the deeply human design podcast

Danny Hearn
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Deeply Human Design is a podcast about the emotional, messy, and often unspoken realities of working in design. Hosted by Danny, each episode is a candid conversation with fellow designers. Not polished interviews, but honest reflections on what it feels like to do this work. From impostor syndrome to burnout, from proud moments to tough rejections, we go behind the scenes of the design life. If you're tired of the same thought leaders and crave real talk from real people, you're in the right place.

  1. #16 Innovation is messy: Navigating chaos & resilience | Sienne Veit

    FEB 8

    #16 Innovation is messy: Navigating chaos & resilience | Sienne Veit

    “There are many, many things that AI can do, AI cannot dream, it cannot truly create, and it cannot think. And I just think the random messiness of the human spirit is just so perfect for creativity.” SummaryIn this episode, we dive into the career of Sienne Veit, a leader who has consistently operated at the "pointy end" of innovation. We explore her journey from studying linguistics and journalism in South Africa to spearheading the first transactional mobile website for Marks & Spencer during the dawn of the iPhone era. Throughout our conversation, we discuss the art of navigating corporate "no’s" by building resilient teams and maintaining an experimental mindset. We reflect on the importance of serendipity in the workplace and why "human messiness" remains our greatest advantage in an AI-driven future. Together, we uncover how a high tolerance for chaos and a commitment to solving real-world problems can transform enterprise design. GuestSienne Veit LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienneveit/ HostDanny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/ Website – www.dannyhearn.me Podcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com Chapters00:00 The Human Spirit vs. AI 01:29 From Lecturer to Product Leader: A Weavy Journey 04:19 Linguistics: The Foundation of Meaning and HCI 07:43 Early Mobile Adoption: From WAP to South African Banking 10:49 Sony and the Cusp of the iPhone Revolution 12:12 Building M&S’s First Mobile Transactional Site 15:01 Early Failures: QR Codes and Text-Based Loyalty 17:25 Abandoning Wireframes for Pure Design 20:36 Loving the Unknown and Multi-disciplinary Teams 23:47 The "Shit Umbrella": Protecting Team Creativity 29:29 High Tolerance for Chaos and the Capacity to Reset 34:59 Breaking Down Certainty for Stakeholders 41:56 Diversity in Tech: From "Only Woman in the Room" to STEM 44:33 Remote vs. Relational Culture: Cracking the Team Bond 47:53 Meeting Barack Obama in Sao Paulo 51:45 The Future of the Craft: Why AI Can't Dream

    57 min
  2. #15 Trauma, relationships & social health in design | Alla Weinberg

    JAN 7

    #15 Trauma, relationships & social health in design | Alla Weinberg

    “The quality of our relationships is the only factor linked to how long we live — and how well we live.” SummaryIn this episode, Alla Weinberg and I explore psychological safety, workplace culture, and why the quality of our relationships shapes not just how we work, but how we live. Alla shares her 20-year journey through the design industry — from information architecture to coaching — and the lived experiences that led her to write A Culture of Safety. We talk about toxic and “too nice” cultures, the pressure to “crank out” design, how unsafe environments shut down our ability to think, and what leaders can do to model honesty with kindness. We also look ahead to the AI era and why Alla is building a social health organization to help people rebuild connection, community, and human-centered ways of working. GuestAlla WeinbergWebsite - https://thisisharmonic.com/ Fourpercent - https://www.fourpercent.org/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/allaweinberg/ HostDanny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/Website – www.dannyhearn.mePodcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com Chapters00:00 Social health, relationships, and what the research suggests00:40 Alla’s journey through design — and why she turned to coaching04:35 Lived experiences of unsafe culture and “crank it out” design pressure09:20 What toxic work really communicates about people vs. profit12:34 Hope vs. reality: why design evangelism rarely shifts power15:14 Building a social health organisation and what it’s for20:16 What healthy relational culture looks like (skills, repair, honesty)22:52 Transactional vs. relational culture — especially in remote work34:53 Mental health, trauma, and how unsafe leadership shuts us down47:03 AI, the erosion of humanity, and choosing a different future

    50 min
  3. #14 Design, craft and optimism for changing times | James Box

    12/26/2025

    #14 Design, craft and optimism for changing times | James Box

    “What would it take for design to have its vinyl moment — and reclaim its power beyond JIRA tickets and design systems?” Summary In this episode, Danny sits down with James Box, designer, author, and co-founder of Berst - to talk about the changing shape of design careers, the realities of agency vs. product team life, and why so many designers feel trapped in “mechanistic” delivery work. James reflects on his years at ClearLeft, the culture of autonomy and learning that shaped his practice, and the role of communication and uncertainty in good design. They explore Berst’s work with startups and scale-ups, including experiments with equity-based engagements, and discuss how innovation can get dampened as companies grow. The conversation turns to AI: how it’s collapsing the gap between insight and delivery, what “AI-native” products feel like, and why designers need to hold both optimism and skepticism at once. James closes with a hopeful challenge, for designers to embrace entrepreneurship, use new tools to tackle bigger problems, and help design rediscover what it’s uniquely good at. Guest James Box Berst - https://ber.st/ LinkedIN – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbox/ Website - https://jamesbox.me/ Host Danny Hearn LinkedIN – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/ Website – www.dannyhearn.me Podcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com Chapters 00:00 Design careers, JIRA tickets, and the fear of “factory design” 01:21 James Box’s journey: agency roots, entrepreneurship, and writing a UX book 03:52 T-shaped designers and the overlooked skill of defining the real problem 06:36 What consulting forces you to learn: adaptability + communication 08:14 Divergence vs. convergence in modern product teams 09:18 Why the agency path is disappearing — and what that means for new designers 10:18 What made ClearLeft distinctive: UX, community, events, and products 13:18 Pace, autonomy, and the “jet engine” feel of agency work 14:38 Intimidation, improvisation, and learning culture in early ClearLeft days 16:14 Anxiety and uncertainty as part of the designer’s job 21:46 A remembered moment: finding rhythm, flow, and ownership in delivery 23:59 The “black hat” approach: leaning into fears to surface truths and mitigate risk 26:57 Scale-ups and the loss of innovation energy as teams operationalise 30:07 Why “the job isn’t done” after product-market fit 32:14 Equity work with startups: incentives, “skin in the game,” and the reality check 35:58 Why the VC-style equity model doesn’t easily work for studios long-term 38:31 Keeping work close to founders and C-suite to protect impact 39:41 Optimism as a designer’s grounding belief — and how it differs from naïveté 44:09 AI as unprecedented tech: holding risks and benefits at once 47:09 Danny’s dual view: macro anxiety, micro empowerment, and moving fast with agents 51:38 “AI-native” experiences and the stages from tool → assistant → peer 56:39 Copilot Studio, enterprise adoption, and the coming wave of internal agents 1:00:50 Why problem framing still matters most, even as delivery speed collapses 1:02:39 James’s concern: shrinking design impact — and the “vinyl moment” hope 1:06:03 Designing for entrepreneurship, invention, and meaningful progress 1:07:02 Closing: Merry Christmas and the future of design

    1h 8m
  4. #13 Peak designer, AI, uncertainty and what’s next | Andy Budd

    12/02/2025

    #13 Peak designer, AI, uncertainty and what’s next | Andy Budd

    "As soon as tools exist that don’t require Figma’s learning curve, a very large number of designers will find themselves out of work" SummaryToday I’m sharing a wide-open, deeply honest conversation with Andy Budd — designer, founder, conference creator, coach, investor, and one of the most quietly influential forces behind the UK design and product community. If you’ve worked in UX anytime in the last two decades, you’ve almost certainly felt Andy’s impact: Clearleft, UX London, dConstruct, Leading Design, CSS Mastery, the Brighton Digital Festival… the list is long for a reason. In this episode, we dig into the questions so many designers are quietly wrestling with; Have we already passed “peak designer”? And what does a meaningful, sustainable design career look like on the other side? We explore why 2020–21 marked the high-water point for UX hiring, how AI and automation are reshaping the work, and why “Figma operator culture” was always a dead end. Andy maps the design chaos from identity crisis many designers are feeling, the discomfort of reinvention, and why embracing uncertainty is now a core skill. We also journey through his experiences with the early web, Clearleft, building communities, leadership — and the ongoing search for new personal S-curves. If you’re feeling energised, anxious, confused, optimistic (or all of the above) about where design is heading, this one will resonate deeply. GuestAndy BuddLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybudd/Website – https://andybudd.com/Book – https://andybudd.com/bookWebsite – https://seedcamp.com/ HostDanny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/Website – www.dannyhearn.mePodcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com Chapters00:00 Have We Reached “Peak Designer”? The Hiring Boom and Slowdown01:08 Introducing Andy — Designer, Founder, Investor, Pilot, Diver, “Shark Wrangler”01:42 Origin Story — Geeky Kid, Early Web, and Falling in Love with the Internet04:35 From Dive Instructor in Asia to Self-Taught Web Designer07:26 Discovering UX and Helping Bring User Experience Design to the UK10:34 Meeting Rich and Jeremy, Web Standards, and the Birth of Clearleft18:43 Inside Clearleft — Culture, Community, and a Different Way to Run an Agency22:15 Burberry, “Hyper-Alignment,” and How Clearleft Actually Worked Day to Day32:24 UX London, Leading Design, and the “Accidental Design Leader”47:16 Broken Web, AI, the Future of Design — S-Curves, Uncertainty, and Learning to Flow

    1h 9m
  5. #12 Champagne and razor blades: Inside design recruitment

    11/24/2025

    #12 Champagne and razor blades: Inside design recruitment

    “What does it mean to recruit in a turbulent UX market — and where is the industry heading?” SummaryIn this episode, Danny speaks with long-time UX and design recruiter Nick Grantham about the realities of today’s hiring landscape. Nick shares his journey from studying design to becoming a specialist design recruiter, the emotional side of matchmaking candidates and teams, and why the last few years have reshaped expectations for designers, hiring managers, and recruiters alike. They discuss the impact of interest rates, AI, internal talent teams, CV myths, candidate overwhelm, and how to stay resilient while navigating a challenging market. Nick brings clarity, honesty, and grounded optimism to a conversation many designers need right now. GuestNick GranthamNick is an Associate Director at Zebra People, who are a long-standing, digital specialist recruitment agency. Nick himself has been leading UX and product design recruitment across start-ups, scale-ups, and major brands for the past 15 years. With deep experience shaping design teams and advising on hiring strategy, Nick brings a no-nonsense approach to his trade and had even started his career in design before switching to recruitment. LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickgrantham/Website – https://zebrapeople.com/ HostDanny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/ Website – www.dannyhearn.me Podcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com Chapters00:00 Why bring a recruiter into a design podcast02:02 Nick’s journey from transport design to UX recruitment08:27 What recruiters actually do (and how matchmaking really works)10:14 The human side of recruitment, emotions, and life-changing moves13:51 “Champagne and razor blades”: the highs and lows of placements23:22 Why this downturn feels different: interest rates, budgets, and AI30:21 Adapting as a designer: UX, product, research, and service design35:26 Specialising, doubling down on strengths, and applying strategically38:33 Tasks, process design, and the impact on diversity and inclusion54:17 The future of recruitment, AI, and cautious optimism for the market

    1 hr
  6. #11 No rules, just purpose, passion, luck & community

    11/08/2025

    #11 No rules, just purpose, passion, luck & community

    What happens when creativity, community, and technology collide? SummaryIn this episode, I catch up with Sol Rogers, my old next-door neighbour from Totnes who’s now the Global Director of Innovation at Magnopus and founder of the award-winning immersive studio Rewind. Sol’s career has spanned VR, film, and emerging tech for Disney, Jaguar, and Meta, and he’s earned an honorary doctorate for his impact on the industry. We talk about his unconventional start as a new-age traveller, the realities of success, ADHD, fatherhood, and what it means to build communities that truly support people. Sol shares stories of breakthroughs, burnout, and staying grounded in a fast-moving world — including how a VR demo for Jaguar unexpectedly reshaped car design. A thoughtful, open conversation about creativity, purpose, and time. GuestDr Solomon RogersLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/solrogers/Magnopus – https://www.magnopus.com/ HostDanny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/Website – www.dannyhearn.mePodcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com Chapters00:00 Childhood Connections and Early Influences03:41 Career Journey and Professional Achievements06:34 Defining Success: Personal Perspectives09:29 The Role of Community in Personal Growth12:31 Navigating Privilege and Opportunity15:11 The Impact of ADHD on Life and Work18:23 Building a Culture of Community in Business21:09 The Intersection of Friendship and Leadership34:05 The Emotional Complexity of Team Dynamics36:43 Navigating Business Challenges and Personal Growth40:08 The Intersection of Technology and Design46:36 The Evolution of Virtual Reality in Automotive Design50:41 The Future of Digital Twins and Immersive Experiences56:46 Cultivating Healthy Relationships with Technology

    1h 4m
  7. #10 Systems, stories, and staying human in design

    11/01/2025

    #10 Systems, stories, and staying human in design

    “What happens when design grows up?” SummaryIn this episode, Julia and I explore what happens when design grows up — as systems thinking, organisational politics, and industry shifts reshape what it means to do meaningful work. Julia Petretta, an experienced Product Design Leader, has shaped digital experiences across startups and global consultancies — from Welltech and Plum to Accenture, Infinity Works, and Meta’s Oversight Board. With a background spanning UX, service design, and strategy, they’ve led teams, built design practices, and driven AI-powered, user-centred innovation across complex products and services. We talk about finding your voice, designing relationships (not just interfaces), and challenging the myth that design always “makes the world better.” From the disintegration of UX to the rise of product thinking, it’s an honest look at where our craft stands — and how to stay grounded through art, nature, and reflection. GuestJulia Petretta – LinkedIN Dave Stewart — The Work Is Never Just the WorkBasecamp — https://basecamp.com/shapeup https://medium.com/design-bootcamp/thinking-paradigms-in-ux-feec562324ee (systems thinking in design)HostDanny Hearn – linkedIN Chapters00:00 Intro + the “design helps people” myth01:01 Finding a voice on stage07:37 Systems thinking (interrelated parts & loops)12:16 Why product: constraints that focus the work16:47 NHS co-design example (multi-actor journey mapping)21:05 Monday-morning application: boundaries & x-functional views25:26 Culture/politics: hard conversations vs quick fixes31:40 Industry shifts & AI waves37:05 Airbnb ripple effects, scale distortion & reviews42:22 Generalists, Figma polish, and AI “taste”48:05 Cautious hope: shaping from the inside49:13 Grounding practices: dog, nature, yoga, art

    57 min
  8. #9 Searching for meaning : In conversation with a UX Coach

    10/26/2025

    #9 Searching for meaning : In conversation with a UX Coach

    “What happens when your UX career stops fitting the life you want — and you decide to rewrite the story?” SummaryIn this powerful episode, Amy Santee joins me to unpack the realities of building a career in UX — beyond the glossy titles and job descriptions. With a background spanning childhood development, healthcare innovation, and UX strategy at eBay and Civic Software Foundation, Amy has spent over a decade exploring how people, systems, and products connect. Today, as a Design Researcher and Career Strategist, they coach UX professionals through burnout, career change, and the messy realities of the industry. Together, we dive into the emotional and systemic challenges of UX work, the shifting job market, and how to reclaim agency and meaning in your career. We talk about identity, community, and the courage to redefine success on your own terms. GuestAmy SanteeWebsite – https://thejawbreaker.beehiiv.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysantee/ HostDanny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/Website – www.dannyhearn.mePodcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com Chapters00:00 Introduction to Amy's Journey03:50 Navigating Corporate Culture as an Anthropologist06:52 The Challenges of UX Research09:46 The Jaded UX Professional12:37 Identity and Job Market Uncertainty15:33 The Rigged Job Market for Tech Workers18:46 The Shared Struggles of Workers21:34 The Future of UX and Worker Rights29:59 The Fight for Workers' Rights32:45 Acknowledging the Bleak Reality35:09 Embracing the Unconventional Career Path37:20 Navigating Uncertainty and Identity40:37 Redefining Value Beyond Productivity43:38 Diversifying Income Streams46:09 Finding Fulfillment in Unexpected Places

    49 min
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About

Deeply Human Design is a podcast about the emotional, messy, and often unspoken realities of working in design. Hosted by Danny, each episode is a candid conversation with fellow designers. Not polished interviews, but honest reflections on what it feels like to do this work. From impostor syndrome to burnout, from proud moments to tough rejections, we go behind the scenes of the design life. If you're tired of the same thought leaders and crave real talk from real people, you're in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Danny Hearn
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Danny Hearn