Design Kaffé

We wrap up season 6 by reflecting on the inescapable AI topic that pervaded this season. We also share what we loved about our great guest episodes this season, as well as our favourite AI products. Thanks so much for listening to and supporting our podcast. We look forward to being back for season 7! Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Just the two of us this week for a cozy chat about a question that keeps circling back: what actually makes a product well designed, now that anyone can build almost anything? We get into intentionality, what design interviews are actually assessing right now, and whether you can still tell a human-made design from a machine-made one. Happy listening! ☕️ Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This week, Trev Morris, a seasoned product designer, shares his insights on systems thinking, design systems, and the impact of AI on design processes. We discuss practical frameworks, the role of design systems as force multipliers, and how AI tools are shaping the future of design work. Happy listening! ☕️ Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠...

In this episode, we sit down with Sam Garson, an engineer by trade, to talk about what good design and engineering collaboration actually looks like in practice. We get into psychological safety, why functional handoffs break teams, the importance of soft skills, and what it takes to build a team where designers and engineers have high trust for each other. Grab a coffee and happy listening! ☕ Su...

We explore the integration of AI into design workflows, and how tools such as Claude and Figma Make can enhance ideation, prototyping, and collaboration. Our chat highlights the importance of balancing AI use with human interaction, the evaluation of AI outputs, and the need for us designers to actively engage with AI to maximise its potential. We also talk about the challenges and limitations of...

In this episode, we sit down with Archie Tep, a design leader who spent seven years as Head of Design before stepping back into an IC role. We talk about what it really takes to be a good manager, why going back to IC is brutal if you've lost touch with the craft, and what that transition actually looks like in 2026. Grab a coffee and happy listening! ☕ Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, we tackle the myth of the 'dead' design process, exploring how adaptable and context-dependent it truly is. We dissect misconceptions fueled by advancements and trends in AI and vibe coding. And we champion the importance of a flexible, question-driven approach to design, which ultimately results in the best process. Enjoy our chat! ☕️ Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠...

We're finally back for season 6! Today, we kick off our new season with a general chitchat about the state of the design industry in 2026. In the recent months, we have all observed and felt the deep changes that AI brought to our ways of working and tooling stack. Grab a coffee and happy listening! ☕️ Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . New ep...

We reflect a little bit on the challenges and successes of Season Five before taking a nice, long summer break. For season 6, we're planning on updating our format a little bit. Thank you so much to all our listeners, we look forward to continuing in the autumn!

In episode 83, we unpack the often uncomfortable, but essential, topic of visibility at work for designers. From the challenges of self-promotion to navigating cultural dynamics and finding the right moments to share your impact, we share practical tactics for making your work seen. ☕️ Grab some coffee and listen to us talk about visibility as designers. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, we talk about what makes a design process helpful vs. what makes it bloated. From spotting common bottlenecks to knowing when to cut steps (or when to keep them), we share how our own approach to design has evolved over time. It's all about finding that balance between structure and speed, depth and delivery. ☕️ Grab some coffee and enjoy some reflections on a lean design process...

We've all been there when priorities keep changing and we have to adapt. We talk about classic examples of priorities shifting, how to build resilience to cope with those changes, and how we can make better quality priorities in the first place to avoid having to change them. ☕️ Grab some coffee and listen to us reflect on shifting priorities Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on...

Will AI replace us as designers? Or will it simply evolve the way we design? In this new episode, we unpick the hot debate and different buzzwords around AI, and its impact on our design industry. From tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney to the ethical and creative dilemmas they bring, we explore how designers can stay relevant, learn to work with AI (instead of against it), and rethink the value we...

In this episode of Design Kaffé, we're exploring the ethics of AI and key considerations for designing with it. How do we design ethically with AI? Can we design ethically with AI? How can we empower users and preserve their trust? We discuss bias, transparency, user trust, and the challenges designers may face in creating responsible AI-driven products. ☕️ Grab some coffee and listen to us r...

We talk about concepting and bringing ideas to life. How do we balance pragmatism and innovation in design? How do we relate to thinking big but starting small? ☕️ Tune in to listen to us share advice on how we organise our design space for creative conceptualising yet remain focused on the user problem, challenges we face when sharing concepts with stakeholders, and more. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Su...

In the first episode of the year, we talk about the state of UX in 2025. What changes have we found in our design roles? How are embracing or being challenged by those changes? What is the role of AI in all of this? We explore how design has shifted towards generalism, dip into the ongoing debate about job titles, discuss the job market, and discuss the role of research and creativity. ☕️ Grab so...

In this episode, we dive into the unique challenges and strengths of introverts in the workplace, especially in design roles. We discuss navigating extroverted environments, finding ways to make our voice heard, and the value of thoughtful leadership. We share practical tips on everything from running inclusive conversations to managing energy as an introverted leader. Whether you’re an introvert...

Sometimes it can be hard for us as designers to know when to finish analysing research insights or evaluate which design directions to move forward with. Similarly, when we present users with too many options, they often end up not choosing any. We talk about analysis paralysis and how we can break out of it. Subscribe to our ⁠Substack⁠ or follow us on ⁠Linkedin⁠ . New episode every other Friday.

Breaking into a new design role can feel daunting and overwhelming. In this episode, we share how we get ready before joining a team, the goals and frameworks we follow for onboarding, and our priorities in our first month(s) to set ourselves up for success. Subscribe to our Substack or follow us on Linkedin . New episode every other Friday.

Welcome to Design Kaffé, a podcast where we have mindful, candid conversations for designers in tech. In our fortnightly episodes, we discuss a wide range of topics to explore what it means to be a designer, the challenges we face in the tech industry and share thoughts about our craft. Our first episode this season will come out on the 15th November. Happy listening!

In our last episode of season 4, we ask ourselves: do we need product managers? Can people in other disciplines, like designers and engineers, do product management, or is it essential that there is a dedicated PM on every team? When does it make sense to have PMs and when does it not?

This week we're talking about delivery speed and the fine balance to find with delivering quality. We explore why it matters, the impact delivery speed can have on the quality of the team's outputs and how we as designers can face this challenge.

We talk about money. How transparent should we be about salaries with our peers, recruiters, and companies? How should salary negotiations be handled or not handled? What about raises and promotions? Follow us on Twitter  @designkaffe  and check out our website  designkaffe.com .

We're back this week with a heavy topic on discrimination. We're trying to unpack how being discriminated feels like, what discrimination looks like and why it occurs in the workplace. We also explore how we can be better allies and improve our work environments. Follow us on Twitter  @designkaffe  and check out our website  designkaffe.com .

We talk about nepotism and other signs of toxicity in the workplace. We discuss why it’s so damaging to individuals and teams when there’s systemic toxicity at work, and share thoughts on what to do when you find yourself in these situations. Follow us on Twitter  @designkaffe  and check out our website  designkaffe.com . New episode every other Friday!