

This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast
Gerry Scullion
Welcome to This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast, the global show for designers, innovators, and changemakers who want to create better products, services, and experiences.
Hosted by Gerry Scullion, with over 1-million downloads worldwide.
Each episode dives into conversations with leading voices in service design, UX design, interaction design, customer experience, and design strategy. Together, we explore the methods, mindsets, and real-world stories that bring human-centered design and design thinking to life.
Whether you’re a UX researcher, service design practitioner, product manager, or design leader, you’ll find actionable insights, practical tools, and inspiration to elevate your practice and drive meaningful change.
Tune in and join the global human-centered design community — learn how to design with purpose, create inclusive solutions, and shape a more thoughtful future.
Hosted by Gerry Scullion, with over 1-million downloads worldwide.
Each episode dives into conversations with leading voices in service design, UX design, interaction design, customer experience, and design strategy. Together, we explore the methods, mindsets, and real-world stories that bring human-centered design and design thinking to life.
Whether you’re a UX researcher, service design practitioner, product manager, or design leader, you’ll find actionable insights, practical tools, and inspiration to elevate your practice and drive meaningful change.
Tune in and join the global human-centered design community — learn how to design with purpose, create inclusive solutions, and shape a more thoughtful future.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 20, 2022 • 47min
Sasja Nieukerk-Chomos 'Organisational Toxicity - Understanding and navigating trauma-inducing workplaces'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdHello and welcome to Bringing Design Closer. Our goal is to have conversations that inspire and to help move the dial forward for organisations to become more human-centred in their approach to solving complex business and societal problems.My name is Gerry Scullion, I’m the Founder of the Human Centered Design Network and CEO of This is Doing - home to many of the worlds best design and change maker courses online.Today on the show we have Sasja Nieukerk-Chomos - President of Dynamic Achievement based in Canada. I recently stumbled on Sasja profile on LinkedIn after reading a remarkable post about her father, Nick. In this episode we hear more about Nick’s story and the impact it had on Sasja’s life.We speak about Leadership and learn more about toxicity within organisations, how we manage this from an executive perspective but also from someone who might find themselves working alongside people who play roles in compounding the behaviours associated to toxicity.It’s a brilliant conversation - and know you will love it.https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasjachomos/Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Apr 5, 2022 • 51min
Brigette Metzler 'Research Ops: What it is, and why it's so important'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdHello and welcome to Bringing Design Closer, the podcast focussed on discussing Designs role in tackling complex societal issues. Our goal is to have conversations that inspire and to help move the dial forward for organisations to become more human-centred in their approach to solving complex business and societal problems.My name is Gerry Scullion, I’m the Founder of the Human Centered Design Network and CEO of This is Doing - home to many of the worlds best design and change maker courses online.Today on the show we have Brigette Metzler, Research Ops Lead at Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment. Brigette is Co-Chair of the ResearchOps community and is based in one of my favourite places on earth, Tasmania. If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcd We speak about Brigette’s recent neurodiverse diagnosis, and her journey to get to that point. I was curious to tap more into this and we cover off some interesting areas of symmetry whilst doing it.Before we jump in. Brigette wanted to mention the Research Ops conference that is happening on Jun 8 in New York and also remote. I will throw a link for this into the show notes, but it’s definitely something to get behind if you interested in the whole area of Research Ops.Let’s get into it..https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigette-metzler-874b6878/Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Mar 15, 2022 • 40min
Lola Oyelayo-Pearson 'Understanding Money & Shaping experiences to empower entrepreneurs at Shopify'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdIn this episode i speak with Lola Oyelayo-Pearson from Shopify. Lola of a Director of UX, Money and we chat about what this actually means. We speak about the mission at Shopify to remain independent, and supporting entrepreneurship globally by making it easier to sell and creating a support network for their merchants. What really interested me, was the points about how Shopify makes money, and also not they share the risk in opening up available funds to enable businesses to succeed. That's a huge statement right there - and I can't think of many businesses who can walk the walk - many as you know talk the talk very well. We chat about what money means - and it's not just a system to enable a transactional relationship - it's visceral. It's real. It can empower. It can destroy. I was keen to hear their thoughts on how the western driven perspective of money could translate to markets in say, Africa and what that might look like. Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Feb 15, 2022 • 40min
The Science of Less with Leidy Klotz
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdI’m your host KA McKercher, author of Beyond Sticky Notes: Doing Co-design for Real. Today I’m joined by Leidy Klotz, an engineer, behavioural scientist and author of the book Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less. We talk about subtraction as a critical capability for designers and design leaders, why we overlook subtractive change and about the importance of working in the open. Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Feb 4, 2022 • 40min
Markus Edgar Hormess 'Prototyping : Why you should burn requirements documents'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdIn this episode I speak with one of my colleagues at This is Doing, Markus Edgar Hormess. Markus’s name is one that many within the service design world will no doubt be familiar with, but nevertheless let me tell you a little bit about my guest today.Markus is based in Germany, is a trained physicist and partner at WorkPlayExperience. I look to Markus for many things within design, but I to his deep rooted passion with prototyping of services and just prototyping in general. The bits can so easily be trivialised or assumed are the moments that are missed and we chat at length about how to encourage prototyping generally within your organisation. We speak more around Play and what this means. What does the opposite of playfulness look like within organisations and again, how can we move the dial to become more likely to lean into the prototyping mindset.Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Jan 26, 2022 • 18min
Marc Stickdorn 'Exploring Zoom Levels and understanding Journey Map Ops in greater detail'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdIn this episode, Ben MacLaren speaks with Marc Stickdorn (main author of the seminal service design books, This is Service Design Thinking and This is Service Design Doing) about understanding zoom levels and how this related to Marc's framework for Journey Map Operations. The framework helps teams and organisations work better together to manage innovation projects and bridge between organisational silos. Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Jan 18, 2022 • 44min
Sharon Richardson 'Blind belief in data and technology as bad as blind belief in belief.'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdIs technology a good thing? That was my first question I asked Dr Sharon Richardson, who is a senior scientist and lecturer in geocomputation at the University of Zurich, where she applies data-intensive methods to improve understanding of and assist in human, societal and environmental challenges. Sharon also has a keen interest in exploring the potential and limits of AI in real-world decisions.Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Jan 14, 2022 • 35min
Renee Albrecht-Mallinger 'Teaching as design for learning'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdToday on the show we have Renee Abrecht Mallinger - a Lead Design Researcher at one of my favourite design studios Global Good Studio of Chicago. We chat about the intersectionality of Renees’ previous career as a middle school and high school teacher and now as Design Researcher, primarily focussed on governmental and societal work. What pieces has Renee felt set them up for success whilst working in complexity on a day to day basis.What came out in the conversation was the formal education that Renee received as a teacher, has better prepared her for handling potentially trauma inducing situations whilst researching - something many (if any) design educators cover - psychological safety. It’s a good one - let’s jump into it!https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneelynn/https://greatergoodstudio.comCreators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Dec 20, 2021 • 47min
Joe Macleod 'Peering through the Past, Present and Future lens of End Experiences'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdHello and welcome to another episode of Bringing Design Closer. My name is Gerry Scullion, and I’m a service designer, and founder of This is HCD and CEO of This is Doing - we provide live online design and innovation classes , providing training for people within the Design and change-making space. You are in for a treat today folks - I caught up with the one and only, Joe Macleod - an all round great thinker and leader in the space of designing end experiences. Based in Stockholm now, Joe’s just released his second book titled ‘Endineering’ which focusses on the HOW to design these incredibly important experiences for both businesses and the planet.Joe’s first book titled ‘Ends’ was released a number of years ago and really focussed on the understanding of the why these systems have not been put in place.In this conversation we flick between both mindsets, but in the spirit of Christmas that is fast approaching, we speak about Past, Present and Future - what the behaviours are and problems that have been left behind by our ancestors and elder family members. We speak about the Present, where we are at and should be doing both at a societal level but also from a change-maker perspective.LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmacleod/https://www.linkedin.com/company/andend/ Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10

Dec 17, 2021 • 44min
Gerry McGovern 'Earth Experience Design'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Leave a review (+ help us grow): https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdIn this episode I speak with the brilliant Gerry McGovern about the story behind his exciting and very much needed course Earth Experience Design - we answer some community based questions about this topic as well as talk about the disassociation of behaviours that persist within the creators of online products and tools. Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
Like what we do? Make a Tip.OrLeave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10