

This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast
Gerry Scullion
Welcome to This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast, the global show for designers, innovators, and changemakers who want to create better products, services, and experiences.
Hosted by Gerry Scullion, with over 1-million downloads worldwide.
Each episode dives into conversations with leading voices in service design, UX design, interaction design, customer experience, and design strategy. Together, we explore the methods, mindsets, and real-world stories that bring human-centered design and design thinking to life.
Whether you’re a UX researcher, service design practitioner, product manager, or design leader, you’ll find actionable insights, practical tools, and inspiration to elevate your practice and drive meaningful change.
Tune in and join the global human-centered design community — learn how to design with purpose, create inclusive solutions, and shape a more thoughtful future.
Hosted by Gerry Scullion, with over 1-million downloads worldwide.
Each episode dives into conversations with leading voices in service design, UX design, interaction design, customer experience, and design strategy. Together, we explore the methods, mindsets, and real-world stories that bring human-centered design and design thinking to life.
Whether you’re a UX researcher, service design practitioner, product manager, or design leader, you’ll find actionable insights, practical tools, and inspiration to elevate your practice and drive meaningful change.
Tune in and join the global human-centered design community — learn how to design with purpose, create inclusive solutions, and shape a more thoughtful future.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 1, 2024 • 53min
Visualising Complexity: with Possibilitarian Dave Gray
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-managementWelcome to another episode of the Human Centered Design Podcast, this time with someone I hold in the highest regards for their contribution to the world of design. It's Dave Gray, co-author of Gamestorming, and author of The Connected Company, and one of my favourite all-time books, not just design books, Liminal Thinking.Now this episode was really open and free-flowing, mainly because I think it was recorded quite late in the night for me, so we discussed lots of topics. Different topics, but mainly going to cover off some of the main points here. We talk about the power of drawing and visualisation, the influence of belief systems on reality, and the importance of finding common ground with those that we're working with.Dave shares his insights on facilitating workshops and encouraging active participation, something many of us are really struggling with. As well as nurturing creativity and challenging beliefs. This conversation really highlights the need for trust and open-mindedness. How do we get that in order to drive meaningful change?Dave also discusses his experience and how he got his first break, really creating infographics for newspapers, and then teaching others to draw to create that alignment. Now he shares the story of starting his company, XPLANE, and the power of information visualisation.We really stress the importance of creativity and design, and the challenges of that the notion that only some people are creative, something that I face many times when I'm training. Now he introduces the concept of being a possibilitarian and encourages testing assumptions and pushing boundaries.Dave also discusses his new endeavour, School of the Possible, a community that you might be interested in as it explores creative projects and cultivates positive possibilities. It's an incredible episode, Dave's incredible. Go grab a coffee, a slice of your favourite cake, or maybe a few biscuits. Sit back and enjoy.linkedin.com/in/davegrayCreators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Apr 29, 2024 • 49min
”AI Insights: Ethics, Trust, and Branding with Graham Nolan”
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-management In today's episode, I'm diving into conversation with Graham Nolan, the Head of Design for Accenture Song in Ireland. We're going to be discussing an Accenture Trends Report, which as many of you know, is an annual report that's been created for the last 16 or 17 years, I believe. And we're particularly going to be focusing on the role of generative AI. And we're exploring both the benefits and the challenges. From responsible data usage to governance. So we'll discuss how organisations and individuals can benefit from having their own localised AI.Now, we highlight the critical importance of understanding AI's impact on trust, ethics, and brand creation. It's fascinating to see how AI is transforming tasks like search, turning traditional search bars into something that's a little bit more efficient, and also that gives us the power of having some conversational tools.We're going to try to understand revolutionising customer service and the interactions that surround both customer service and interaction touch points. Now, despite the fears of AI replacing jobs, we discuss what it's more likely to do in terms of automating tasks, freeing the employees for better use of their time and more strategic and creative efforts, which most businesses out there are really interested in doing.Another interesting point in this conversation, is the apparent lack of customer obsession in many organisations. That was identified in the trends report. And this is reflected in practices like shrink inflation, reduced staffing and surge pricing, pushing the boundaries of customer forgiveness.Now, Accenture Ireland is always on the lookout for talented designers and hosts. It's a vibrant design chapter connecting designers across the company. The trends report is now available to download digitally and encourage you to connect with Graham on LinkedIn for more insights.Stay tuned to The Human Centered Design Network Podcast as we unpack the evolving trends and discuss what organisations like yourselves need to design and create a better future for all.linkedin.com/in/grahamnolanCreators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Apr 18, 2024 • 40min
"Designing for Social Impact: A Conversation with Jenni Parker"
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-managementToday on the show, we're joined by Jenni Parker, a passionate designer from Humaly in the UK, specialising in social impact. Jenni comes highly recommended by my very good friend Rachel Dekas.In this episode, we delve into the realm of impactful work, exploring Jenni's perspective on what it entails and what it doesn't. We discuss the criteria Jenni uses to select projects, offering valuable insights for anyone eager to make a difference.Jenni's insights are truly inspiring, and I'm incredibly grateful for her time and wisdom. I'm certain you'll find our conversation enlightening, so let's jump straight in!linkedin.com/in/jenniparkerdesignhumanly.com{chapters}}Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Apr 12, 2024 • 58min
"From Advertisements to Empowerment: Michael Rios's Journey Towards Social Entrepreneurship"
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-managementToday on the show we have Michael Rios from the UN and more specifically the UNDP. Now Mike is Head of DigitalX and based in Cambodia and in this episode we explore Mike's own journey that has led him from all over the world pretty much but we drill down into the projects that he's most proud of, which includes projects within the social impact space.From working in creative advertising for companies like Nike and Coca-Cola to ultimately finding fulfilment in social entrepreneurship in Cambodia. Mike shares pivotal moments, including a radical intervention from a mentor that led him to Thailand, teaching at a rural school, and experiencing the stark realities of poverty and the power of social enterprises. His journey prompts reflection on the true meaning of success and fulfillment beyond consumerism and materialism.I know you're going to love this episode so let's jump straight in.linkedin.com/in/mikeriosCreators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Apr 1, 2024 • 35min
"Emerging Talent: Inside the Service Design Network's Young Talent Board"
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-managementHey Everyone and welcome to another episode of This is HCD. Today in the show, we have two of the board members from the Next Gen SDN Conference, Lea Sevšek and Jihee Hwang.We discuss the Young Talent Board’s role in bridging education and professional practice in service design, promoting diversity, and organising inclusive conferences. We speak about the upcoming event in April 2024.We explore why this event coming up in April is so powerful for supporting the next wave of emerging service design talent globally. We highlight volunteer opportunities, global reach and efforts to engage young talent. It’s a great one. Let’s jump straight in.https://sdn-youngtalentboard.org/conferencehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jiheehwang/Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Mar 22, 2024 • 1h 12min
"Ancient Mysteries: Mythical Ireland with Anthony Murphy"
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-managementWe have an absolutely incredible treat for you on the show. Let me tell you a bit of a background. So when I’m travelling, or when I lived in Australia, and I get asked where I’m from, I say I’m from Ireland. But when I’m in Ireland, I say I live in Dublin, I’m from a place called Drogheda. And when I’m in Drogheda, I tell them where I grew up.Well the location is not only the place of my birth, but it’s really, really historic. It’s on the banks of the River Boyne, a hugely historic location in Irish history for various reasons but this river is known internationally as the Brú na Bóinne, which refers to the mansion or the palace of the Boyne. And from the age of about 8 or 9, I remember going on a school tour and I became somewhat obsessed with this area of the river because on the bend of that river is a Neolithic tomb that predates the pyramids and is approximately 3,200 years old, Before Christ.It’s a World Heritage Site and it’s quite simply a remarkable and a spiritual location, for me particularly, that I believe offers us a really rich connection to the past.In this episode, I speak with Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland. Now Anthony is also from where I’m from in Drogheda and over the last 30 or so years, he has really explored the surrounding areas of Newgrange and has become a well of knowledge about that area.Together with local artist Richard Moore, who coincidentally was instrumental in encouraging me as a teenager to pursue my love of design, well they’ve explored and uncovered knowledge that offers us new perspectives into what it might have been like at the time of Newgrange. Now of course, a lot of this is speculation, but we discuss nevertheless, what we believe we do know.There’s an unbelievable revelation for me in this conversation, about things like, how they transported these huge boulders that are engraved from over 120km away to the site at Newgrange, how do they do that? Back and forth from the UK and further afield using boats?I’m keen to learn more about the potential of the social structures at that time to try and get a peek of what it was like. Anthony was happy for me to get a clearer picture on what that might have looked like at the time.So from a Human Centered Design perspective, I’m really curious what we can learn and derive from the Neolithic period and where we are today.linkedin.com/in/anthony-murphy-42018622https://mythicalireland.com/Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Mar 18, 2024 • 48min
"Empowering Resilience: The Journey of Lilli Graf"
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-managementWe have the pleasure of hosting Elisabeth Graf, affectionally known as Lilli. We connected a number of months ago on LinkedIn and I was so impressed by Lilli’s awesome background and devotion to applying design to enable a greater sense of resilience for both businesses and the planet.Hailing from the beautiful area of Verona in Italy, somewhere I’ve never been but want to go, Lilli is truly on a mission to scale her knowledge, to maximize her impact, not only in her locale of Verona, but also globally through her dedicated community IMMA Collective, which we talk about in greater detail.Lilli, as you will probably get to see, is a wonderful human being and a really truly genuine example of what I refer to as a change maker. She’s taken personal and professional risks to really help enable change and I believe it is 100% worth connecting with her through her website or LinkedIn.Without further ado, let's dive into Lilli's incredible journey and learn more about her inspiring work.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-lilli-grafhttps://www.immacollective.com/Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Mar 8, 2024 • 43min
"Conversations with Kasper Bjørkskov: From Architect to Activist - Unveiling the Path to Collective Change"
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-managementIn this episode, I speak with Kasper Bjørkskov. A former architect and activist based in Copenhagen. We speak openly about his role within the existing systems in society, and why he switched from architecture to activist. What triggered this? And also, what is he striving to achieve?He’s extremely passionate about raising awareness of what we do as a collective and what we need to do more of within the complex systems of impact around climate change, sustainability, and initiating more and more communities to change for the better.He’s a truly wonderful guest, you’re going to love this one.linkedin.com/in/kasper-benjamin-reimer-bjørkskov-660a4899Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Mar 4, 2024 • 32min
"A Fresh Perspective on UX: 'Think in 4D' with Erica Heinz"
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-management In this episode, I speak with Erica Heinz, author of Think in 4D, a brand new book aimed at user experience designers.It's absolutely beautifully designed, designed by themselves. And we discussed the industry of user experience or UX in detail, where she feels this book helps cover some of the voids due to the perceived shift in the user experience industry over the last decade. Now, Erica has been working with many amazing organizations and brings an awesome and much needed fresh perspective to user experience.She's truly wonderful. I loved speaking with her. Let's jump straight in.linkedin.com/in/ericaheinzCreators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________

Feb 22, 2024 • 45min
"Exploring Creativity and Collaboration: A Journey through Music Thinking and Jam Cards with Christof Zürn"
We are building a global network of people doing human-centred work. Create an account, learn, listen, connect and network - for free → https://www.thisishcd.com/signup________________________Take the FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion → https://www.thisishcd.com/learning/introduction-to-journey-managementWelcome back to the show to our old friend Christof Zürn. I actually had the pleasure of meeting this wonderful human being in person in Amsterdam earlier this month. Christof appeared on the podcast a number of years ago but since then has produced his book "The Power of Music Thinking”, published by BIS Publishers.In this episode, we speak more about the Jam Cards, which I'll link below. It’s an interactive and meaningful way to collaborate more effectively with yourself or with teams. We demo these Jam Cards in the episode, so you can listen to it or follow along on YouTube.Christof is absolutely awesome and I’m excited to share this one with you.Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Stef Murphy - Producer
________________________Discover & Connect → https://www.thisishcd.com/directoryTrain my organisation → https://www.thisishcd.com/trainingClaim partner discounts → https://www.thisishcd.com/partnersPublish an Article → https://www.thisishcd.com/blogCourses → https://www.thisishcd.com/courses________________________


