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Artwork for Design Downtime

Design Downtime

Guy Segal
New Orleans
Bluegrass
Fantasy Novels
Drag Queens
Games Workshop
Snoopy
Tim Van Damme
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Cincinnati
Movement
Agile
Design
Design Process
Ballet
Outdoor Swimming
Techno Music
Rupaul's Drag Race
Warhammer 40,000
MVKB
Figma

"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 the... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes68Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsLeisureDesign

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Artwork for Design Downtime

Latest Episodes

In the first episode of season 5, Mike Monteiro is "still listening to wax, he's not using the CD" when he joins us to share about his lifelong love of vinyl records. From his parents' 70s console record player to a 4,000-record music room, he traces... more

In this conversation, host Guy Segal and returning guest Pavel Samsonov challenge the recurring claim that the design process is dead — arguing that for many, it was never really alive in the first place. Pavel makes the case that process isn't a rig... more

In this inaugural episode, Pavel and I dig into the history and dysfunction of Agile, not to relitigate waterfall vs. Agile, but to examine why modern Agile practice has drifted so far from its original intent. We explore how the Agile manifesto was ... more

It’s the season 4 finale and we’re celebrating at 150 bpm, when Vitaly Friedman joins us to talk about his lifelong journey through techno music. It all began in Belarus when, as a child, he discovered The Prodigy on cassette, continuing into his tee... more

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Recent Guests

Pavel Samsonov
Principal experience designer, Justworks; former Nielsen Norman Group and AWS
Justworks
Episode: Design Overtime: Agile, Design, and the Gap Between Promise and Practice (with Pavel Samsonov)
Vitaly Friedman
Founder of Smashing Magazine, UX lead with the European Parliament and Smashing Magazine; front-end UX consultant
Smashing Magazine; European Parliament
Episode: Vitaly Friedman Loves Techno
Sera Tajima
Product designer turned climate investor and advisor
Conscious Tech Ventures
Episode: Sera Tajima Loves Movement
Erika Flowers
Technologist and designer who writes novels and explores storytelling
Independent author and tech professional
Episode: Erika Flowers Loves to Write Novels
Priyanca D'Souza
Senior user researcher in the public sector focused on accessibility and inclusion
Public sector user research (GDS, Cabinet Office, Defra, Companies House)
Episode: Priyanca D'Souza Loves Outdoor Swimming
Sidra Mahmood
Government product and service designer, loves civic tech
Federal Government of Canada
Episode: Sidra Mahmood Loves Bluegrass
Jeremy Miller
UX designer, strategist and author of Beyond UX Design, Master Your Craft Beyond Pixels & Prototypes
Beyond UX Design
Episode: Jeremy Miller Loves New Orleans
Jess Paris
Director of Design Systems, Visual Design and Design Ops at ServiceTitan
ServiceTitan
Episode: Jess Paris Loves to Snowboard
Lex Lofthouse
Senior designer at Nzime, UK; Pokémon card collector and player
Nzime
Episode: Lex Lofthouse Loves Pokémon Cards

Host

Guy Segal
Host of Design Downtime and design director, based in Toronto, Canada

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 25 ratings
  • Great podcast interesting and insightful

    👍👍👍

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Athropod
    Canada2 years ago
  • Even intro started from words I was thinking about for long time!

    Thanks for sharing the expertise 💪🏻

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    мия анастасия
    Canada2 years ago
  • 🫵👍

    Very good

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cyrocraft
    Canada2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Loved the practical take on design processes and how to avoid rigid rules.
The show is praised for uplifting conversations that balance craft with personal life.
Listeners describe the host's interview style as insightful and approachable, with strong guest selection.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#184
United Kingdom/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#105
Germany/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#224
Italy/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#57
New Zealand/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#63
Switzerland/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#143
Netherlands/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Jess Paris Loves to Snowboard
Q: How did you get into snowboarding?
Jess explains growing up near DC, getting kicked out of ski school, falling in love with snowboarding through a memorable instructor, and eventually moving to Colorado to snowboard every day.
Bahar Espiritu Loves Fantasy Novels
Q: Do you read or write fiction for fun now, and how has that evolved over time?
Bahar emphasizes ongoing reading habits, ongoing engagement with book communities, and how reading continues to spark imagination and inform her creative output.
Bahar Espiritu Loves Fantasy Novels
Q: What draws you to specific fantasy subgenres or authors, and how do they influence your design work?
She highlights dark fantasy and slow-burn series, like Sarah J. Maas, and explains how strong, timeless mythic elements inform her approach to branding and visual narratives.
Bahar Espiritu Loves Fantasy Novels
Q: How did you first get into fantasy, and what role did storytelling play in your early life?
Bahar describes her grandmother's vivid, memory-based storytelling in Iranian folklore, which sparked a lifelong love of fantasy and inspired her early painting before she could read.
Vitaly Friedman Loves Techno
Q: What would you recommend for someone who wants to start exploring techno?
Vitaly suggests starting with artists and tracks that match a melodic and minimal vibe, emphasizing a personal exploration rather than chasing top lists, and mentions recommendations would vary based on taste and openness to different subgenres.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Design Downtime

What is Design Downtime about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Design Downtime spotlights designers who pursue a balanced, creative life beyond screens. Through candid conversations, episodes explore design processes, agile and collaboration, personal passions, and wellbeing—showing how curiosity, movement, storytelling, and niche hobbies inform professional craft. The format often pairs practical design critique with human-centered stories, offering listeners actionable ideas for de-risking work, sustaining creativity, and integrating diverse interests into a design-led career. A standout throughline is redefining success away from hustle culture toward a well-rounded, sustainable creative practice.

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How many listeners does Design Downtime get?

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How many subscribers and views does Design Downtime have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Design Downtime?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Design Downtime:

1. Hard Fork

How many episodes of Design Downtime are there?

Design Downtime launched 2 years ago and published 68 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Design Downtime?

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What guests have appeared on Design Downtime?

Recent guests on Design Downtime include:

1. Pavel Samsonov
2. Vitaly Friedman
3. Sera Tajima
4. Erika Flowers
5. Priyanca D'Souza
6. Sidra Mahmood
7. Jeremy Miller
8. Jess Paris

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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