Design Systems Podcast

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Jen, Donnie and Chris discuss how design systems reflect the people a part of it, who use it and who maintain it; and the importance of collaboration, that systems are built for and with people. View the transcript of this episode, here. GuestJen is a product designer and educator from NYC. She’s currently a Senior Experience Designer at Signet Jewelers, exploring ways to expand and improve their Amor Design System. You can find Jen on LinkedIn and jennifer.damato.design.Donnie is a design systems architect, adjunct faculty of UX curriculum, and armchair philosopher from New York. Author of Gridless Design. You can find Donnie on LinkedIn and donnie.damato.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.

Michael Jeter, the Creative Director at Zapier, leads a talented team focused on design consistency and user experience. He delves into the significance of systems thinking in addressing design challenges. The discussion covers the evolving relationship between design systems and branding, especially during turbulent times. Jeter shares insights on the delicate balance between creativity and structure. He also explores the human element in an increasingly algorithm-driven internet and the transformative impact of no-code tools on creative expression.

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Francesco and Chris discuss the importance of foundational concepts like code, that help secure buy-in and  prove value within an organization. Thus, supporting Francesco's current thoughts that building on existing design systems proves to be more viable for his work at Klarna.View the transcript of this episode here.GuestsFrancesco Cutolo is a Design Manager (currently leading the design system) at Klarna. Born in Pompeii,  he moved to Sweden after spending 10+ years building digital products for desktop and mobile systems across Europe. 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.Tyce and Smith discuss with Chris the concept of local systems and the focus on building areas within the business that extend past basics and build on core components that create variance. View the transcript of this episode here.GuestsTyce Clee is an Engineering Manager working on Encore, the design system for Spotify. They’re a big fan of arcade games, travel, and emo karaoke nights.Smith Schwartz is a Design Manager working on Ads Design System, an Encore local system for Spotify. Before tech, she designed and implemented IRL experiences for museums like The Art Institute of Chicago and Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.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.Todd and Chris discuss shipping experiences, the experience being the product, and the math behind building a well-oiled design system. View the transcript of this episode here.GuestTodd is the Chief Product Officer of Remote where he leads all things Product, including the Product Management and Design teams. Todd has led Product, Design, and P&L at several market-leading companies including Atlassian, Automattic, Auctane, and IBM. He is passionate about systematic approaches to increase the speed and quality of product development. He speaks and writes about product management, design, and remote work regularly. He has 6 kids, too many volunteering/service projects, and an obsession with Texas bbq and spicy Indian curries.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.Nick and Chris discuss how 75% of production design jobs are going to go away, and what will replace this space. Ultimately, how do designers become proactive vs. reactive in an ever changing environment?View the transcript of this episode here.GuestNick Hahn, is the founder of Creative Liberation, a coaching and design consultancy. He has spent 20 years riding the rise of the Design industry through agencies and inhouse at IBM, InVision, and Meta. Nick now specializes in the human side of Design Systems – governance, contribution, and adoption models, all while guiding the deep cultural changes needed to ensure long term success of design systems. You can find him on LinkedIn and at creativelib.us. 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.Dana Lawson and Chris discuss the future of design systems as it relates to the relationship between engineering leaders and design counterparts. View the transcript of this episode here.GuestDana Lawson is Senior Vice President of Engineering at Netlify overseeing Engineering and Support. Previously she has led and grown teams at GitHub, Heptio, InVision, and New Relic. She has over 20+ years of experience and has led many different teams and has worn many hats to compliment a product’s lifecycle. With a true passion for people, she brings this mix of technology and fun to her leadership style.  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.Kathryn Gonzalez and Chris discuss the evolution of design systems from centralized to localized and how DoorDash’s design system team is evolving as their system matures. Guest:Kathryn Gonzalez is the head of design infrastructure at DoorDash, where she leads design systems design, design systems engineering, accessibility, and prototyping. She was the first designer and front-end engineer at DoorDash and has been living at the intersection of design and engineering for her entire career. She loves startups, sports, and fashion and is a proud queer woman of color from the South.Host:Chris 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.View the transcript of this episode here.Sponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Evan Lovely (Head of Product & Engineering), Chris Bloom (Principal Front-End Engineer), Jake Love (Senior Solutions Engineer), and Brittany Smart (Solutions Engineer) join Chris to discuss the state of design systems today. Listen as the Knapsack team shares hot takes on everything from the lesser known elements of successful design systems to the role vulnerability should play in your system. Host:Chris 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.View the transcript for this episode here. Sponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Stephen Gates and Chris discuss the realities of design system leadership, unconventional sources of inspiration, and the impact of design on society. Guest: With over 20 years of experience, Stephen is a global design leader who has built world-class teams at organizations that integrate research and data with human-centered design methods to drive business impact. He’s helped companies like Starwood Hotels, Citi, InVision, and WW scale their design practice and grow successful teams. Stephen is also the host of the award-winning podcast, The Crazy One, which features in-depth explorations of issues that matter to creatives, including leadership, creativity, and career development and innovation. You can find Stephen through his website, on Twitter or Instagram as @sdgates and on LinkedIn.Host: Chris 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.View the transcript for this episode here. Sponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.