Design Voices Elevated

We’re at the end of Season 2 of Design Voiced Elevated, and to close, we’re returning to the topic of design within large organisations—a subject that those who’ve been following me for a while will know is my forte. For the final episode, I chose to interview Jeanette Clement, and after reviewing our conversation, I’m so glad I did! This interview covers many crucial topics, such as how to articulate the value of strategic design and how to recognise where an organisation's energy lies—in Jeanette’s words, “how to recognise a wave.”Jeanette is the Head of Design at EE, part of BT Group. She is an expert in service design with extensive experience in helping it thrive within large organisational contexts. She shares her knowledge and perspective with humility, openness, and transparency, letting her true self shine through.I’m deeply grateful to her for that. And thank you to all of you for following this season of Design Voiced Elevated. I’m already planning Season 3, so if you have any suggestions for people I should interview, please drop me a line—I’d love to hear from you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

What does it take to finally decide to quit your job and start your own venture? How do you digitise an entire government offering to its citizens, starting almost from scratch and surrounded by scepticism? How do you deploy AI to truly improve service design outcomes?These are some of the topics I discussed with Roberta Tassi, a design leader and inspiring practitioner who has used service design in a variety of contexts to improve the way NGOs, private and public organisations organise work and deliver services.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to DesignMavericks.substack.com and join our community. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

There are very few design founders out there, even fewer women design founders. So, in Season 2 of Design Voices Elevated, I made an effort to scout for women founders in design with great stories to tell. One of these women is Aleksandra Melnikova, the proud co-founder of Cosmic Velocity.Our conversation has been, as usual, honest and straight to the point, showcasing the human behind the leader, including hopes, fears, and a great deal of self-reflection. Aleksandra and I talked about the shift from being an employee to becoming a co-founder, having her child and her comeback from maternity leave, and how she and her co-founders managed to focus more and more on the work they love: making products and services more inclusive and sustainable.It is a pleasure to hear the story of a successful woman entrepreneur in design who has managed to shape her career and focus by following her values.If you have enjoyed this episode, please join our community by subscribing to DesignMavericks.Substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

Former medical doctor, service designer, design leader, founder, entrepreneur, angel investor—Dr Vivienne Heyhoe is all of these things. Over the span of her impressive career, she has combined diverse experiences and skills to place herself at the forefront of a mission to revolutionise healthcare—one startup at a time, one business at a time.Together, we discussed her transition into entrepreneurship and investing, what she looks for in a startup when deciding to invest, and how her design background is shaping her approach to entrepreneurship.I admire her determination, candour, and vision. This is an episode for anyone interested in entrepreneurship and the future of healthcare.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to DesignMavericks.Substack.com to join the community and receive the upcoming episodes of Season 2 straight to your inbox. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

Sara Bellini is a design leader and co-founder of Alto Robotics. I was particularly interested in interviewing her, not only because of my quest to speak with more design founders but also due to her involvement in the robotics sector, where both designers and women are underrepresented.We discussed the transition from working with the intangible as a design consultant to handling tangible hardware as the co-founder of her new venture. She shared her learnings candidly and openly, including the moment when she had to completely reinvent her leadership style.If you enjoyed this episode, join the community by subscribing to DesignMavericks.Substack.comHappy Watching! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

For episode four of Design Voices Elevated Season Two, I continue my journey of connecting with design founders by travelling to London to meet Niharika Hariharan, co-founder of Design3.Niharika has an impressive track record, having spent her entire career in design consulting and in-house roles at companies like Nokia, Barclays, EY Seren, and McKinsey. A few years ago, she decided to leave her comfortable corporate job to start her own ventures. The latest is Design3, a global ed-tech platform that helps product teams, designers, and innovators enhance their skills to build the products, services, and businesses of the future, with a focus on AI, web3, and sustainability.In our conversation, we discussed the transition from employee to entrepreneur, the evolving definition of success, and the importance of work-life integration. We also reflected on the design profession, why there are so few design founders, and the role of design education in shaping designers capable of imagining, starting, and growing new ventures.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to designmavericks.substack.com to receive the remaining six episodes of this series in your inbox.Happy watching! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

Welcome to the third episode of Season Two of Design Voices Elevated! In this episode, I interview Fabiola Nardecchia, UX Director at Media Monks. Fabiola is currently co-authoring a book on Ethics and AI, and in this interview, she shares emerging reflections from this journey.Fabiola discusses how AI has become more accessible to consumers through interfaces like ChatGPT, raising questions about its purpose, its intended users, and the necessity of pausing to evaluate its impact. She calls on designers to consider the perception and level of trust between users and AI, whether AI should be human-like or remain purely algorithmic, and how to communicate AI's role in user experiences. There are concerns about AI perpetuating biases and stereotypes from the data it is trained on, highlighting the need for an intersectional approach to ensure fair and inclusive AI development.In the interview, we also delve into Fabiola's personal interests and volunteer work, exploring how these pursuits help her achieve a better work-life balance, alongside a range of topics related to management and leadership.Happy watching!Book Recommendations:"An Artificial Revolution: On Power, Politics and AI" by Ivana Bartoletti, 2020, The Indigo Press"How to Talk to Robots: A Girl's Guide to a Future Dominated by AI" by Tabitha Goldstaub, 2020, HarperCollins"Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence" by Kate Crawford, 2021, Yale University Press This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

Welcome to the second episode of Season Two of Design Voices Elevated! I'm your host, Marzia Aricò, and today we're delving into the world of creative intersections with a very special guest: Lex Fefegha. Lex is a UK-based artist, creative coder, and game designer, currently making waves as an artist-in-residence at Google's Art and Culture Lab. His focus is on creating interesting experiments at the intersection of AI, creativity, and design, with a particular interest in play as a vehicle for mental challenge, emotional response, and making information accessible.In this episode, Lex shares his passion for speculative design, using creative artefacts to explore and question the societal implications of technology. We'll discuss how he uses this method to spark critical conversations around the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence, encouraging us all—especially those from underrepresented communities—to critically examine the role of AI in our lives.Lex believes designers hold a unique position to question the rapidly evolving AI landscape, advocating for a return to a more exploratory, thoughtful approach in design. He envisions a future where design doesn't just produce outputs, but serves as a powerful tool to question the world and imagine alternative futures, particularly through the lenses of diverse perspectives. I absolutely love his take and reflections. If you enjoy this episode, join the community by subscribing to designmavericks.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

The first episode of Design Voices Elevated Season 2 features Sarah Gold, a design founder and CEO of Projects by IF, a design and strategy firm based in London. Projects by IF focuses on building trustworthy products and services that make people feel safe, empowered, and respected. Sarah and her team are on a mission to create a safer digital environment by addressing the complexities of technology and data usage. This discussion provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities in designing for trust in the digital age. It also offers a reflection on the reality of being a woman design founder and the difficulties and opportunities that come with it.Happy watching! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com

Welcome to the final episode of Design Voices Elevated for Season 1. For this final episode, I went to Amsterdam to meet Birgit Geiberger, Global Head of Product UX Design - Domain Ventures & Services at IKEA. Birgit and I met at her home, where she showed me her art and experiments with her garden.We talked about her career choices, pivotal moments and learnings. We explored what it takes to be a good leader and how to maintain a sense of purpose within corporate life. Birgit holds a robust set of values that have guided her choices and a strong dedication to the community. Her stories are truly inspirational for both leaders and practitioners.Season 2 will be available in summer 2024. In the meantime, follow my work at DesignMavericks.Substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designmavericks.substack.com