This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast

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AI and design — not the hype, not the doom, but the practical reality. Behrad Mirafshar is the founder of Bonanza Design and host of the UX for AI podcast. He's been deep in the weeds using AI in real client projects — from research and data sense-making through to agents, automation and building modern applications. In this conversation, Gerry and Behrad explore why the real value of AI-driven design sits in the research phase, not auto-generated wireframes. They discuss how designers can use AI as a sparring partner and agent ecosystem to move faster through the double diamond, what skills and attitudes will matter most as we head toward 2030, and the tough questions around bias, inclusion, data ownership, and the younger generation using these tools.https://www.bonanza-studios.com/
de.linkedin.com/in/behradmirafshar

3. Three Key Takeaways
The real value of AI in design is in research, not wireframes. If you're only using AI to generate screens, you're touching the tip of the iceberg. The power sits in navigating massive datasets, creating blueprints for exploration, and making sense of complexity — but the researcher's instinct and judgement still can't be replaced.
AI should make you charge more, not less. Behrad is delivering more value to clients by using AI agents and orchestration tools — and pricing accordingly. The competitive advantage isn't the tool, it's the designer who knows how to wield it with specificity and judgement.
In 2030, hiring will be about attitude, not tools. The tools will keep changing every week. The designers who thrive will be the ones with relentless curiosity, a willingness to go deeper than surface-level prompting, and the ability to keep the human in the loop when AI wants to run the show.

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Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcd
Support the Ukrainian publishing of This is Service Design Doing (To make service design knowledge accessible in Ukrainian)
Sponsor links
10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'
Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-up
Check out 'This is HCD x Sutsu' range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Use HCD10 to get 10% off this range.
Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10
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Creators & Guests

Gerry Scullion - Host

Interested in training for your organisation with This is HCD? Let's speak by booking a 15-minute call.
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.
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What does psychological safety actually feel like when it's present? And what quietly erodes it? In this episode, Louise Dennison O'Shaughnessy — Director of Mental Health and Wellbeing at EHS International — joins Gerry to unpack the behaviours that damage teams: unclear roles, poor communication, and toxic high performers who get a pass because of their output. They dig into negativity bias (80% of our thoughts are naturally negative), why busyness can become addictive, and practical ways to build healthier boundaries with work and technology. If you've ever felt overworked, unheard, or stuck in the wrong environment — this one's for you.
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Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcd
Support the Ukrainian publishing of This is Service Design Doing (To make service design knowledge accessible in Ukrainian)
Sponsor links
10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'
Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-up
Check out 'This is HCD x Sutsu' range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Use HCD10 to get 10% off this range.
Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10
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Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Interested in training for your organisation with This is HCD? Let's speak by booking a 15-minute call.
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.
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It's 2026! We are BACK and so bloody excited to kick off this year with one of my favourite conversations from the end of last year. Quite simply, this conversation and connection has changed my life.About this episode
Dr. Rami Kaminski, psychiatrist and author of "The Gift of Not Belonging," explores why some people are wired as "otherverts" - individuals who cannot be shaped by group identity. This conversation reveals how otherness isn't a flaw but a genuine gift, offering insights into emotional freedom, empathy, and what happens when we stop trying to fit into systems never built for us.
Links
https://www.othernessinstitute.com/the-gift-of-not-belonging/
Take the Test
3 Key Takeaways
We're all born as non-belongers - Babies have no sense of nationality, religion, or group identity; cultural conditioning teaches us what to belong to, not just that we should belong.
True empathy requires eliminating yourself. Real empathy isn't putting yourself in someone's shoes, but temporarily ceasing to exist with your preconceived notions to truly see through another's eyes.
The dark side of belonging is tribalism - While community has benefits, the need for group identity enables tribalism, silent majorities, and historical atrocities when people outsource their morals to the group.

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Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcd
Support the Ukrainian publishing of This is Service Design Doing (To make service design knowledge accessible in Ukrainian)
Sponsor links
10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'
Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-up
Check out 'This is HCD x Sutsu' range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Use HCD10 to get 10% off this range.
Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10
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Creators & Guests

Gerry Scullion - Host

Dr Rami Kaminski - Guest

Serdar Mele - Editor

Stef Murphy - Producer

Interested in training for your organisation with This is HCD? Let's speak by booking a 15-minute call.
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.
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In this episode of This is HCD, Gerry Scullion is joined (again!) by service design pioneer Marc Stickdorn – recorded right after they both spoke at SD in Gov in Edinburgh.

We walk (literally) through the current state of service design, why so many teams feel stuck, and how journey management can help organisations move beyond one-off projects to achieve truly systemic change.

We talk about:
How to scale service design beyond a single team and embed it organisation-wide
Journey management, service architecture and “journey ops” – and why naming really matters
Building scaffolding for long-term impact (using the Dublin City Council work as an example)
How to speak the language of leadership and show measurable ROI
Why stealth projects can be your best way to build credibility
The role of AI and tooling – where it helps, and where it’s genuinely dangerous
Why leaders can’t outsource understanding to an algorithm
If you’re trying to move service design from nice decks to real organisational change – in public services or the private sector – this episode is for you.

🔗 Links mentioned
– Marc’s upcoming book & community: https://www.thisisjourneymanagement.com
– Smaply blog & resources: https://www.smaply.com

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Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcd
Support the Ukrainian publishing of This is Service Design Doing (To make service design knowledge accessible in Ukrainian)
Sponsor links
10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'
Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-up
Check out 'This is HCD x Sutsu' range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Use HCD10 to get 10% off this range.
Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10
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Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Creators & Guests

Gerry Scullion - Host

Marc Stickdorn - Guest

Interested in training for your organisation with This is HCD? Let's speak by booking a 15-minute call.
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.
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[00:00] How AI is changing search behaviours - users still defaulting to Google
[02:15] The return of the UX generalist - broad skills becoming more valuable
[03:45] New tools spotlight: Affinity Suite now free, Ordinary site builder
[05:30] Designer exposure and effectiveness connection
[06:45] Systems thinking and leadership responsibilities
[07:30] Interface patterns: Hamburger menu recognition study
[08:15] Disability tech innovations driving broader design solutionsKey Resources:
• AI Search Behaviour Research - Nielsen Norman Group study on changing user patterns
• Return of the Generalist - NNGroup video on AI's impact on UX careers  
• Affinity Suite - Free creative tools via Canva acquisition (from Dense Discovery)
• Ordinary - One-page site builder for quick concepts
• Hamburger Menu Study - Updated NNGroup research on icon recognition
• Disability Tech Innovations - Mashable roundup of breakthrough startups
Sources:
• Nielsen Norman Group Newsletter
• Dense Discovery #365
• Sidebar.io Daily Links
• Mashable
Links:
• How AI Is Changing Search Behaviors: https://link.nngroup.com/ai-changing-search-behaviors
• Return of the Generalist: https://link.nngroup.com/return-of-the-generalist  
• Hamburger Menu Recognition: https://link.nngroup.com/hamburger-menu-icon-recognizability
• Ordinary Site Builder: https://ordinary.website
• Affinity Suite: Referenced in Dense Discovery
• Exposure as a Designer: hvpandya.com
• Systems Leadership: hazelweakly.me
• Disability Tech Startups: mashable.com

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Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcd
Support the Ukrainian publishing of This is Service Design Doing (To make service design knowledge accessible in Ukrainian)
Sponsor links
10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'
Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-up
Check out 'This is HCD x Sutsu' range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Use HCD10 to get 10% off this range.
Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10
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