Design Systems Podcast

Design systems expert, Mark Reynolds, discusses the evolving roles of design and engineering in relation to AI and technology advancements. He emphasizes the need for a shift in mindset, new skills, and the creation of specialized roles. The power of community, human creativity, and the potential dystopian future of AI-generated content are also discussed.

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Chris Strahl talks with Kevin Broich about his transition from backend developer to designer at Cisco. Kevin shares insights on creating a crucial CSS-based UI kit for Cisco's major rebranding phase and more.View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘Theming in Complex Ecosystems’ with Donnie D’Amato on August 30th. GuestKevin Broich, Design Systems advocate. Experienced front-end architect, developer, designer and UI evangelist.  I live at the intersection of design and engineering. Always looking for ways to increase efficiency, reduce friction, and innovate with new tools, automation and processes.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.Chris Strahl chats with Kate and Cinita on Pinterest's design system, Gestalt. Learn how their team built a system prioritizing documentation, inclusivity and accessibility. A space designed to ensure global and remote activity, encouraging users to easily contribute and communicate effectively. View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘Theming in Complex Ecosystems’ with Donnie D’Amato on August 30th. GuestsKate Halvorsen is a product designer based in Chicago, IL. She’s currently a staff product designer working on the mobile side of Pinterest’s Gestalt Design System. A big part of her day to day is advocating for experiences that are both accessible and equitable. She enjoys newstalgia design, slow travel and a good lavender matcha latte.Cintia Romero is a product designer with over 12 years of experience building products and experiences for multiple platforms. Latina from Brazil, working at Pinterest as a Senior Product Designer on Gestalt, our Design System, and advocating for human-centered design while spreading good practices related to accessibility, diversity, and inclusion. 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 as he sits down with Sriram Ramasubramanian from Meta to discuss the intricacies of designing at scale. Dive deep into the world of design systems, Figma plugins, design tokens, and the challenges of interoperability across multiple platforms.View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘Theming in Complex Ecosystems’ with Donnie D’Amato on August 30th. GuestSriram Ramasubramanian is a Senior Engineering Manager supporting Design Systems at Meta. Sriram has many years of experience building component libraries on several UI frameworks and shipping app-wide design updates. Sriram is currently focused on interoperable design systems at scale. 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.Chris and Robin discuss creating an environment and ecosystem where people are excited to use design systems; and the importance these systems have when encouraging trust and accountability to assist teams with their work.View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘Theming in Complex Ecosystems’ with Donnie D’Amato on August 30th. GuestRobin Cannon is Executive Director and Head of Design System at J.P. Morgan. He was previously Global Director of Design Systems for IBM iX, and Program Director for IBM's Carbon Design System.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.Christophe and Chris discuss the art of building thriving design system communities. They share their profound insights and experiences, offering valuable perspectives on fostering vibrant and inclusive communities that flourish with creativity and collaboration.View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘Introducing Knapsack V4: A Powerful Update for a Future-Ready Experience,’ July 26th at 1 pm (ET) and 10 am (PT).GuestChristophe Coutzoukis, manages the Design System Social Club, he's an ADPList mentor, spends tons of time working in design systems and describes himself as a hybrid where he does a lot of design and engineering work. He has over 20 years of work experience, and an extensive network within the design system community. 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.Adam and Chris discuss the power of design systems and their ability to break down barriers between designers and developers.View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘Introducing Knapsack V4: A Powerful Update for a Future-Ready Experience,’ July 26th at 1 pm (ET) and 10 am (PT).GuestAdam Sedwick is a senior product manager with a 10 year background in design and development focused on modular design and design systems.His background provides the insight and ability to help teams work better together to close the gap between static designs and production experiences.At Discovery Education he leads the Design Systems team, working with individual product teams to provide resilient and reusable solutions at scale.Adam currently resides in Tennessee with his wife and son. When not at the computer he enjoys creative outlets in the physical space including painting, amateur woodworking, and building with LEGO.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.Richard and Chris discuss iterative work and how integral thinking by doing is when progressing work forward. View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘AI in Design Systems’ on June 28th, 1 pm (ET) and 10 am (PT).GuestProfessionally, I express myself through creating new products and businesses, both for myself and others. My first business was designing and printing t-shirts in my parent's garage at 14-yrs old. Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to play either a founding or leadership role in several companies. To share what I've learned, I speak at conferences, run workshops, write articles, books and am a regular guest on industry podcasts.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.Sheryl and Chris discuss the complexities of the design system space as it involves human behaviours. View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘AI in Design Systems’ on June 28th, 1 pm (ET) and 10 am (PT).GuestSheryl Cababa is the author of Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers. She's a design researcher and strategist and is the Chief Strategy Officer at Substantial, an education-focused research, insights, and development studio based in Seattle. Her practice is focused on systems thinking and equity-centered design, and she's worked with a diverse base of clients including the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, IKEA, and Khan Academy. Her focus is on using design to help clients reimagine education.  She also teaches at the University of Washington's Human-Centered Design and Engineering program, helping to introduce systems thinking to the next generation of designers. 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.Danielle and Chris discuss the impact designing at scale will have on ROI.View the transcript of this episode here.Register here for our upcoming webinar, ‘AI in Design Systems’ on June 28th, 1 pm (ET) and 10 am (PT).GuestDanielle MacDonald is a design leader and self-proclaimed design systems geek, with over 15 years of experience in managing digital design from concept to launch. She has a focus on creating digital experiences that strive to meet user needs. Danielle knows how to work within constraints to solve an experience challenge and how to push beyond them. Danielle currently resides in New England with her husband and three daughters. When she isn’t thinking about digital experiences you can find her at a hockey rink, soccer field, lacrosse field or enjoying the beach.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.