This Is A Prototype

S3•E7 Emerging Patterns in Design Leadership 2026

What does it mean to be a design leader in 2026, and what can the experiences of today’s leaders tell us about where the profession is headed next? In this episode, I’m

S3•E6 Arianne Miller + Sean Baker

Throughout season 3 of this series, I’ve been speaking with leaders in the practice of civic design; designers who have dedicated their careers to improving the everyday

S3•E5 Phil Gilbert

One of the core principles of my leadership courses and coaching engagements is that, as design leaders, we are always agents of change in complex, scaled organizations,

S3•E4 Ashleigh Axios

The practice of civic design is increasingly in the spotlight in the U.S. as dramatic cuts to federal agency staffing and funding resulted in the abrupt elimination of th

S3•E3 Sara Cantor + George Aye

On this episode, host Doug Powell is joined by Sara Cantor and George Aye, co-founders of Chicago-based Greater Good Studio, a design firm dedicated to the public sector,

Special Edition: Building Diverse Design Teams, Part 2

On August 28, I hosted a webinar on Building Diverse Design Teams in which I spoke to some of the top leaders in design about the importance of building a more diverse, e

Special Edition: Building Diverse Design Teams, Part 1

On August 28, I hosted a webinar on Building Diverse Design Teams in which I spoke to some of the top leaders in design about the importance of building a more diverse, e

2025 State of Black Design Conference

The State of Black Design conference was launched as a virtual event in 2020 during the wake of the murder of George Floyd at a time when our country, and the design indu

S2•E10 Kevin Bethune

In this episode—the finale of Season 2 of the series—I speak with renowned design leader and author Kevin Bethune. Kevin’s remarkably divergent career spans engineering,

S2•E9 Jenna Date

“We keep thinking that things are supposed to be static, but it’s always changing. It’s about reinvention and seeing the beauty in that.” As we’ve discussed throughout

S2•E8 Richard Hollant

Throughout this season of the series I’ve been speaking with leaders who have used their design superpowers in community and civic leadership roles, and in this episode I

S2•E7 Daniela Marzavan

I caught up with my guest for this episode, Daniela Marzavan, in the middle of an 8 week design road trip she is taking through Europe with her partner and 2 children—she

S2•E6 Vivek Rao

“I think that this idea of cross-functionality may be a legacy framework.” Throughout this season of the series I’ve been looking at the impact of AI and other emerging

S2•E5 Jonathan Hanahan

In recent years AI has become the dominant disruptive force for businesses and scaled organizations in every industry and global region, and it’s having a dramatic effect

S2•E4 Bill Grant

Any podcast episode that begins with “I was born in Dalton, Georgia, the carpet capital of the world…” must be a good one!  Throughout Season 2 of this series, host Doug

S2•E3 Kaleena Sales & Sadie Red Wing

One of the best design books of 2023 was Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design, a remarkable collection of essays, interviews, and stories compiled and edited by

S2 • E2 Kate Aronowitz + Robert Fabricant (part two)

Episode 2 of the new season is a continuation of our discussion with Kate Aronowitz of Google Ventures and Robert Fabricant of Dalberg. In part two, we dig deeply into a

S2 • E1 Kate Aronowitz + Robert Fabricant (part one)

Season 2 of This Is A Prototype: The Design Leadership Podcast is underway! This opening episode is a special two-part discussion featuring design leaders Kate Aronowitz

Season 2: Coming Soon!

Season 2 of This is a Prototype: The Design Leadership Podcast is coming soon!  The practice and profession of design in scaled companies continues to evolve in unexpect

ThIs A Prototype: S1•E10 Doreen Lorenzo & Mbiyimoh Ghogomu (plus Pearl)

My guests for this Season 1 finale episode are Doreen Lorenzo and Mbiyimoh Ghogomu. Doreen Lorenzo is a pioneering design leader who is the Assistant Dean of the School