Design Downtime

Get your brush and easel ready as Amy Hupe joins us to share her newfound passion for watercolour painting. She talks about reconnecting with the hobby as an adult when a friend suggested painting together as a distraction, and how she discovered watercolour painting uniquely silenced her normally busy mind. Despite not considering herself naturally artistic or visually creative, Amy appreciates watercolour's forgiving nature - it allows for mistakes and corrections in a way that complements her otherwise perfectionist tendencies, and has become a rare exception where she embraces imperfection and enjoys the process over the result.Guest BioAmy Hupe (she/her) is a UK based design systems and content design consultant. Over the past 8 years, she's worked on design systems for some of the biggest names around, including GOV.UK, BT, Springer Nature, the BBC and the Wellcome Trust. Whether she’s leading systems work or designing content, Amy works to champion simplicity and inclusion in the face of increasing complexity.LinksAmy’s website: https://amyhupe.co.uk/Amy on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/amyhupe.bsky.socialAmy on Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@Amy_Hupe@social.design.systemsCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Grab your controller and get ready to double jump, as Asia Hoe joins us to talk about her love of video games, starting with memories of playing Mario and Donkey Kong between her parents as a child. She discusses how her relationship with gaming evolved from pure childhood immersion to a more analytical adult perspective, and explains how her love for collection-based games matches her perfectionism. Asia highlights her appreciation for indie games, explores her experience developing games at game jams, and touches on the artistic value of video games, arguing that indie games tend to be more artful due to their personal, specific nature.Guest BioAsia Hoe (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary, award-winning product design leader with over 15 years of expertise in user experience design and strategy, front-end development, and design systems. She has worked with startups, agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and small business owners to develop user-centric experiences in education, healthcare, and finance. She recently joined the team at Jasper to explore the intersection of marketing and AI.LinksAsia on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asia.bsky.socialAsia’s gaming account on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gynesys.bsky.socialCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

In the first episode of season 3, Karen VanHouten joins us to share her love of ’80s new wave music, a love that began in high school in the mid-1980s. She talks about discovering the music through friends, noting how it was "accessible enough, but different enough to make you feel a little special”. That juxtaposition of the dark and the beautiful in new wave music resonated with her, and made her a fan for life. Karen talks about music sharing in a pre-internet era, her time as a college radio DJ, and how the music scene fostered a sense of community. She ends with a list of essential new wave albums, recommended for new and curious listeners.Guest BioKaren VanHouten (she/her) is an expert generalist and a curious skeptic who is committed to designing better ways for teams to work together. She loves messes of both the digital and human kind. She’s been working as a UX leader, a researcher, and a strategist in both the private and public sector, both in-house and as a consultant, for over 25 years. She uses the foundations of human-centered design (with a dash of scrappiness) to create healthy digital strategies and help teams safely operate in the space between opportunity and risk. LinksKaren’s website: https://www.designinginward.com/Karen on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/designinginward.bsky.socialCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

It’s the season two finale and this week’s episode goes to eleven, as Joe Natoli joins us to talk about his lifelong passion for heavy metal music. From his earliest exposure to Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality at age ten, Joe reflects on the profound emotional connection and sense of identity metal gave him. He shares stories of scouring record stores, trading mixtapes with friends, and devouring music magazines to explore the growing metal scene in the pre-internet era. Joe also discusses the genre's theatrical aesthetics, the thrill of live performances, and the deeper messages in metal lyrics that often get misunderstood. The conversation goes into the diversity of metal’s sub-genres, Joe's favorite bands, and his own personal standards for what makes great metal.Guest BioJoe Natoli (he/him) is a UX consultant, author and speaker. For three decades, he’s advised, trained and empowered the UX, design and product development teams of some of the world’s largest organizations, from Fortune 100 companies to U.S. Government agencies and startups. He has published ten books and is a regular keynote speaker and lecturer at industry conferences and corporate events across the globe. Joe has also taught more than 350,000 students through his online courses and his own UX 365 Academy, in addition to a private coaching practice. Joe’s approach to improving product UX and design focuses on addressing systemic and personal dynamics issues across individuals, teams and organizations: fighting impostor syndrome and increasing self-confidence, improving communication and collaboration, addressing fear and dysfunction driving poor management practices and redesigning inappropriate, counterproductive processes. Joe lives in Washington DC with his wife Eli and three kids, and he strives to be the person his dog Rosie thinks he is.LinksThe Hard Volume Experience Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuc2kcwGbd_iJvc9-4YUKAThe UX 365 Academy: https://www.ux365academy.comJoe Natoli's Give Good UX: https://givegoodux.comJoe on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joenatoli.bsky.socialJoe on Twitter: https://x.com/joenatoliJoe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joenatoli/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Grab your fabric and pick your favourite stitch, as Elyse Holladay joins us to talk about her adventures with sewing. She recounts being inspired by her mother sewing and her own experiences running a personal style program, and how frustrations with ill-fitting off-the-rack clothing got her to take up the hobby. Elyse reflects on the highs and lows of learning the craft, from her initial overconfidence after sewing a tote bag to grappling with failed projects, and her breakthrough with a simple yet satisfying project, which became a stylish staple and a symbol of her progress. Along the way, she gained a new appreciation for the craftsmanship behind fashion and the ethics of sustainable clothing.Guest BioElyse Holladay (she/her) is a long-time Design Systems practitioner and speaker, currently the solo Design Systems engineer at Color Health. She was tapped to start the first Design System team for Indeed, has taught hundreds of hours of technical training content, and has been invited to speak at well-known industry events such as Clarity Conference, CSSConf Berlin, and Frontend Design Conference. She's a technical generalist who can flex between design, code, glue work, and OKRs, once quit tech to build a personal style program, is an off-the-charts extrovert, avid reader, and expat Texan with an armadillo tattoo.LinksElyse’s website: https://www.elyseholladay.com/Elyse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elyseholladay/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Things get muddy, as Cristina Lutcan joins us to talk about her love for obstacle course racing. She recounts how a military camp gifted by her parents introduced her to crawling in the mud and climbing ropes. Over the years, Cristina embraced both the Tough Mudder’s community-focused, non-competitive nature, where fun and teamwork are central, and Spartan races that push her limits and emphasize upper body strength, intense terrain, and individual endurance. She describes obstacles such as cold water plunges and mild electric shocks, and reflects on the inner resilience needed to push through moments of doubt. Plus, she adds tips and words of motivation for those considering their first race.Guest BioCristina Lutcan (she/her) is a seasoned UX Designer and community builder with a passion for design, community, and entrepreneurship. Her diverse experience includes projects with startups and large corporations, including recent roles at Slack and TELUS Digital. As the founder of UX Design Talk, one of the largest design communities in Toronto, she has empowered hundreds of designers to gain practical skills in a collaborative environment. Cristina also hosts the UX Curious Podcast, where she dives into the applications of UX across various industries.LinksCristina’s website: https://cristinaux.framer.website/Cristina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinalutcan/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

You won’t need a starter for this conversation, as Pavel Samsonov joins us to share his passion for baking sourdough bread. Like many others, he started experimenting with sourdough during the pandemic, but has continued baking since then, diving deep into the science. Pavel recounts some humorous missteps, including an overheated sourdough starter that caused a minor fire in his workspace. He also discusses the satisfaction of giving homemade bread as gifts, and how the tactile, hands-on nature of baking offers a refreshing change from his work at a computer. Finally, he reflects on how baking connects him to a community of artisans, even if he's "just messing around in his kitchen”.Guest BioPavel Samsonov (he/him) is a New York-based designer exploring the applications of design as a decision-making framework. Pavel has been a product manager, UXer, design strategist, and user researcher across various industries, and currently builds a design practice at AWS. Off the clock, Pavel uses articles and speaking engagements as an opportunity to explore new ideas and help designers envision better ways of working. Pavel likes to frame design as a job that works on calendar time, not clock time - so the necessity of downtime is a topic near and dear to his heart.LinksThree-Stage 80% Sourdough Rye Bread recipe: https://www.thefreshloaf.com/keyword/3stage-detmolder-ryeBeginner Sourdough Starter recipe: https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2019/03/beginner-sourdough-starter-recipe/Pavel’s Medium page: spavel.medium.comPavel’s website: pavelsamsonov.comPavel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavel-samsonov-44ba2833/Pavel on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/spavel.bsky.socialCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

We’re going to a land down under, as Shannon Leahy joins us to talk about her love for Australia. She reflects on growing up as a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia and how it has shaped her life, with childhood summers in Melbourne, the unique family traditions that anchored her to the country, and the value she finds in regular, “mundane” family gatherings. Through family stories, memories of local foods, and Australian treats that hold sentimental value, Shannon expresses her gratitude for being part of a multicultural family and the joy she finds in revisiting and sharing these experiences. Plus, she also offers tips for visitors to Melbourne!Guest BioShannon Leahy (she/her) has worked at the intersection of words, strategy, design, and people for 15 years. In that time, she's been a web copywriter, an SEO specialist, an instructional designer, and a senior UX manager. These days, Shannon’s a senior content design manager at Capital One, and she organizes a meetup called RVA Content Strategy, which is running 12 years strong now. Shannon lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family and their dog, Ginger Snap. Melbourne, Australia is her home away from home (she's a dual citizen!). Her favorite neutral is leopard print, and her superpower is asking questions…lots of questions.LinksShannon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonleahyShannon on ADPList: https://adplist.org/mentors/shannon-leahyRVA Content Strategy: https://www.rvacontentstrategy.com/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Laura Worrick had a farm and on that farm she had a… well, you’ll have to listen to this episode to find out! Laura shares her journey from childhood farm work in rural Massachusetts to creating a backyard homestead in Austin, Texas. She talks about her evolving relationship with food, her and her partner's efforts to adapt to Texas's unique climate, and how her partner has come to embrace their homestead lifestyle—now complete with two dogs and seven chickens. Laura also shares about the deep satisfaction she finds in nurturing plants from seeds to harvest, and how these small acts of cultivation help her feel grounded in nature.Guest BioLaura Worrick (she/her) is a neurodivergent design leader living in Austin, TX. With over 15 years of experience, Laura has collaborated with various brands including Amazon, Bayer, BBC, IBM, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, United Nations and others. She is an advocate for neurodiverse talent in the design field and has written and spoken about the topic in various forums. Currently she is a design manager at Cisco, leading the design system team and visual design program for Cisco IT. Outside work you can find her hanging with chickens, dogs and horses, or giving people hand poked tattoos.LinksLaura’s Instaram: https://www.instagram.com/wawawawick/Laura’s hand poke tattoos: https://www.instagram.com/wawapokes/Laura’s farm on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mothershipfarmatx/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Grab your skates but don’t forget your helmet and knee pads, as Anna Cook joins us to talk about her newfound passion for roller derby. She explains how a friend’s invitation to watch a match sparked her interest, how having no prior skating experience made her first day challenging, and how the encouragement from fellow teammates and coaches gave her the support she needed. Anna provides insights into the structure and rules of roller derby, the various roles within a team, and the rigorous training required to participate in bouts. She talks about the inclusive and nurturing community she discovered in the sport, particularly highlighting its embrace of diversity, including those who are queer, neurodivergent, or disabled. Guest BioAs a Senior Designer at Microsoft, Anna Cook (she/they) specializes in building inclusive products, focusing on accessibility and inclusion for Azure and beyond. She has over ten years of experience in digital product design and a Masters in Creative Technology + Design from the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.LinksBoulder County Roller Derby League: https://bouldercountyrollerderby.com/Anna’s website: https://annaecook.com/Anna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaecook/Anna on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/annaecook.comAnna on Mastodon: https://mstdn.social/@annaecookCreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.