A Digital Strategy Podcast

💡 Key Topics: What AODA actually covers on the web, and why it applies to all public websites and content if you have 50+ employees in Ontario WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the current legal floor, and why 2.1 and 2.2 matter even if the law hasn't caught up The compliance report trap: how self-reporting non-compliance gets you audited within weeks How compliance officers really operate, and why they rewar...

💡 Key Topics: What Config is really like in person, and why Toronto has no local equivalent (RGD, Tech Week, Web Summit gaps) AI fatigue at the conference, and audiences literally clapping when a talk wasn't about AI Why Figma let agents take a backseat in the keynote, unlike last year's AI-heavy product slate John on the new production and motion features, and where designers will push them Anna...

💡 Key Topics: Figma's July IPO and the pivot to positioning itself as an AI company, right down to the software description The claim that ~80% of Config talks are now AI, and whether that's a good or exhausting thing What going public adds to the program: a new investor and analyst session Why 3Blue1Brown, a math channel, is speaking at a design conference Last year's product slate (Figma Make,...

💡 Key Topics: Why Italy was primed for this: arriving late to the Industrial Revolution and deciding to win on design instead Camillo's 1908 factory and the "Olivetti style" that predated Apple's design manifesto by 40 years Adriano embedding painters, architects, and writers as full-time co-builders, with design reporting to the top Ivrea as the original Google campus: housing, clinics, librarie...

In this episode: Clarity beats cleverness: define the goal and the KPI before the design Structure is the real UX: information architecture as the invisible foundation Speed is a design decision: real speed, perceived speed, and the three-second rule Building for the person who knows nothing about you, starting with ICP work Why AI-generated copy keeps missing the mark Every page needs one job, in...

The worst design system project is one that starts too early. Wrong timing, wrong scope, wrong people and it dies in a folder somewhere, untouched. In this episode, Symon and Marcello break down the three signals that tell you you're actually ready for a design system, the two signs you're definitely not, and how to scope a version one that people will actually use. They also cover the build or bu...

💡 Key Topics: Why most agencies get stuck and can't scale past the founder How pricing affects client lifetime, team stability, and the work itself The story behind going from $2,500/month to $45,000/month and back down Why revenue is a vanity metric and what to measure instead Employee churn as the red flag most clients ignore What niching down actually looks like in practice Why mutual respect...

Key Topics: • The Lego analogy: the simplest way to explain a design system to anyone • What's actually inside a design system: foundations, components, patterns, and documentation • How designers, developers, and product managers use a design system day to day • Why a brand guide and a design system are not the same thing • Design system governance: who owns what, and what happens without it • Op...

Key Topics: Why AI is accelerating brand chaos at the mid-market level The difference between a brand guide and a design system What design debt looks like, and why you don't feel it until it breaks Single source of truth: why every team having its own components is killing your brand Why speed without systems is just expensive chaos Chapters: 0:16 — Why design systems are blowing up right now 1:1...

What we cover in this episode: 🔹 [0:00] — The verdict: What actually happened in the Meta/YouTube lawsuit 🔹 [2:16] — Kaye's story and why starting social media at age 6 matters 🔹 [3:55] — Internal Meta documents: "If we want to win big with teens, we must bring in tweens" 🔹 [7:50] — Section 230: The 30-year legal shield that finally cracked 🔹 [9:06] — Engineering addiction through design — an...

In this episode: • How design evolved from a contained discipline in 2006 to absorbing everything by 2020 • Why low-code, no-code, the gig economy, and nearshoring created a race to the bottom on execution • The three disciplines of market leaders — and which one actually resists commoditization • How network effects are reshaping agencies, product teams, and businesses • Why focus is the only rea...

  Key  topics Definition of technical debt in web development How small decisions compound over time Real-world examples of web debt Strategies for auditing and addressing web debt   Chapters 00:00 Technical Debt in Web Development 00:19 Understanding Incremental Web Debt 03:19 The Impact of Technical Debt 08:21 Real-World Examples of Technical Debt 14:49 Addressing Technical Debt 17:42 Final Thou...

Notes Why does a website project that everyone agrees is needed keep dying in the finance meeting? Usually it's not the budget — it's the pitch. Symon and Marcello break down how to reframe a web investment as a business initiative, not a creative one, and walk through exactly how to build a case that finance can actually approve. Topics covered: current cost audit (hosting, content ops, lost lead...

Most projects don't fail because the team couldn't build. They fail because the team tried to build everything at once. In this episode, Symon and Marcello break down why project scope creep and feature bloat are the real killers of product development timelines—and what to do about it. They walk through how to run a fast complexity audit before committing to any digital project, why a discovery p...

What We Cover Why delivery on time and on budget is not the same as project success The 'meeting of the minds' problem: how misaligned expectations sink projects before kickoff Free text fields vs. structured data — and why that distinction matters for every dashboard you want to build Why AI makes strategy more important, not less: if you don't know where you're going, it'll get you there fast Th...

Product teams don't miss deadlines because they're slow. They miss them because no one ever defined what "done" actually means. In this episode, Symon and Marcello dig into the structural and cultural gaps that quietly blow up product timelines — and what you can borrow from the services world to fix it. What we cover: No governance = no finish line. Without a roadmap and defined milestones, scope...

Key topics: The concept of the SaaS apocalypse and its driving factors How AI tools like Claude Code, Claude, ClawdBot and others are enabling bespoke app development The declining economics of SaaS subscription models The impact of AI on employment, stock markets, and investor behavior The importance of UX and integration in product development Strategic shifts for SaaS companies: focusing on cor...

Takeaways Total cost of ownership includes hidden costs like hosting and labor. Organizations often underestimate the costs associated with website redesigns. Hosting costs can vary significantly and are often overlooked. Labor costs related to managing technology can add up quickly. RFPs rarely include detailed descriptions of hosting and management costs. Cultural attitudes towards websites affe...

Takeaways Organizations often lack a structured way to evaluate vendors. A scorecard can help monitor vendor performance over time. Identifying triggers for audits can prevent larger issues. Communication is a critical factor in vendor relationships. Documentation is essential for transparency and accountability. Systemic issues can often be masked by one-off problems. Regular evaluations can help...

Takeaways The importance of a flexible process in project management. Documentation is critical for continuity and clarity. Scope should be viewed as a hypothesis, not a contract. Effective communication is key to navigating project risks. Governance helps promote decision clarity and accountability. Understanding client expectations is crucial for project success. Regularly reviewing and updating...

Takeaways MVPs aren't about shipping fast, they're about learning fast. The term MVP has been misunderstood and often co-opted. Validation should come from real user engagement, not speculation. A good MVP strategy involves identifying risky assumptions and defining success metrics. An MVP can be a scrappy version of a product, but it must still show commitment to the idea.   Chapters 00:00 Introd...

Takeaways The trend of single user apps will continue to grow. Compliance will increasingly involve product and design teams. Dynamic web pages may become a reality this year. Websites should be treated as living systems, not static products. Customer journeys are becoming more complex and non-linear. Sales tech stack integration with websites is essential for success. AI will play a significant r...

Takeaways Design is interpretive and has a rich history. Aesthetics is often mistaken for the entirety of design. Design involves planning and execution, not just visuals. The complexity of a project influences the design approach. Research and problem identification are crucial in design. De-risking the design process helps in decision-making. Accuracy in design outcomes is essential for success....

Takeaways Websites can now serve as growth engines. Defining clear goals is crucial for website success. Sales and marketing teams must collaborate effectively. Data analytics is essential for informed decision-making. A strong content strategy is foundational for growth. Eliminating unnecessary tools can streamline processes. Long-term planning is vital for website design. Understanding lead move...

AEC is facing a perfect storm + digital disruption. Johanna Hoffman (Oomph Group) explains what’s happening, why it won’t revert, and how firms can reposition, align BD/marketing, and turn their website into a growth engine. Find Johanna Hoffman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanna-hoffmann-b35b251/  Find Oomph Group: www.oomphgroup.com  Find Marcello Gortana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcellog...