In this special 50th episode, Brian and Joe reflect on growth — personal, professional, and creative. They discuss how designers evolve, the complexities of growth ladders, leadership authenticity, the fading era of traditional product design, and what might come next.

Part practical deep dive, part existential crisis, Joe and Brian provide Part 2 of our season opener "AI-ay-ay" and get tactical about the tools reshaping their workflows while wrestling with the bigger picture of our AI-obsessed industry. They dissect why every AI interface looks like the same damn chat box and explore how AI is simultaneously empowering designers while making parts of their craft obsolete. And it just wouldn't be Designer&Designer without grappling some sort of unsettling question. This time we ask, if AI makes everything faster, cheaper, and more efficient... what exactly are we rushing toward?

In this special mini episode, Joe & Brian discuss their dismay with the recent hard right turn of big tech before providing a light at the tunnel for creatives.

Social platform algorithms that reward outrage. UX patterns that reward commerce. AI content that rewards... other AI? Where are the healthy places to communicate on the internet anymore? We talk to internet activist, archivist, optimist and yes, the inventor of the pop-up ad, Ethan Zuckerman, who points a way forward.

How we present, how do we present ourselves? How do we talk about our work? How do we sell our work? Joe and Brian dive into design's greatest paradox: we're obsessed with pixel-perfect Figma files but stumble when explaining why anyone should care. They get real about swagger, theater, and occasional BS of design presentations—from heard it all execs to exhausting "performance personas" to the weird psychology of why negging works.

This week Brian & Joe decide to throw their format out the window and just bitch and moan for a half hour on the internet. Middle aged white guys complaining? We got you covered, fam. 👋

In this unfiltered therapy session disguised as a podcast episode, Joe and Brian dive into the waters of creative risk-taking, where "doing the right thing" meets "please don't fire me." They explore the personal and professional challenges of pushing boundaries in an industry where bold ideas often collide with corporate caution and life responsibilities.

Designer-turned-pressure-washing-enthusiast Dave Miller returns to talk about his article What’s Next for Design? Predictions for 2025 to 2040 and how AI is simultaneously destroying design jobs and making us all Renaissance people.

All I know is that I know nothing. Also, #guildlad ⚔️

Joe & Brian look the future of product design squarely in the face, and they don't love what they see (mostly popped collars).

In our Season Four kick off episode, Brian and Joe tackle the 1 trillion dollar elephant in the room: NLP, LLMs, AGIs and all the letters that make up our changing landscapes as designers. Relax, our p(doom)s are still pretty low. 💀

After last episode's grim premise, Joe & Brian pull back from the edge and take a look at the other side of the current design industry: what is there that we can feel optimistic about in the current moment? Lots, it turns out.

Brian & Joe discuss the grim state of the UX industry right now. How did we get here? Where do we go from here? Grab a drink before you listen, let's chew on this together. 🍺

Joe and Brian discuss Temple Grandin's new book, 'Visual Thinkers'. Who are these strange creatures that walk among us, seeing things visually? Are you one of them? How do you see the world differently?

Brian & Joe discuss the recent tech layoffs, and what that means for the design world. Once again, designers are put back on their heels. Is this an opportunity for growth? Can we maybe reset expectations? Or will we once again have to dance the dance asked of us?

Ugh... 2022 is finally over. It's been a wild year in and out of the design world. Joe and Brian close out the old double deuce wondering is there still space for the weird, crazy, sometimes visionary designers?

Brian and Joe talk to Gina Trapani, CEO of the digital product shop Postlight. Postlight has been unlocking solutions for clients for the past 10 years, and we ask Gina to let us in on the insights of a running a successful design and engineering business. We talk about moving from a Doer to a Leader, the importance of Discovery, and why it’s important to do the work special to you on the weekend.

Joe and Brian discuss the dispiriting trend of the current tech stack driving how products are built. What does it mean when a product is designed not for the user, customer, or output, but for ease of technical deployment? What will the future hold if that trend continues? Should try and stop it?

We are back with a new season! We are kicking things off with some quick hits – designery things that happened while we were away crushing pixels and having babies.

Brian and Joe deep dive on the pernicious yet hidden effects that information architecture has on our daily lives, both in the digital space and outside of it. Is library science the one true skill necessary in the modern world? Is the current state of IA just a liminal space between analog sorting and tag-based search?