Monsters of Design Jon Sontag & Adrian Crabtree

In this week's episode, witness the dynamic duo, Jon Sontag and brand new co-host, Adrian Crabtree, as they delve into the mysterious realm of Artificial Intelligence. Accompanied by their special guest, Jon Delman – Senior Design Manager at Workiva, they unravel the secrets of AI's impact on our careers. With his hard-earned wisdom, Delman guides us through a hopeful path for the future, emphasizing the importance of taming this technological beast. Brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride through the uncharted territories of Artificial Intelligence, where the real monsters aren't the ones hiding under your bed but the ones we create ourselves. The episode concludes with the MOD tradition of discussing favorite monsters, including the disturbing Krampus—a monster most likely created by parents determined to instill good behavior in their kids during the holidays. We hope you enjoy the show!

In this episode, Jon and Bryan call for backup to help slay, tame and love the latest monster to cross their path—MARKETAUR. Will Leivenberg, Director of Brand Marketing at YML, answers the call and helps them explore the two-way street connecting marketing and design. As they traverse that well-worn road, they shine a light on the Marketaur, identifying the unique challenges marketing a premium Silicon Valley brand to the world poses. Will brings his incisive wit to the table, detailing how his career at Bleacher Report led to a profound understanding of storytelling and identifying who your audience is, as well as unpacking the unique bond designers and marketers share today. They wrap things up by talking all things horror, sharing the most striking monsters that've been haunting and prowling their imaginations.

In this episode, Jon and Bryan have a lovely chat with Steven Sczepanik, Senior Product Designer at Headspace, about the occasionally overbearing monster: Feedback. This electrified guitar god can forget to plug the amp in from time to time, leaving us clueless about what we can do to improve. But thankfully, Steven knows how to dial in his tone with the right amount of highs, mids, and lows. He tunes us into the correct frequency for listening to and giving meaningful, heartfelt feedback. And of course, it wouldn't be the MOD POD without a fun chat about our favorite monsters at the end. Tune up, plug in, and strum along as we slay Feedback!

In this episode, Jon and Bryan have a delightful conversation with Redona Dida, Product Designer at YML, about the monster that turns us into stone: Overthinker. This Medusa-like character draws us into the void of endless thoughts, keeping us away from some much needed simplicity. Fortunately, Redona helps us untangle our thoughts, urging us to take things one at a time with patience and ease. Her ability to not only keep this monster at bay, but to embrace each thought that hisses into our ear and view them as potential solutions is amazing. We end the episode with our tradition of discussing our current favorite monsters. Now sit back, press play and help us slay Overthinker!

In this episode, Jon and Bryan chat with Adrian Crabtree, Art Director at Product Plan, about the monster with a syndrome—Imposter. This lil’ dude just wants to be loved, hugged, and encouraged to come out of his shell. Fortunately, Adrian breaks down all the things that cause this syndrome, tackling each unique facet one at a time. We chat about how failure can stem from not having the right solution to a problem, and how that keeps this monster behind the mask and active in our head. We also dig deep into Adrian's passion for frisbee golf, the color spectrum of his frisbee discs, and why he keeps a frisbee basket near his desk. Now sit back, press play and help us slay Imposter.

In this episode, Jon and Bryan chat with Laura Polkus, Creative Director at YML, about the monster that doesn’t like to quit—Overtime. It’s a hairy, overbearing beast that likes to grab hold and not let go, but with Laura’s help, we learn how to kick free and make peace with it. We talk all things productivity and self-worth while sorting through the finer points of the 40hr vs 30hr work week debate. We also chat about biophilic design, exploring various ways to bring nature into human-made spaces. Now sit back, press play and help us slay Overtime.