Siste episoder av Dive Club 🤿 podcast

1. Geoffrey Litt - The Future of Malleable Software14.11.2025 (00:57:16)

   AI is fundamentally shifting the way we think about digital products and the core deliverables that we're bringing to the table as designers.So I asked Geoffrey Litt (https://x.com/geoffreylitt) (Design Engineer at Notion) to share his vision for the future of malleable software and AI system design.Here’s some highlights:- The keys to effective system design- Geoffrey’s workflow for “working like a surgeon”- Why too many products become “nightmare bicycles”- The principles of malleable software vs. disposable software- Why version control is the most important AI interaction problem- Inside Geoffrey’s malleable software experiments at Ink & Switch- + a lot more-[Ink & Switch is the research lab (https://www.inkandswitch.com/)- Changing Minds by Seymour Papert (https://worrydream.com/refs/Papert_1980_-_Mindstorms,_1st_ed.pdf)- Geoffrey’s nightmare bicycle article (https://www.geoffreylitt.com/2025/03/03/the-nightmare-bicycle)- Don Norman’s Living with Complexity (https://www.amazon.com/Living-Complexity-Press-Donald-Norman/dp/0262014866)- Spell Burst by Tyler Angert (https://spellburstllm.github.io/)- A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander (https://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Language-Buildings-Construction-Environmental/dp/0195019199)- Patchwork - Geoffrey’s collaboration environment at Ink & Switch (https://www.inkandswitch.com/patchwork/notebook/)⭐️ You can use the code DIVECLUB to get 20% off your first month of Lovable Pro 1!

2. Ryan Scott - The skills that get designers promoted07.11.2025 (00:58:22)

   Craft gets you hired.But business impact gets you promoted.So this week’s episode with [Ryan Scott](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanscottcreative/) is a deep dive into how designers can think strategically about their career.He shares a ton of lessons from his [PM Masterclass for designers](https://join.dive.club/ryan-scott-pm-masterclass-affiliate):- What it looks like to grow your product muscles- The right (and wrong) ways to get buy-in for your ideas- Strategies for making data a part of your design practice- Ways to spot new strategic opportunities for your company- How to position your work to be compelling to a business leader- What Ryan learned making big ideas happen at Airbnb and Doordash- + a lot more⭐️ Get $100 off Ryan’s course when you us the code DIVECLUB- Andy Budd’s talk in Berlin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYH6Z3LmhU)- Builder.io (http://builder.io/) mentioned as AI tool for engineers- booking.com (http://booking.com/) vs Airbnb competitive positioning example

3. Designing the first ever tabletop game console31.10.2025 (00:41:11)

   Board (https://board.fun/) has taken over social social media (and for good reason).It’s one of the most obvious yet innovative products I’ve ever seen.So as soon as Kevin Twohy (https://x.com/kevintwohy) shared a preview with me I knew we had to do an interview to get the behind-the-scenes (spoiler: I did buy it lol).So this episode is a deep dive into his design process for the first ever tabletop game console:- What he learned about prototyping hardware products- How they figured out the “brand moves” for Board- How Kevin makes the most of AI tools- + a lot moreKevin referenced Mike and Chara Smith’s episode talking about “brand moves” multiple times - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhxx6yK2J08&t=392s

4. How AI is Changing Design Workflows29.10.2025 (00:49:14)

   AI is reshaping how we design and build software, creating huge opportunities for designers who experiment, adapt, and help define what the practice looks like next. This session is your opportunity to learn directly from some of the best in the industry.

5. Drew Wilson - How designers become builders and the future of tooling24.10.2025 (00:58:32)

   Imagine a world where handoff no longer exists and designers are moving fluidly in code…[Drew Wilson](https://x.com/drewwilson) is one of the people pulling that future into the present so this week’s episode is a deep dive into his vision for the new design tool [Opacity](https://opacity.app/).Some highlights:- How team structures are changing- How to stand out when everyone is a builder- What design’s “Github moment” will look like- The fracturing of the market for design talent- How Drew is approaching this startup differently- Where the new technical threshold is for designers- + a lot moreDrew is also building his new IDE called Loop - https://loupe.build/

6. Keys to craft: Supercut’s playbook for design excellence17.10.2025 (00:54:54)

   Over the last few months one product has risen to the top of my inspiration list… ツSupercut (https://supercut.ai/)The point of this episode is to figure out what it takes to consistently reach that level of excellence.How do you maintain that level of attention to detail while preserving the speed that you need to hit when going 0 -> 1 on a new product?This week's episode is with David (https://x.com/okuiux?lang=en) and [Neil](https://x.com/neiltak) the cofounders of Supercut which has quickly become one of my favorite pieces of software in my stack.So we're going deep into how they work, how they think about product, and all of the little decisions they make that together create a truly excellent user experience. 👇- When design works in Figma vs. in code- How AI + small teams changes the design process- Supercut’s playbook for achieving design excellence- Strategies for weaving AI into the fabric of a product- Specific examples of how they sweat the details with animations- Float (https://float.build/)- Supercut (https://supercut.ai/)- Soleio (https://x.com/soleio)- Typeform (https://www.typeform.com/try/typeformbrand?&tf_campaign=US_CA-Brand-Core-English-Combined+Exact-Negs-US_23072929907&tf_source=google&tf_medium=paid&tf_content=187015558460_712286961333&tf_term=typeform&tf_dv=c&tf_matchtype=e&tf_location=9191275&gad_campaignid=23072929907&gbraid=0AAAAADLdz00gdIHfhkPP72sgfJ9L3UUg_)

7. Rooz Mahdavian - Designing frontier interfaces at Neuralink and Apple03.10.2025 (00:56:14)

   We’re talking about craft in B2B SaaS... but what is it like designing for frontier interfaces like the Apple watch or even neural interfaces?We find out in this week’s episode with Rooz Mahdavian. (https://x.com/roozm)He’s the design engineer at Neuralink so we're about to get pretty nerdy and talk about what it’s like designing an experience that allows someone to use a computer with just their mind.The level of detail and first-principles design thinking is truly impressive.Some highlights:- What it looks like to design for delight in neural interfaces- What Neuralink is looking for in their 2nd design engineer role- What it takes to design frontier interfaces at Apple and Neuralink- The evolution from Apple Watch Siri face to brain-computer interfaces- Rooz’s vision for “daydreaming with computers” and direct visual imagery transfer- Reimagining a cursor for a neural interface - from color-based feedback to circular reticles- + a lot more- Apple Watch Faces team (https://www.youtube.com/embed/oaqHdULqet0?start=585&end=705&autoplay=1&controls=0)- Siri Watch Face (intern project that shipped) (https://www.youtube.com/embed/oaqHdULqet0?start=585&end=705&autoplay=1&controls=0)- Neuralink (https://neuralink.com/) - brain computer interface company- Blindside - Neuralink’s vision restoration project (https://neuralink.com/trials/visual-prosthesis/)

8. Escha Vera - Designing Perplexity’s Comet and Using AI Like an Artist26.09.2025 (00:57:46)

   Imagine it’s your first day as a designer at Perplexity... and the VP of Design hands you the keys for their all-new AI browser, [Comet](https://www.perplexity.ai/comet).That’s the story for [Escha Vera](https://x.com/eschadiol).So this week’s episode is a deep dive into her design process and what it looks like to use AI like an artist.- How she designed Comet onboarding experience- Creating generative invite codes using multiple AI tools- How she created the Perplexity design system from scratch- How she productized AI without leading with chat interfaces or prompts- What are her principles for designing AI experiences that prioritize usability- + a lot more- [Soleio](https://www.dive.club/deep-dives/soleio-2) sent the intro to [Henry Modisett](https://www.dive.club/deep-dives/henry-modisett)- She worked at [Descript](https://x.com/descriptapp) before joining [Perplexity](https://x.com/perplexity_ai)- Previously worked on [Daylight Computer](https://x.com/daylightco) and Motif- Collaborating with [Phi Hong](https://www.dive.club/deep-dives/phi-hoang) on branding at Perplexity- Uses [Suno](https://suno.com/home?wpsrc=Google%20AdWords&wpcid=22042553892&wpscid=173890219393&wpcrid=726251362516&wpkwid=kwd-2827037661&wpkwn=suno&wpkmatch=e&wpsnetn=g&gad_campaignid=22042553892&gbraid=0AAAAA9pWpduFan7icL90FczgyQploCsYi) for music generation and remixing

9. Carl Rivera - Shopify’s big bet on design and craft as the differentiator19.09.2025 (00:51:23)

   What does the perfect e-commerce platform look like in an AI era?That’s the question Shopify’s Chief Design Officer Carl Rivera has set out to answer so this week’s episode is all about Shopify’s big bet on design and craft as the ultimate differentiator.We go deep into:- What happens when AI makes everyone a 7/10 designer- What most design teams get wrong when casting vision- How design can lead the creation of truly native AI experiences- Why every designer at Shopify is learning to ship to production- Carl’s thesis for why designers are severely undervalued in the market- Why Shopify acquired Molly Studio and what it means for how the org works- + a lot morehttps://www.molly.studio/ - design studio acquired by Shopify

10. Catt Small - How staff designers build influence and lead as ICs12.09.2025 (00:57:06)

    Only a select few have multiple episodes on Dive Club and today Catt Small joins the ranks.She has a gift for turning messy ideas into practical next steps so it’s no wonder her Staff Designer course is one of the top-rated on Maven.In this episode we go deep into all of the ways you can make an impact by building influence on your team and effectively casting vision for your product.Some highlights:The 2 ways to measure your influenceStrategies for getting distribution for your ideasHow to select the ideal format for casting a visionStorytelling tactics used by the best staff designersHow to strategically invest in workplace relationshipsWhat Catt learned while interviewing staff designers for her new book⭐ Get $100 off Catt’s course: Staff Designer: Influence & Lead as an Individual Contributor⭐ Get 15% off pre-orders for her new book: The Staff Designer

11. Sara Vienna - Taste, Meaning, and How to Stand Out in an AI world06.09.2025 (01:02:41)

    What does it take to make people feel something with design...?This week's guest is kind of an expert on the question. Sara Vienna (https://x.com/sravienna?lang=en) , the Chief Design Officer at Metalab, talks about the responsibility that designers have to shape this AI world that we're entering without losing the heartbeat of a brand.We don't hold back on the current state of the industry and what it feels like to be a designer today.Some highlights:- How to not get swept up in current design trends- How Metalab has adopted AI workflows internally- Strategies for leveraging AI to understand research data- What it takes to put meaning at the heart of a brand/product- How Metalab invests in the collective taste of the design org- Where Sara derives signals and how she filters out the noise- Being late on a trend is bad taste even more so than ugly design- + a lot more- Windsurf https://windsurf.com/) and [Suno](https://suno.com/home?wpsrc=Google%20AdWords&wpcid=22042553892&wpscid=173890219393&wpcrid=726251362516&wpkwid=kwd-2827037661&wpkwn=suno&wpkmatch=e&wpsnetn=g&gad_campaignid=22042553892&gbraid=0AAAAA9pWpduFan7icL90FczgyQploCsYi) rebrands- Jony Ive’s Stripe Sessions talk (https://stripe.com/sessions/2025/a-conversation-with-sir-jony-ive)- Erica Hall’s book “Just Enough Research” (https://www.mulebooks.com/just-enough-research)- Anthropic’s Machines of Loving Grace paper (https://www.darioamodei.com/essay/machines-of-loving-grace)- Blok for focus (https://blok.so/)

12. Gabe Valdivia - How to Thrive as an Independent Designer29.08.2025 (00:57:48)

    I think we're entering a world where the market for fractional design is about to explode…So this week's episode is with one of my favorite people in the industry, Gabe Valdivia.We're going to explore his independent journey → how he made the jump, how he's evolved the practice in year two, and all of the lessons he's learned along the way.Some highlights:Gabe’s three-phase client modelHow to sell a client on fractional designGabe’s rules of thumb for pricing himselfHow Gabe’s new apprenticeship program worksHow Gabe vibe-coded his personal Freelance OSHow he has redefined success from year 1 to year 2Gabe’s journey to figure out how to position himself as an independenta lot moreCharlie Sutton who he worked with on VR team at FacebookTeam Human book by Douglas Rushkoff

13. Behind the scenes of the Inflight startup pitch💡27.08.2025 (00:10:00)

    Too much of designing a startup happens behind closed doorsSo I want to work with the garage door open while building Inflight (https://www.inflight.co/) as much as possible.You already saw a bunch of the nitty gritty UI details (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D39Dv9MSlhs)…But when you’re going 0 to 1 on something, the storytelling piece is often the hardest part.So this episode is a sneak peek of a recent presentation we gave in SF (and some behind-the-scenes commentary to go along with it).

14. Dan Winer - How to become more strategic and advance your career22.08.2025 (00:59:33)

    What does it look like to advance your career in the age of AI? That’s what this week’s episode with Dan Winer (Director of Product Design at Kit) is all about. He shares insights from his top-rated Maven course "Strategy and Influence for Product Designers" (https://join.dive.club/dan-winer-course) So if you want to learn how to go from pixel pusher to strategic partner then this is the episode for you 💪Some highlights:- Dan’s strategies for effective storytelling- How to shine a light on the value of your work- Tactics for building alignment across key stakeholders- The 8 skills that Dan is evaluating in the hiring process- Why design systems are becoming more important than ever- Harsh truths designers don’t want to hear about their portfolio- What to do if you don’t have data to prove the impact of your work- + a lot more

15. Andy Zhang - From early Figma to design engineer at Windsurf15.08.2025 (00:49:32)

    This week's episode is with Andy Zhang who was the lead design engineer at Windsurf. So we're going to shine a light on all of the ways you can make an impact as a design engineer including:Owning more of the frontend polishThinking through design patterns and packaging featuresBridging the gap between technical features and intuitive UXSaying “no” to features to preserve the simplicity of the systemHe also shares some great stories and advice including:What it was like working as an intern at Figma with <10 peopleHow designers can start to get more comfortable with codeHow he taps into his experience as a PM at Uber while selecting the right design processa lot moreRasmus Andersson (https://x.com/rsms) - Designer/engineer at Figma, mentor to AndyKevin Hou (https://x.com/kevinhou22?lang=en) - Lead product engineering at Windsurf, Andy’s basketball teammate who helped him get the job

16. Vitaly Friedman - Beyond Chat: What's Next for AI Design Patterns08.08.2025 (00:57:12)

    I’d bet real money that you have been on Smashing Magazine at some point in the last 18 years…Good news is, this week I got to interview the founder, Vitaly Friedman, who is also one of the leading thinkers in UX right now.In this episode we go deep into how AI is changing the way we interact with digital products and how our patterns and processes are evolving as a result.Some highlights:The use case for dynamic interfaces with AIHow to design a less painful refinement journeyThe best AI design patterns to use for inspirationWhen to use quiet AI vs. visible AI in your interfacesWhy more products should be “AI-second” not “AI-first”Why we need to slow users down when designing AI productsHow designers can establish trust when users interact with AIa lot moreConsensusElicitaiuxpatterns.comEpisode with the Gamma Head of Designexa.aiPerplexityChatGPTGeminiNorman Nielsen Group

17. From Uber to Apple to new design founder 💡06.08.2025 (00:21:53)

    If I told you someone had a background as a senior designer at companies like Uber, Dropbox, Apple, and Patreon then you'd be pretty impressed, right?Same.But Adam Noffsinger walked away from all of that to start Alma (which you might remember from the Smith+Diction episode).So this episode is a deep dive into what it really looks like to go 0→1 as a design founder.Adam even walks us through his Figma file for Alma so if you’re interesting in startups or designing something from nothing, then I think you’ll really enjoy this conversation 👇

18. Pietro Schirano - AI just gave designers a promotion01.08.2025 (01:00:31)

    This week’s episode is with Pietro Schirano who is the founder of the new design tool MagicPath and one of the true forward thinkers on AI. We go deep into the future of prototyping, design workflows, and what it takes to catalyze your career with AI.Some highlights:How design workflows will evolveUsing AI as a collaborator not just a toolHow Pietro was able to build influence at AnthropicWhy interactive prototypes are becoming table stakesWhat designers need to understand to master the modelsWhy design architects will be the highest paid role in the futurea lot moreDesignerGPT (5 million users)TweakCNOrigami (Facebook’s prototyping tool)Figma.ai domain purchase

19. Why AI has changed prototyping forever25.07.2025 (00:51:13)

    This week I got an inside look at Figma Make while talking to Holly and Nikolas all about the future of prototyping…We get into real world use cases for different kinds of prototypes and how our workflow is evolving as designers.One thing is abundantly clear, things aren’t so linear anymore.Some highlights:How Figma Make fits into your workflowRethinking what “high fidelity” means for a prototypeHow code is the glue and what it means for collaborationWhat are the less obvious use cases for prototyping with AIMeta prototyping with interactive playgrounds and inspect panelsa lot moreFigma Make - AI-powered prototyping tool within FigmaVariables in FigmaAdvanced Prototyping in Figma

20. How product design works at Raycast 💡23.07.2025 (00:28:22)

    Last month we did the ultimate Raycast Deep Dive, but there's a lot in there… so this week I want to highlight just the segment from the product design team.We go deep into how they collaborate, why they’ve started shipping more code, and what it takes to build a culture obsessed with craft.Don’t forget to use code DIVE20YT to get 20% off your first purchase of any Lovable plan ❤️ Valid until August 21, 2025. Go to dive.club/lovable to start creatingFull Raycast episode - The Raycast Deep Dive

21. Gunnar Gray - Designing Perplexity, shaders, and voice interfaces18.07.2025 (00:54:08)

    This week, Gunnar Gray (Product Design Lead at Perplexity) dives into the art of designing AI-native experiences.He shares lessons from shaping Voice Mode and how prototyping with AI is changing the design process at Perplexity.Some highlights:Why Perplexity is racing to get ideas into codeWhat it’s like designing at a hyper growth startupWhat it’s like designing dynamic voice experiencesGunnar’s journey learning metal shaders with CursorHow Gunnar strategically invests in his design skillseta lot morePerplexity - AI-powered search and discovery platformCursor - AI-powered code editorParticle News app

22. Ryo Lu - Designing the future of Cursor11.07.2025 (00:57:28)

    Cursor is easily one of the most impactful companies in all of tech…And this week's episode is with their Head of Design, Ryo Lu.You might've heard of Ryo in this episode back when we talked about early Notion and systems design.So this week we're going to get an inside look at how design operates at Cursor and all of Ryo's experiments with AI 👀Some highlights:What Ryo believes about the future of HCIHow Ryo handles a barrage of user feedbackHow Ryo approaches systems thinking at CursorHow Ryo unified the core primitives of Cursor’s systemLaying the foundation for the future of Cursor’s system designInside Ryo’s design process and how he knows what to pursueWhy Ryo thinks specialization will matter less in an AI-enabled futureWhy Ryo believes the future of interfaces will match how people thinka lot more

23. Julian Lehr - How storytelling works at Linear02.07.2025 (00:51:09)

    This week's episode is with Julian Lehr who is the storytelling lead at LinearSo we're going to step out of the pixels for this conversation and focus more on how you can get people excited about what you're designing.Because in the age of AI, stories are what makes your product defensible.So we're going to go deep into Julian's creative process and how he kinda thinks of his role more as packaging.Some highlights:Julian’s sources of inspirationUnderstanding Julian’s creative processThe new analogy that Julian is working on for LinearLinear’s strategy for storytelling for their “Agents” releaseThe importance of visual design in copywriting and marketingHow Linear’s in-house creative studio collaborates on storytellingHow Linear evolved from using “opinionated” to “purpose-built” over 3 yearsa lot moreAntimetal websiteArena for inspirationJulian’s websiteLinear’s hands of god visual for Agents release

24. Emmet Connolly - Transitioning into the next era of design 27.06.2025 (01:03:33)

    You probably know Intercom… but did you know they recently incubated a new startup called Fin that has already surpassed the core business?They’ve pulled off a massive transition to an AI-native product and design org so today we’re going behind-the-scenes with their VP of Design Emmet Connolly.Some highlights:Why Emmett believes designers will own the frontendThe opportunity for design systems in an AI-first worldWhat Emmett looks for when hiring designers in the AI eraWhy liquid glass represents the wrong direction for designHow Intercom’s AI product Fin overtook their core businessWhy the start of an S-curve is the best time to be a designerHow AI is flipping the traditional product development processa lot morePlato’s cave analogyOpenAI’s forward deployed engineer roleApple’s liquid glass designFons Mans helped on the design of Fin

25. My playbook for vibe coding💡25.06.2025 (00:08:32)

    In last week’s episode, the Head of Design at The Browser Company shared a totally new way to think about your portfolio.He says one of the most valuable things you can demonstrate today is the ability to solve real problems with code (no matter how small).I’m literally doing this with a side project right now and I’ve learned a lot so I decided to share my new playbook for vibe coding 👇Teo Connor (VP of Design at Airbnb): https://www.dive.club/deep-dives/air-bnbAlex Schleifer (former Chief Design Offer at Airbnb): https://www.dive.club/deep-dives/alex-schleiferJanum Trivedi (prototyping specialist at Airbnb): https://www.dive.club/deep-dives/janum-trivedi