Explore every episode of the podcast Studio Twentyone: A Bitcoin Design Show

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Mia White to explore her journey from marketing to Bitcoin design and her experiences as an independent designer working with various Bitcoin companies.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

• Transitioning from marketing to product design

• Working with early-stage Bitcoin companies
• The challenges of explaining Bitcoin concepts through UI
• Being a "cowboy designer" in the Bitcoin space
• Balancing freelance work with personal life

🔗 Subscribe for more conversations on Bitcoin design and product development!

Connect with Mia:

• Twitter:https://x.com/mia_white21

  
  

Connect with Me:

• Twitter:https://x.com/SahilC0

• Nostr:sahil@primal.net/sahil

• Web:https://sahilc.com/

  
  

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show 

00:30 Meeting Mia White 

01:14 Mia's Background in Business and Marketing

 02:57 Transition to Design During COVID 

04:31 Online Design Education 

06:20 Starting as a Freelancer in Bitcoin 

08:05 Working with Engineering-Heavy Startups 

10:34 Managing Design Process with Multiple Stakeholders 

13:40 Using Secondary Research to Convince Teams 

15:32 Freelance versus Full-Time Considerations 

19:30 Challenges in Bitcoin Startups 

20:46 Bitcoin Education and UX Challenges 

23:35 Designing for Technical Constraints in El Salvador

 24:47 Copywriting and Website Design 

27:36 Using AI Tools in Design 

29:14 The Future of Designers with AI 

31:35 Being a "Cowboy Designer" 

33:17 Learning New Skills On-the-Go 

34:51 Hot Takes on Bitcoin Companies 

37:13 The Education Problem in Bitcoin Products 

39:28 Staying Updated on Design Trends 

40:57 Future of Bitcoin Design 

44:30 Personal Growth and Balance 

45:21 Closing Thoughts

Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Lee Gordon from Fold to explore the evolution of Bitcoin design and brand identity. Lee shares insights from Fold's recent redesign and his journey from creative writing to leading design at one of Bitcoin's most recognizable companies.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

• How Fold approached their recent redesign as they prepare to go public

• Managing design teams efficiently in Bitcoin companies

• The role of research and customer feedback in product development

• Building design systems that scale

• Drawing inspiration from art and culture for Bitcoin products

  
  

🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin and product design from the Studio Twentyone Show!

Connect with Lee:

• Twitter: https://x.com/leegordon

• Nostr: https://primal.net/p/npub13wj709u2tdpflj83mxnlz507e54v0k78dzy0pe5prcukrpfnpdjsxnen3s

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanceleegordon

  
  

Connect with Me:

• Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0

• Nostr: sahil@primal.net/sahil

• Web: https://sahilc.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show 00:20 Meeting Lee Gordon from Fold 01:14 Lee's Journey into Design 02:54 Path Through Agency World and Tech 05:04 Experience at RGA and Other Companies 08:03 Leadership and Individual Contributor Roles 11:10 Design Philosophy at Fold 14:17 Brand Evolution and Redesign Process 20:53 Working with Design Teams and Freelancers 27:07 Research and Customer Feedback 31:16 Design Systems and Efficiency 34:08 Using AI for Research Insights 39:24 Hot Takes on Design Industry 42:05 Art and Design Inspiration 46:47 Future of Bitcoin Design 50:16 Personal Growth and Future Plans 52:23 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Sasha Klein from Unchained to explore the world of Bitcoin front-end development and design systems. Sasha shares his journey from English major to Bitcoin engineer and his unique perspectives on building user-friendly self-custody solutions.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

The evolution from traditional web development to Bitcoin products

How to balance technical requirements with user experience

The importance of consistent design systems in Bitcoin products

Building maintainable front-end architecture for complex applications

Hot takes on animation, prototyping, and design trade-offs

🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin and product design from the Studio Twentyone Show!

Connect with Sasha:

Twitter: https://x.com/sashafklein

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-klein/

Connect with Me:

Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0

Nostr: sahil@primal.net/sahil

Web: https://sahilc.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show 00:21 Meeting Sasha Klein from Unchained 01:14 Sasha's Background and Harvard Years 02:54 Transition into Programming through MOOCs 04:06 Learning Ruby on Rails and Full Stack Development 05:04 Experience at Design Consultancy 08:03 Design Philosophy and Trade-offs at Unchained 11:10 The Role of Animation in Design 14:17 Domain Expertise in Bitcoin Products 16:24 Balancing Customer Needs with Bitcoin Security 20:27 UX and Visual Design Integration 23:51 Evolution of Web Design Standards 26:28 Design Systems and Component Libraries 29:01 The Role of Prototyping 32:35 AI in Development and Design 37:06 Future of Tech Jobs 39:24 Hot Takes on Design 42:05 Managing Design Trade-offs 46:47 Consistency and Code Quality 50:16 Bitcoin Design Evolution 54:19 Future of Bitcoin UX 56:13 Real-world Bitcoin Payment Challenges 57:05 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/

Hey everyone! Sahil here, walking along a lake in Riga for today’s episode. I’m joined by Erik, a bitcoin designer who’s here to share his unique journey and insights from the world of UX and design.

Episode Highlights:

Exploring Riga & European Design: Erik shares his love for European architecture and city design, comparing it to the walkability and creativity-inspiring aesthetics of Stockholm, where he lives.

Erik’s Path into Design: From dabbling with early digital design tools as a kid, customizing game graphics, and pirating Photoshop to eventually mastering UX—Erik has quite the unconventional, tech-centric backstory.

Peer-to-Peer Influence on Bitcoin UX: Erik explains how his fascination with file-sharing communities naturally led to his interest in Bitcoin and designing peer-to-peer systems.

Design Philosophy: We dive into what “good design” means to Erik—balancing functionality with user enjoyment, making sure even technical designs offer a seamless, pleasant experience.

Challenges in eCash UX: Erik talks about his work with eCash, a protocol he’s passionate about, and the unique UX challenges it presents—like offline functionality and “pending” transactions that need intuitive design solutions.

Hoseki and Institutional UX: Erik shares his experience with institutional design at Hoseki, where keeping it polished yet simple for a traditional finance audience is key.

Design Inspiration from Solana & Beyond: Erik’s got a hot take—he’s learning design patterns from Ethereum and Solana’s fire UI/UX, proving that great design inspiration can come from all corners of the tech world.

The Art of Explaining Design: We get into a candid chat about the challenges of articulating design choices to stakeholders and Erik’s journey to improve in this area.

This episode is full of gems on navigating design with a user-first mindset while staying grounded in practicality. Whether you’re a designer, a dev, or just interested in the thought processes behind some of the products you use, you’re gonna love this conversation.

Connect with Erik:

Twitter: @uxerik_

Noster: erik@uierik.com

Website: uierik.com

Connect with Me:

Twitter:⁠ @Sahilc0⁠

Nostr: sahil@primal.net

Web:⁠ sahilc.com⁠

Don't Miss Out:

If you’re in Austin, check out the Bitcoin Design Club that Paul and I host on the 4th Wednesday of each month. It’s where we connect with other designers, builders, and anyone passionate about Bitcoin design.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, hit that subscribe button, and let’s keep this design conversation rolling. Peace!

Background image credits:

Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio 21 Show

00:33 Exploring Riga and Personal Backgrounds

03:33 Early Design Inspirations and Journey

05:58 Combining Design with Bitcoin

11:05 Institutional Design at Hoseki

16:04 Challenges in eCash UX Design

21:15 Exploring eCash Offline Functionality

22:53 User Communication Challenges

23:05 Design Philosophy: Truth vs. Abstraction

24:35 Balancing User Feedback and Development

26:37 Hot Takes on Design Prototyping

29:18 Learning from Cutting-Edge Design

33:17 The Culture of Cashew

34:41 Challenges in Design Communication

37:53 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil chats with Paul Miller from Mutiny to dive deep into the world of Bitcoin product design. Paul shares his unique journey from being a web designer at 13 years old to becoming a key player in the Bitcoin ecosystem, working on projects like Voltage and Fedimint.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

The challenges of designing intuitive Bitcoin UX for users.

How to balance simplicity with the complexities of Bitcoin technology.

The importance of iteration and progressive enhancement in product design.

Why great UX for Bitcoin products is about more than just making things look pretty.

Hot takes on the future of Bitcoin products and how designers can make Bitcoin more user-friendly.

Paul offers candid insights into his design philosophy and the difficulties of delivering seamless user experiences in a space where technical complexity and user expectations clash. If you're interested in Bitcoin development, UX/UI design, or just curious about the behind-the-scenes of how Bitcoin products are created, this episode is a must-watch!

🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:

Paul’s thoughts on what makes good design in Bitcoin.

Why "better UX won’t be easy" and how it compares to relationships or fitness.

The truth vs. abstraction debate in Bitcoin UX.

🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin, product design, and tech from the Studio Twentyone Show!

Connect with Paul:

Twitter: @FuturePaul

Upcoming Projects: Keep an eye out for some exciting B2B SaaS evolutions from Mutiny.

Connect with Me:

Twitter: @SahilC0

Nostr: sahil@primal.net

Web: sahilc.com

Don't Miss Out:

If you’re in Austin, check out the Bitcoin Design Club that Paul and I host on the last Thursday of each month. It’s where we connect with other designers, builders, and anyone passionate about Bitcoin design.

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, hit that subscribe button, and let’s keep this design conversation rolling. Peace!

Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show 00:21 Meet Paul Miller from Mutiny 00:44 Casual Walk and Talk in Austin 01:02 Discussing the Concept of Design 03:52 Paul's Journey from Web Developer to Journalist 06:15 The Essence of Design and Creativity 09:44 Integrating Design and Problem Solving 15:33 Paul's Early Design Influences 20:33 Challenges in Designing Bitcoin Products 22:59 The Importance of User Experience in Bitcoin 27:19 The Value of Health and Relationships 27:33 Effort and Consequences in Health and Wealth 29:12 Building for Different Audiences 29:34 The Mutiny Team's Decision 31:03 Bitcoin and User Responsibility 32:30 The Evolution of the Internet and Bitcoin 34:02 Designing for Truth vs. Abstraction 37:36 Challenges in Bitcoin Payment Methods 42:01 Learning and Inspiration in Design 50:16 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/