Designing for Humans in the Loop

In this episode, we speak with Idam Adam, a Product Designer at Upguard.What does it look like when design and code fully merge, and AI becomes the bridge between an idea and a finished, clickable product? Idam is a Product Designer at UpGuard with a background that spans both coding and design. He's a heavy user of Claude Code and Codex agents, and he's built a workflow that lets him generate rich prototypes, facilitate better stakeholder conversations, and unlock creativity at a scale that wasn't possible before. But what makes Idam's practice distinctive isn't the speed, it's the discipline: spending time up front to go slower. Conscious recalibration. Using AI not just to build, but to think.In this episode:How he uses AI to interview himself before building - creating rich context so the model can do its best workWhy prototyping velocity changes stakeholder conversations entirelyThe cognitive load of Git, design repositories, and coding agentsWhat companies are actually looking for when they want someone who can take an idea and ship a finished productAnd why "just because you can go fast, doesn't mean you shouldShow notes:https://www.idamadam.comhttps://critter.shhttps://time.com/7295195/ai-chatgpt-google-learning-schoolhttps://theconversation.com/is-ai-hurting-your-ability-to-think-how-to-reclaim-your-brain-272834

In this episode, we speak with Freya Stockman, a Product Designer at Relevance AI who transitioned from traditional design to working alongside engineers and "vibe coding". Freya shares her journey from working at a bank to joining an AI-first company where she ships code, builds features alongside engineers, and redefines what it means to be a designer in 2025/6.We explore:🎨 The transition from designer to AI-enabled designer and the skills that sit with that role🔄 How to start vibe coding with proper planning and critical thinking⚖️ The 70-20-10 rule: planning, execution, and engineering collaboration🔗 Why a systems thinking mindset gives designers an edge with AI tools🏗️ New fluid ways of working that blur traditional role boundariesthinkers🧠 Building trust and mentorship relationships with engineering teams.At its heart, this episode is about experimentation, methodical learning, and the evolving craft of design in an AI-augmented world. Freya offers practical frameworks for designers ready to expand their capabilities beyond traditional Design activities and into code, demonstrating that adaptation — not replacement — is the real story of AI in design.Show notes:relevanceaiVibe coding playbook for designers - link Get Psyched Tutoring - link

Most AI literacy programs are solving the wrong problem — and in this episode, Riley Coleman explains why.Instead of teaching people tools, features, and prompts, Riley argues that organisations must rebuild the mental models, habits, workflows, and governance that help humans think differently about how to get work done in an AI-enhanced world.We dive deep into what it really takes to build AI-ready teams, why AI-native organisations are already moving faster, and how leaders can design for trust, safety and confidence while technology accelerates exponentially.This episode is essential listening for design leaders, product teams, and anyone navigating the human side of AI adoption.What we coverWhy most AI literacy programs failThe 5 foundational layers of true AI literacyThe ROI problem: why organisations aren’t seeing valueMental models, habits and new ways of workingThe danger of agentic AI without governanceHow to build trust and psychological safetyMeaningful friction vs frictionless designThe Three-Speed Organisation model for the AI eraWhy service designers are now mission-criticalHow leaders can “slow down to go fast”Quotes worth remembering“Most AI literacy programs are solving the wrong problem.”“AI breaks every design principle we’ve relied on for decades.”“Slow down now so you can go impossibly fast later.”“Trust is the bedrock of any human–AI collaboration.”“Agentic AI terrifies me — because most organisations aren’t ready.”About Riley ColemanRiley is an AI literacy and organisational transformation expert helping teams build the confidence, capability and governance needed to adopt AI safely and effectively. Riley’s work blends human-centred design, ethics, psychology and organisational systems thinking.Resources & LinksRiley Coleman - LinkedInAI Flywheel: https://ai-flywheel.comBCG Report — “Where’s the Value in AI?” -⁠ LinkRiley’s Maven CoursesHuman-Centred Ethical AI that Users Trust - Maven Course Riley’s Linkedin Articles 1. From Interfaces to Relationships: The Design Transformation That Determines Whether Your AI Succeeds or Fails 2. Building Adaptive Operations for the AI Era HostsTaryn D’Souza & Justin Hevey are design leaders and co-hosts of Designing for Humans in the Loop, a podcast exploring the future of AI, design and human experience.Taryn D’Souza — LinkedInJustin Hevey — LinkedInSubscribe to Designing for Humans in the Loop on Substack

In this episode, we speak with Gordon Candelin, a design innovator, developer and partner at Artefex, about redefining what it means to be a designer in 2025. Gordon challenges designers to bridge the gap between front-end design and the technical systems that power digital experiences, expanding beyond aesthetics into systems thinking.We explore:🔧 Why designers must understand the technical foundations "under the hood" to remain relevant🔄 Frame, Vibe, Validate loop: a practical process for rapid ideation and building with AI tools🎨 How generative AI democratises design and makes product creation accessible to creative thinkers🧠 Mental models as both enablers and blockers in design work⚖️ The importance of ethical guardrails and stepping back to reflect on AI-generated solutionsThis episode is about creative thinking as a true competitive advantage in the AI era. Gordon offers a vision where designers who embrace experimentation, continuous learning, and cross-disciplinary thinking will shape the future of digital products—not replace design, but elevate it.

Justin and Tron sit down with Ben Hoogenboom—founder of AI for Enterprise—to explore what’s really happening inside boardrooms as AI shifts from buzzword to business imperative.From fear of missing out to navigating transformation at scale, this episode dives into the tensions, questions, and opportunities facing today’s executive teams—and the essential role design plays in making AI work for humans, not just systems.We talk about:What executives are actually asking about AI behind closed doorsThe five “flavors” of AI uncertainty across enterprise environmentsHow AI agents are reshaping workflows and unlocking human potentialThe mindset shift from “human replacement” to “human amplification”Why designers need a seat at the AI strategy tableWhether you're a designer, strategist, or simply trying to make sense of AI in your work, this episode offers a grounded, insightful look at the future of intelligent systems—and the humans designing with them.