"Design Downtime" celebrates the joys of living a balanced creative life outside the pixels and wireframes.
Join your host, Guy Segal, a design director, on this journey to redefine what it means to be a successful design professional, as each episode features a conversation with a talented design expert, delving into the world beyond their design screens and uncovering the passions that fuel their imagination.
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Noelle Lansford enters stage right to tell us about her love of local theatre. She takes us through her journey, starting from her high school days up to her recent involvement in community theatre, and touching along the way on her love for musicals, memorable productions, and the challenges of balancing theatre with other commitments. Noelle shares her transition from acting to backstage roles, and reflects on facing her the fear of imperfection. Guest Bio Noelle Lansford (she/her) is a digital product designer and design systems enthusiast. She is passionate about bridging gaps on multi-disciplinary teams from ideation to build processes. She works on AI design standards and patterns at Nationwide Insurance. In previous roles, Noelle has led design systems everywhere from a Fortune 500 SaaS company to a Series A startup. Noelle is passionate about learning and coaching others on their own journey into tech. After teaching and writing web design courses for her alma mater, Noelle has become a presenter and thought leader in the design systems community. Noelle lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and bearded dragon, where she enjoys exploring the city and the outdoors. Outside of work, Noelle has rekindled her high-school passion for theatre in the Columbus scene, meeting new people both on stage and behind the curtain. Links Noelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noellelansford/ Noelle’s site: https://www.noellelansford.com/ Credits Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.
Joining us on the field is Taylor Cashdan, who’s here to tell us about his love for sandlot baseball. Taylor talks about the approachability of the sport, how inclusive it is, and how he was drawn to the community aspect of it. He touches on the challenges of maintaining a casual and fun atmosphere while accommodating players of varying skill levels, and the rituals and preparations involved on game days. Taylor highlights how he’s grown through sandlot baseball, which he sees as an opportunity for making connections beyond the realm of work. Guest Bio Taylor Cashdan (he/him) is a North Carolina-based multidisciplinary creative and community builder that’s passionate about people, design, and all the intersections in between. He has a burning desire to collaborate with others to create exceptional work for people who give a shit. With nearly a decade’s worth of experience, Taylor currently spends his workdays leading the next evolution of the Mayo Clinic’s design system program. Previous roles include a variety of in-house positions within the management consulting realm, ad-tech, and HBO all focusing on brand and marketing maturation, as well as leading fintech UX projects, contributing to and consulting for established design systems, and leading design standardization and operations efforts. Links Carolina Sandlot Collective: https://www.carolinasandlotcollective.com/ Neuse River Nine: https://neuse-river-nine.square.site/ Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-cashdan-7720b442 Taylor on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/taylorcashdan Taylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorcashdan/ Credits Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.
Mordechai Hammer joins us to talk about the world of improv comedy. He talks about his journey into learning and practicing improv, joining a local troupe, taking classes, and performing on stage. Mordechai explores the building blocks of improv, such as the importance of making bold choices or building trust with fellow performers, and reflects on how far he’s come, as well as what skills he’s still working on. Guest Bio Originally from Los Angeles, Mordechai Hammer (he/him) graduated from Santa Monica College with a Bachelor’s in Interaction Design. After a stint as a Motion Graphics designer in the entertainment industry, he discovered his true passion — design systems. As a child of deaf adults and a former sighted guide, his work is rooted in a drive for inclusive, accessible design that works for all. In his current role as a Product Designer on the Design Systems team at Lyft, he’s grateful to be surrounded by people who share those values. He is also an avid teacher, running Figma workshops at California State University Long Beach, as well as internally at Lyft. There’s nothing that brings him more joy than sharing knowledge with his peers. In his spare time, Mordechai just finished taking a woodworking class, which was decidedly not his thing. You’re equally likely to find him hosting his weekly trivia game or on a hike with his wife and pup. Links The Idiot Box Comedy Club: https://www.idiotboxers.com/ Mordechai on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/_mordechai Mordechai’s site: https://www.mordechai.design/ Credits Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.
Ben Callahan shares his journey and passion for coffee, a fascination that began in childhood. This curiosity led him to explore the science behind coffee preparation, and his quest for the perfect cup of coffee led him to experiment with various brewing methods, equipment, and even water quality. Throughout the conversation, Ben emphasizes his love for sharing coffee with others and his enjoyment of both the ritualistic and authentic aspects of coffee culture, highlighting his deep passion, continuous learning, and exploration within that world. Guest Bio Ben Callahan (he/him) founded Sparkbox in 2009 with a mission to build a better web. He has helped lead and grow the organization while they work alongside clients like Gap, The Oklahoma City Thunder, and Stanford University. He’s focused his energy most recently on developing a maturity model for design systems, articulating the anatomy of design systems, and chronicling his findings about workplace culture in the tech space. When not knee-deep in these explorations with others, Ben is a father, partner, poet, and home barista. His personal motto is, “Stay in learning mode” and this helps him to remember that every interaction is an opportunity to grow. Links Espresso Vivace: https://espressovivace.com/ Bialette Moka Express: https://www.bialetti.com/it_en/moka-express.html Hario v60: https://www.hario-usa.com/products/v60-coffee-dripper-02-ceramic Kalita Wave flat bottom brewer: https://kalitausa.com/collections/waves-series Flair Lever Espresso Maker: https://flairespresso.com/ Bellman Stovetop Steamer: https://bellmanespresso.com/products/bellman-stovetop-steamer-50ss Comandante hand grinders: https://www.comandantegrinder.com/ Niche coffee grinder: https://www.nichecoffee.co.uk/ Fellow Opus grinder: https://fellowproducts.com/products/opus-coffee-grinder?variant=41510665715812 Acaia coffee scales: https://acaia.co/collections/coffee-scales PRESS Coffee in Dayton Ohio: https://www.pressdayton.com/ Wood Burl Coffee Roasters in Dayton Ohio: https://www.woodburlcoffee.com/ Ben’s site: bencallahan.com Ben’s company: sparkbox.com Credits Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.
Holly Camponez shares with us her lifelong passion for cooking which began in a tiny kitchen at the age of six, how it’s been a way for her to contribute to her community, and the shift in her cooking approach that led her to view food as medicine. Throughout the conversation, Holly emphasizes the joy, creativity, and sense of service that cooking has brought to her life, and reveals the one dish she still struggles with. Guest Bio Holly Camponez (she/her) is VP of Design & Head of Adobe Practice at Avenue Code. During her time in this role she's had the pleasure of collaborating with clients from the Fortune 100 to create functional, beautiful, and innovative products and services globally and observe design trends in action. She is passionate about the potential of design thinking to create a positive impact both socially and economically. Holly lives in Northern California with her husband, son, daughter, and three cats. Links Holly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyvw Credits Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.