What does it mean to design the invisible systems that shape our everyday lives? In this episode of Tradition Breakers, Mary sits down with Lee-Sean Huang—artist, service designer, educator, and Co-Executive Director of AIGA—to unpack how the systems we move through every day are intentionally designed, and why centering real human needs in those systems matters more than ever. Lee-Sean's work lives at the intersection of design, social impact, and future thinking. From redesigning financial services for New York City residents, to working with genocide memorials in Rwanda, to advocating for labor justice in higher education, his career challenges the idea that design is just about aesthetics. Instead, it's about power, access, culture, and imagining better futures—plural. Together, Mary and Lee-Sean explore his winding path from political science at Harvard to service design, how growing up as a 1.5-generation Taiwanese American shaped his worldview, and what it means to navigate identity, leadership, and belonging across cultures. They also dive into futures thinking—how leaders, founders, and creatives can intentionally imagine what's coming next instead of reacting to change after it arrives. This conversation is for anyone thinking deeply about how systems are built, who they're built for, and how creativity can be a tool for collective care and social change. In this episode, we cover: What service design is—and why it shapes nearly every experience we have Designing systems around how people actually move through the world Growing up between cultures as a 1.5-generation immigrant Power dynamics, leadership, and being perceived in professional spaces Why imagination is essential for founders, creatives, and change-makers Futures thinking, AI, and navigating between utopia and dystopia Rethinking labor, community, and collective organizing in modern work About Lee-Sean Huang: Lee-Sean Huang is an artist, designer, and educator whose work focuses on service design, social innovation, and futures thinking. He is the Co-Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design, and has taught at Parsons School of Design, NYU, and SVA. His work spans civic systems, financial services, education, and community-centered design, with a deep commitment to equity and human-centered futures. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who's building, leading, or imagining a better way forward—and don't forget to subscribe to Tradition Breakers for more conversations about identity, creativity, and redefining success on your own terms. Links: Schedule a call with Fractional CMO, Mary Moses: https://marymoses.com/marketing Follow Tradition Breakers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers Follow Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traditionbreakers Visit Lee-Sean's website: https://foossa.com/ Visit Lee-Sean's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesean
