Design Shift Podcast

From Missed Bus to Civic Movement with Carley Hart

What happens when one frustrated commuter decides to stop complaining and start building? In this episode of the Design Shift podcast, Justin Lokitz sits down with Carley Hart, startup operator, educator, and builder currently leading partnerships for Runway Startups at Cornell Tech. With a background spanning Techstars, Autodesk, corporate innovation, and product strategy, Carley has spent years helping startups and organizations navigate uncertainty and move ideas into action.   But recently, after dealing with repeated “ghost buses” on her New York commute, Carley used AI tools like Claude and Wispr Flow to rapidly launch Fix Hudson Link—a public platform that tracks missing buses, organizes commuter reports, and creates accountability through real-time data. What started as a side project built at a bus stop quickly gained media attention and led to conversations with transportation officials and state representatives. This conversation explores what happens when AI dramatically lowers the barriers to execution, why side projects and experimentation matter more than ever, and how designers, strategists, and creative thinkers can use their skills to create meaningful impact beyond traditional jobs or startups. In this episode, we cover: * How Carley went from commuter frustration to civic innovation * Why AI is changing who gets to build and what “building” means * The role of side projects in developing agency and momentum * How data creates leverage in public systems * Why judgment and initiative matter more than technical perfection * What designers and operators should be building right now If you’re interested in design strategy, civic innovation, AI tools, startups, systems thinking, or the future of creative work, this episode offers a grounded look at how individuals can create real-world impact faster than ever before. Subscribe to Design Shift for more conversations on design leadership, AI, systems thinking, entrepreneurship, and the future of creativity.

Designing What AI Can’t Replace (COMMUNITY) with Rachel Paul

What does it mean to design community in a world where AI can generate almost anything? In this episode of the Design Shift podcast, Justin Lokitz sits down with Rachel Paul—host of CreativeMornings San Francisco and founder of The State of Creativity—to explore how community, creativity, and connection are evolving in an AI-driven world. Rachel shares how she approaches designing for trust, vulnerability, and real human interaction, and why those elements matter more as digital experiences become faster and more automated. This conversation dives into community building, IRL experiences, and the shifting role of creativity as execution becomes easier. Rachel explains why people still crave in-person connection, how to create environments that feel authentic and alive, and what creatives should focus on as the value of design moves away from output and toward experience. If you’re a designer, creative leader, or founder thinking about building community, growing a brand, or navigating the future of creativity, this episode offers a grounded perspective on where things are heading. You’ll learn: * How Rachel designs community experiences that foster trust and real connection * Why IRL (in-person) communities are becoming more valuable in the age of AI * How to balance structure and spontaneity when building community * How Rachel’s definition of creativity has expanded through her podcast * Where designers and creatives should focus as AI reshapes execution Topics covered: community building, creative communities, design leadership, creativity, AI and design, IRL experiences, brand building, storytelling, creative process Subscribe to the Design Shift podcast and newsletter for more conversations on design, strategy, and building what’s next. #DesignLeadership #Creativity #CommunityBuilding #AI #DesignStrategy #IRL #Innovation

From Design Leader to Solo Builder: Eric Fain on AI, Judgment, and Taking the Leap

Eric Fain spent more than two decades building products inside complex organizations. At Autodesk, he helped take platform and collaboration products from zero to one, shaped early generative AI strategy, and worked across leadership teams to align on what to build and why. Now, he’s applying that experience in a different way—building independently, moving faster, and relying on judgment over process. In this episode, Justin Lokitz sits down with Eric to explore what happens when a seasoned design leader steps outside the system and starts operating on their own terms. The conversation focuses on how design thinking translates into leverage in the AI era, why designers are uniquely positioned to understand systems and customer pain, and what it takes to move from hesitation to action. They also dig into how the role of design is shifting. The work is no longer about static artifacts or polished deliverables. It’s about asking better questions, simplifying complexity, and working alongside AI as a collaborator. Eric shares how his approach to building has changed, what designers need to develop to stay relevant, and why judgment and taste are becoming the most valuable skills. If you’re a designer, design leader, or builder thinking about going independent, this episode offers a clear look at what that transition actually requires—and what’s possible on the other side. Topics covered include design leadership, solopreneurship, AI and co-creation, product strategy, systems thinking, and fractional work. You’ll hear: * How Eric knew it was time to leave a large organization and build on his own * Why designers have an edge in understanding systems, customers, and tradeoffs * How building with AI is changing the way products are created * What holds people back from taking the leap—and how to move past it * The role of judgment, taste, and decision-making in an AI-driven world This episode is for designers and builders who want more ownership, more clarity, and a more direct path to impact. Subscribe to the Design Shift podcast and newsletter for more conversations on design leadership, strategy, and building what’s next.

Designing New Ventures, Culture, and Rituals in the Age of AI — with Kursat Ozenc

What does design look like when there’s no roadmap, no shared clarity, and no stable system yet? In this episode of Design Shift, Justin Lokitz talks with Kursat Ozenc [http://chatgpt://generic-entity?number=0] about designing at the edges of organizations—where new ventures are forming, culture is shifting, and teams are learning how to work alongside AI. Kursat is an Executive Design Director at JPMorgan, a longtime lecturer at Stanford d.school, and co-author of Rituals for Work. His work focuses on design beyond artifacts: shaping systems, behaviors, and the conditions that allow teams to move through uncertainty together. In this conversation, we explore: • How designers create leverage in new ventures before clarity exists • Why organizational change fails when culture is treated as an outcome • How rituals translate strategy into shared behavior and meaning • What changes when teams operate across multiple modes of AI intelligence • Why judgment, not tools, is the next frontier of design leadership As AI accelerates execution and automation, this episode reframes design’s role as infrastructural—helping teams coordinate, decide, and stay human in increasingly complex systems. If you’re a designer or design leader navigating innovation, culture change, or AI-enabled work, this episode will expand how you think about what design is really for. Follow Design Shift for weekly conversations on design, leadership, judgment, and shaping what’s next.

Building Tomorrow, Today w/ Sid Vanchinathan

Justin Lokitz interviews Sid Vanchinathan, founding partner of Design Squads and Hibrids, for a deep dive into how design teams can thrive as AI, distributed collaboration, and organizational change reshape the landscape. Sid shares how his teams use AI to speed up early exploration, why nearshoring has become a powerful model for creative collaboration, and how human-centric design methods help organizations adopt new tools and processes with ease. He also explains HiOS, the internal operating system that keeps Hibrids’ cross-regional teams in sync. If you’re a designer, design leader, or anyone guiding transformation inside a growing organization, you’ll walk away with practical insights and a clearer picture of what it means to design responsibly in a rapidly shifting world. Subscribe to the show and the Design Shift newsletter for more conversations like this.