Monsters of Design

After a year in the wilderness, Monsters of Design is back! Jon, Adrian, and Delman return from their adventures in new jobs, new challenges, and new creative battles. But this time, they’re expanding their monster-slaying ranks, welcoming friend and fellow designer Hrag Chanchanian into the fray. Their first beast? The DEADLINE monster. A relentless creature that lurks in calendars, feeds on anxiety, and haunts even the bravest designers. Why do some of us live in fear of this monster, while others have learned to tame it? Together, they uncover the designer’s ultimate weapon. The simple, powerful question of "why". A good project manager doesn't hurt either. Finally, they turn their attention to a few favorite monsters, including Microsoft Teams, death, life, and Ganon from Zelda. We're back, baby. Enjoy!

In this episode of Monsters of Design, the core trio—Jon Sontag, Adrian Crabtree, and Jon Delman—march into the labyrinth to face the dreaded GATEKEEPER. This isn’t your friendly neighborhood doorman; this is the hip, pencil-wielding minotaur guarding the gates of design, deciding who gets in and who gets left wandering outside. The three dig deep into the monsters that keep brilliant talent out: sky-high barriers to entry, overcomplicated tech requirements, and the cult of “culture fit” that ignores the magic of true culture adds. Most importantly, they shine a spotlight on the interview process as the arena where this monster can be slayed—where a surprising candidate could reveal themselves as the missing spark your team never knew it needed. As always, the episode ends with a romp through their latest monster sightings, including the one haunting Jon Sontag this week: Ben Affleck’s brooding performance in The Accountant 2.

In this episode of Monsters of Design, the Tenacious Trio—Jon Sontag, Adrian Crabtree, and Jon Delman—join forces with Karen Piper, Head of Brand Strategy at Code and Theory, to confront a particularly moody menace: CX, the monster that emerges when Customer Experience goes bad. This isn’t the warm, fuzzy kind—it’s the version dripping in frowny face emojis and weighed down by heavy thumbs downs. It shows up when brands make big, shiny promises but fail to deliver where it counts. Together, they dig into why beautiful content and sleek design aren’t enough—brands must follow through with meaningful, consistent experiences or risk awakening this sulky, trust-breaking beast. And to keep things balanced, they end the episode swapping stories about their current favorite monsters, including aggressive wild turkeys, the cuddly enigma of Totoro, and a few unexpected legends lurking in the shadows.

In this episode of Monsters of Design, a new era begins. Adrian and Jon, weary from battling creative beasts alone, have summoned an old ally to the frontlines—Jon Delman, a past guest turned permanent co-host. From this point forward, it’s a trio of minds, a triumvirate of design nerds, wielding wit, insight, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Some episodes will welcome brave guests into the fray; others will feature the three of them, sparring in the arena of ideas. Their first battle as a full unit? THE BRAND. A big, bold, and unruly monster that chases down designers, herding them away from the deeper truths of authentic storytelling. Together, they’ll break free from this monster and challenge what it really means to build a brand that matters. Also, we talk about why Thrifty Ice cream is (or isn’t) the best. Yeehaw!

Alright, monster slayers, it’s time for the grand finale of our three-part A.I. adventure! This time, Jon and Adrian sit down with Craig Elimeliah, Chief Creative Officer at Code and Theory. Craig is a master of blending tech and creativity, and he’s here to share a treasure trove of wisdom from his vibrant, boundary-pushing career. He’s built teams and ideas in this wild A.I. era, where innovation meets a dash of chaos. We dive into how A.I. is shaking up the design world and why curiosity and experimentation are now our superpowers—especially with machines doing more heavy lifting. And of course, no episode is complete without a little monster talk. This round, we’re dishing on creatures like the one from Jeepers Creepers, Data, the Blank Page (terrifying, right?), and even... squirrels. Yes, those tiny terrors make the list, too. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

The MOD dudes are back. It's been a minute, but Jon and Adrian are ready to go! They continue their epic three part battle with the Artificial Intelligence monster. Marcus Thompson – Senior Copy and Content Designer at Code and Theory, jumps right in as their guest, giving us some key insights into the wonderful (but often scary and overwhelming) world of the prompt. His creative mind and silver tongue help us navigate a new and improved road to a much more inspired generative A.I. output. Get ready to watch this crew unearth and unlock a powerful creative process. The episode comes to an end with some monster favorites from each monster slayer on set. They tango with Mothman, the alien from Signs, and the shape shifting creature from The Outsider! Stay tuned. MOD is on the move!

In this week's episode, witness the dynamic duo, Jon Sontag and brand new co-host, Adrian Crabtree, as they delve into the mysterious realm of Artificial Intelligence. Accompanied by their special guest, Jon Delman – Senior Design Manager at Workiva, they unravel the secrets of AI's impact on our careers. With his hard-earned wisdom, Delman guides us through a hopeful path for the future, emphasizing the importance of taming this technological beast. Brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride through the uncharted territories of Artificial Intelligence, where the real monsters aren't the ones hiding under your bed but the ones we create ourselves. The episode concludes with the MOD tradition of discussing favorite monsters, including the disturbing Krampus—a monster most likely created by parents determined to instill good behavior in their kids during the holidays. We hope you enjoy the show!

In this episode, Jon and Bryan call for backup to help slay, tame and love the latest monster to cross their path—MARKETAUR. Will Leivenberg, Director of Brand Marketing at YML, answers the call and helps them explore the two-way street connecting marketing and design. As they traverse that well-worn road, they shine a light on the Marketaur, identifying the unique challenges marketing a premium Silicon Valley brand to the world poses. Will brings his incisive wit to the table, detailing how his career at Bleacher Report led to a profound understanding of storytelling and identifying who your audience is, as well as unpacking the unique bond designers and marketers share today. They wrap things up by talking all things horror, sharing the most striking monsters that've been haunting and prowling their imaginations.

In this episode, Jon and Bryan have a lovely chat with Steven Sczepanik, Senior Product Designer at Headspace, about the occasionally overbearing monster: Feedback. This electrified guitar god can forget to plug the amp in from time to time, leaving us clueless about what we can do to improve. But thankfully, Steven knows how to dial in his tone with the right amount of highs, mids, and lows. He tunes us into the correct frequency for listening to and giving meaningful, heartfelt feedback. And of course, it wouldn't be the MOD POD without a fun chat about our favorite monsters at the end. Tune up, plug in, and strum along as we slay Feedback!

In this episode, Jon and Bryan have a delightful conversation with Redona Dida, Product Designer at YML, about the monster that turns us into stone: Overthinker. This Medusa-like character draws us into the void of endless thoughts, keeping us away from some much needed simplicity. Fortunately, Redona helps us untangle our thoughts, urging us to take things one at a time with patience and ease. Her ability to not only keep this monster at bay, but to embrace each thought that hisses into our ear and view them as potential solutions is amazing. We end the episode with our tradition of discussing our current favorite monsters. Now sit back, press play and help us slay Overthinker!