a super designer who believes the best ideas come from collaboration and play. Over his career, he’s worked across agencies and tech companies such as Google, ZOE, and Booking.com, helping teams find energy and originality in their process rather than following rigid methods. His approach to design blends experimentation, curiosity, and a love for building things together. Today, he sets the foundations for AI in Healthcare at Microsoft.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro and about Josh05:10 – How early experiences shaped his approach to creativity and experimentation10:25 – Breaking away from process16:30 – Jamming and working together23:00 – Iteration, failure, and confidence through experimentation29:40 – Designing for emotion and joy36:00 – Building psychological safety and low-ego collaboration42:20 – How design culture shapes product outcomes48:00 – Creativity outside of work and where inspiration comes from50:00 – AI as a design partner and what human context still mattersConnect with JoshLinkedInInstagram
Avi Ashkenazi is a design leader who’s spent his career moving between hardware, software, and strategy—always focused on how teams turn ideas into real products. He’s led design at global companies and helped build teams that work across both physical and digital experiences. Today, Avi leads design at Deel, where he’s shaping how millions of people get hired, paid, and supported around the world. His work is about creating simple, human experiences in complex systems and helping designers stay curious while scaling their impact.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro05:10 – Lessons from working across hardware, software, and physical spaces09:20 – How curiosity and iteration shaped his approach to design leadership13:40 – Building design teams that collaborate across disciplines17:55 – The role of storytelling and empathy in influencing business outcomes22:30 – Designing for trust and simplicity27:45 – How Deel approaches product design33:10 – Balancing craft with speed38:20 – What good design leadership looks like in distributed teams43:00 – Reflections on curiosity, growth, and keeping design human55:34 – End of show questionsConnect with AviLinkedInSelected links from the episodeShape Up, by Ryan SingerMultipliers, by Liz WisemanTools Avi mentionedNotebookLMGenway AIBagel AIWhisk AIWeavy AIMobbin
J.B. Chaykowsky is a design and product leader with over two decades of experience spanning architecture, technology, and fintech. He spent more than 10 years at Intuit, where he led global design teams across the UK and France, shaping products for accountants and small businesses. Today, as Director of Creative & Design at Redpin, he’s focused on building a global real-estate payment platform that connects people across borders. Beyond his leadership roles, J.B. writes about creativity, design leadership, and the intersection of AI and craft—helping designers think more deeply, work with greater intent, and build products that reflect the people they serve.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro06:45 – Early lessons: creativity, writing, and how wayfinding shaped his design thinking10:00 – The rise of AI in design: adoption phase, experimentation, and the gap between good and great17:15 – What AI means for designers’ roles and careers22:00 – How AI could empower design founders27:00 – Deep thinking & using AI as a creative partner40:20 – The future of design systems47:30 – Craft, taste, and creating products with soul in an AI-driven world55:00 – Building “real teams”66:17 – End of show questionsConnect with J.B.LinkedIn, WebsiteSelected links from the episodeAI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying ProductivityReal Teams, J.B.'s post
Ryan is the founder of Accelerate Design Company. He's a Product and Design leader who brought food photography, live-order tracking, and remote driver training to DoorDash, launched step-function improvements to Airbnb’s checkout, messaging, search, and host calendar products, and launched products at TechCrunch Disrupt, Dreamforce, and WWDC. Ryan has led teams of all sizes, from two to 200, and is now advising companies on product management, design, and go-to-market strategy, as well as helping mid-career designers develop business skills to do more influential work and have more meaningful careers.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:39 – Ryan's career and his thoughts on design education08:03 – Describing the ROI of Design – his course for designers14:57 – Gaining credibility by connecting design to business metrics24:17 – Tailoring tactics for your specific environment28:28 – Pursuing stakeholders through building good relationships with them30:45 – How does Design work at the different companies he worked 39:00 – The befits of scrapping incremental testing43:34 – Assessing the quality of a team before joining47:15 – On Accelerate Design company, his new business53:06 – End of show questions.Connect with RyanLinkedIn, Accelerate DesignSelected links from the episodeDescribing the ROI of Design, Ryan's course
Doug has been in the Design world for 30 years and is well known for his role as VP of Design at IBM, where he oversaw IBM's design practice, design career and leadership programs, and the scaling of cross-functional design thinking practices. Doug is a role model for many design leaders and someone I've been looking up to for many years. Having him on the show is such an honour.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:32 – The three chapters in Doug's career09:35 – Building good relationships at work13:18 – The environment needed for designers to do great work20:44 – The role coaching played for him and how he's coached others27:13 – How do you know when a report is ready for a promotion36:04 – An overview of the work done at IBM by Design 42:16 – The role of ethics in Design48:13 – Design in the age of AI51:04 – End of show questions.Connect with DougLinkedInSelected links from the episodeThis is a Prototype Podcast (Apple, Spotify, Google)The Making of a Manager, by Julie ZhouThe Total Economic Impact Of IBM’s Design Thinking Practice, by Forrester
Dan is a seasoned designer with over 20 years of experience in leading teams at companies such as Farfetch, Just Eat, Wonderbly, and Fresha. Until very recently Dan ran a small design studio – Rubber Studio. In today's chat we get a behind the scenes view into the life of a studio owner, what's important when trying to find work, and how your life as a designer can change if you decide to start a studio yourself.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:38 – Dan's journey into Design05:43 – His thoughts on Design education08:28 – His journey as a studio owner19:44 – What you need to know before starting a studio32:32 – What's important when pitching for work43:39 – On his talk about innovation at Hatch Conference46:36 – End of show questionsConnect with DanLinkedInSelected links from the episodeChris DoJust enough research, by Erika HallSupermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (Documentary Trailer)Dan Tase: Why Innovation Fails? (And what can we do about it) – Talk at Hatch Conference
Dan is a seasoned design executive who's led teams at Microsoft, Google, UnitedHealth Group, Walmart, and Lloyd's, among others. From working on the Surface Tablet, starting Project ARA at Google, leading the efforts to redesign Walmart.com, and more recently writing his own book, Uplifting Design, Dan believes in the importance of Design at the core of any business, and that's what we're talking about today. We also chat in detail about how his design team has doubled conversion for walmart.com, and about why he believes that you should look at your career from a perspective of two year stretches.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:42 – Dan's journey into Design04:06 – Why Dan thinks Design is at the core of business09:11 – The forces that come down to devalue Design15:51 – Companies that show Design matters23:24 – Designing software vs. hardware and how compassion fits into this42:54 – On the redesign of Walmart.com51:29 – Dan's new book, Uplifting Design56:08 – Managing your career in two-year stretches01:04:18 – End of show questionsConnect with DanLinkedIn, Uplifting.Design, WebsiteSelected links from the episodeNeolMcKinsey Design ReportFuelling Creative Renewal Report
Lea is a Product & Growth Consultant with a massive proven track record of helping companies get traction. Today we talk about experimentation frameworks, how to build better relationships with Product, and about what kinds of designers are best to collaborate with.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:36 – Lea's journey into Product03:37 – On working for one company vs. consulting 07:06 – Lea's definition of Product10:50 – Building relationships with Product19:18 – The ideal designer to work with25:08 – On experimentation47:39 – The importance of quality in a product52:39 – End of show questionsConnect with LeaLinkedIn
Maria is a Product Design Leader at Turo and Founder of Careercoach.design. In this episode get to talk about the rise of the Player-Coach Designer, about building better relationships at work, about coaching, and we also talk about practical advice on how to approach your job search. Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:18 – Maria's journey into Design04:28 – On Player-Coach Designers12:43 – Maria's thoughts on Design leadership19:21 – Building relationships at work23:44 – Giving and receiving feedback30:27 – Maria's practice as a Coach34:10 – On finding a job48:36 – Demystifying interview questions54:24 – How to negotiate your salary56:58 – End of show questionsConnect with MariaLinkedIn, CareerCoach.DesignSelected links from the episodeDemystifying common design interview questions, by Maria
Alastair Simpson is a design leader and mentor, serving as VP of Design at Dropbox. Prior to Dropbox, Alastair was Head of Design at Atlassian, where he helped scale the design team from 20 to over 250. On today's show we chat about craft and how important it is for designers at any level, persuasion, how to present work, and how to deal with puzzling feedback.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:28 – Alastair's journey into Design06:34 – On building the right habits11:24 – Sharing work, getting feedback, and storytelling27:45 – How to get good at presenting work31:44 – Soft skills that are important for designers33:56 – Craft of Design vs. surgical optimisation41:29 – Leading through craft47:16 – The importance of inspiring others50:06 – What Alastair hopes will happen over the next decade52:02 – End of show questionsConnect with AlastairLinkedIn, MediumSelected links from the episodeThe one critical skill most designers overlook, by AlastairInfluence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert CialdiniStart With Why, by Simon SinekAtomic Habits, by James Clear
Sean has spent the past 25 years at the intersection of commerce, consumer behaviour, and data-driven feedback loops. This included working for Tesco, GfK, and two long stints with Amazon, among others. In this chat we talk about how design can better work with product, how to speak the language of our senior stakeholders, and what he's learned about hiring from interviewing over a thousand people at Amazon.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro03:54 – How does Product act differently in small vs. in big companies05:53 – Interviewing others as a Bar Raiser at Amazon10:55 – Portfolios – How do you get to the bottom of study cases?13:24 – The one question Sean likes to ask in interviews17:58 – How does a good relationship between Design and Product look like?29:58 – Challenges that Product faces when they deal with Design49:10 – Making it 'cheap' to be wrong53:23 – Why sometimes Design reports to Product56:53 – End of show questions.Connect with SeanLinkedInSelected notes from the episodeSean's 10 Product Development Principles (to create the right culture and velocity):1. Solve the right user need2. Measurable accountability to outcomes3. Release value in slices (avoid long bets)4. Put data in the hands of decision makers5. Build once, run everywhere6. Make it cheap to be wrong 7. Build it fast AND proper8. Extreme focus on top priorities9. Simplify, simplify, simplify10. Be credible
We're switching gears a little from Design and catch up with Tom Scott, who's sharing his thoughts on building and using your network for your job search, the rise of the player-coach designer, and his thoughts on design education.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro03:52 – Community approach in recruitment09:30 – The current state of design recruitment13:56 – Portfolios – Do you need them?23:04 – How to build and use your network for your job search29:51 – The rise of the player-coach designer36:51 – On design education44:28 – End of show questionsConnect with TomLinkedIn, Verified, Verified Insights, Verified Insider PodcastSelected links from the episodeWhy You Shouldn’t Hire Junior Designers, by Christian Vasile
We're launching season 3 together with Nate Langley (Monzo), talking about how constraints breed creativity, the five pillars you want to touch on in interviews, and the importance of an integrated brand experience.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro03:38 – How Nate started out05:50 – On confidence and how to build it14:17 – Best ways to start out in Design21:09 – Individual Contributor vs. Manager track28:45 – How to do well in interviews40:26 – On how constraints breed creativity 45:58 – End of show questionsConnect with NateLinkedIn, ADPlistSelected links from the episodePeak, by Anders Ericsson & Robert PoolThe Rebalancing of Design Management, by Cap Watkins
Jamie shares with us his thoughts on the evolution of the design role, the need to be a good storyteller, and about staying an individual contributor vs. moving into management.Connect with JamieLinkedIn, ADPlist
Get your notebooks out for this conversation, because Alex is sharing all about his experience leading design organisations, and about his management style, and about how to frame design at the C-level.Connect with AlexLinkedIn, Website, MediumSelected links from the episodeThe value of design at the C-level
Dean shares with us his thoughts on how you can put your best foot forward during your job search and how you can make design more transparent through relationship building and collaboration.Connect with DeanLinkedIn, Instagram
On this episode I talk to Ioana about the importance of speaking your stakeholders' language, how you can learn from her career trajectory, and about design education.Connect with IoanaLinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Mento Design Academy, Honest UX Talks Podcast, TikTokSelected links from the episodeUX RescueDemocracy Lab
Roger shares with us the value framework his team uses to quantify design and talks about the 'invisible' work of a design leader.Connect with RogerLinkedInSelected links from the episodeBrian Pagan
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