Design Executive Council Podcast
by Gordon Ching
Design Executive Council Podcast is where the sharpest minds in strategic design leadership converge to tackle the industry's most pressing challenges. From strategy, ethics, policy to the evolving role of design in business, we dive deep into the forces shaping the future. We go beyond the headlines to explore the impact of design on technology, business, and humanity. Tune in every other week for candid discussions with top design executives, led by curiosity, insight, and a passion for shaping what’s next.
Episodes
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Rethinking Experience Management with Real-Time Intelligence
We’ve entered an age where experiences are no longer designed in cycles - they unfold in real time. In this episode, Gordon Ching sits down with Jeff Gelfuso, SVP, Chief Product and Experience Officer at Qualtrics, to explore how AI and real-time intelligence are reshaping experience management....
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Creative Amplification: AI as empowerment over displacement
AI should not be measured by how fast it can be deployed, but by the trust it builds and the creativity it amplifies. In this episode of the Design Executive Outlook on Enterprise AI series, our founder and CEO, Gordon Ching, sits down with Eric Snowden, SVP of Design at Adobe. Eric shares how...
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Designing Net Positive Futures in the Age of Intelligence
AI represents a paradigm shift as profound as the Industrial Revolution, only unfolding at unprecedented speed. In this episode of the Design Executive Outlook on Enterprise AI series, our founder and CEO, Gordon Ching, sits down with Benedikt Lehnert, Entrepreneurship and Design Fellow at...
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Reclaiming Time, and Elevating Craft: Designing for the Intelligence Era
AI is not incremental; it’s expansive. It demands that we treat it as a redefinition of experience, not just a tool for automation. In this episode of the Design Executive Outlook on Enterprise AI series, our founder and CEO, Gordon Ching, sits down with Christina Vallery, Chief Design Officer at...
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Responsible AI Starts with Literacy: Knowing What’s Ours, What’s the Machine’s
What are humans uniquely good at, and where do machines excel? For Kurt Walecki, Fmr. GM & SVP of Design at Intuit, with over 30 years of experience, this is the defining question of the AI era. In this episode of the Design Executive Outlook on Enterprise AI series, Kurt shares how successful...
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Treating AI as Material, Not Magic: Fostering Meaningful Application of AI in Business
How can businesses leverage AI as a material whose true value emerges when applied to real business problems, and not simply magic? n this episode of the Design Executive Outlook on Enterprise AI series, Gordon Ching sits down with Matthew Holloway, Global Head of Design at SnapLogic, to explore…
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Weaving what’s Human in AI Patterns: Balancing Technology with Humanity
We often reduce artificial intelligence to two letters: AI. But what about the intelligence behind the artificial? In this episode of the Design Executive Podcast, Gordon Ching is joined by Dan Makoski, Chief Design Advisor & Fmr. Chief Design Officer at UnitedHealth Group, who reframes the AI...
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Bridging AI Vision and Reality: Idealized vs Practical Implementations of AI
AI is not the answer; it's a tool. In this episode of the Design Executive Podcast, Gordon Ching is joined by Andy Vitale, VP, Head of Product Design at Taxwell, to explore how AI is reshaping product, design, and business strategy. They examine the hype surrounding artificial intelligence. While...
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Designing at Every Altitude: How Board Insight and Operational Depth Shape Impactful Design Leadership
What does it take to lead at every altitude of design? In this episode, our Founder and CEO, Gordon Ching, sits down with Jyoti Shukla, SVP of Experience Design at SiriusXM Pandora and board member at KEXP, to explore the dual nature of modern design leadership. From steering strategic...
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Escaping the AI Vortex: Use-cases Over Hype
In this episode, host Gordon Ching is joined by Suzanne Pellican, Kaaren Hanson, and Benedikt Lehnert to unpack what it really takes to lead through change, from the mobile shift to the AI era. We reflect on past tactics like immersive scavenger hunts during the mobile transition and contrast…
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Design Jobs in Evolution: Understanding the Pressure Points Facing Design Teams
Design roles are evolving—shaped by new tools, shifting team dynamics, and rising expectations for strategic impact. From junior designers to CDOs, the skills required are expanding beyond execution towards systems thinking and business fluency. In this episode, Kaaren Hanson and Benedikt Lehnert...
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The Judgment Dilemma: AI, Speed, and What We Might Lose
In a world where speed and efficiency dominate, how can we keep creativity, critical thinking, and quality design at the forefront? Join Kaaren Hanson, Benedikt Lehnert, and host Gordon Ching as they explore how design leaders can foster creativity, sharpen judgment, and balance efficiency with...
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The Convenience Trap: Are Design Leaders Delegating Too Much to AI?
This week on Capital D, we reconvene on the Design Executive Council stage with design leaders Benedikt Lehnert and Kaaren Hanson joined by our host, Gordon Ching, Founder and CEO of the Design Executive Council, to explore the human impact of design. In this episode, we examine the growing role…
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Designing with Intelligence: Exploring the Evolving Human Experience and Artificial Intelligence
In this pilot episode, design leaders Benedikt Lehnert and Kaaren Hanson join our host, Gordon Ching, Founder and CEO of the Design Executive Council, to dive into the human consequences of design decisions, the struggle with meaningful metrics, and how to bring more order and harmony to...
About this show
Design Executive Council Podcast is where the sharpest minds in strategic design leadership converge to tackle the industry's most pressing challenges. From strategy, ethics, policy to the evolving role of design in business, we dive deep into the forces shaping the future. We go beyond the headlines to explore the impact of design on technology, business, and humanity. Tune in every other week for candid discussions with top design executives, led by curiosity, insight, and a passion for shaping what’s next.
Hosted by
Gordon Ching