Off the canvas

Lee Jeffery

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Stories from the Miro community Off the Canvas is a monthly podcast series dedicated to the passionate, curious, and deeply skilled people at the heart of the Miro community. Each episode is a one-on-one conversation exploring a different topic, idea, or experience — because Miro powers the canvas. Off the Canvas sparks the conversation.

Sep 4

Simplifying the complex with Sarah Wright | Season 1 : Episode 4

Great UI doesn't start with a clean screen — it starts with a designer willing to sit in the mess: the backend systems, the competing stakeholder goals, the technical constraints nobody wants to talk about. Skip that step and you're not simplifying anything, you're just hiding the complexity for someone else to trip over later. Discover how Sarah Wright, a UX designer who built and led the design system behind Virgin Media O2's MyVirginMedia, MyO2 and Priority apps, learned to engage fully with complexity before she ever touches a pixel. Sarah recently left the corporate world to launch her own solo venture, Indie Creative, and took her thinking on simplifying complex systems to the stage at Belfast Design. In this episode, she breaks down why "solutionising" too early is the most common trap for designers at every level, why sketching still beats jumping straight to high fidelity, and how she pushed back — successfully — against putting terms and conditions on a homepage. We also get into what it's like going from leading a team of five to a "team of one," how Sarah uses her own custom Miro AI sidekicks to sense-check her work and stakeholder decisions, and why getting a stakeholder to feel an idea was theirs is often the real key to getting it shipped. You'll learn: Why you have to fully understand a system's complexity before you can honestly simplify itHow junior (and senior) designers fall into the trap of designing before they've asked enough questionsThe "tap and plumbing" way to think about the difference between UX and UIWhy removing features from an interface is a craft — and how to test whether something's still usable once it's goneHow to navigate stakeholders who want to add "just one more thing" to an appHow custom AI sidekicks in Miro can sense-check your design decisions and reasoningWhy bringing stakeholders onto the board to co-create is more effective than presenting them a finished idea Why does it matter? Because the apps and products that fail usability testing usually didn't fail on visual design — they failed because nobody engaged with the complexity underneath before deciding what to remove. Understanding the backend, the APIs and the competing goals in the room is what actually makes simplification possible, rather than optimistic guesswork. Perfect for UX and UI designers, design system owners, design leads navigating stakeholder politics, and anyone freelancing or going solo after years in a corporate design team, this episode is a grounded, practical look at what it really takes to simplify complex products. Who is Sarah Wright? She's a UX designer with experience designing apps at scale, most recently as design lead at Virgin Media O2, where she built a design system from scratch across three apps and navigated some of the most complex stakeholder landscapes in the business. She recently launched her own venture, Indie Creative, and spoke publicly about simplifying complexity at Belfast Design. Ready to rethink how you approach complexity before you simplify? Hit play and find out what it really takes to design something simple that actually works.
Aug 10

A Learner's Journey with Vanessa Christina Dsouza | Season 1 : Episode 3

Every workshop, tool or learning experience has one make-or-break moment: the first few minutes someone arrives and decides whether they belong, whether they can figure it out, or whether it just wasn't built for them. Most facilitators leave that moment to chance and then wonder why people show up disengaged. Discover how Vanessa Christina D'Souza, a Berlin-based learning experience design expert with 14+ years of experience and founder of Yellow & New, designs that first moment deliberately. Borrowing product and UX thinking to map a learner's journey the same way a UX designer maps a customer's path through a product. Vanessa shares how she uses "pre-boarding" to build trust before a session even starts, how she spots the subtle cues that someone's overwhelmed (online and in person), and why the milestones of a great learning journey barely change — even when the content, personas and context do. We also get into the practical techniques she uses on the ground: individual reflection before group work, icebreakers that don't feel forced, and Miro features like Talk Track, Engage and locked sections that build curiosity while keeping a board from overwhelming newcomers. You'll learn: Why the first email or first five minutes of a session matters more than the content itselfHow "pre-boarding" builds trust and psychological safety before a workshop even beginsWhat changes and what doesn't — when you design for in-person, online and hybrid sessionsWhy milestones and personas stay consistent across learning journeys even as content and context changeHow to design "micro-journeys" for individual participants inside one group sessionPractical Miro techniques for reducing overwhelm: hiding the noise, locking sections, and using Talk Track for async onboardingWhy advocating for the learner — not just the business outcome — is the single biggest lever for a better experience Why does it matter? Because a session with brilliant content still fails if people never get past feeling lost, overwhelmed, or unsure where to start. The first impression a learner has with your workshop, tool or board shapes whether they engage, ask questions, and actually retain anything — long before the content itself comes into play. Perfect for facilitators, learning and development professionals, workshop designers, and anyone building onboarding experiences (in Miro or otherwise), this episode is a practical playbook for designing first impressions that build trust instead of overwhelm. Who is Vanessa Christina D'Souza? She's a learning experience designer based in Berlin with 14+ years of experience spanning multiple fields before landing in learning and development. She runs Yellow & New, a consultancy blending facilitation, game-based learning and behaviour design to create learning experiences that change how people think and work. She's also a Miro meetup host in Berlin. Ready to design a first impression people actually remember? Hit play and learn how to turn overwhelm into engagement from the very first minute.
Jul 21

Breaking Silos with Martin Szugat | Season 1 : Episode 2

Most organisational silos are invisible barriers, until you realise they're preventing AI, data, and business teams from truly collaborating. This episode reveals how to break down those walls and turn friction into real progress. Martin Szugat, a facilitator with over 20 years of experience in interdisciplinary collaboration, shares how he helps teams unite their perspectives. When data scientists, AI engineers, and business leaders speak different languages, misunderstandings become the norm—leading to projects that miss their mark or, worse, create more chaos. Martin’s work transforms these silos into shared understanding and trust, turning communication hurdles into seamless collaboration. You'll discover how to identify the real barriers, whether they’re vertical (departmental silos) or horizontal (hierarchical and language gaps) and ultimately rewire conversations around shared goals instead of throwing ideas over fences. We break down practical tactics like inviting the right stakeholders, fostering trust through face-to-face interactions, and leveraging visual tools like Miro to build empathy and clarity. This episode highlights the critical importance of purpose, shared understanding, and focusing on solving the right problems, because all the AI in the world won’t matter if teams can’t collaborate effectively. Martin discusses how the Data and AI Business Design Framework guides organisations through complex challenges, ensuring data efforts actually deliver value. Perfect for leaders, facilitators, and teams struggling with cross-disciplinary communication, this conversation offers actionable insights to transform chaos into cohesion. Whether you're designing workshops, managing AI projects, or just trying to get everyone on the same page—this episode is your blueprint for crossing the silos and building a culture of genuine collaboration. Martin Szugat is founder and managing director of Datentreiber, a thought leader in disruptive collaboration and business design for data and AI. His frameworks and templates, shared via Miroverse and his website, empower organisations to unlock real value from their data efforts by aligning diverse teams around shared outcomes. If you're ready to stop talking past each other and start working together effectively, this episode is essential listening. Break down silos before they break your projects and learn how to turn interdisciplinary chaos into strategic clarity. Links: Website: https://www.datentreiber.com Community: https://community.datentreiber.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/szugat/ Miroverse: https://miro.com/templates/profile/martin-szugat/
Jul 4

The Art of the Facilitated Session with Carolina Poll | Season 1 : Episode 1

Most remote workshops fail because they lack purpose, structure, and inclusive facilitation — but the right approach can turn chaos into clarity. If you’re tired of sessions that go off the rails, or you want to lead more effective, engaging, and inclusive workshops, this episode is your game-changer. Discover how Carolina Poll, a seasoned product designer and workshop facilitator with 17+ years of experience, transforms complex team challenges into actionable insights. She shares hard-earned lessons from facilitating hundreds of sessions, balancing purpose, speed, and inclusivity — all while keeping participants engaged and aligned. Carolina reveals the secret to designing impactful workshops: starting with the 'why,' setting clear roles, and choosing the right exercises for every phase. Through concrete examples, she highlights common pitfalls like sticky note overload, unclear ownership, and decision paralysis — and shows how to avoid them. You’ll learn: How to craft purpose-driven workshop agendas that deliver real resultsThe critical role of inclusive facilitation in harnessing diverse perspectivesPractical tips for managing group dynamics, time, and decision-makingThe power of AI tools like Miro and how they can streamline documentation, prioritisation, and follow-upThe mindset shifts needed to trust the process and foster a collaborative environment Why does it matter? Because ineffective workshops waste time, drain energy, and leave teams more confused than empowered. In contrast, well-facilitated sessions accelerate decision-making, boost team cohesion, and unlock innovations faster — with less burnout. Carolina’s insights help leaders and facilitators unlock workshop greatness, ultimately leading to smarter, faster, and more inclusive work culture. Perfect for product managers, team leads, facilitators, and anyone eager to elevate their remote collaboration skills, this episode offers practical frameworks, real-world stories, and a fresh perspective on making every workshop count. Whether you’re designing your first session or refining your facilitation craft, you’ll walk away with actionable principles to inspire teamwork and drive impact. Who is Carolina Poll? She’s a strategic product designer, Miro MVP, and author of over 125 templates, dedicated to transforming chaos into clarity through better workshops. Her work supports teams worldwide in making smarter decisions faster and more inclusively. Ready to unlock the secret to facilitation mastery? Hit play and discover how to turn your next remote workshop into a powerful catalyst for change. Links: Website: https://www.carolpoll.design/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolpoll/ Miroverse: https://miro.com/templates/profile/carolin...

4 Episodes

Stories from the Miro community Off the Canvas is a monthly podcast series dedicated to the passionate, curious, and deeply skilled people at the heart of the Miro community. Each episode is a one-on-one conversation exploring a different topic, idea, or experience — because Miro powers the canvas. Off the Canvas sparks the conversation.

Creator

Lee Jeffery
Years Active

2026
Episodes

4
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Lee Jeffery
Show Website

Off the canvas