Thinking On Paper

Don Norman on Humanity Centered Design: The Dark Side of ‘Good UX’

Don Norman gives the clearest, most accessible explanation of humanity centered design there is. He invented the concept, after all. In this Thinking On Paper short, the Godfather of Design lays out the foundations of why design must expand beyond the individual user and account for society, the planet, and long-term impact.  The core idea is simple: designing for individual users is no longer enough. “What’s wrong,” he says, “is what’s left out.”  Every digital product relies on a physical product. Power systems, infrastructure, data centers, electricity. You can’t ignore these systems when designing a new product. Designers need to widen their frame. Traditional human-centered overlooks environmental and social consequences. The hidden costs of digital technology show up far from your phone, laptop, car or magic pen. Humanity Centered Design teams work with communities instead of imposing solutions. They focus on long-term impact more than short-term convenience. * Efficiency isn’t always a virtue. * Simple metrics distort real outcomes * Responsible design must consider ecosystems Don Norman is a legend. He argues that the future of design depends on understanding how products influence society, policy, and the planet, not just usability. The conversation moves from principles to practice: what sustainable design looks like, how to design without repeating “colonial” patterns, and how to build technology that strengthens communities instead of weakening them.  “We’re all together,” Norman says, summing up his approach.  The responsibility is collective, and so is the impact. Please enjoy the show. And share it with a friend. -- Other ways to connect with us: * ⁠Listen to every podcast⁠ [https://www.thinkingonpaper.xyz/] * Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/] * Follow us on ⁠X⁠ [https://x.com/thinkonpaperpod] * Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfielding99/] * Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremygilbertson/] * Read our ⁠Substack⁠ [https://disruptorsandcuriousminds.substack.com/] Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz [hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz] -- Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkingonpaper/videos [https://www.youtube.com/@thinkingonpaper/videos]

Can HUMANOIDS Dance? PS: Where Are All The Aliens... | Fermi Paradox, Tesla Robots & Data Centers In Space

Can humanoids dance? Or will the billions of Tesla human robots choose to forgo such technological frivolity? And why is the universe so empty? Where is all the extraterrestrial life....If space colonization and exploration of the galaxy is fundamental to a level 2 or 3 Kardashev civilization, surely there should be aliens knocking around this corner of the Milky Way? Perhaps they don't like us. Perhaps they don't want to change our trajectory and choose to remain hidden, giving reckless glances of their power and prowess at random moments. Teasing us with their faster-than-light spaceships. Or are we as rare and unique as we appear? Philip Johnston is CEO of Starcloud. They build data centers in space. You'll have seen them trending on Twitter recently as their first satellite was on the recent Space-X Falcon 9 launch. You can track it orbiting the Earth. This is a short from our much longer conversation. Which you can listen to once you've had a flavour of it. Alternatively, check out our other Thinking on Paper episodes. There is something for every curious mind. From space electronics and personal AI, to spin qubits, IBM quantum computing and a book club. Cheers, Mark and Jeremy -- Other ways to connect with us: * ⁠Listen to every podcast⁠ [https://www.thinkingonpaper.xyz/] * Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/] * Follow us on ⁠X⁠ [https://x.com/thinkonpaperpod] * Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfielding99/] * Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremygilbertson/] * Read our ⁠Substack⁠ [https://disruptorsandcuriousminds.substack.com/] Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz [hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz]

AI Agents 101: What They Are, Who’s Building Them, and What’s Next

AI agents can read feeds, make decisions, coordinate with other agents, and even speak on your behalf.  In this short conversation, Andrew Hill breaks down what an agent actually is, why every company is racing to build them, and how close we are to personal agents that manage our schedules, explain our thinking, and interact with other people’s agents without us in the loop. The discussion pushes into a harder question: people are already sharing their most intimate details with AI. At what point do these systems become better relationship partners than other humans? If agents are about to represent us online, what does that mean for trust, privacy, and everyday interactions?  This episode gets into the shift that’s already underway, and where personal AI agents could go next. If agents end up knowing us better than anyone else, who are we really talking to? Rock on. Cheers,  Mark & Jeremy -- Other ways to connect with us: * ⁠Listen to every podcast⁠ [https://www.thinkingonpaper.xyz/] * Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/] * Follow us on ⁠X⁠ [https://x.com/thinkonpaperpod] * Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfielding99/] * Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremygilbertson/] * Read our ⁠Substack⁠ [https://disruptorsandcuriousminds.substack.com/] * Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz [hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz]

Mental Wellbeing In Space: Why Every Mars Mission Needs a Guitar Player | Space Electronics, Music And Civilization Expansion

To survive in space, you don’t just need engineers. You need a musician. Ideally, a guitarist. Fortunately, the technology for this exists. Jeremy and Mark think on paper with physicist and CEO of Sunburn Schematics, Danny Andreev. What starts as a question about electrical engineering and power supplies in space, turns into human psychology and Mars Mission survival.  Elon, are you listening? 🎸 Could Jeremy's 1969 Vibrolux guitar amp actually work in space? What modifications would it need to play on the moon?  🎸 Why analog amps shrug off radiation. 🎸 How studies on submarines and Arctic bases show that having a musician changes how crews handle isolation 🎸 Mars needs musicians, comedians, and people willing to risk dying in space so the rest of us don’t have to This isn’t a gear review. It's about culture, space, guitars and the human condition.  Rock on. Cheers,  Mark & Jeremy -- Other ways to connect with us: * ⁠Listen to every podcast⁠ [https://www.thinkingonpaper.xyz/] * Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/] * Follow us on ⁠X⁠ [https://x.com/thinkonpaperpod] * Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfielding99/] * Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremygilbertson/] * Read our ⁠Substack⁠ [https://disruptorsandcuriousminds.substack.com/] * Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz [hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz]

A Technology-Ish Podcast: The Thinking On Paper Trailer

Curious Minds Learn about THE REAL IMPACT of technology 👇 Thinking on Paper goes holistic. Your learning goes ballistic. Other ways to connect with us: * ⁠Listen to every podcast⁠ [https://www.thinkingonpaper.xyz/] * Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/] * Follow us on ⁠X⁠ [https://x.com/thinkonpaperpod] * Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfielding99/] * Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremygilbertson/] * Read our ⁠Substack⁠ [https://disruptorsandcuriousminds.substack.com/] * Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz [hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz] AI, Quantum computing, space manufacturing, robotics and Web3! From the CEOS and Silicon Valley Founders spending millions and billions making them useful. Or destroying the planet for their Egos. Take your curiosity, push it to its limits and see what technology can really do. Our mission is to help ONE MILLION curious minds ditch their Twitter and LinkedIn feeds and connect the dots for themselves. Each week, hosts Mark and Jeremy take you inside IBM, NASA, Coinbase, D-Wave, and more. They focus on how systems work, what they cost, who benefits, and the impact on work, policy, culture, and family. There's a Book Club too. Because the oldest tech is still the best. Stop scrolling and subscribe.