Shows
Monsters of DesignCXIn this episode of Monsters of Design, the Tenacious Trio—Jon Sontag, Adrian Crabtree, and Jon Delman—join forces with Karen Piper, Head of Brand Strategy at Code and Theory, to confront a particularly moody menace: CX, the monster that emerges when Customer Experience goes bad. This isn’t the warm, fuzzy kind—it’s the version dripping in frowny face emojis and weighed down by heavy thumbs downs. It shows up when brands make big, shiny promises but fail to deliver where it counts. Together, they dig into why beautiful content and sleek design aren’t enough—brands must follow th...2025-04-2242 min
Monsters of DesignThe BrandIn this episode of Monsters of Design, a new era begins. Adrian and Jon, weary from battling creative beasts alone, have summoned an old ally to the frontlines—Jon Delman, a past guest turned permanent co-host. From this point forward, it’s a trio of minds, a triumvirate of design nerds, wielding wit, insight, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Some episodes will welcome brave guests into the fray; others will feature the three of them, sparring in the arena of ideas. Their first battle as a full unit? THE BRAND. A big, bold, and unruly monster that...2025-03-261h 50
Monsters of DesignReturn of the Jed A.I.Alright, monster slayers, it’s time for the grand finale of our three-part A.I. adventure! This time, Jon and Adrian sit down with Craig Elimeliah, Chief Creative Officer at Code and Theory. Craig is a master of blending tech and creativity, and he’s here to share a treasure trove of wisdom from his vibrant, boundary-pushing career. He’s built teams and ideas in this wild A.I. era, where innovation meets a dash of chaos. We dive into how A.I. is shaking up the design world and why curiosity and experimentation are now our superpowers—especially with mac...2024-10-3139 min
Monsters of DesignThe Prompt Strikes BackThe MOD dudes are back. It's been a minute, but Jon and Adrian are ready to go! They continue their epic three part battle with the Artificial Intelligence monster. Marcus Thompson – Senior Copy and Content Designer at Code and Theory, jumps right in as their guest, giving us some key insights into the wonderful (but often scary and overwhelming) world of the prompt. His creative mind and silver tongue help us navigate a new and improved road to a much more inspired generative A.I. output. Get ready to watch this crew unearth and unlock a powerful creative process. Th...2024-08-121h 23
Monsters of DesignA.I. New HopeIn this week's episode, witness the dynamic duo, Jon Sontag and brand new co-host, Adrian Crabtree, as they delve into the mysterious realm of Artificial Intelligence. Accompanied by their special guest, Jon Delman – Senior Design Manager at Workiva, they unravel the secrets of AI's impact on our careers. With his hard-earned wisdom, Delman guides us through a hopeful path for the future, emphasizing the importance of taming this technological beast. Brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride through the uncharted territories of Artificial Intelligence, where the real monsters aren't the ones hiding under your bed but the ones we create ou...2023-11-131h 14
Monsters of DesignMarketaurIn this episode, Jon and Bryan call for backup to help slay, tame and love the latest monster to cross their path—MARKETAUR. Will Leivenberg, Director of Brand Marketing at YML, answers the call and helps them explore the two-way street connecting marketing and design. As they traverse that well-worn road, they shine a light on the Marketaur, identifying the unique challenges marketing a premium Silicon Valley brand to the world poses. Will brings his incisive wit to the table, detailing how his career at Bleacher Report led to a profound understanding of storytelling and identifying who your audience is...2023-01-151h 25
Monsters of DesignFeedbackIn this episode, Jon and Bryan have a lovely chat with Steven Sczepanik, Senior Product Designer at Headspace, about the occasionally overbearing monster: Feedback. This electrified guitar god can forget to plug the amp in from time to time, leaving us clueless about what we can do to improve. But thankfully, Steven knows how to dial in his tone with the right amount of highs, mids, and lows. He tunes us into the correct frequency for listening to and giving meaningful, heartfelt feedback. And of course, it wouldn't be the MOD POD without a fun chat about our favorite...2022-10-251h 13
Monsters of DesignOverthinkerIn this episode, Jon and Bryan have a delightful conversation with Redona Dida, Product Designer at YML, about the monster that turns us into stone: Overthinker. This Medusa-like character draws us into the void of endless thoughts, keeping us away from some much needed simplicity. Fortunately, Redona helps us untangle our thoughts, urging us to take things one at a time with patience and ease. Her ability to not only keep this monster at bay, but to embrace each thought that hisses into our ear and view them as potential solutions is amazing. We end the episode with our...2022-07-131h 04
Monsters of DesignImposterIn this episode, Jon and Bryan chat with Adrian Crabtree, Art Director at Product Plan, about the monster with a syndrome—Imposter. This lil’ dude just wants to be loved, hugged, and encouraged to come out of his shell. Fortunately, Adrian breaks down all the things that cause this syndrome, tackling each unique facet one at a time. We chat about how failure can stem from not having the right solution to a problem, and how that keeps this monster behind the mask and active in our head. We also dig deep into Adrian's passion for frisbee golf, the colo...2022-04-251h 07
Monsters of DesignOvertimeIn this episode, Jon and Bryan chat with Laura Polkus, Creative Director at YML, about the monster that doesn’t like to quit—Overtime. It’s a hairy, overbearing beast that likes to grab hold and not let go, but with Laura’s help, we learn how to kick free and make peace with it. We talk all things productivity and self-worth while sorting through the finer points of the 40hr vs 30hr work week debate. We also chat about biophilic design, exploring various ways to bring nature into human-made spaces. Now sit back, press play and help us slay Ove...2022-02-101h 33
Monsters of DesignStakeholderIn this episode, Jon and Bryan talk to Roseville, Ca visual brand designer, Dan Otis, about our next monster: Stakeholder. These hulky stake-holding monsters can be terrifying—and like a lot of our monsters—they're misunderstood. Join us as Dan shares about his time spent with a wide variety of stakeholders as clients, co-workers, and most importantly, those who experience or use the things we design. We also talk about the horror movies that wrecked us when we were kids, why Bryan has a bone to pick with wasps, and what the incredible Oura biometric ring has to offer. 2021-11-261h 19
Route 66 PodcastThe Munger Moss Motel with Ramona LehmanRamona Lehman is just as iconic as The Munger Moss Motel and recently celebrated 50 years as the owner and operator of this Missouri Route 66 must see stop along The Mother Road. Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Ramona about How does an Iowa farm girl wind up on Route 66? Honeymooning along Route 66 Early history of The Munger Moss Motel Origin of the Munger Moss Name Remembering her late husband, Bob Lehman Helping businesses along Route 66 get established The early days when Ramona arrived at The Munger Mos...2021-11-191h 00
Monsters of DesignSølverIn their first-ever Wrap Up episode, Jon and Bryan offer up the previous five monsters to Sølver, our first Monster Slayer. They also chat about Darth Vader’s romantic life, why Dobby the House Elf is the ultimate epitome of “Burnout” and what Hari Seldon from Apple’s Foundation has in common with one of our monsters. They also somehow find a way to make the episode about Star Trek, again.2021-10-1852 min
Route 66 PodcastThe Tulsa Race RiotJust before the birth of Route 66, the single worst incident of racial violence in American history took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Within 24 hours, more than 35 square blocks in the Greenwood section of Tulsa were burned, causing 10,000 residents in one of the wealthiest black communities in America to instantly become homeless. Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Dr. Scott Ellsworth, a leading expert on the Tulsa Race Massacre. Topics include: Earliest knowledge of the Tulsa Race Massacre Urban legends and myths about the riots with stories about the 1921 riots Discovering a rare photograph tha...2021-09-2542 min
Monsters of DesignProcesssIn this episode, Jon and Bryan talk to Jon Delman, Director of Product Design at Twitter. Their goal is simple: to slay Processs, our next monster. A hodgepodge of a few different things, Processs moves around unpredictably. Sometimes it’s too slow. Other times it’s too fast. Jon Delman, our Dungeon Master, takes us into the dark caverns where this creature was created, unearthing the arcane secrets that gave birth to it. After the slaying, taming and loving, they also chat about Dr. Who, technobabble and all things sci-fi. 2021-09-1758 min
Monsters of DesignBurnoutIn this episode, Jon and Bryan talk to San Diego brand design manager, Emily Hsiao, about our fourth monster: Burnout. This dude is a hot mess, burning us out and chucking fireballs at others, burning them out along with us. Emily opens our eyes to all the useful firefighting tools she wields against this monster. Additionally, Bryan goes into some "spoilers" about Loki, he shares his love for beavers, and we all get into a discussion about octopi vs octopuses.2021-08-1358 min
Monsters of DesignThe HovererIn this episode, Jon and Bryan talk to Atlanta product designer, Chelsea Kinley, about our third monster: The Hoverer. It possesses our unfortunate souls at times. We just want to collaborate and keep the project moving, but some of us grow a few extra heads and start lurking behind our team. Chelsea uncovers super helpful tips on how to deal with The Hoverer, including a plea for all of us to focus on empathy and communication. Additionally, Jon forgets to press record for a while, and Chelsea talks about her favorite monster and monster slayer from the manga turned...2021-07-2348 min
Route 66 PodcastEND OF THE ROAD: The Santa Monica Pier with Dan Rice Dan Rice operates one of the most famous Route 66 souvenir shops along Route 66, located on The Santa Monica Pier. Dan is a past president of the California Route 66 Association and was instrumental in placing the famous End of the Trail sign on the Santa Monica Pier. This is the final episode in a 3 part series featuring The Beginning, The Middle, and The End of Route 66. Join host Anthony Arno as he talks with Dan about: Earliest memory of Route 66 Background in Family Therapy Surviving a traumatic brain injury Selling American made Route 66 t-shirts Origin of End of t...2021-07-021h 00
Monsters of DesignEgo ManiacIn our latest episode, Jon and Bryan talk to Portland illustrator, Kevin Tudball, about our second monster: Ego Maniac. We all have an ego we need to have a relationship with, but sometimes that ego gets a little too big for its britches. Join us as Kevin talks about refining his voice and growing his career as an accomplished illustrator and designer while still keeping his Ego Maniac at bay. We also talk about ego vs confidence, the importance of soul searching while your career is on pause, and our favorite monsters in pop culture that we can’t st...2021-06-1858 min
Monsters of DesignScope CreepIn our premiere episode, Jon and Bryan talk to Bay Area corporate + commercial film director, Cheryl Isaacson, about our first monster: Scope Creep. We’ve all had client projects grow more than we scoped. Listen in as Cheryl walks us through how to slay, tame, and love that tricky, unpredictable monster known as Scope Creep. We also talk about niceness vs kindness, what it means to prioritize specificity in storytelling, and why Mark Ruffalo is the best damn Hulk ever.2021-05-1458 min