Free Daily Podcast Summary
This Is A Prototype: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Doug Powell
We are in the midst of an unprecedented time in the history of the design profession. Businesses are investing in design at rates never before seen—building scaled design teams of hundreds and even thousands of designers, and hiring design leaders into executive roles giving them influence and access at the highest levels. As an executive design leader myself, I’m fascinated by the experience of designers moving into these new leadership roles. For most of us this is completely uncharted territory, the jobs are often undefined and there is rarely a roadmap or playbook to help us succeed, so most of us have had to learn on the job.In each episode of This is a Prototype, I invite two design leaders who have traveled very different life and career journeys to share their stories, compare notes, and talk about what it takes to be a leader in this new era of design.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Sep 17, 202641 min
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 joined by six students from my Design Leadership seminar at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis: Matt Grossman, Andrew Pandji, Ashley Xiang, Jude Licea, Tejas Garg, and Jillian Jackson.During the spring 2026 semester, our class conducted a research study examining the emerging persona of the designer as leader. Nearly 120 design leaders from around the world participated in our survey, and the students conducted 11 in-depth interviews. The result is a new report, Emerging Patterns: Design Leadership in 2026.In our conversation, the students reflect on what surprised them and what they’re carrying forward from the research. We explore the many paths into design leadership; gaps in leadership training and mentorship; the emergence of more fluid, portfolio-based careers; and the growing importance of cross-functional fluency.We also look ahead to how AI and emerging technologies may reshape design roles, teams, tools, and career paths. Through it all, our conversation returns to the enduring human qualities of leadership: adaptability, resilience, empathy, curiosity, and continuous learning.Explore the Emerging Patterns: Design Leadership in 2026 reportLearn more about the MDes program at Washington University in St. LouisDoug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.
- Jan 7, 202653 min
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 experience we, as citizens, have when we interact with our government. My guests for this episode are two of the most respected leaders in the global civic design community: Arianne Miller and Sean Baker. For more than a decade, Arianne and Sean worked side by side as leaders of The Lab at OPM, a pioneering human-centered design team embedded within the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Arianne served as Managing Director, and Sean as Director of Design Strategy and Operations.The Lab at OPM was dissolved in early 2025 as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to U.S. federal government staffing. Since then, Arianne and Sean founded Civic Design Collaborative, with a mission to help government and civic-minded organizations create services that are easier to use, more equitable, and more effective.In our conversation, I was struck by how their approach to driving sustainable change in government is actually transferable to other complex, scaled organizations, especially in the private sector. We touched on themes that come up again and again on this podcast: the importance of building trust and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, and approaching complex problems with deep curiosity and humility.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.
- Dec 4, 202559 min
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, always challenging entrenched ways of working and cultural norms, especially in legacy enterprises. But here’s the thing: transforming a company is far easier said than done. In his new book Irresistible Change: A Blueprint for Earning Buy-in and Breakout Success, Phil Gilbert provides an actionable playbook for leaders across disciplines to drive durable, sustainable, and scalable change by turning change itself into a product, and by managing it as you would an early stage startup. Phil was the General Manager of Design at IBM between 2012-2021, and the book documents the design-driven transformation he architected at that historic global technology company during those years, a transformation that included adding more than 3,000 practicing designers to the company globally, and training more than 200,000 IBMers as design thinkers. Last month, I sat down with Phil at the State Theatre in downtown Austin, Texas—the home base for the IBM Design program and its flagship studio—for an evening of stories from our IBM days, and insights from the new book. Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.
- Oct 30, 202557 min
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 thousands of design jobs earlier this year. My guest this episode is Ashleigh Axios, one of the top leaders in the global civic design community. Ashleigh is the founder of Public Servants, a consultancy that partners with government and civic organizations across the US to design equitable, effective, and human-centered experiences. Ashleigh served as Creative Director and Digital Strategist in the Obama White House, and has held numerous leadership roles, including as president and board chair of AIGA, the professional association for design in the US.Recently Ashleigh authored an excellent essay titled Not Just Another Chess Set: What the U.S. Chief Design Officer Must Deliver, following the launch last August of America by Design, a new National Design Studio that will work out of the executive branch of the US government—and the announcement that AirBnB co-founder Joe Gebbia will lead this initiative as the US Chief Design Officer. Here is a list of resources and initiatives that we reference in our discussion:DotGov Design initiative (AIGA DC)DotGov Design ConferenceDori Tunstall: “The current regime’s America by Design announcement misses the mark” (Archpaper)Jesse Gardner’s accessibility check of America by Design site (LinkedIn post)Rachael Dietkus: “America by Design, Harm by Default” (LinkedIn article)Fast Company: “Nixon, NASA, And How The Federal Government Got Design” (2017)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.gov)“From Airbnb to America’s ‘Chief Design Officer’” — New York Times, Aug 27, 2025 (nytimes.com)e-EstoniaDoug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.
- Oct 6, 202556 min
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, taking a people-centered approach to their work with non-profits, philanthropic foundations, and municipal and government agencies. Earlier this year, Greater Good Studio launched Angry Hour, the "happy hour for pissed off optimists," as a way to bring designers together with community members and activists around local issues and organizations. They’ve held Angry Hours in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Austin. Now they are building on the momentum of Angry Hour by with the first ever Livid Conference, which will bring together designers who want to make a greater social impact through their work, with social sector professionals who are looking to be more creative. Livid Conference will be a hybrid in-person and online event in Chicago on November 3. Registration for Livid Conference is now open at lividconference.com, and listeners of TIAP can get a 40% discount on in-person and online registration by using the discount code DOUG-FRIEND.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.
- Sep 25, 202543 min
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, equitable and representative profession—and what we as individual leaders can do to make that happen. The event was also a fundraiser for an organization called Diversify by Design, and their program DESIGN=, which provides design curriculum kits, teacher training, mentorship, and career guidance to middle- and high-school classrooms in marginalized communities. My co-host for the event was design leader, educator, author, and tv presenter, Kevin Bethune. In part two of this two-part episode, Kevin and I are joined by Tysonn Betts, Omari Souza, and Debbie Millman, and we also heard from students who are working with the DESIGN= curriculum kits in the classroom. In part one—which dropped last week—we were joined by Oen Hammonds, Shawn Williams, and Ellen McGirt.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.
- Sep 18, 202545 min
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, equitable and representative profession—and what we as individual leaders can do to make that happen. The event was also a fundraiser for an organization called Diversify by Design, and their program DESIGN=, which provides design curriculum kits, teacher training, mentorship, and career guidance to middle- and high-school classrooms in marginalized communities. My co-host for the event was design leader, educator, author, and tv presenter, Kevin Bethune. In part one of this two-part episode, Kevin and I are joined by Oen Hammonds, Shawn Williams, and Ellen McGirt, and we also heard from teachers who are working with the DESIGN= curriculum kits in their classroom. In part two—dropping next week—we are joined by Tysonn Betts, Omari Souza, and Debbie Millman.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.
- May 20, 202537 min
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 industry were confronting the sobering reality of racial inequity. Since 2020, the State of Black Design has grown into a vibrant and thriving community of design leaders, practitioners, educators, and students. On Juneteenth that community will come together in Minneapolis for State of Black Design conference, We On Point: A Celebration of Black Design Excellence. In this special episode, I speak with the founder of State of Black Design, professor Omari Souza, and with one of the moderators of the upcoming conference, Chanda Smith Baker. Omari Souza is a designer, educator, and community activist. With industry experience at organizations such as VIBE magazine, Capitol One, and CBS Radio, Omari is now Assistant Professor of Communication Design at University of North Texas. His forthcoming book, Design Against Racism: Creating Work That Transforms Communities, explores the role of design in perpetuating and repairing racial harm. Chanda Smith Baker has spent her career of more than 25 years at the intersection of philanthropy, business, government and community. Founder and CEO of the Minneapolis-based consultancy Smith Baker, Chanda is an experienced executive leader, board member, and public speaker who focuses on nurturing diverse talent, and activating audiences toward racial equity and social impact. Her podcast, Conversations with Chanda can be found wherever you get your pods.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.
Get This Is A Prototype summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Podcasts in similar categories.
The Jamie Kern Lima Show
Entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima interviews experts and celebrities about overcoming self-doubt and building self-belief.
This American Life
True stories exploring weekly themes with emotional depth, humor, and narrative twists, capturing the complexities of contemporary life.
Coffeez with Joe Shalaby
Conversations with entrepreneurs, investors, and cultural figures reveal the real strategies, struggles, and costs behind success.
Unblinded with Sean Callagy
A legally blind entrepreneur shares insights on ethical influence, peak performance, and mastering hidden patterns in business and life.
The Money Mondays
Business discussions on investments, side hustles, and entrepreneurship with experts, athletes, and influencers in personal settings.
The Code To Winning
Interviews with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and CEOs reveal strategies and insights for success in the modern business world.
Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
A practical guide to maximizing travel value through budgeting, rewards programs, and smart destination choices.
The Room Podcast
Tech founders and funders share behind-the-scenes stories from pivotal moments in their careers.
The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex
A former detective shares real stories and practical strategies on building passive income, financial freedom, and entrepreneurial success.
From Underdog to Entrepreneur: Building Dreams with Pat Miller
A former underdog interviews successful entrepreneurs to share strategies for overcoming odds and building businesses from the ground up.
The Home Service Expert Podcast
Home service business strategies from industry entrepreneurs and experts on growth, marketing, and scaling.
REAL AF with Andy Frisella
Andy Frisella and guests debate trending topics and controversial issues with unfiltered honesty.
About This Is A Prototype
We are in the midst of an unprecedented time in the history of the design profession. Businesses are investing in design at rates never before seen—building scaled design teams of hundreds and even thousands of designers, and hiring design leaders into executive roles giving them influence and access at the highest levels. As an executive design leader myself, I’m fascinated by the experience of designers moving into these new leadership roles. For most of us this is completely uncharted territory, the jobs are often undefined and there is rarely a roadmap or playbook to help us succeed, so most of us have had to learn on the job.In each episode of This is a Prototype, I invite two design leaders who have traveled very different life and career journeys to share their stories, compare notes, and talk about what it takes to be a leader in this new era of design.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from This Is A Prototype in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's This Is A Prototype daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of This Is A Prototype as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the This Is A Prototype podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official This Is A Prototype product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Doug Powell.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does This Is A Prototype release new episodes?
This Is A Prototype publishes biweekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does This Is A Prototype cover?
This Is A Prototype covers topics including Business, Arts, Design, Management, Careers. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting This Is A Prototype summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.