DESIGN THINKER PODCAST

• Ep#54: Amplifying Human Potential by Collaborating with AI

  What if AI isn't here to replace us, but to help amplify our potential? In this episode, Dr Dani and Designer Peter are joined by Dave Howden, CEO of SupaHuman, to explore how AI challenges us to reclaim our distinctly human capabilities and elevate our human potential. The conversation moves beyond the AI hype to examine what happens when technology handles the tedious work and frees us to do what humans inherently do better. In this episode, you will: • Discover what humans are actually designed to do versus what we've been trained to do• Understand why AI creates a "craft premium" for genuine human expertise • Learn practical ways to get started with using AI Meet Our Guest Dave HowdenDave Howden is a seasoned technology leader and creative engineer from Auckland, New Zealand. Withover two decades of experience in the emerging tech sector, Dave is the CEO and Co-founder of SupaHumanAI, where he helps organizations unlock the opportunities of artificial intelligence. He has held pivotal rolesat companies like BT, Orange UK, Umbrellar and Pax8. Dave believes in doing cool stuff with great people,keeping things fun and authentic along the way.You can connect with Dave on LinkedIn 👉🏽 https://www.linkedin.com/in/davehowden/Show NotesWhat We're Actually Designed For Relationship building, reading rooms, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, and applying nuanced judgment. These capabilities become more valuable, not less, when AI handles the routine work.The Craft Premium Effect Just as handmade shoes command premium prices in a mass-production world, human expertise applied to the right problems becomes exponentially more valuable in an AI-enhanced workplace.The Leadership Moment Organizations face a critical choice: use AI for shortsighted cost-cutting or invest in unlocking human potential for long-term growth. The decision shapes talent attraction and competitive advantage.From Ground-Up Innovation AI democratizes change. Every employee can experiment, identify inefficiencies, and propose solutions. This represents the first time in history technology change can happen from the bottom up at scale.The Generational Reality Different demographics approach AI adoption differently based on their workplace entry point. Understanding these differences is crucial for successful implementation without leaving anyone behind.Revenue Leakage vs. Real Problems Many organizations rush toward AI solutions for problems that could be solved with basic process improvements. The key is distinguishing between genuine AI opportunities and fundamental business issues.Practices You Can ApplyStart with the $20 investment Give your team access to consumer-grade AI tools and let them experiment safely within controlled environments.Ask the fundamental question What work are you doing that humans weren't designed for? Start there for AI implementation.Focus on enablement, not replacement Look for ways AI can handle routine tasks so you can focus on strategic and creative work.Memorable Quotes"We weren't designed to sit behind a computer screen for hours. We were designed to build relationships and grow the population and look after each other." -- Dave Howden"AI plus your intellectual property equals magic." -- Dave Howden"This is probably the first time in history where we could actually drive technology change from the ground up at scale." -- Dr Dani"AI can help us be human again." -- Designer Peter"Free smart minds from tedious work." -- Dave Howden

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• Ep#53: Thinglessness, E-Bikes, and the Future of UX

  What happens when the tools we’ve mastered become obsolete overnight? In this episode, Dr Dani and Designer Pete are joined by one of the OGs of UX, Nick Cawthon, the founder of Gauge, to help organizations with evidence-based strategy and product decisions. In this conversation, we explore “thinglessness” — the idea that design is less about the artifact and more about the human experience it creates. From AI’s impact on design velocity to the need for cross-functional collaboration, we dig into how designers can stay relevant and impactful in a world where technology moves at jet-pack speed.Understand why letting go of attachment to specific tools makes you more adaptable in a rapidly changing landscape.Learn how to balance AI-enabled speed with the strategic thinking needed to head in the right direction.Discover practical ways to preserve and strengthen core human-centered design capabilities that AI can’t replace.Meet Our Guest Nick CawthonNick helps design teams stay ahead of the curve with their AI transformation. He has been curating self-assessments for UX & Design Teams at retrain.gauge.io, helping analyze industry trends and removing barriers to adoption. Nick founded Gauge in 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area to help organizations with evidence-based strategy and product decisions. Clients have grown to include Electronic Arts, Genentech, Airbnb, Adobe and many others. Nick is a professor in Data Literacy and Visualization in the Design Strategy MBA program at his alma mater, California College of the Arts. Learn more about Nick's work https://retrain.gauge.io/Show NotesThinglessness: Beyond the ArtifactDesign isn’t about the deliverable — it’s about the entire experience. When tools change, the value comes from understanding people, solving the right problems, and creating impact.The E-Bike AnalogyAI gives designers “jet-pack” speed, but speed without direction just gets you to the wrong place faster. The real advantage is using extra time to think deeper, not just produce more.Collapsing SilosThe boundaries between design, product, and engineering are dissolving. The most effective teams work in shared code bases, make decisions together, and learn each other’s craft.Skills Worth KeepingAs AI automates tasks, certain human capabilities — empathy, problem framing, collaboration — become more valuable, not less. Losing them puts long-term adaptability at risk.History Repeats ItselfFrom typists evolving into administrative assistants to designers moving beyond Figma, tech shifts always require upskilling and a broader set of capabilities.Human Connection as a DifferentiatorIn a world where AI is everywhere, genuine human connection will be the true competitive advantage — for both products and organisations.Practices You Can ApplyFall out of love with tools – Treat technology like a fling, not a lifelong commitment.Sharpen the front end – Spend more time on research, problem definition, and anticipating unintended consequences.Work across boundaries – Pair designers with engineers and product teams to build shared knowledge.Audit your core skills – Identify which human capabilities you want to retain and strengthen in an AI-heavy workflow.Upskill with intention – Look to history for clues on how roles adapt when tech changes the game.Memorable Quotes“Tools come and go. Capabilities are what keep you relevant.” — Nick Cawthon“Velocity without direction is just faster failure.” — Nick Cawthon“We need to stop falling in love with technology and start having flings with it.” — Dr Dani“If any

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• Ep#52: Performance Without the Buzzwords – Doing What Matters, Better.

  We throw around words like productivity, engagement, and performance all the time. But do we actually know what they mean or how to create the conditions for them to thrive?In this episode, Dr Dani and Designer Peter are joined by Craig Steel, Founder and Chief Executive of Vantaset. This conversation explores what real performance looks like in modern organizations and the shift that leaders need to make to achieve the results that matter. In this episode, you will:• Understand key factors that keep organizations stagnant • Learn the difference between productivity and performance • Discover practical insights on how to create the conditions for performance Meet Our Guest Craig Steel Craig Steel is the founder and Chief Executive of Vantaset – the world’s first people-focused high-performance operating system for business.Craig is considered by many to be one of the world’s foremost performance transformation experts and Australasia’s leading authority on workplace performance.He has worked full-time in the performance industry for over 30 years, acted as the head performance advisor to many of the country’s top athletes and helped over 50 Chief Executives transform the performance of their organisation.Today, Craig and his team are helping CE’s globally build more competitive future-ready organisations. You can connect with Craig on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigsteel/Show NotesPerformance ≠ Productivity Organizations often reward busyness instead of outcomes. Craig explains why real performance is about effectiveness, not activity.Clarity Over Control Lack of clarity—not lack of effort—is what drives underperformance. When people don’t know the “why,” they default to just doing the job.From Systemic Sludge to Strategic Relevance Employees want to contribute. But rigid systems turn meaningful work into meaningless tasks. Leaders must rewire the system, not blame the people.Courageous Leadership The best leaders don’t need to be right—they’re willing to be wrong, and they create space for others to think, contribute, and grow.The AI Distraction AI isn’t a get-out-of-investing-in-people-free card. When tech becomes an excuse to cut rather than elevate, organizations lose their greatest asset: human potential.The Factory Model is Broken Despite 21st-century challenges, most companies still operate like 19th-century factories. It’s time to redesign work for knowledge, not compliance.Practices You Can ApplyAsk: What could we become? A powerful question to reframe conversations and unlock new possibilities.Reconnect people to purposeEvery employee should know how their work contributes to something bigger.Audit for clarityDo your teams know what success looks like? Start there before adding new KPIs.Redesign for thinking, not taskingStop building systems that assume people are just there to “do a job.” Let them solve problems.Look at behavior as feedbackBefore you assume someone’s disengaged, ask what the system is rewarding—or punishing.Memorable Quotes• “We didn’t hire you to do a job. We hired you to make a difference.” — Craig Steel• “Performance is not about output. It’s about contribution and impact.” — Dr Dani• “If the All Blacks ran their team like most businesses run their staff, they’d never win a match.” — Craig Steel• “Culture isn’t warm and fuzzy. It’s the system that either unlocks or limits human potential.” — Peter Allan• “What could we become?” — Craig Steel 

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• Ep#51: The Age of Experience - Rethinking How We Think

  We live in a world that’s changing faster than the frameworks we've relied on can keep up with. So, is it time to rethink how we think? In this episode, Dr Dani and Designer Peter are joined by John Philpin to explore why the age of reason is over and why we need to embrace the age of experience. In this episode, you willUnderstand why rigid thinking is no match for today’s complexity and what we need instead.Learn how business models built on certainty are being outpaced by change, AI, and rising human expectations.Discover how design thinking, critical thinking, and cross-disciplinary collaboration can help us rethink how we think.Meet Our Guest John Philpin John has spent two decades inside and around the C-suite, twice as CEO, with a handful of CXO roles, and now as a trusted advisor to boards and executive teams. His through-line? People First. Always. He works at the intersection of technology and business, helping organisations cut through the noise, get clear on what matters, and drive the outcomes that follow. He’s worked across the UK, USA, and New Zealand, from scrappy startups to global giants, with deep expertise in tech, media, sustainability, and organisational design.John is known for his clarity, candor, and ability to translate complexity into action. He partners with ambitious leaders ready to grow, lead, and connect, because in business, real expansion starts where engagement meets execution - because growth doesn’t come from managing what you have, it comes from engaging with who you haven’t reached. Yet.John invites you to  Come be my friend on LinkedINSubscribe to my SubstackShow NotesKey Themes:Reason vs. Experience: John argues we’re moving out of the “Age of Reason,” where everything is boxed, mapped, and standardized, and into the “Age of Experience,” where context, nuance, and emergence matter more.Structured Visual Thinking: Drawing from his time with Group Partners, John explains how visual frameworks help teams see the whole picture—but only if they remain flexible and dynamic.Why AI Adds Pressure, Not Relief: While AI can improve productivity, John warns of the risk of misusing it to justify job cuts instead of amplifying human capability.Organizational Misfits: Dani highlights how most organizational structures are still built like 18th-century factories, even as problems grow more complex.From Silos to Systems: True progress requires abandoning single-discipline thinking and embracing diverse perspectives—from sales to science, marketing to engineering.Practices You Can Apply:Listen beyond your lane—explore ideas outside your field.Revisit your childhood obsessions—they may hold forgotten clues to how you think.Start conversations across departments and disciplines—especially where no one’s currently talking.Mentioned in the episode:Smallcreep’s Day by Peter Currell BrownCrossing the Chasm by Geoffrey MooreZone to Win by Geoffrey MooreMartini Shot podcast by Rob LongSubstack writing by John Philpin

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• Ep#50: Why You Get What You Celebrate - What Recording 50 Episodes Taught Us About Progress, Rituals, and Resilience

  We did it—50 episodes! In this milestone episode, we pause to reflect on the journey, the lessons, and why celebration isn’t just a “nice-to-have”, it’s a necessary part of doing meaningful work. Whether you're leading a team, tackling tough challenges, or simply trying to keep momentum, this episode will change how you think about celebration.Spoiler: It's not just about parties or cake (though we’re fans of both).In this episode, we:Learn why celebration builds resilience, reinforces purpose, and fuels forward momentumExplore how small moments of acknowledgment—what we call “atomic celebrations”—can drive big impactDiscover practical ideas to celebrate progress authentically, whether you're leading a team or working solo

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