Join Justin Hevey and Taryn D'Souza as hosts of Designing for Humans in the Loop podcast, where we discuss the intersection of AI and Design with a focus on skill development that prioritises human-centric approaches in AI products.
Fast Tools, Slow Thinking: How to Design with AI Without Losing the Designer
In this episode, we speak with Idam Adam, a Product Designer at Upguard.
What does it look like when design and code fully merge, and AI becomes the bridge between an idea and a finished, clickable product? Idam is a Product Designer at UpGuard with a background that spans both coding and design. He's a heavy user of Claude Code and Codex agents, and he's built a workflow that lets him generate rich prototypes, facilitate better stakeholder conversations, and unlock creativity at a scale that wasn't possible before. But what makes Idam's practice distinctive isn't the speed, it's the discipline: spending time up front to go slower. Conscious recalibration. Using AI not just to build, but to think.
In this episode:
How he uses AI to interview himself before building - creating rich context so the model can do its best work
Why prototyping velocity changes stakeholder conversations entirely
The cognitive load of Git, design repositories, and coding agents
What companies are actually looking for when they want someone who can take an idea and ship a finished product
And why "just because you can go fast, doesn't mean you should
Show notes:
https://www.idamadam.com (https://www.idamadam.com/)
https://critter.sh (https://critter.sh/)
https://time.com/7295195/ai-chatgpt-google-learning-school
https://theconversation.com/is-ai-hurting-your-ability-to-think-how-to-reclaim-your-brain-272834
25 Jan 2026
Designers Who Ship Code: Why Learning to Build Makes You a Better Designer
In this episode, we speak with Freya Stockman, a Product Designer at Relevance AI who transitioned from traditional design to working alongside engineers and "vibe coding". Freya shares her journey from working at a bank to joining an AI-first company where she ships code, builds features alongside engineers, and redefines what it means to be a designer in 2025/6.
We explore:
🎨 The transition from designer to AI-enabled designer and the skills that sit with that role
🔄 How to start vibe coding with proper planning and critical thinking
⚖️ The 70-20-10 rule: planning, execution, and engineering collaboration
🔗 Why a systems thinking mindset gives designers an edge with AI tools
🏗️ New fluid ways of working that blur traditional role boundaries
thinkers
🧠 Building trust and mentorship relationships with engineering teams.
At its heart, this episode is about experimentation, methodical learning, and the evolving craft of design in an AI-augmented world. Freya offers practical frameworks for designers ready to expand their capabilities beyond traditional Design activities and into code, demonstrating that adaptation — not replacement — is the real story of AI in design.
Show notes:
relevanceai (https://relevanceai.com/)
Vibe coding playbook for designers - link (https://www.notion.so/Full-Stack-Vibe-Coding-Playbook-for-Designers-267f382f03ea80a9a76ced2ca11ba939)
Get Psyched Tutoring - link (https://www.getpsychedtutoring.com/)
30 Nov 2025
The AI Literacy Reset — with Riley Coleman
AI literacy expert Riley Coleman discusses why organizations should prioritize mental models and governance to help teams adapt to an AI-enhanced world, enabling leaders to design for trust and confidence in this interview.
28 Oct 2025
Frame, Vibe, Validate: Why Creative Thinking is Your Competitive Advantage
Design innovator Gordon Candelin discusses the importance of designers understanding technical foundations and using creative thinking to maintain a competitive advantage in the age of AI in this interview.
18 Jul 2025
Agentic AI and the Executive Mindset: Designing for Amplification, Not Replacement
Ben Hoogenboom, founder of AI for Enterprise, examines the executive mindset surrounding AI adoption, focusing on its potential to amplify human capabilities rather than replace them in an interview with Justin and Tron.
9 Jul 2025
Agentic AI
tbd
6 May 2025
Exploring Ethics and Bias in AI: Critical Conversations with Kristin de la Fuente
In this episode, we speak with Kristin de la Fuente, a design specialist with over twenty years of experience, about navigating the complex world of AI indesign. Kristin shares her journey of reskilling and experimenting with generative AI, from her early digital design days to her current work exploring bias in large language models.
We explore:
The evolution of design in the AI era
Strategies for integrating AI into design workflows
Uncovering and addressing bias in large language models
The importance of ethical AI and inclusive design practices How designers can effectively experiment with and leverage AI tools
In this episode, we embrace our curiosity, continuous learning, and critical thinking in the rapidly changing landscape of AI and design. Kristin offers practical insights into how designers can thoughtfully integrate AI while maintaining human creativity and ethical awareness.
5 May 2025
From Linguistics to LLMs – Thematic’s Aliona Medelyan on Human-Centered AI, Feedback, and the Future of Design
In this episode, we speak with Aliona Medelyan, CEO of Thematic, about how AI — specifically natural language processing (NLP) — is helping organizations turn unstructured customer feedback into meaningful insights. Aliona shares her journey from computational linguistics to founding a platform that empowers teams to understand not just what customers are saying, but why.
We explore:
The evolution of NLP and large language models
How AI can analyze real customer feedback at scale
The importance of democratizing access to insights
Why understanding the “why” matters more than just the metrics
At its heart, this episode is about designing AI systems that truly listen to people, supporting more human-aware decisions across research, product, and customer experience.
28 Mar 2025
Episode 4: Reflections on AI, Design & Our Podcasting Journey
In this special reflection episode, co-hosts Justin and Taryn take a pause to look back on the first three episodes of Designing for Humans in the Loop. From experimenting with AI tools to rediscovering the irreplaceable value of critical thinking, creativity, and empathy, this candid conversation explores how AI is reshaping our work as designers and what it means to design in a time of rapid technological change.
We talk about:
What we’ve learned so far from guests like Chris and Barry
How AI is empowering (not replacing) designers
The privilege of designing in the age of intelligent tools
Personal reflections on podcasting, growth, and staying curious
Where we want to take the podcast next in 2025
Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a fellow designer, or just podcast-curious, join us for a reflective, honest, and optimistic look at the intersection of humans, design, and machines.
30 Dec 2024
Generative AI and the Future of Design with Vincent Koc
Vincent Koch is a thought leader at the intersection of AI, data, and design. As a lecturer, futurist, and former Chief Data and AI Officer, Vincent has worked with cutting-edge generative AI technologies to reshape how organisations approach design and user experiences.
In this episode, Vincent shares insights into how AI can augment human creativity, the challenges of hyper-personalisation, and the evolving role of designers in crafting user-centric experiences. He also introduces his Generative AI Compass, a framework for navigating the complexities of designing with AI.
Takeaways
- Designers play a key role in balancing user autonomy and curated experiences in AI-driven systems.
- Hyper-personalisation is both an opportunity and a challenge in creating meaningful UX.
- Generative AI tools can accelerate prototyping and expand creative possibilities.
- Synthetic user testing can augment traditional research methods to explore diverse user needs.
- Designers must act as curators to guide users through infinite choices.
- The evolving design process requires embracing experimentation and flexibility.
- Organisations need clear principles and frameworks to manage AI biases and outputs.
- Collaboration between technologists, designers, and product teams is essential for AI success.
- Ethical considerations must guide AI implementation to build trust and create value.
Tune in to discover how AI is transforming the creative process and redefining the boundaries of design.
27 Nov 2024
AI, Hyper-personalisation and Design
Welcome to Designing for Humans in the Loop, the podcast exploring the intersection of design and artificial intelligence. Hosted by Taryn D'Souza and Justin Hevey, we dive into how AI is reshaping design, transforming industries, and challenging the way we create for the future.
In this episode, we explore hyper-personalisation with Barry Saunders, Partner at MXA Consulting, a technology strategy consultancy specialising in customer experience, product strategy, and analytics. Barry shares insights on AI-driven personalisation, the evolving role of designers, and the critical balance between business, technology, and human-centred design.
Key Takeaways:
Hyper-personalisation Defined: From segmentation to advanced product recommendations, and how AI enables tailored customer experiences.
AI in Retail: Tools that accelerate content creation, improve merchandising, and enhance customer journeys through automation.
Design Challenges: Why designers must adapt traditional methods, think critically, and balance business goals with human-centred solutions.
Collaboration: The importance of cross-disciplinary teamwork, from product to marketing and data teams, for creating cohesive user experiences.
Ethical Considerations: How designers can navigate the moral complexities of emerging AI tools while leveraging their capabilities.
Join us for this thought-provoking discussion on how designers can adapt to and thrive in the rapidly changing technological landscape.
17 Sept 2024
The Role Of Design In The Evolving Landscape of AI
This episode is about The role of design in the evolving landscape of AI with our special guest, Chris Rolling.
Chris is a visionary at the intersection of AI, design, and innovation. With roots in London's creative scene and a pivotal role in launching R/GA Sydney, he found his stride at Google, where he spearheaded groundbreaking customer experiences by merging AI with human-centered design.
Now, as the founder of Dare Together, Chris is revolutionising the ethical application of AI in business. His mission: to create culturally safe AI services that boost revenue and optimise team efficiency.
Takeaways
Designers have a crucial role in shaping AI experiences.
AI can enhance the design process by augmenting creativity.
The T-shaped designer model is essential for future skills.
Collaboration with AI specialists is vital for effective design.
Ethical considerations must be at the forefront of AI design.
Designers need to be proactive in reallocating time freed by AI.
Understanding marketing is important for designers to communicate effectively.
The fundamentals of design are more important than ever in the AI landscape.
Experimentation and stepping out of comfort zones are key for designers.
AI presents an opportunity to rethink traditional design processes.
Who has been a guest on Designing for Humans in the Loop
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Riley Coleman
Gordon Candelin
Ben Hoogenboom
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
4.8 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 6 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
12
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Contact Designing for Humans in the Loop
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Designing for Humans in the Loop?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
