Hey, welcome to Designing Up — where we dive into design leadership and the future of product design with leaders from across industries
thenuwan.substack.com (https://thenuwan.substack.com/s/designing-up?utm_medium=podcast)
Where Design Is Really Heading: AI, Craft and Careers
I’m joined by Helen Arvanitopoulos, Senior Manager of UX at Decathlon Digital.
Helen’s journey spans startups, enterprises, and digital transformation at scale. In this conversation, she shares deeply reflective thoughts on where design leadership is heading and why curiosity, authenticity, and agency are more important than ever.
What we talked about:
- How AI is reshaping design roles, from ICs to managers
- The comeback of craft and what it really means today
- Why agency matters more than tools or titles
- The truth about hiring — and why the system is broken
- What authentic design leadership looks like in 2025
Helen doesn’t sugarcoat the realities of design today — but she reminds us why staying curious, creative, and human will always matter most.
Get full access to Nuwan’s Substack at thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe (https://thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
21 Sept 2025
Leadership Lessons from Enterprise SaaS to Side Hustle Startup
In this episode, I’m joined by Rich, a SaaS veteran and founder of Flow, a productivity assistant shaped by customer insights and curiosity.
We dive into:
- Lessons from 10+ years in enterprise B2B software
- How customer success and design must partner to create products customers love
- The role of AI and analytics in shaping the future of design leadership
- Building a side hustle into a real product while working full-time
- The surprising effort behind the last 20% of great design and polish
Rich also shares practical advice for designers: how to collaborate better with product and customer success, how to influence strategy, and why empathy is a superpower.
Get full access to Nuwan’s Substack at thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe (https://thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
31 Aug 2025
Shaping Future of Design, AI, Culture & Leadership
Listen at: Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shaping-future-of-design-ai-culture-leadership/id1817934959?i=1000724249393) • Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HvmjgawRfSsCpS1WV5Sqh?si=15746a0eb5d24fa3) • YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPO0FGCM_IM)
Avi Ashkenazi is a senior director of product design at Deel (ex Shopify & Samsung), joins me to unpack what design leadership looks like when the stakes are high.
We trace his path from musician to designer, design experiences at Samsung to scaling design at Shopify and now at Deel. Avi shares why taste and being opinionated matter more than ever, how AI is reshaping research and content, and why designers must push to high-fidelity first!
You’ll learn:
* The skills that will matter most in the next 1–2 years
* How to build resilient design culture
* What great portfolios look like in the AI era
Books mentioned: Multipliers, The Creative Act
👉 Connect with Avi Ashkenazi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aviashkenazi/)
Get full access to Nuwan’s Substack at thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe (https://thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
10 Aug 2025
Design Leadership in a Changing World
n this episode, I sit down with Andrea Ramirez, head of product design & UXR at Lingoda.
Andrea’s perspective is refreshingly real: leadership isn’t about having every solution ready. It’s about asking better questions, creating space for ideas to grow and guiding teams through uncertainty with confidence.
If you’re a designer, leader, or simply curious about where our field is headed, this conversation is full of insights you can put into practice today.
Get full access to Nuwan’s Substack at thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe (https://thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
20 Jul 2025
Design Founders & Challenging Norms
Listen at:
* Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/design-founders-challenging-norms/id1817934959?i=1000718152652)
* YourTube (https://youtu.be/6xdRLL4mFSM?si=1kSodr9gT8Ksr1eb)
* Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Ce63OszLc9VKxEFnLJ78L?si=773d9507609f4eb7)
In this episode, I sat down with Sam for a deep dive into what it really means to be a design founder in today's landscape. We explore the entrepreneurial mindset that drives successful design leaders and discuss the concept of "high agency" – that crucial ability to take ownership and drive change from within.
Sam opens up about his journey in coaching and mentorship, sharing how these experiences shaped his leadership approach. We get honest about the messy reality of managing teams – from the essential skills you pick up along the way to the mistakes that teach you the most valuable lessons.
We also dig into something many designers overlook: the power of building community and developing a voice that reaches beyond your organization. Sam explains why this external presence isn't just nice-to-have, but essential for design leaders who want to make a real impact.
Finally, we tackle the big question everyone's thinking about – where is design heading? We share our perspectives on the future of our field and what it means for the next generation of design founders.
This conversation covers the stuff we rarely talk about openly, but absolutely should. Whether you're a seasoned design leader or just starting to think about the entrepreneurial side of design, there's something here for you.
Get full access to Nuwan’s Substack at thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe (https://thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
15 Jun 2025
How Technical and Creative Minds Lead Together
Listen at:
* Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-technical-and-creative-minds-lead-together/id1817934959?i=1000712962335)
* YourTube (https://youtu.be/x6TQ03LxC3U)
* Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6CvNH0RqKQgQN1IAdPHZaL?si=c2cd584f57c44e7a)
My mission is to showcase what design leadership really looks like, bring you diverse perspectives from people who've actually done it and most importantly – help you figure out your own path to get there. Every episode is designed to give you something actionable you can use in your own journey.
In this episode I was joined by Hamid Hadi, where we talk about what things engineering and design leadership roles have in common.
Get full access to Nuwan’s Substack at thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe (https://thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
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