Their conversation begins with a discussion about how remote work is changing the rhythms of design teams and what it really means to connect intentionally and build culture across distance, diving into moments when collaboration drives creative breakthroughs—and when solo deep work reigns. Then they turn to tough questions: what does brand experience mean in a world where endless content and AI risk draining our creativity, and how much does a company’s personality shape purchasing decisions in this climate? 

Don't miss the final hot debates: is Figma actually slowing design innovation and a rapid-fire round that challenges and redefines what design truly is.

To watch the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco

On this episode of The Fold, hosts Tony Sanchez and Anthony Armendariz are joined by Ben Hernandez. Ben shares his perspective on how designers can help drive real product elevation—not just polish—by collaborating more closely with product managers, whose evolving role now involves shaping vision and championing value across disciplines.

Ben also shares his personal philosophy on self-advocacy. He introduces the idea of a “user manual for working with me,” offering practical advice to anyone aiming for smoother collaboration in creative settings.

To watch the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Tony, Anthony, and Brian have spent years in the trenches together, building products, solving tough problems, and growing as leaders who care deeply about people and craft. In this conversation, they unpack what it means to create moments of real delight for users and the teams behind the work. From early design sparks to final handoffs, it's a look at how trust, collaboration, and shared history can turn good ideas into unforgettable experiences.

----

Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Linkedin: Funsize Design

Brandon Breitenbach is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pare Booking, a kick ass digital product that’s changing the way musicians and artists book shows and get paid. Recently, Brandon stopped by the studio while visiting Funsize to discuss the history of our working relationship, how we made decisions, the process and tools we used and what the ideal client and design agency relationship can look and feel like.

2:00
Introduction to the Pare Booking's product and user experience. Pare Booking modernizes the process for musicians and artists to book shows, manage contracts, and get paid.

4:00
Brandon’s share's his music and music booking industry background.

4:47
How Funsize met Pare Booking. Brandon and Anthony talk about the history of how Pare Booking and Funsize found each other and how quickly we were able to get started.

6:25
Why Pare Booking chose to work with Funsize. Brandon talks about what it feels like to hire a design and development vendors. Joel Beukelman recommended they work with Funsize and Brandon trusted his friend and moved forward. You can usually tell at the first conversation if there’s a match between a client and an agency. You gotta follow your gut!

8:20
Phi talks about how awesome it is to be held accountable but also to have the breathing room and trust to move forward in making design decisions.

9:00
Brandon discusses his experience working relationship with Funsize. Phi shares how we used Sketch and Marvel, two completely new tools on this project, to maximize our effort and time, and how we crafted a unique design process to be able to design the MVP app in a very short period of time.

10:50
Clients are subject matter experts. Sometimes designers don’t always know “what’s best”.

11:40
A dream client is one that that has good taste.

12:30
We discuss conceptual design, atomic design, and how they were applied in the Pare Booking project. For Pare Booking, Funsize presented multiple concepts as screen designs supplemented with mood boards/style tiles to expand on the concepts voice, feel, and visual language. This is a good way to explore and create the personality of the brand or product, outside of just focusing on what it can look like. For Pare, this lets them see the scope of the “why” behind each concept.

15:19
“We didn’t have a brand or identity when we started this project...”

16:09
Brandon mentioned that 3 concepts was just the right amount. If we had delivered any more it would have been overwhelming for him. Brandon was playing golf (and left at the 16th hole!) when he reviewed our concepts for the first time.

17:10
Brandon and Anthony talk about what’s it’s like working together in an agile design engagement. What worked was the amount of communication and transparency Pare and Funsize had throughout the project. This resulted in a high amount of trust. Both companies did their part in getting each other what the other needed to be successful.

19:45
How Funsize uses [Pivotal Tracker to manage design sprints and transparency with our team, clients, and stakeholders. Keeping your team's best interest in mind while estimating design sprint stories will help create the best work possible. Pare has now adopted Pivotal Tracker as their internal product management tool. We recall [Hustle Season 1, Episode 7: "Death to Time Tracking", where we talked about how Funsize stopped time tracking and how Pivotal Tracker has been critical in allowing the client and agency relationship to flourish.

22:50
Pare Booking was the first project in which Funsize used Sketch 100% through the duration of the project from wireframes to finished design. Phi talks about the advantages of Sketch and how it helped meet our project objectives and save time.

25:00
Whether you use Photoshop or Sketch, having a system in place to dynamically design empowers the designer to make a change in the overall design without having to worry about accumulating unnecessary design debt.

26:19
“I will use Funsize as long as I possibly can.”

26:30
Pare’s iPhone app is launching in the Apple App store between August and September 2015. If you’re a touring musician, artist, or speaker, please check out www.parebooking.com and sign up for early access!

27:00
Check out Funsize's Pare Booking Dribble Collection to see what the Pare Booking design will look like. Also feel free to demo the Pare Marvel Prototype for a hands-on experience with the app's design and user experience.

27:40
Rick announces the wrap-up of Season 1 of the Hustle Podcast and what to expect in the upcoming second season of the podcast.

• Pare Booking's Web Site
• Pare Booking's Twitter
• Funsize's Pare Booking Dribbble Collection
• Funsize's Clickable Marvel Prototype
• Sketch for Screen Designers
• Photoshop now has multiple canvases!
• Marvel App for Prototyping
• Pivotal Tracker
• Thanks Joel Beukelman!

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• 0:55 Rick is back from paternity leave. His new son is awesome.
• 1:11 Joining us on this episode is the Senior Director of Design at Jawbone, friend of Funsize, and a hugely inspirational designer, Mr. Peter Merholz.
• 1:30 Anthony chronicles Peter's background with the international consulting firm, Adaptive Path, which is perhaps best known for championing "User Experience."
• 1:50 Fun Peter Merholz facts: Peter hired Funsize while at Groupon and was Funsize's first client. Thanks, Peter! He also coined the term 'blog'.
• 3:44 Fun fact about the new Up4 from Jawbone is that it can do NFC payments!
• 4:00 The theme for this episode was conceived following Peter's blog post "There's no such thing as UX design."
• 5:20 Don Norman, credited with the coining the term User Experience in the early 90s, created the User Experience Architect's office at Apple.
• 6:25 Initially, Adaptive Path considered themselves a user experience consultancy because no one else was talking about user experience at the time. The term "design" was an avoided term because designers were not involved in product strategy, often reduced to pixel pushers and production workers.
• 8:40 "User experience is an outcome, not a practice." - Peter Merholz. There are many contributing factors to good or bad user experience, but design is only one part of the whole.
• 9:32 User experience designers were actually interaction designers, information architects, or other designers cloaking themselves with the phrase because it sounded good.
• 11:11 Picking apart the concept of the "User Experience Designer." A litmus test for the viability of the "User Experience Designer" career path: How would one grow as a UX designer? What's that path or evolution look like?
• 14:20 The thing that we call "User Experience design" may fit in two buckets: 1) Product Management & 2) Design Execution.
• 15:00 A historic lapse in balanced Product Management may have generated "User Experience Design."
• 17:00 Product designers began to create a set of user research & persona development practices in order to ensure product strategy would not forget to acknowledge the user.
• 18:20 Strategically-minded designers can lead products as well as strategically-minded engineers or business persons.
• 21:55 If we do call "User Experience Designer" a profession, it would be best compared to a film director.
• 25:00 Anyone who tells you they've figured out how the formula for the perfect product team is lying to you.
• 25:50 Peter eventually left consulting because he found the relationship they had with clients wasn't leveraging his agency enough impact on final products. Peter effortlessly flips the interview around on Funsize to discuss how we ensure impact with clients and products.
• 28:00 Funsize discusses our team structures and project pacing.
• 29:25 We share about a tactical program we run called Special Ops, in which designers may do work that can help steer the product in the direction we believe it should go. Special Ops often strengthens our impact within the client organization.
• 32:00 We discuss pairing design teams with clients and the importance spreading out designer's velocity across more than one project at a time. No designer works alone!
• 33:45 We talk about the problems with in-house designers at product companies and how to avoid driving designers insane.
• 35:00 Peter discusses tactical hiring decisions and team formation at Groupon, to which he gives credit for stronger impact of designers and decisions.
• 38:30 We recall our discussion with our friends at Adobe, where we learned that there's two designers to 60+ engineers at Photoshop.
• 39:00 Peter recalls hiring outside design support while at Groupon.
• 42:15 We note how, for consultancies, it's becoming just as important to help the people and companies you work with hiring internal teams as it is to help them with needed design work.
• 43:00 Design teams in an organization are very different from other types of teams, and they shouldn't be structured or managed as though they were just another flavor of engineer, lest you want frustrated designers.
• 45:45 We're excited to meet up at Front Conference in Utah, coming up this summer.

###Links:

• There's no such thing as UX design" by Peter Merholz
• Peter on Twitter
• Peter's Blog

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It’s a wonderful time to be a product designer. There's more design and prototyping tools available to us than ever before (and more and more keep popping up). It’s safe to say we’ll all be using these tools in various ways to achieve the specific results we need. Keynote is a fantastic low-barrier-of-entry tool that allows product managers, designers, and marketing professionals to achieve product success while maximizing time

In this special SXSW '15 Hustle/Balance Podcast cross-over episode, Joel Beukelman and Ted Boda talk about how Keynote has allowed cross discipline teams at Google, Nest, and Netflix to work quickly and efficiently together to craft great products.

• 0:45 Drinking bourbon and opening up the show
• 1:30 Joel talks about his new job at Google working on Android Auto, how he and Ted started working with Keynote for prototyping at Netflix, and the inspiration of the Balance Podcast.
• 3:30 Ted introduces himself and his experience working on the Keynote team at Apple, Nest, and his new exciting projects.
• 4:55 “Keynote is my entire design tool.” - Joel
• 4:55 Keynote has all the features you need to plan, design, build consensus, track changes, present and spec your entire product; and can maximize valuable time.
• 9:50 Keynote does everything you need to do 80-90% really well in one tool.
• 10:50 Ted talks about presenting Design to Steve Jobs.
• 13:27 There are sooo many prototyping tools available today.
• 20:00 Just show me the damn thing! Oh that’s the thing!
• 23:40 Pixel pretty damn perfect. Your mock doesn’t matter. Even if your design is perfect the engineer isn’t going to necessarily make it perfect.
• 24:22 You’re at an advantage if you're working on a project with an established visual identity.
• 32:58 When you’re at a big product company it’s all about money and conversion and testing. The last 25% is the polish that happens in implementation.
• 34:00 You have to know the voice of your product and Keynote makes it easy for writers to hop in and do their work.
• 37:30 Details matter. When you’re doing something wrong for the driving context people could die.
• 39:00 Use the tools that works best for you. Joel and Ted prefer tools that save time.
• 41:25 Get ted and Joel to do a workshop at your company at www.keynote.com
• 43:23 Joel runs out of Bourbon.

###Links:

• Joel on Twitter
• Ted on Twitter
• Balance Podcast
• I Love Keynote

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It's SXSW '15 and we had the awesome opportunity to hang out with Photoshop product designers before our epic high-five hour party. Anthony and Danielle set out to tackle a controversial topic.

The dilemma is that there is a lot of great-looking design on the web at sites like Behance and Dribbble and also in a great many designers portfolios. Sometimes you see something that looks incredible aesthetically on the screen but then you find out that it was either unsolicited by the “client” (example: how many times have see someone redesign Instagram on Behance?) or that carries the footnote something like “rejected concept.” It might look amazing, but why didn’t it ship?

• 00:00 Introductions
• 05:30 It’s important to play, but there’s serious constraints with a 25 year old project
• 07:45 It’s fun to be wrong
• 09:18 It discounts the hard work a product team has put in
• 11:05 Let’s you think big and you need that to live!
• 10:20 A benefit is the “What if” which pushes the design
• 12:00 Project Recess, a new photoshop experience.
• 14:00 Scenario: 100% honesty, which designer would you hire?
• 29:00 Hire strong opinions, loosely held
• 30:00 Teams need both types to even each other out
• 32:44 “lovingly curating” keeping teams on a rotation to keep roles complimentary
• 35:08 Experimental projects in a product that don’t ship are still worth the lesson you learn
• 37:00 The best work may be conceptual stuff you can’t show
• 39:50 Understanding how a design vision can be rolled out over time
• 43:00 Some quick descriptions of Photoshop’s team structure

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Do you know your product and how to get exposure for it? Jordan Menashy VP of Marketing and Co-Founder of Bench.co talks to us about marketing a product. Rick and Danielle from Funsize ask questions from a non-expert perspective.

• 00:00 Introductions
• 05:41 Activating a marketing engine
• 08:00 Determining product market fit can only be accomplished by launching
• 09:25 Launching: Store up some "big reveals" when rolling out to keep the momentum going for the first few months
• 15:10 Approach a mentor and don't waste their time, have questions ready!
• 19:00 Use google analytics, there is no secret tool, just hard-work and good analysis
• 23:29 R&D vs Engine
• 25:30 Good marketing is about good methodology not false promises
• 27:00 You need to allow for failure so you can learn how to make it work
• 28:00 Getting started: Get a target customer acquisition cost (CAC) and find a channel that works for you. That channel can be converted into an engine, then you want to refine that engine with R&D
• 35:00 Get your engines running and check against your business metrics
• 36:35 Rick misunderstands marketing...
• 37:11 Examples of engines that work and don't work for Bench.co
• 39:00 How do you get started with no experience and little marketing budget?

###Links

• Jordan on twitter
• Bench.co

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Agencies, studios, in-house at a large companies, designer on a product team, and, now, working from home at an online retailer with a distributed team. Phil has worked in almost every type of environment a designer might find themselves in.

In this episode, we get a unique view from his perspective about working with humility, discipline, and honing your craft.

###Show Notes

• 00:00 Introductions
• 01:36 Current definition of what Phil does: "Digital Designer"
• 06:56 Who is Phil Coffman?
• 11:30 Small studio, humble beginnings
• 13:43 Working in-house at a large oil company
• 18:35 Web design moonlighting
• 19:20 Springbox: Client services at an agency, working with large brands
• 24:15 Element: Starting a new design studio
• 26:30 Establishing a design voice for a company and building a team
• 31:05 Spacecraft: Merger with Element, and designing on a product team
• 36:00 The itch to work on just one product
• 38:45 PC Part Picker: Design lead with a distributed team
• 42:30 Setting boundaries for working at home
• 43:45 Working with a distributed team

###Links

• Phil on Twitter
• Phil on Dribbble
• PC PartPicker

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Visit the Funsize website
Subscribe to The Funsize Digest
Check out Funsize on Instagram

Most of us are designers at Funsize but we also have project managers who help us iron out requirements, stay on schedule, and ensure the work is meeting the mark for the clients and users. We talk with 2 of our PM's and what it's like to play the part of ambassador between designers and clients.

###Show Notes

• 00:00 Introductions
• 05:01 Challenges of working with designers
• 10:00 Working with clients vs designers
• 12:10 Should product designers be product managers?
• 15:08 Having T-shaped skills
• 16:29 Designers should have knowledge of development
• 20:17 Everyone building a product should have an understanding and respect of others expertise

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Kirill Zubovsky started scoutzie.com a few years ago as a destination for mobile designers to showcase their work and as a curated marketplace for design. Over the years Scoutzie changed their model, pivoted, and experimented with several unique business models. Anthony Armendariz’s relationship with Scoutzie helped grow his business to the point of being able to create a business which would become Funsize.

As of 2015, the Scoutzie team decided to shut the product down. We discuss with Kirill about his experiences, and what’s next.

• 00:00 Introductions
• 02:47 Scoutzie in the beginning
• 13:00 Going through Y Combinator & proving the model
• 16:29 Difficulties arise
• 18:09 Take enough money early-on, once you run out of money, no one wants to give you more
• 22:07 Pivot roll-out: automated project management
• 25:05 Investors & users reaction to announcing shut-down
• 26:50 Attempts at resuscitation
• 30:47 In retrospect
• 34:44 How it feels now and what's next?

• Kirill on Twitter @kirillzubovsky
• Scoutzie.com
• Y Combinator
• "The Only Thing That Matters" article Kirill mentions by Marc Andreessen @pmarca
• Kirill's Recommended Reading: Zero to One by Peter Thiel
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

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The list of the product designers responsibilities goes on and on. When is it too much for one position to handle with quality? Maybe there's a different way to look at it all together.

With many of today's industry leading studios closing up shop for one reason or another we are left with a lot of questions. Why are they closing? What does the future hold for design agencies? Funsize sits down with Greg Storey, former partner at Happy Cog to discuss these questions.

• 00:00 Introductions
• 04:30 Product designer responsibilities
• 08:20 Specializations and generalists
• 10:20 Design is planning
• 14:18 The role has changed
• 17:15 Elevate your thinking beyond deliverables
• 19:50 "Design with intent"
• 21:40 Can a product designer be a product manager?
• 26:00 Affect of design in early stages of product vs post-MVP
• 34:22 Design with humility and diplomacy
• 37:32 Values to look for when hiring a designer
• 40:00 The future product designer

• Adam on twitter
• Bench.co
• @mantwan @rickmesser @funsize
• Anthony's talk adapting to change
• Anthony's tweet about designers needing to learn project management

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Artist Dawn Okoro shares her winding path from law school to Meow Wolf, blending art, identity, and mental wellness. We talk career pivots, creative blocks, dream sculptures, and how she’s redefining success—plus a quick-fire round of Texas pride and fun surprises.

To watch the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Linkedin: Funsize Design

With many of today's industry leading studios closing up shop for one reason or another we are left with a lot of questions. Why are they closing? What does the future hold for design agencies? Funsize sits down with Greg Storey, former President and Partner at Happy Cog, to discuss.

• 00:00 Introductions
• 02:20 News of the design agency being dead
• 04:00 The client is changing
• 15:30 The big small shop, design agency sizes today
• 20:40 Differentiate? Price, specialization, and great client experience
• 26:20 Distributive team? Play Halo
• 31:25 Teehan+Lax, what's an agency actually worth?
• 38:54 Career ceilings at agencies

• Greg on Twitter @brilliantcrank
• The Bureau of Digital Affairs
• Airbag Industries
• Teehan+Lax closing its doors
• San Francisco Design Agencies Feeling the Squeeze by Peter Merholz

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If creating a new service and product wasn't hard enough, how hard it is once it's in the marketplace? What's the best way to organize a team for ideal team alignment to tackle holistic user experience, the iterative design of discrete features, and ongoing optimization? Clark Valberg, CEO of InVision, shares his journey and their team's approach to driving a digital product.

• 00:00 Introductions and random laughs
• 02:52 Question 1: How and why did InVision start?
• 13:00 Question 2: How do you choose what features are right to build for InVision?
• 21:48 Question 3: Is it difficult to let the team own themes of the product?
• 25:52 Question 4: What consideration does InVision give to competitors?
• 30:00 Question 5: Can you describe a misstep InVision has made along the way?
• 35:00 Question 6: What's made InVision successful up to this point?
• 43:00 Question 7: How large is theInVision team? Any positions open?

• invisionapp.com

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• Elevation
• Animations
• Adaptive Color Bar in chrome

• Compared to iOS notifications

• Google Glass
• Watches
• Interactions with other devices and wearables
• favorite features

• Now's a good time to switch to Android if you've been thinking about
  making the switch to iOS.

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Anthony and Natalie share a story about working with David Blaine and why treating people with respect and fair pay is critical to long lasting impressions. View our blog post to see some of Anthony's original notes.

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Anthony, Natalie and Rick discuss what they've recently learned on a client trip to Finland about work–life balance.

Part of the Funsize culture is Funsize Fridays. Funsize doesn't do client work on Friday. In this episode they also talk about the how, why, and what of Funsize Fridays.

Show Notes

• Catch up: What funsize has been up to
• Finland trip: Sauna’s, Cabin workshops in the forest, and work–life balance tips from our clients in Finland
• Funsize Fridays: How, why, and what of our weekly tradition of no-client-work Fridays

Links

• DPM Anthony and Danielle are speaking at Digital PM Summit 2014 http://dpm2014.com/speaker/anthonya/ http://dpm2014.com/speaker/daniellemoser/ http://dpm2014.com
• Fundamentals of iPhone App Design on sale now https://mijingo.com/products/screencasts/iphone-app-design-tutorial/
• Finland Photos
• Phi’s Video in Finland - http://vimeo.com/104813583
• Rick’s post on Exposure of the Finland Trip – https://rickmesser.exposure.co/finland
• Phi’s post on Exposure of the Finland Trip https://phi.exposure.co/suomi
• ALL THE INSTAGRAM'S of our trip! http://searchinstagram.com/fnszinfinland

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Episode Outline

1. The cost of a wrong client
2. Don't choose a client based on money
3. Ask the right questions early
4. Favorite Clients' Traits

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Updated show notes coming soon...

For now...

• 00:00 Intro And News; iOS8 and Elle, plus Google Watch
• 13:05 Why Do We Track Time?
• 17:39 Why We Hate Time Tracking
• 26:39 Alternatives to Time Tracking
• 43:41 This Podcast Has A New Name

Links:

• http://www.google.com/design/
• http://www.pivotaltracker.com/

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• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:15 The Designer Developer Relationship Today
• 06:51 Both Sides Of The Fence
• 12:29 Code & Color: An Example Of The Disconnect
• 15:37 Build An Experience Together, Not Apart
• 20:17 Tool Time: Design Tools For Developement
• 22:07 Geography Matters
• 25:01 Style Guide Problems And Some Solutions
• 27:52 Front End Developers For Native, Is There Such A Thing?
• 33:00 Changes In The Baseline
• 35:20 More On The Dirt

The Dirt Links

• The Dirt Twitter: @thedirtshow
• Tim Twitter: @csskarma
• Mark Twitter: @markgrambau
• Fresh Tilled Soil

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• 0:00 Intro and News
• 11:31 Getting Into The flow
• 22.41 Design Tips and Resources
• 29:53 Sketch and The Missing Link
• 43:15 A Word On Organization

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This episode covers the process product designers go through from getting a product started to scoping it, designing it, and managing it. Here's the outline:

• 00:00 News
• 12:00 Overview
• 19:11 Product strategy and UX
• 28:10 Conceptual design and visual design
• 36:14 Design management
• 39:23 Product mangagement vs project management
• 48:52 Conclusion and what's next for this podcast

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Anthony spends the day with Funsize Partner and Head of Design, Lee Brenner. Between a round of board games at Vigilante and drinks at Draught House, they talk about Lee’s life story—from his early days to his design career—and the things that bring him joy. It’s an honest, laid-back look at what fuels one of Funsize’s most imaginative minds.

To watch the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

----

Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Linkedin: Funsize Design

Pricing is a tricky subject. So many of us have found our way along in the dark, without much help. In episode 3, we discuss pricing models as well as our own approach. We also talk about things we've learned from some very smart people who are experts on the subject.

• 00:46 Yes, I Love Technology: News about new tech and how it relates
  to the mobiles.
• 11:51 Pricing: Not first date conversation.
• 13:41 Fixed Pricing
• 16:25 Value Based Pricing
• 26:08 Hourly Rate
• 35:10 Retainer Based Pricing 37:33 Pricing Resources 42:00 Funsize's Approach To Pricing
• 50:24 Common Pricing Questions

• Value Pricing with Dan Mall and Jason Blumer on the businessology
  show podcast
• Design is a Job by Mike Monteiro
• Q: How much does a mobile app cost? A: About as much as a car
• The Harvest Guide to Pricing by Harvest

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• Jobs pre-iPhone era
• The product designer craze
• Dribbble web to ui evolution

• It is a war finding good product designers
• "Acqu-hire" a product designer
• Finding your way into product design in the small start-up world
• Mobile Product Designers translate business goals into interactive designs
• A little about working in an agile environment. "Show early and often".
• The Might "M.V.P.", iteration on actual user feedback
• Agile products evolve with the times
• UX design is interaction design, User Experience is the end product

• Type of jobs: What kind of design do you want to do? Native or responsive, in-house or client services?
• What Funsize looks for in a Product Designer
• Take risks and learn how fail the right way.

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Anthony and Natalie give their background story and how they came to mobile design. Rick listens, laughs, and drinks.

Other information covered:

• Funsize background story and introduction to the Podcast
• Web design got boring and we needed a career change
• Mobile design before the iPhone existed
• Quitting your job and being a freelancer in the new mobile industry
• Let’s follow our dream and start a husband and wife design business
• Clients are smart and the traditional digital agency model
  is broken
• Remember when? Designing web templates for Xanga and AsianAvenue.com
• Natalie and Anthony met at an agency designing tampon and laxative
  work
• How Natalie and Anthony started their careers in mobile product
  design
• Just because you’re a talented web designer doesn’t mean you know anything
  about designing for mobile
• Being flexible with your cost so you can master new skills
• Native mobile product design “NMD” vs. responsive web design “RWD”
• Watch out NYC and SF. Good talent lives where they want!
• Agile methodology and building relationships with clients to ship
  product incrementally
• Not every business needs an app, sometimes mobile web is the way to
  go
• Working on products that better the quality of life
• Teleportation (beaming), the future of the Foursquare check-in
• Lastly, topics we hope to cover in the future

Visit the Funsize website
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In this episode of Currents, the Funsize team takes a break from their usual client projects to bond and recharge during Method Week. The hosts and guests discuss the origins and evolution of Method Week, highlighting activities designed to foster creativity, teamwork, and self-development. From letterpress printing and game shows to laser cutting and chocolate-cheese tastings, the team shares fun anecdotes and insights from their time together. They also reflect on past Method Weeks, the benefits of taking time off, and plans for future immersive experiences.

To see the examples referenced during this conversation, head over to our YouTube channel to view the video version here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Linkedin: Funsize Design

In this episode of Currents Tony Sanchez discusses various design-related topics with guests Dina Williams, Tarica Phung Navarro, and Jack Willis. They explore their personal creative processes, the impact of AI on design, and the potential future of tools like Figma. The discussion includes anecdotes about past experiences, thoughts on the integration of AI in creative work, and how emerging technologies may shape the future of design. Key themes include the balance between human creativity and AI assistance, the importance of maintaining wonder and curiosity, and the evolving role of designers in an increasingly AI-driven world.

To watch the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Linkedin: Funsize Design

Meet Natalie, Nicole, and Brooke, the hosts of Honestly, Honesty. In this first episode, they share their story, reflect on the inspiration behind the show, and offer a glimpse into the honest, unfiltered conversations ahead.

To watch the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Linkedin: Funsize Design

What does it mean to lead with both vision and craft? In this episode, Lee Brenner—Partner and Head of Design at Funsize—shares how he navigates the complexities of leadership while staying rooted in hands-on design work. He reflects on the evolving role of a design leader, the balance between delegation and doing, and the responsibility of keeping a business creatively and operationally strong. From his early days as a computer science graduate and engineer to building a career in design, Lee opens up about the moments that shaped him, the challenges that keep him curious, and what it takes to keep growing in a fast-changing industry.

For the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Linkedin: Funsize Design

Tony, Andre, Edgar, and Esteban break down 8 design trends and predictions for 2025. We’re talking about what’s gaining traction, why it’s exciting, and where we’re already seeing it in the industry and our work. From bold aesthetics to fresh takes on interaction and usability, we dive into what’s shaping the future of design. Expect hot takes, real-world examples, and maybe even a few debates. What trends are you seeing? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

To see the examples referenced during this conversation, head over to our YouTube channel to view the video version here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Linkedin: Funsize Design

In this episode of Currents, Tony Sanchez, Design Director at Funsize, gathers a team of designers to discuss their recent website redesign. Hear from Esteban Marquez, Natalie Armendariz, Andre Jurgensen, Lee Brenner, and Dina Williams as they walk through the project’s journey—from inception to completion.

They share:

• The motivations behind the redesign
• Challenges and how they overcame them
• The importance of collaboration across teams
• Unique interactive elements that bring Funsize’s personality to life
• Learnings and future plans for their digital presence

Links & Resources:

• Check out the redesigned Funsize website: www.funsize.co
• Learn more about Funsize: About Us

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and connect with us on social media!"

Follow Funsize at: 

X: Funsize

Linkedin: Funsize Design

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

In this episode of Currents, Tony Sanchez, Design Director at Funsize, leads a discussion reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead to 2025. Team members Brooke Pippins, Lee Brenner, and Mari Chamoun share personal highlights and professional insights, discussing challenges like stress management, client expectations, and the integration of AI in design. They explore emerging trends such as the need for designers to acquire PM skills, the rise of no-code platforms, and innovations in health tech and autonomous vehicles. The conversation emphasizes adaptability, the evolving role of AI, and the importance of maintaining a human touch in design.

Follow Funsize at: 

X: Funsize

Linkedin: Funsize Design

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

This special Currents episode pulls the Funsize crew into one room for a candid, off-the-cuff 2025 debrief with host Tony Sanchez. Instead of a polished case study reel, you get the kind of hallway and happy‑hour conversations that rarely make it into public recaps. 

The team kicks things off with everyone’s Spotify “listening ages” using Wrapped as a jumping-off point. From there, they dig into Funsize’s &Friends division and how their flavor of staff augmentation really works in practice—being embedded with clients while still protecting the studio’s culture and craft. They share reflections on key projects without breaking NDAs, talk through what it was like to work more deeply with AI, and unpack the difference between living in abstract data sets versus actually testing physical products out in the world. 

Stay to the end to catch everyone’s wins and “yeehaws” from the year, plus the one word they chose to sum up 2025 and the word they are carrying into 2026.

To watch the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco

On this episode throwback, we discuss:

• Eric's experience running and growing a startup called Perkville in the bay area
• Creating a culture of mentorship
• Being a Chief Design Officer of one, and how running a startup helped Eric refine his focus and purpose
• Eric walks us through the Facebook Groups team, their mission and how they work
• The importance of "north star" concepts and their ability to help you sell an idea and a vision to your team
• Why shorter (3 day) sprints can be more effective than 5 day design sprints
• The "People/Problem" framework at Facebook and how Facebook designers drive the products and determine what to ship
• The value of diverse job experiences and how working in an agency can help you learn skills to create and sell ideas
• Having a diverse team of designers gives you awesome collaboration and outcomes.
• Testing incremental changes get you incremental results, but when you test big bold ideas you can see huge angle changes in your metrics
• Designers need to get out of their bubbles (most of your users are not like you)
• Tips on user testing when you don't have real user testing support or funding

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

In this episode, we sit down with Heather Korczynski, a dedicated pop-culture aficionado and UX Lead at IBM. Heather offers a deep dive into her life—discussing her role at IBM, her passion for Austin FC, and her aspirations of launching her own business. We explore her growth journey, covering the importance of community, the value of tackling new challenges, and how she balances her career with evolving interests. Heather also shares her excitement about recent pop culture highlights, like the buzz around the Barbenheimer double feature, and reveals her approach to continually learning new skills, from advanced design techniques to project management fundamentals. Wrapping up, Heather provides thoughtful advice for those aiming to embrace new opportunities, step out of their comfort zones, and confront anxieties head-on, all in the pursuit of authentic growth and self-discovery.

In this episode, Nina Sanchez, Tony Sanchez, Bobby Dixon, and Nhi Nguyen delve into the Big Little Poster Show, exploring its value for Austin's design community, sharing personal connections with food, and uncovering the inspiration behind Bobby and Nhi's desire to get involved. They discuss how the show brings together a diverse group of designers and creators, fostering a unique space for collaboration, creativity, and community. Each guest shares their perspective on the relationship between design and food culture, revealing how flavors, colors, and textures inspire their creative processes. Bobby and Nhi share their excitement about the works these artists will bring to life, anticipating how each piece will uniquely capture the theme and celebrate the spirit of Urban Roots. Tune in to hear why this event is more than just an art showcase—it's a celebration of design, community, and the connections that drive creativity forward.

Follow THe Big Little Poster Show, Bobby Dixon, Nhi Nguyen, and Nina at:

Web: biglittleprintshow

Instagram:
@thebiglittleprintshow

Bobby Dixon: @klctvefusion

Nhi Nguyen: @nhiii

Nina Sanchez: @chola.in.floral

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

In this episode, Tony and Anthony explore the nuanced distinctions between good and beautiful design. They consider the subjectivity of beauty, influenced by cultural and individual preferences, and the importance of usability and business objectives and what constitutes “good” design. Citing a mobile game that succeeds commercially and the unconventional design of the Cybertruck, they underline the tension between aesthetics and functionality. The conversation shifts to natural phenomena like the Northern Lights and the balance between awe-inspiring visuals and the tendency to overlook everyday wonders.

Follow Tony and Anthony on 

X: Tony Sanchez Anthony Armendariz

Linkedin: Tony Sanchez Anthony Armendariz

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

In this episode, we chat with Brian Simpson, a creative professional who took the leap from Florida to Austin, Texas, back in 2008. Brian started in flash design and later co-founded an experiential design agency, showcasing incredible innovation and adaptability along the way. We’ll hear about his work on high-profile projects, including a groundbreaking app for Rupert Murdoch, and dive into the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Things get personal as we discuss how parenthood and a pandemic-inspired move to small-town Wimberley have shaped his journey. We’ll also explore Brian’s latest passion project, Small Town Locals, which is all about supporting rural communities through commerce and storytelling. So join us for an inspiring conversation on risk-taking, continuous learning, and finding balance in the ever-evolving world of creative business.

Follow Brian and Small Town Locals on 

Web: www.smalltownlocals.com

Instagram: @smalltownlocals @whatsupwithbrian

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Ten years ago, Funsize launched the Hustle Podcast. Since then, we have had nearly one hundred conversations with exciting people in the design industry.

Today, we're excited to announce and discuss the next generation of the Funsize podcasting, The Funsize Show!

This podcast, now rebranded as The Funsize Show, is a variety show with many exciting segments hosted by many brilliant people at Funsize. The content will span the gamut of design leadership to design expertise, conversations with our clients about our relationship and our work, taking risks and trying new things, fun and inspiring conversations with our team,  and more.

We're about to launch a new website for the show and will be making that announcement on our social media and on future podcast episodes. Please stay tuned. We think you'll like it.

Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Instagram: @funsizeco  |  X: @funsize 

Juliana Vislova is the VP of Design at Mercury, an all-in-one banking platform for startups. A former linguistics major, Juliana is career switcher who spent time as an art director for a digital marketing agency before her design career. After moving to the U.S., she stumbled upon product design and immediately loved its intersection of pscyhology, art, storytelling and problem-solving. Her design path has taken her from the founding designer at Mercury to now leading a team of 20. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Career Switching
• Burnout
• Personal agency in work
• Giving up control and trusting others
• Meetings as work
• And more!

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Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

During our party for SXSW 2022, we interviewed designers and tech workers to understand how their careers were affected by the pandemic and what it means for their futures. We'd like to extend a huge thanks to Johnny Abowd, Carlos Menchaca, Dina Williams, Ali Metall, AC Cowart, Steven Parvaresh, Rick Messer, Isabelle Encela, Steven Ray and Katy Beightol for sharing their perspectives on this unique episode. 

In this episode we cover:

• How people's work was affected by the pandemic
• The differences in team dynamics created over the last two years
• Where designers see their careers headed next
• And more!

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Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Brian Peterson is a a multidisciplinary creator supporting, connecting, and empowering organizations through strategic design. Brian’s background is in fine arts with a brief stint in animation/illustration. His path to design has taken him through freelance visual design, to a founding team startup, to the design studio at Funsize. Currently, he leads design teams at Affirm, where he works to bring honest financial products to the world.

Brian is a strong believer in collaboration and he sees design as a vehicle for connecting people and transforming organizations. When not thinking about design management, operations, methodologies, etc., Brian likes to build worlds through drawing.

In this episode we cover:

• Design management
• Individual contributors
• Growth
• Management
• Design operations
• Leveling up
• And more!

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Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Kevin Hawkins is the director of product design at BookClub—an online platform that brings authors and readers together. He is also an award-winning, multi-disciplinary design leader and educator with over 12 years of experience building communities and launching products.

Kevin is a self-taught front-end developer and started his career doing freelance web design for local businesses and science NGOs in his home town: Washington D.C. He transitioned to his first full-time job in UX at 16. Since then, he's been a UX leader for Booking.com, PwC, EY, Gap Inc., and more. 

Kevin now resides in Amsterdam where he teaches UX and directs the production and launch of innovative products. In his spare time, he likes to travel, learn new perspectives, and desires to be challenged while doing good work. 

In this episode we cover:

• Outcome vs. intent
• Workaholism 
• Cultural inspiration
• 20% time
• Sofas  & interior design
• Hygge
• And more!

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Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Out of Office heads to Iceland to hang out with designer, Alli Metall. A longtime friend of host Anthony Armendariz, Alli gets deep on this episode, sharing a window into his life outside of design, including how he spends time with his family and what everyday Icelandic life looks like when he’s not at a desk.​ 

Over drinks and Icelandic barbecue, Alli and Anthony discuss dream design projects, their secret ambitions to design craft beer cans, and why a design team is like a metal band. Tune in for a grounded, personal side of Alli that goes beyond portfolios and projects and into what really inspires him. 

To watch the video version of this podcast, head over to our YouTube channel here

Check out Alli at the links below: 

Web: https://www.metall.co/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metalldotco/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alli-metall-5a78a84b/ 

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Check out more exciting episodes on the Funsize Show Website.

Web: www.funsize.co. |  Linkedin: Funsize Design  |  Instagram: @funsizeco

Michael Holzer is the director of UX at Google Payments and has been at Google for over eight years. He is a passionate, entrepreneurial design leader currently focused on building and operating large-scale creative teams working on new mediums and technologies.

Michael grew up in Silicon Valley and started his career studying mechanical engineering and industrial design by prototyping bicycle helmets for Bell Sports. After dropping out, he pivoted to designing irrigation systems for a landscape architecture firm and soon found himself exploring and learning more about web design while working on the company's first website.

When not "working" in the traditional sense, Michael is passionate about biking and building his athletic cred.

In this episode we cover:

• Technology & security
• POS systems
• Government incentives
• Society at large
• Building teams
• Autonomous teams
• And more!

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Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Alli Metall is a husband, father, and designer living in Reykjavík, Iceland. He was born in Húsavík, Iceland--a small town on the northern coast (also famed as the setting of Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest). He began his career playing guitar in death metal and jazz bands and soon combined his interests in music and computer games to a career in design. After a brief agency stint as an intern in New York City, he returned home to work at a game company, a fin-tech startup, and an airline. Nowadays, Alli is the owner, founder, and creator of his own studio: Metall.

Alli shares his fears (running out of $$$) and dreams (surfing in Hawaii before turning 80) and what he's seen as the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode we cover:

• Job  switching
• Agency formation
• Ego vs. teamwork
• The pandemic & the future of work
• Designing for screens
• What we're looking forward to
• And more!

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Subscribe to The Funsize Digest

Aaron “Ron” Irizarry, is the Sr. Director, Servicing Platforms Design at Capital One. He loves all things user experience, problem-solving, and design process. Having worked for Fox/IGN, HP, Nasdaq, and now Capital One, Aaron loves sinking his teeth into complex problems. In addition to his day job, Aaron speaks at events and provides training for companies on design team structure, communication, and collaboration. He is also the co-author of Discussing Design.

Most importantly, Aaron is a master of the BBQ arts, a lover and player of heavy metal music, and a lifelong Dodgers fan.

In this episode we cover:

• Design systems
• The critiquing process
• Collaboration between levels
• Facilitation techniques and frameworks
• Establishing ground rules
• Identifying emotional responses
• Feedback vs. critique

Visit the Funsize website
Subscribe to The Funsize Digest