Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Curt Schreiber, Chief Creative Officer at VSA Partners, joins us for a compelling conversation on the multifaceted nature of design systems. We explore how these intricate frameworks must cater to a diverse array of users and stakeholders, highlighting the need for design systems to personify the organization's character. Curt shares his insights on maintaining design systems that are not only comprehensive and scalable but also flexibly attuned to the global audiences they serve. Throughout the episode, we address the importance of co-creation, continuous learning, and governance in the ever-expanding world of design.Tune in to witness Curt's balanced view on the role of AI in asset creation and system management, while he weighs in on the prospect of centralizing control versus nurturing a rich ecosystem of design assets. The discussion encapsulates the pivotal role of design systems in strategic business conversations, underscoring their ability to reshape customer engagement and drive organizational change.View the transcript of this episode.Check out our upcoming events.GuestCurt Schreiber is the heart of VSA design. He currently guides VSA’s creative philosophy, and is responsible for establishing the office’s design standards and offerings. Throughout his 30-year tenure with the company, Curt has been essential in the agency’s transition from a boutique design firm to a brand-led customer experience agency. Curt has decades of experience working with internationally-recognized global brands, and his client list includes VSA’s most prominent clientele. He also serves as an influential thought leader within the creative industry. Most recently, Curt was named one of Chicago’s most influential designers and included in AIGA’s This is Chicago. Curt’s work has been recognized by more than 100 international design and communications organizations, publications and competitions including the AIGA, Cannes Lions, Cooper Hewitt, Communication Arts, Graphis and the Society of Typographic Arts. His work is also included in the permanent collection of the U.S. Library of Congress.HostChris Strahl is co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, host of @TheDSPod, DnD DM, and occasional river guide. You can find Chris on Twitter as @chrisstrahl and on LinkedIn.SponsorSponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Jina Anne and Adekunle Oduye join host Chris Strahl in a candid conversation that explores career pathways within the evolving realm of design systems amidst the latest market conditions. They share valuable insights on how the key to thriving in uncertain times is through understanding the nuanced dance between business language and design practice. Jina, renowned for her pioneering efforts in design tokens at Salesforce, illustrates the importance of scalability and care for user experience. Adekunle, drawing from his experience as lead design engineer at Plaid, discusses the intricate balancing act of adopting new technologies while maintaining user trust and meeting business objectives.View the transcript of this episode.Check out our upcoming events.SpeakersJina (they/she) is a design systems advocate. They founded Clarity, a design systems community conference, and they maintain the Design Systems Slack. Jina co-chairs the Design Tokens Community Group. And on the Sass core team, they lead the brand and website design and development. Jina is also recognized as a Google Developers Expert (in Web Technologies [UI and Tooling]). Jina has been making websites as a hobby for about 30 years. They’ve worked professionally in the industry for 22 years (19 of those years working with design systems). They have been said to be one of the most cheerful goths.Adekunle Oduye (Add-eh-koon-lay Oh-due-yay) is an UX Engineer born / breed / based in Brooklyn, New York. Currently he's at Plaid, where he's helping to build Threads, Plaid's official design system. Outside of work he's a coach, speaker, and co-hosts the Code and Pixels podcast. He's very passionate about design systems, prototyping, and front-end development. When he's not building software, you can probably find him reading up on Stoicism or planning my next adventure.HostChris Strahl is co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, host of @TheDSPod, DnD DM, and occasional river guide. You can find Chris on Twitter as @chrisstrahl and on LinkedIn.SponsorSponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.

Matt Weinberg, a Senior Product Designer at Angi, shares his insights on the evolution of design systems. He discusses his approach to refining and improving design systems at Angi, including gathering user feedback, conducting usability tests, and embracing collaboration between designers and engineers. Matt emphasizes the importance of empathy, accessibility, and continuous improvement in design systems, while also addressing the challenges of implementing them in large organizations.

Josh Clark, Founder of Big Medium, discusses scaling digital strategy in complex organizations, the challenges and value of design systems, the power of storytelling for AI and robots, and the role of AI in making informed decisions.

Nathan Curtis, co-founder of EightShapes, explores the balance between reuse and customization in UI design. They discuss the challenges of design systems, scale and composition of UI design components, theming challenges, and balancing customization and design tools.

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Join Chris Strahl as he sits with Lisa Apers, a visionary in UI design, as she presents her innovative research on brainwave-responsive user interfaces. Explore how EEG sensors integrated into UIs can revolutionize our digital experiences, creating interfaces that dynamically adapt to individual cognitive states and daily activities. View the transcript of this episode here.Check out our upcoming events here.GuestI’m an independent designer and researcher. Partnering with change makers, I craft scalable digital experiences through various services across brand, web and product design.HostChris Strahl is co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, host of @TheDSPod, DnD DM, and occasional river guide. You can find Chris on Twitter as @chrisstrahl and on LinkedIn.Sponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Join Chris Strahl and Tim Banker on an exciting dive into the world of innovative design systems. They explore the creation of tailored solutions for a diverse range of global markets, showcasing how a 'system of systems' approach can meet various needs, from marketing to transactional experiences. Get ready to transcend the one-size-fits-all model and redefine design flexibility.View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘Design System Roadmap & Strategy for the Enterprise’ on November 29th. GuestTim Banker serves as Senior Director of Global Experience Design at Slalom Consulting. He specializes in helping companies on their journey toward design at scale, with a focus on design systems, design & research operations, and enterprise accessibility strategy.Resources:https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/https://www.nngroup.com/articles/crosscultural-design/https://www.w3.org/blog/international/https://www.w3.org/TR/international-specs/https://uxknowledgebase.com/internationalization-localization-d84795b7962chttps://rtlstyling.com/https://systems-of-harm.fireside.fm/HostChris Strahl is co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, host of @TheDSPod, DnD DM, and occasional river guide. You can find Chris on Twitter as @chrisstrahl and on LinkedIn.Sponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.

Join Alex Wilson and Jon Reidy from T. Rowe Price as they discuss their approach to evolving with community demands, the challenge of building and unifying a design system, choosing an all-in-one solution, and encouraging experimentation and collaboration in onboarding. They also explore the challenges of supporting variations within a design system and the value of experimentation and idea sharing.

Maya Hampton, Senior Digital Product Manager for Design Systems at REI, discusses the power of usage data in driving adoption, efficiency, and quality. Topics include measuring success with adoption and sentiment, assessing lasting impact through metrics, building durable components, and communicating value in design systems.

Join Chris Strahl and JJ Rogers as they discuss harmonizing products in a design ecosystem. They explore integrating new products, adopting a design system in existing products, harmonizing products in M&A scenarios, challenges and benefits of design systems, and the role of design systems in bringing innovation.