Design Downtime

Get stoked to shred some pow, when Jess Paris joins us to talk about her passion for snowboarding. She describes how getting kicked out of ski school at age 12 led her to discover snowboarding, shaping major life decisions and eventually settling in Denver near the mountains. Jess reflects on how the once-rebellious snowboarder culture has evolved from being banned to becoming more integrated with skiers, and advises newcomers to embrace falling as part of learning, and not feel pressured to advance quickly or avoid beginner slopes. She explains that despite the inherent dangers of the sport, including breaking her jaw and suffering concussions at age 15, snowboarding serves as her primary mental escape and stress relief, where she enters a true flow state. Guest BioJess Paris (she/her) is the Director of Design Systems, Visual Design, and DesignOps at ServiceTitan, where she’s passionate about turning design systems into more than guardrails—they’re her favorite playground for clarity, creativity, and helping teams build things that actually help users. Based in Denver, Jess loves Colorado life: snowboarding in the winter, paddleboarding in the summer, and hitting the trails all year long. She’s not great at sitting still—whether she’s tinkering in her garden, taking on new home projects, or trying out punch needling just to see where it goes. Jess is always chasing the next idea or hobby to explore. And of course, every adventure is made better with her border collie mix, Ollie by her side.LinksJess’ website: https://jessparis.coJess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessparis/Jess’ Shred playlist (NSFW): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26aK9101vKZNzgvNgqch7d?si=RO3GkUKSS8al0Ipq73kUSgJess’ Chill Shred playlist (NSFW): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hIy9qppgRrhlB0iCanKQa?si=nrBVnGPcRFyV7lgPhR9n8gCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Gotta catch 'em all! Including this episode, when Lex Lofthouse joins us to talk about her passion for collecting Pokémon cards. She’s been collecting them since they first came out in 1999, taking a break as a teenager, and returning in 2016 when Pokémon Go's release reignited her passion. Lex explains how the pandemic and influencers transformed the hobby from an affordable niche into a volatile investor market, making it increasingly difficult for collectors and kids to access products at retail prices. She talks about her collecting strategies, why she prefers slightly damaged vintage cards, participating in Pokémon tournaments, and encourages former fans to reconnect with childhood nostalgia by opening a single pack.Guest BioLex Lofthouse (she/her) is a Senior Designer at Nzime, a digital agency in the UK. She has been working in the design industry for over fifteen years, she began her career in the cold regions of Scotland and now lives and works in Nottingham. She specialises in UX and digital design but her skillset also includes branding and print design. She’s even semi-competent at some basic HTML and CSS but that's where she draws the line! Despite being a professional designer she has also gained an odd reputation as an advocate for Comic Sans, the world’s most misunderstood typeface. In her spare time Lex is a massive Pokemon fan and has been since its release in the UK in 1999.LinksLex’s website: https://loftio.co.uk/Lex on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/loftio.co.ukLex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bulbioCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

It’s time to Caps Lock in and Esc into another episode, as Tim Van Damme joins us to talk about his passion for designing mechanical keyboards. He describes how a pre-made keyboard that he customized by designing his own keycaps, ignited a passion for treating keyboards as both functional tools and artistic statements. Tim collaborates with a local CNC machine specialist to prototype and manufacture keyboards from raw materials like brass, copper, and semi-translucent plastics that age over time, prioritizing the honesty of the material over painted finishes. He finds freedom in the hobby's spectrum from boring, ergonomic designs to extravagant art pieces, and talks about how long it takes him to feel comfortable enough to overcome the small imperfections and use his own projects.Guest BioTim Van Damme (he/him) (you might also know him as Max) has been a software UI designer for over 2 decades at a wide variety of tech companies including Instagram, Dropbox, and currently Figma. Lately, he’s been getting more and more interested in designing physical objects, specifically luxury mechanical keyboards and key caps under the moniker MVKB (Maxvoltar Keyboards). He lives in Belgium together with his wife, 3 kids, 4 chickens and dog.LinksTim’s website: https://www.timvandamme.com/MaxVoltar Keyboards: https://mvkb.com/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Happiness is a warm puppy, when Lauren LoPrete joins us to talk about her love of Snoopy. She describes creating "This Charming Charlie", a Tumblr mashup project combining Smiths lyrics with Peanuts comic panels that unexpectedly became Time Magazine's Tumblr of the Year. Lauren talks about evolving into an adult collector and curator focused on "Snoobies" (Snoopy bootlegs), valuing folk art interpretations and outsider artist reinterpretations, and explains her deep connection to Snoopy - viewing him as aspirational with his multiple personas representing the mask she puts on when feeling less confident. She views Snoopy as a reminder to loosen her grip on stress and embrace creativity and imagination, finding the character "heartwarming and whimsical in a world that lacks those things.”Guest BioLauren LoPrete (she/her) is a design systems specialist who's spent the last eight years leading teams at Expedia, Dropbox, and Block. She studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and comes from a multi-disciplinary background in exhibition design and book design before finding her way to design systems. She's known for being honest about the emotional toll of this work, including giving talks about burnout and why design systems act like a mirror to the organizations they serve. She lives on the west coast with her small family: Gus, a 15-year-old mutt, and her husband, an artist. When she's not thinking about design tokens or stewardship models, she's probably trying to convince someone that design systems are about people, not just components.LinksSnooby Bootleg on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snooby_bootleg/Lauren on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/laurenloprete.bsky.socialLauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenlopreteCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Grab your paints and tiny brush, as James Mathias joins us to talk about his passion for miniature painting. He explains how the hobby, primarily centered around Games Workshop's Warhammer universe, encompasses building, painting, gaming, and engaging with the lore. After discovering an accessible painting technique, James began with low-stakes terrain pieces before progressing to more complex models, developing an unbroken daily painting streak over two years while continuously experimenting with new approaches. He discusses his evolution to more advanced techniques, emphasizing the importance of positive self-talk and his philosophy of doing one's best in the moment rather than pursuing perfection. James also explores the creative freedom available in miniature painting, and how it creates a deeper emotional connection to the gaming experience.Guest BioJames Mathias (he/him) is a father of four and partner of one. In his heart he’s an artist, writer, and outlaw; using his brain he spends his days debating the attributes of rectangles; by night he fills his soul, using his hands to grant vibrant life to minuscule soldiers and monsters.LinksJames’ miniature painting website: https://outlawstandard.comJames’ personal website: https://artisticoutlaw.com/James on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/artisticoutlaw.comCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Shantay, we all stay, when Connie Chen joins us to talk about her love of drag and drag queens. She describes how drag culture became a lifeline for her when she was struggling to adjust to life in California, and how a week-long stay in the hospital watching RuPaul's Drag Race provided hope and laughter. Connie talks about her journey from watching the show to attending drag events and finding an unexpectedly welcoming and positive community, discusses the artistry of drag performance, and explores the significance of drag names as expressions of personal identity and creativity. She also reflects on how drag culture has boosted her confidence, helped her embrace vulnerability, and taught her not to care about others' judgments.Guest BioConnie Chen (she/her) is an accomplished UX designer and mentor with over 10 years of experience. Starting her career as a graphic designer in Boston, she later transitioned to UX design in California, where she contributed to companies such as Ancestry, Apple, and Dell EMC. After a transformative two-year sabbatical, she now works as a UX Designer at Disney on the Enterprise Design team, where she supports tools and platforms for Disney's global supply chain and distribution processes for films and TV shows worldwide.LinksConnie’s website: https://conniechen.design/Connie on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/conniechiiiwa.bsky.socialConnie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conniewzchen/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Get on your dragon and join our magical quest, as Bahar Espiritu talks to us about her lifelong passion for fantasy novels. She recounts listening to her Iranian grandmother’s bedtime stories, which inspired her to paint the scenes since she couldn't yet read or write. Bahar’s reading journey progressed from Persian classics to Western fantasy staples, before arriving at contemporary dark fantasy series, featuring strong female protagonists who overcome childhood trauma to become heroes. She discusses how fantasy serves as a boundless creative space that triggers the imagination, draws parallels between fantasy literature and ancient mythology in teaching moral lessons, and describes her active participation in online fantasy reading communities. Guest BioBahar Espiritu (she/her) is an award-winning designer and internationally recognized artist, a visionary leader, and an Honorary Marquis Who’s Who Listee, celebrated for her innovative contributions to design systems and brand development at Amazon Prime and Amazon Web Services Cloud. Her work has been instrumental in creating user-centric experiences that merge technology and art, delivering scalable and inclusive solutions for global audiences. Currently, she serves as a Creative Director at Essence of Hockey, where she continues to push boundaries in art, design and storytelling.LinksBahar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baharespiritu/Bahar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//baharespirituCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Watch out for creepers, as Shell Little takes us on a journey to the blocky world of Minecraft. They progressed from vanilla gameplay to modded Minecraft, drawn to the game's complete transparency—where the mechanics are fully documented—which satisfies their need for efficiency and deep knowledge. The game serves multiple roles in Shell’s life: a source of min-maxing satisfaction, a social connector for building relationships with geographically dispersed friends, a therapeutic outlet for burnout, and a reliable comfort activity they can return to whether seeking stimulation or social connection. Shell is excited to see where the modding community takes the game next, viewing it as essential for keeping the game fresh, accessible, and educational for new generations of players.Guest BioShell Little (she/they) is a Senior Accessibility Specialist, Inclusive Design Leader, and International Keynote Speaker. With over 10 years of experience in the accessibility field, Shell is known for her contributions to cognitive accessibility in both digital & gaming spaces. She is dedicated to integrating accessibility into the beginning of the product lifecycle by partnering with & educating design teams. Her current venture is creating classes aimed at teaching designers how to use and understand the accessibility standard called the Web Content Accessibility Guideline or WCAG. Her other passions are speaking about disability rights & disability inclusion in the workplace. Outside the office, Shell is a cat parent, gamer, and overall Neurodivergent dork.LinksShell’s website: https://shellelittle.com/Shell on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shellelittle.bsky.socialShell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellelittle/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

This episode is going downhill fast, as Chela Giraldo joins us to talk about her love of extreme longboarding. She describes her journey from discovering longboarding while working at a skate shop in Bogota, to becoming a competitive downhill racer who reached the top eight women internationally. Chela talks about the unique feeling of downhill longboarding as "flying just inches off the ground" - a moving meditation that combines pure adrenaline with total calm, and requires complete presence. She shares the story of the serious accident where she broke her femur, leading her to retire from competitive racing, only to return to casual skating mere months later. Through longboarding, Chela discovered her competitive nature, learned to trust others, and found a community that shaped her entire social world.Guest BioChela Girlado (she/her) is a Colombian senior product designer based in Austin, Texas, who recently joined realtor.com to work with their design system team. She specializes in design systems and accessibility, and brings over 10 years of experience across visual, motion, UX, UI, and product design. She’s also a first-time mom to a wild little toddler who keeps her on her toes and when she’s not chasing her around or smothering her with a million kisses, you’ll probably find Chela bombing hills on her longboard — something she’s been doing since 2011.LinksChela’s website: https://chelagiraldo.com/Chela on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chela-giraldo/Chela on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelagiraldoChela on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HellaChelaaaa/Chela’s skate videos: - https://youtu.be/Xnhqy7NVdz8?si=5WM55R76YZG3j3s_- https://youtu.be/o-alztDnEiQ?si=3yun_tUb9yDRuvKJ- https://youtu.be/SJX_rrU69jM?si=8sOw3fW64TL8OeOU- https://youtu.be/SJX_rrU69jM?si=XhQYlBaegxB-fh3tCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

In the first episode of season 4, Dan Brown joins us to share about his love of hobby board games. He talks about transitioning from games like Monopoly to discovering the more advanced Carcassonne, which became his gateway into modern board gaming. Dan explores the relationship between game themes and mechanisms, saying he’s drawn to games where these elements work together cohesively. He discusses his collection's evolution from simple games he could play with his family to more complex strategy titles, and touches on his fascination with observing how people interact with game systems. Dan emphasizes the tactile, screen-free nature of board gaming as an important escape from digital experiences, and offers advice for newcomers to the hobby on how to look for the right game for them.Guest BioAfter running boutique design firm EightShapes for 18 years, Dan Brown (he/him) struck out on his own, starting Curious Squid Design Lab to continue providing high quality information architecture and UX consulting to enterprise organizations. Through Curious Squid, Dan helps product teams build complex products to align with user needs while meeting business objectives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he produced the podcast A Lens A Day, conversations about information architecture, and currently co-hosts and produces the podcast Unchecked, the architecture of disinformation. Dan’s passion for information architecture is eclipsed only by his passion for board games.LinksDan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmbrown/Dan’s podcast, Unchecked: https://unchecked.buzzsprout.com/The IA Conference: https://www.theiaconference.com/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.