In this episode, we are joined by Justin, a designer, author, and speaker who focuses deeply on the human side of design. Justin has spent years exploring how culture, values, and craft shape the way designers build products and teams, helping creatives think beyond tools and trends to create more meaningful work. He’s also the author of

Creative Culture and In Fulfillment: The Designer’s Journey, where he shares reflections on growth, humility, and lifelong learning in design.

Discussion Points -

• What was your journey from deciding to become a designer to building your own studio? 2:11

• Has your perspective on agency work evolved over time, or is it what you originally envisioned? 5:28

• How do you balance your day job with personal creative pursuits without feeling like you’re missing out on other opportunities? 14:53

• How has your workflow evolved from traditional tools to today’s AI-driven design processes? 24:18

• When choosing new projects, do you prefer working with specific types of clients or project sizes? 27:53

• What advice would you give your younger self, and do you think it still holds true today? 30:06

Show notes -

• Designers need to think beyond tools and trends if they want to create work that truly matters.

• People are engaging with our experiences in real, imperfect environments, and that responsibility should guide how we design.

• Design is a profession, but for many of us, it’s also a passion and a calling.

• Early success can be dangerous if you’re not prepared for it. Ego can quietly hurt the work.

• Leveraging humility while still respecting your expertise is one of the most important lessons in a design career.

• Never stop learning. Never stop being a student of your craft—this advice will always be relevant.
  

Justin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pseudoroom/

Company’s Website: https://anomalibydesign.com

His books, In Fulfillment: The Designer's Journey (https://in-fulfillment.com) and Creative Culture (https://the-culturebook.com)

In this episode, we’re joined by Feras Abdul Khayum, UX & Product Design Lead at Data D Solutions, who shares his journey from early startup work to leading UX in mission-critical U.S. healthcare insurance systems. The conversation dives deep into designing for trust, responsibility, and speed, especially when decisions can directly impact human lives.

Discussion Points:

• What’s your origin story—from your early life and education to becoming a design leader today? 2:09

• You’re currently working in the insurance sector. Do you think this niche is receiving the attention and recognition it truly deserves? 7:22

• Is this a double-edged challenge, serving end users while also enabling enterprise users to confidently make data-driven decisions? 10:43

• Rapid fire round 13:00

• What does it take to design AI solutions for healthcare in emergency situations, and what is your approach to it? 17:03

• What advice would you give to your younger self or to the youth who want to follow in your footsteps? Anything they should watch out for? 29:01

Show notes:

• In healthcare UX, you’re not designing for delight or engagement metrics — you’re designing for responsibility. Every decision has a real human impact, and that changes how seriously you approach the work.

• When systems influence life-critical decisions, trust isn’t built through visuals alone. It comes from clarity, transparency, and helping users understand why a decision was made.

• AI should never replace human accountability in healthcare. Its real value is in supporting faster, more informed decisions while keeping humans firmly in control.

• Speed in healthcare UX isn’t about moving fast for efficiency’s sake. It’s about reducing friction at moments where delays can affect outcomes and, sometimes, lives.

• Deep domain understanding is non-negotiable in complex systems. Without it, even the most beautiful interface can fail the people who depend on it.

• Ethical design becomes unavoidable when your work impacts real people. In healthcare, you don’t get the luxury of treating ethics as a secondary consideration.

Feras’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feras-ak-dezine-theuxguy/

In this episode, we’re joined by Michael Miller, Associate Creative Director at Level Studios, who brings over a decade of experience designing and scaling digital products across enterprise platforms. Michael leads multidisciplinary teams focused on UI strategy, design systems, and cross-functional collaboration.

With a background spanning experiential design, marketing, and product design, he shares a grounded perspective on building systems that balance structure, creativity, and real business impact.

Discussion Points

~How did your journey into creative leadership begin? (1:39)
~Do your past experiences in marketing and creative projects influence the work you do today? (4:28)
~Why is understanding the business and domain critical for enterprise-level UX and product design? (6:26)
~Rapid fire round (9:35)
~Do UX designers often take on business analyst responsibilities, from understanding requirements to envisioning how solutions will be executed? (20:14)
~How is AI changing your role today, and where do you see it taking the future of design? (27:42)
~What advice would you give your younger self 10–15 years ago? (34:13)

Show Notes

~Design isn’t just about visuals—it’s about understanding people and what makes them engage.
~The real through line in my work has always been human connection, whether it’s the user or the client.
~Strong systems thinking and organization naturally translate into great product design.
~You don’t need to be the subject matter expert, but you need to understand how the business works.
~Good design comes from working closely with experts and understanding what actually works in the real world.
~Design systems aren’t about control; they’re about creating structures that allow things to grow.
~UX isn’t just about solving the problem given; it’s about understanding what the real problem is.

Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creationmod/