Finding Our Way
A podcast about navigating the
opportunities and challenges of design leadership
with Jesse James Garrett and Peter Merholz
Recent Episodes
LIMINAL—3: The Waves within Waves
Jesse’s surfing metaphor opens a conversation about discernment and collective action in the liminal moment. Peter and Jesse explore why not every wave is yours to catch, how to find fellow travelers across functions and beyond your organization, and why…
69: In a World of AI, What is the Work Really About? (ft. Jorge Arango)
Information architect and consultant Jorge Arango returns five years later with a pointed question at the center of his practice: when AI can handle the surface work, what is design actually for? The conversation explores first principles, the conditions for…
68: AI and Design: Fundamentals and The Future (ft. Dan Saffer)
Show Notes About the episode: Dan Saffer—designer, author, and CMU professor—joins Peter and Jesse to take stock of design education at a moment when everything is in flux. What’s worth teaching when the tools change weekly? How do you define…
LIMINAL—2: Liminal Mindset, Skillset, and Leadership
When the ground is shifting and the destination isn’t clear, how do you lead? Peter and Jesse explore the mindset and skills required to navigate the liminal moment—when old ways have dissolved but new ones haven’t taken shape. From core…
LIMINAL—1: The Liminal Moment
When the old ways no longer hold and the new hasn’t taken shape, you’re in a liminal moment. Peter and Jesse explore what it means to lead through that in-between space—navigating uncertainty without retreating to the past, letting go of…
65: Design—Stuck in the Middle with AI (ft. Christina Wodtke)
Stanford professor Christina Wodtke joins Peter and Jesse in exploring the real contradictions of AI in design and product work: revolutionary prototyping speed versus the need for critical thinking, efficiency gains versus cognitive loss, and loving the technology while hating…
64: The State of Design Orgs—Growth Paths, Quality Standards, and Empowerment Gaps
Peter and Jesse discuss findings from Peter’s survey of 750 UX pracitioners on organizational health. Designers feel good about their work but struggle with quality standards, staffing, and career growth. Senior practitioners are the unhealthiest group. Reporting structure predicts team…
63: AI Means Product Needs UX More than Ever (ft. Christian Crumlish)
Product leader, author, and civic tech veteran Christian Crumlish joins Peter and Jesse to discuss his transition from UX to product management and his experimental AI product manager, Piper Morgan. The conversation explores how product and design roles can be…
62: Design as Differentiator in a World of AI (ft. Andrew Hogan)
Figma’s Head of Insights Andrew Hogan joins Peter and Jesse to explore emerging trends in design practice as AI transforms creative workflows. The conversation examines how role boundaries are blurring across product teams, where AI delivers real value versus hype,…