027: Amy Gustincic & Jay Ganaden of AIGA San Francisco

Amy Gustincic and Jay Ganaden both served as presidents of AIGA San Francisco—at different times, but with a shared passion for community, creativity, and experimentation. In this episode, they reflect on the wild ride of shaping SF’s chapter culture, from designing risk-friendly programming to redefining who AIGA is really for.From parties that made the fire marshal nervous to retreats that sparked systemic change, they share lessons in leadership, legacy, and letting your weird ideas fly. Also: ghost tours, secret code names, and what happens when a national leader shows up and gets mistaken for security.Key TakeawaysDesign is never neutral: Jay and Amy challenged who AIGA was for—and designed toward thatLet the vision be weird: AIGA SF’s best programming came from instinct, not consensusStrategy that looked like a party: San Francisco’s signature move.Lead with impact, not polish: Jay reminds us that systems work beats showmanshipMake your own template: They both pushed back on “default AIGA” in favor of community-first designKey Moments in This Episode01:05 – The earliest memories: student chapters, ghost tours, and blurry lines between volunteer and friend03:40 – Amy’s presidency: events, vibes, and pushing the SF board into its weird era06:00 – Jay’s turn: building a chapter brand that challenged national assumptions08:25 – The party as strategy: from venues that smelled like cat pee to community as curation12:40 – Fires, fire marshals, and the time Jay was mistaken for security15:50 – Retreats and realignment: translating vibes into systems18:30 – Leadership friction: why resisting default settings is part of the job21:15 – After the presidency: when impact shows up in unexpected places24:00 – Advice for future board members: don’t wait for permissionAbout Our GuestsAmy Gustincic is a designer and strategist based in the Bay Area, leading Studio Bellwether for over 15 years. She works with creative teams and organizations to articulate vision, align stakeholders, and turn possibility into reality. She also served as a past AIGA SF president, helping shape the chapter’s legacy of design-forward leadership.Jay Ganaden is an experience strategy leader and creative executive, currently at Adobe. His career spans tech, finance, and design sectors—bringing a human-centered lens to complex systems and brand experiences. A former AIGA SF president, he believes deeply in “build it yourself” community-making, and using design as a mechanism for belonging.FeaturingGuest Amy Gustincic, connect on LinkedInGuest Jay Ganaden, connect on LinkedInHost Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedInHost Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn Support the ShowTheme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic OceansProduced by Chapter 2 MediaSubscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updatesSponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop nowSponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research