Design has layers, from communication and product design to UX/UI, service, strategic and systemic design. In this episode, I use a music analogy and a fast‑food case study to show how these disciplines connect, where architecture and interior design fit, and why the goal isn’t hierarchy but fit for the problem. You’ll learn the focus of each layer, how skills transfer across them, and how to spot the right level of design for your challenge. Perfect if you’re new to design or explaining your work to colleagues.
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Resources Mentioned
Timestamps
0:02 – Introduction
Show open and what the series explores: the people, skills, and mindsets behind innovation.
0:42 – Why “design layers” matter
Setting up the episode goal: clarifying what different designers do, and why the same core skills can scale from pages to experiences.
1:40 – Design is like music
A relatable analogy for disciplines and craft: shared foundations across “genres,” but different depths of skill and craftsmanship.
4:34 – From print to products
Communication design (layout, branding, making the complex simple) and the evolution to product/industrial design (ergonomics, tools, 3D modeling/printing).
7:12 – UX vs UI, then service design
How user experience and interface design differ—and how service design stitches channels, spaces, and touchpoints into an end-to-end journey.
9:36 – Strategy, systems, and the built environment
Design at policy/organizational scale (strategic/systemic design), alongside architecture/spatial design as a parallel domain.
11:19 – McDonald’s walkthrough: one experience, many layers
A concrete case study following a customer from app notification to kiosk, seating, packaging, and store flow—showing how multiple design layers work together.
17:01 – Beyond the store: co-design, circularity, strategy
Designing training and inclusion with stakeholders, thinking circular for materials, and using systemic/strategic lenses to steer complex programs.
20:07 – How layers collaborate (and careers move)
Why no layer is “higher”—they’re different scopes that interlock, and skills can transfer between them over a career.
21:02 – 21:09 – Wrap up and sign off
Closing thanks and subscribe reminder.
Michael Walter is an educator, writer, academic, founder, improviser, and musician. He explores the intersections of creativity, technology, innovation, and social justice, always with a deep curiosity about how humans grow and connect.
