Design Discipline

Skip is a clinical psychologist and pioneering researcher in virtual reality (VR) for mental health and rehabilitation. He is a research professor at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, where he has led the development of immersive simulations for therapy, training, and cognitive assessment.His work focuses on using VR to treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, autism, and anxiety disorders. One of his most recognized contributions is Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan, a VR exposure therapy system used to help veterans process combat trauma.Rizzo’s career is defined by merging psychology, neuroscience, and immersive technology to create clinically validated tools that improve mental health outcomes. He is widely regarded as one of the key figures who established VR as a legitimate therapeutic medium.AffiliatesThese are products we personally use and recommend.* Framer: build websites, the easy way* Rize: magically track everything you do* Color AI: generate meaningful color palettes* Sublime: turn ideas into worlds of inspirationSkip on LinkedIn | USC This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Sean is best known as the founder and creative force behind The Waldorf Project, an ongoing experimental art platform launched in 2012 that has gained international recognition for pushing the limits of immersive and participatory experience.Through The Waldorf Project, Sean has conceived and directed large-scale, radical performance environments often described as “empathy engineering” experiments. These works dissolve the boundary between audience and performer, combining ritual, architecture, sound, choreography, and psychological framing to explore connection, vulnerability, and collective consciousness. The project has been realised worldwide, involving over 5,000 participants in Thailand and a high-altitude performance for 400 people aboard a Lufthansa flight, an unprecedented context for live immersive art.As a natural continuation of The Waldorf Project, Sean expanded his practice into virtual reality with Virtual Serenity, translating his principles of collective experience into a large-scale XR environment. Conceived as one of the most ambitious location-based VR empathy experiments to date, Virtual Serenity enabled up to 288 participants to share a synchronized virtual journey, extending Sean’s exploration of presence, emotional resonance, and shared human states into the digital realm.AffiliatesThese are products we personally use and recommend.* Framer: build websites, the easy way* Rize: magically track everything you do* Color AI: generate meaningful color palettes* Sublime: turn ideas into worlds of inspirationSean on LinkedIn | Waldorf Project| Waldorf Project on Instagram This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Mila is the founder of Decima Longevity, a venture focused on making regenerative and longevity medicine transparent, ethical, and human-centered rather than opaque and elite.Her work in longevity centers on translating complex fields such as cell therapies into systems people can understand, trust, and navigate.She founded her first company at the age of 22, building a software-driven business for collaborative 3D/4D/5D workflows in design and construction. That early venture bridged architecture, technology, and large-scale production, serving both infrastructure projects and high-end creative studios. Her career shows a consistent pattern: entering complex industries and restructuring them through clarity, aesthetics, and system-level thinking.AffiliatesThese are products we personally use and recommend.* Framer: build websites, the easy way* Rize: magically track everything you do* Color AI: generate meaningful color palettes* Sublime: turn ideas into worlds of inspirationMila on LinkedIn | Decima Longevity | Le Chacuel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Carl Rivera became Shopify’s Chief Design Officer in 2025, reinstating a design leadership position that was dormant at the company since the departure of its founding designer.Earlier in his career, Carl co-founded Tictail, the Stockholm-based social shopping platform and marketplace known for its design. Shopify acquired Tictail in 2018, bringing Carl into the organization. He has since held product leadership positions at Shopify, where he led major initiatives serving millions.AffiliatesThese are products we personally use and recommend.* Framer: build websites, the easy way* Rize: magically track everything you do* Color AI: generate meaningful color palettes* Sublime: turn ideas into worlds of inspirationBooks from the conversation* The Bhagavad Gita* The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell* The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious by Carl G. Jung* How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian ShaughnessyCarl on LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Adrian Shaughnessy is a British graphic designer, writer, and educator, best known for bridging design practice with critical thought. A self-taught creative, he co-founded the influential studio Intro and later the publishing imprint Unit Editions, producing landmark works on design culture. His 2005 book How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul remains a favorite worldwide. Adrian teaches at the Visual Communication program of the Royal College of Art in London as an associate lecturer. He has contributed essays, critiques and editorial work across major design publications, and under Unit Editions has published monographs on figures such as Herb Lubalin, Ken Garland, Lance Wyman, and Paula Scher. Visit our sponsors:* Framer: build websites, the easy way* Rize: magically track everything you do* Color AI: generate meaningful colour palettes* Sublime: turn ideas into worlds of inspirationFrom the conversation:* Graphic Design: A User’s Manual by Adrian Shaughnessy* Herb Lubalin: American Graphic Designer by Unit Editions* How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy* Manuals 2: Design & Identity Guidelines by Unit Editions* Paula Scher: Works by Unit Editions* Pentagram: Living by Design by Unit Editions* Studio Culture Now by Unit Editions* What is a Designer: Things, Places, Message by Norman Potteruniteditions.com | x.com/AJWShaughnessy | shaughnessyworks-prints.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Sari Azout is the founder of Sublime, the knowledge management tool designed to spark creativity. She was previously a partner at Level Ventures, head of strategy at Rokk3r Labs, and co-founder of Bib and Tuck, a curated community for pre-owned fashion.Sari is an active thought leader in the spaces of creative work and AI productivity. She has spoken on how to be un-LLM-able at the Sana AI Summit in Stockholm; and written about about how creativity is the new currency of success, how storytelling is the most differentiating business skill of the 21st century, and how we can use AI to expand our creativity and our humanity.Sublime’s latest release Whoa, Vol. 2: Conversations on AI × Creativity features in-depth conversations with original thinkers, including Seth Godin, David Perell, Venkatesh Rao, Seth Godin, and Substack’s head of design Mills Baker.Visit our sponsors:* Framer: build websites, the easy way* Rize: magically track everything you do* Color AI: generate meaningful color palettes* Sublime: turn ideas into worlds of inspirationFrom the conversation:* Being and Time by Martin Heidegger* Phenomenology of Perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty* Tom Ford by Tom Ford* Ralph Lauren: A Way of Living by Ralph Lauren* Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig* The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing by Adam Moss* God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning by Meghan O'Gieblyn* The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present by Byung-Chul Hansublime.app | x.com/sariazout This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Weber Wong is founder and CEO of FLORA: a powerful AI canvas, built specifically for creative work. The New York-based startup has raised more than $6 million, and built tooling that is loved by creatives at top studios like Pentagram, Instrument, and MSCHF.Weber has a background with diverse experiences spanning venture capital, investment banking, poetry, history, and more recently, studies on interactive art at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. We discussed how these experiences shaped his approach to building one of the most exciting startups in the space of design and creative work today; and his unique perspective on the present and the future of design.Get 50% off FLORA’s Pro Tier with code: DESIGNDISCIPLINEVisit our sponsors:* Framer: build websites, the easy way* Rize: magically track everything you do* Color AI: generate meaningful color palettes* Sublime: turn ideas into worlds of inspirationFrom the conversation:* Strategy by Lawrence Freedman* Innovators by Walter Isaacson* Source Code: My Beginnings by Bill Gates * Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight* The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro* Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle by Matthew Symonds* Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech* Dieter Rams: The Complete Works by Klaus Klemp* Hiroshi Fujiwara: Fragment* Hiroshi Fujiwara: Fragment #2* Digital Art: 1960s to Now by Pita Arreolaflorafauna.ai | x.com/weberwongwong This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Andres is a designer and founder based in San Antonio, TX.He has practiced design for more than 12 years and experienced multiple success stories in his career, including tenure at 2 technology startups that were acquired.Currently Andres runs multiple ventures, all sharing a foundation of design. He is founder and creative director of ALL HANDS, the design studio that continues his practice of leading visual identity and product design. He also runs the SAFEHOUSE membership lounge in San Antonio.Connect with Andresx.com/andresjasso | instagram/@andresjasso | linkedin/andresjassoSupported by:* Color AI: Generate meaningful color palettes with cultural references* Design Discipline Bookstore: designer books and accoutrements This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Rob is a South African web designer and creator who runs One Page Love and hosts the Yo! Podcast.He’s currently working full-time on his self-owned portfolio of internet businesses after a decade freelancing. When he’s not building online he loves to surf, travel and listen to 90s punk rock.Products from the Conversation* 7 Rules of Power by Jeffrey Pfeffer* Anything You Want by Derek Sivers* Build To Last by Jim Collins* Good To Great by Jim Collins* Great By Choice by Jim Collins* Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling* How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie* Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t by Jeffrey Pfeffer* The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph CampbellConnect with Robrobhope.com | onepagelove.com | yo.fm | x.com/robhopeSupported by:* Color AI: Generate meaningful color palettes with cultural references This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Anthony is a user interface designer. He is a self-taught expert on visual design and interaction design. He is also a teacher and explorer in the world of design, through his many side projects, including but not limited to more than 50 articles and 6 books.Anthony has created so many of these resources, that I believe you can actually dive into his website (https://anthonyhobday.com) as a beginner, and emerge after a few weeks of reading as a competent designer, ready to create highly functional user interfaces.In the field of interface design, Anthony is one of the top thinkers in the world today. In this episode, we look into his world, the world of an expert designer and design thinker. I’m gonna ask him about what drove him to acquire such a high level of expertise, the opportunities and costs of being an expert, and his thoughts on the craft and business of interface design.Visit: https://www.designdisciplin.com/p/anthony-hobday This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Alex is the production designer for Fight Club, Minority Report, The Crow, Watchmen, The Terminal, and Man of SteelVisit: https://designdisciplin.com/alex-mcdowell This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Bengi is the co-CEO of ATÖLYE and formerly studio director and head of creative innovation and design at Deloitte DigitalVisit: http://designdisciplin.com/bengi-turgan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Jake is Senior Manager of Digital Technologies at Adidas and co-founder of career consulting firm Out of ArchitectureVisit: http://designdisciplin.com/jake-rudin This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Fabian is a Swedish graphic designer known for his logo workVisit: http://designdisciplin.com/fabian-arbor This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

How to make the most out of your experience as a digital nomadVisit: https://www.designdisciplin.com/designers-guide-to-remote-work/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

The only way to experience an experience is to experience itVisit: https://www.designdisciplin.com/the-secret-to-great-design/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Ron is professor of design at Simon Fraser University and Eindhoven University of TechnologyVisit: https://www.designdisciplin.com/ron/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Irmak is Director of Digital Design at Reuters, and formerly at The Wall Street Journal, Sony Music, Atlantic Records, Puma, Adidas, and CNN InternationalVisit: https://www.designdisciplin.com/irmak/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Research through design is a way of doing academic research with hands-on design workVisit: https://www.designdisciplin.com/rtd-origin/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Timmy is Innovation Lead at Volvo Cars, and Carlos is an AI and XR entrepreneurVisit: https://www.designdisciplin.com/oia/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Office of Possibilities creates objects and spaces based on well-informed strategic ideasVisit: https://designdisciplin.com/op This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

April Dunford spent 25 years running marketing, product, and sales teams as a startup executiveVisit: https://designdisciplin.com/april-dunford This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

HCI is the branch of computer science that builds on social sciences and humanitiesVisit: https://designdisciplin.com/p/hci-profession This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Martin is an ethical sales coach and former monkVisit: https://designdisciplin.com/martin-stellar This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Jofish has been Research Scientist at Mozilla, Yahoo, Nokia, Microsoft Research, Cornell, and MITVisit: https://designdisciplin.com/jofish-kaye This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Design Thinking is a religion with two core beliefs: Design can solve all problems, and design can be done by all people.Visit: https://designdisciplin.com/p/the-story-of-design-thinking This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Erik is professor of design at Indiana University Bloomington and Umeå UniversityVisit: https://designdisciplin.com/erik-stolterman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Design research has 3 faces: research for, into, and through designVisit: https://designdisciplin.com/the-three-faces-of-design-research This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Håkan is a musician, artist, designer, and founder of the Rumtiden Idea Lab in StockholmVisit: http://designdisciplin.com/hakan-lidbo This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Design involves two activities: picking problems and solving themVisit: http://designdisciplin.com/strategy-and-tactics-in-design This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe

Carl-Johan is co-founder of the Swedish design studio Lundgren+LindqvistVisit: http://designdisciplin.com/carl-johan-lindqvist/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designdisciplin.com/subscribe