Design Downtime Guy Segal

It’s story time on Design Downtime, as Laura Costantino joins us to talk about their lifelong love of stories. They take us all the way back to their childhood in southern Italy, to their father's folk tales, their grandmother's wartime stories, and their aunt's classical literature narratives. Laura tells us how that interest led them to study film and eventually curate film festivals, drawing parallels between the communal experience of oral storytelling and the shared experience of watching films in theatres. Laura also explores their preference for certain genres and touches on the impact of artificial intelligence on storytelling.

Guest Bio
Laura Costantino (they/them) is a senior content designer and strategist working on AI and large language models (LLMs) at Google. For the past ten years, they have worked at the intersection of UX, content, and marketing for some of the world's largest tech companies. Laura developed a passion for storytelling early on and received a MA in Cinema Studies in San Francisco, where they worked as a curator for a range of film festivals and cultural institutions around the Bay Area. Outside of work, Laura is committed to mentoring people transitioning into UX and tech, advocating for content, and sharing advice on LinkedIn. They currently live in NYC, were born in Southern Italy, and speak both English and Italian fluently.

Links
Laura’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauracostantino/

Credits
Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Podcasting all-star Davy Fung joins us to talk about… podcasting?! He tells us how he went from being a listener to trying to create a podcast himself, and how it evolved into an ongoing creative outlet. Davy shares insights into the technical aspects of podcast creation, from equipment to editing, and reflects on how important authenticity is in building a successful podcast.


Guest Bio
Davy Fung (he/him) is a Product Design Lead, supporting the Meta Business Design System. Previously he’s been the Design Manager for Design Systems for Disney+ and Hulu. In his spare time, Davy co-hosts the Design Systems Office Hours podcast, talking about all things design systems, and LOVES COFFEE.

Links
Design System Office Hours podcast: https://officehours.systems/
Davy’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/DavyF

Credits
Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Noelle Lansford enters stage right to tell us about her love of local theatre. She takes us through her journey, starting from her high school days up to her recent involvement in community theatre, and touching along the way on her love for musicals, memorable productions, and the challenges of balancing theatre with other commitments. Noelle shares her transition from acting to backstage roles, and reflects on facing her the fear of imperfection.

Guest Bio
Noelle Lansford (she/her) is a digital product designer and design systems enthusiast. She is passionate about bridging gaps on multi-disciplinary teams from ideation to build processes. She works on AI design standards and patterns at Nationwide Insurance. In previous roles, Noelle has led design systems everywhere from a Fortune 500 SaaS company to a Series A startup. Noelle is passionate about learning and coaching others on their own journey into tech. After teaching and writing web design courses for her alma mater, Noelle has become a presenter and thought leader in the design systems community.
Noelle lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and bearded dragon, where she enjoys exploring the city and the outdoors. Outside of work, Noelle has rekindled her high-school passion for theatre in the Columbus scene, meeting new people both on stage and behind the curtain.

Links
Noelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noellelansford/
Noelle’s site: https://www.noellelansford.com/

Credits
Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Joining us on the field is Taylor Cashdan, who’s here to tell us about his love for sandlot baseball. Taylor talks about the approachability of the sport, how inclusive it is, and how he was drawn to the community aspect of it. He touches on the challenges of maintaining a casual and fun atmosphere while accommodating players of varying skill levels, and the rituals and preparations involved on game days. Taylor highlights how he’s grown through sandlot baseball, which he sees as an opportunity for making connections beyond the realm of work.

Guest Bio
Taylor Cashdan (he/him) is a North Carolina-based multidisciplinary creative and community builder that’s passionate about people, design, and all the intersections in between. He has a burning desire to collaborate with others to create exceptional work for people who give a shit.
With nearly a decade’s worth of experience, Taylor currently spends his workdays leading the next evolution of the Mayo Clinic’s design system program. Previous roles include a variety of in-house positions within the management consulting realm, ad-tech, and HBO all focusing on brand and marketing maturation, as well as leading fintech UX projects, contributing to and consulting for established design systems, and leading design standardization and operations efforts.

Links
Carolina Sandlot Collective: https://www.carolinasandlotcollective.com/
Neuse River Nine: https://neuse-river-nine.square.site/
Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-cashdan-7720b442
Taylor on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/taylorcashdan
Taylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorcashdan/

Credits
Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Mordechai Hammer joins us to talk about the world of improv comedy. He talks about his journey into learning and practicing improv, joining a local troupe, taking classes, and performing on stage. Mordechai explores the building blocks of improv, such as the importance of making bold choices or building trust with fellow performers, and reflects on how far he’s come, as well as what skills he’s still working on.

Guest Bio
Originally from Los Angeles, Mordechai Hammer (he/him) graduated from Santa Monica College with a Bachelor’s in Interaction Design. After a stint as a Motion Graphics designer in the entertainment industry, he discovered his true passion — design systems. As a child of deaf adults and a former sighted guide, his work is rooted in a drive for inclusive, accessible design that works for all. In his current role as a Product Designer on the Design Systems team at Lyft, he’s grateful to be surrounded by people who share those values.
He is also an avid teacher, running Figma workshops at California State University Long Beach, as well as internally at Lyft. There’s nothing that brings him more joy than sharing knowledge with his peers. In his spare time, Mordechai just finished taking a woodworking class, which was decidedly not his thing. You’re equally likely to find him hosting his weekly trivia game or on a hike with his wife and pup.

Links
The Idiot Box Comedy Club: https://www.idiotboxers.com/
Mordechai on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/_mordechai
Mordechai’s site: https://www.mordechai.design/

Credits
Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Ben Callahan shares his journey and passion for coffee, a fascination that began in childhood. This curiosity led him to explore the science behind coffee preparation, and his quest for the perfect cup of coffee led him to experiment with various brewing methods, equipment, and even water quality. Throughout the conversation, Ben emphasizes his love for sharing coffee with others and his enjoyment of both the ritualistic and authentic aspects of coffee culture, highlighting his deep passion, continuous learning, and exploration within that world.

Guest Bio
Ben Callahan (he/him) founded Sparkbox in 2009 with a mission to build a better web. He has helped lead and grow the organization while they work alongside clients like Gap, The Oklahoma City Thunder, and Stanford University. He’s focused his energy most recently on developing a maturity model for design systems, articulating the anatomy of design systems, and chronicling his findings about workplace culture in the tech space. When not knee-deep in these explorations with others, Ben is a father, partner, poet, and home barista. His personal motto is, “Stay in learning mode” and this helps him to remember that every interaction is an opportunity to grow.

Links
Espresso Vivace: https://espressovivace.com/
Bialette Moka Express: https://www.bialetti.com/it_en/moka-express.html
Hario v60: https://www.hario-usa.com/products/v60-coffee-dripper-02-ceramic
Kalita Wave flat bottom brewer: https://kalitausa.com/collections/waves-series
Flair Lever Espresso Maker: https://flairespresso.com/
Bellman Stovetop Steamer: https://bellmanespresso.com/products/bellman-stovetop-steamer-50ss
Comandante hand grinders: https://www.comandantegrinder.com/
Niche coffee grinder: https://www.nichecoffee.co.uk/
Fellow Opus grinder: https://fellowproducts.com/products/opus-coffee-grinder?variant=41510665715812
Acaia coffee scales: https://acaia.co/collections/coffee-scales
PRESS Coffee in Dayton Ohio: https://www.pressdayton.com/
Wood Burl Coffee Roasters in Dayton Ohio: https://www.woodburlcoffee.com/
Ben’s site: bencallahan.com
Ben’s company: sparkbox.com

Credits
Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.