This Is A Prototype
Episodes
S3•E6 Arianne Miller + Sean Baker
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout season 3 of this series, I’ve been speaking with leaders in the practice of civic design; designers who have dedicated their careers to i...
S3•E5 Phil Gilbert
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the core principles of my leadership courses and coaching engagements is that, as design leaders, we are always agents of change in complex, sc...
S3•E4 Ashleigh Axios
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The practice of civic design is increasingly in the spotlight in the U.S. as dramatic cuts to federal agency staffing and funding resulted in the abru...
S3•E3 Sara Cantor + George Aye
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, host Doug Powell is joined by Sara Cantor and George Aye, co-founders of Chicago-based Greater Good Studio, a design firm dedicated t...
Special Edition: Building Diverse Design Teams, Part 2
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On August 28, I hosted a webinar on Building Diverse Design Teams in which I spoke to some of the top leaders in design about the importance of buildi...
Special Edition: Building Diverse Design Teams, Part 1
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On August 28, I hosted a webinar on Building Diverse Design Teams in which I spoke to some of the top leaders in design about the importance of buildi...
Special Episode: 2025 State of Black Design Conference
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The State of Black Design conference was launched as a virtual event in 2020 during the wake of the murder of George Floyd at a time when our country,...
S2•E10 Kevin Bethune
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode—the finale of Season 2 of the series—I speak with renowned design leader and author Kevin Bethune.Kevin’s remarkably divergent c...
S2•E9 Jenna Date
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“We keep thinking that things are supposed to be static, but it’s always changing. It’s about reinvention and seeing the beauty in that.” As w...
S2•E8 Richard Hollant
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout this season of the series I’ve been speaking with leaders who have used their design superpowers in community and civic leadership roles,...
S2•E7 Daniela Marzavan
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I caught up with my guest for this episode, Daniela Marzavan, in the middle of an 8 week design road trip she is taking through Europe with her partne...
S2•E6 Vivek Rao
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I think that this idea of cross-functionality may be a legacy framework.”Throughout this season of the series I’ve been looking at the impact o...
S2•E5 Jonathan Hanahan
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years AI has become the dominant disruptive force for businesses and scaled organizations in every industry and global region, and it’s ha...
S2•E4 Bill Grant
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Any podcast episode that begins with “I was born in Dalton, Georgia, the carpet capital of the world…” must be a good one! Throughout Season 2 ...
S2•E3 Kaleena Sales & Sadie Red Wing
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the best design books of 2023 was Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design, a remarkable collection of essays, interviews, and stories co...
S2 • E2 Kate Aronowitz + Robert Fabricant (part two)
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 2 of the new season is a continuation of our discussion with Kate Aronowitz of Google Ventures and Robert Fabricant of Dalberg.In part two, we...
S2 • E1 Kate Aronowitz + Robert Fabricant (part one)
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2 of This Is A Prototype: The Design Leadership Podcast is underway! This opening episode is a special two-part discussion featuring design lea...
Season 2: Coming Soon!
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2 of This is a Prototype: The Design Leadership Podcast is coming soon! The practice and profession of design in scaled companies continues to...
ThIs A Prototype: S1•E10 Doreen Lorenzo & Mbiyimoh Ghogomu (plus Pearl)
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
My guests for this Season 1 finale episode are Doreen Lorenzo and Mbiyimoh Ghogomu.Doreen Lorenzo is a pioneering design leader who is the Assistant D...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E9 Ann Willoughby & Mauro Porcini (plus State of Black Design Conference)
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
My guests in this episode are two legendary design leaders, Ann Willoughby and Mauro Porcini.Ann Willoughby is an AIGA Medalist who has been a leading...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E8 Tom Scott
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Executive design recruiter Tom Scott is the founder of Verified, the publisher of the weekly newsletter Verified Insights, and the host of the new pod...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E7 Rama Gheerawo
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rama Gheerawo is the director of the Helen Hamlyn Center for Design at the Royal College of Art in the UK, and the author of a book that should be on ...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E6 Nicole Gull-McElroy
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“How is design infiltrating business in a new way? How is it reaching every inch of the of the business?"—Nicole Gull-McElroyWhat are the central ...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E5 Janaki Kumar & Stefanie Kubanek
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Leadership is really a generosity of spirit. When you care about not just yourself but you care about those around you, and you’re willing to go ...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E4 Heidi Munc & Gus Granger
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“I’m incredibly appreciative of the people that took a moment and said ‘here’s some things you’re probably gonna want to learn if you want t...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E3 Sarah Clearwater
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“[Design leadership] requires a level of self-awareness…that is unlike the vast majority of other business functions.”In episode 3 of This is a ...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E2 Ashleigh Axios & Chris Hacker
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the early episodes of “This is a Prototype” roll out, some fascinating themes are beginning to emerge, including the surprising power of family...
This Is A Prototype: S1•E1 Ruki Ravikumar & Antonio Garcia
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Throughout my life here, there have been a lot of people who have created safe passage for me as a professional through my design career.” Ruki N...
This Is A Prototype Season 1 Trailer
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are in the midst of an unprecedented time in the history of the design profession. Businesses are investing in design at rates never before seen—...