Technical Difficulties

The Technical Difficulties Podcast is coming back this spring with a new line-up of incredible women shaping the world of tech and design. Hear from incredible founders, leaders, and educators like Doris Sung, Liz Danzico, and more. Stay tuned for the first episode of season four, dropping March 9th, 2026.

Welcome back to our rerelease season, where we're highlighting some of our favorite episodes from previous seasons. Join Dori Tunstall, founder and lead executive officer of Dori Tunstall Inc, as she shares her career journey through design anthropology. Dori is a design anthropologist, public intellectual and book author of, “Decolonizing Design: A Cultural Justice Guidebook" - tune in to hear more! This episode was produced by Liz Gerber and Madison Deyo, and edited by Troy Cruz.

Welcome back to our rerelease season, where we're highlighting some of our favorite episodes from previous seasons. Join Amy Ko, Professor at the University of Washington Information School, as she recounts her adventures in human-computer interaction, the tech startup world, and academia. She is a leader in computer science education with over 100 published papers and recognition from the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery). Amy researches computing to harness it for play, power, and equity for more technologically just futures. Tune in to hear Amy's perspective on: What sparked her interest in human-computer interaction (HCI) Moving fast and breaking things(?) The startup scene as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Beta release labels are an accountability excuse Critically conscious computing Creative coding Technical Difficulties is hosted by Liz Gerber and produced by Lauren Lin & Gilli Nieh. Special thanks to the Alumnae of Northwestern and Northwestern’s Center for HCI + Design. This episode was edited by Troy Cruz.

Welcome back to the Technical Difficulties rerelease season, where we highlight some of our favorite episodes from previous seasons. Join Nicole Kahn, VP of Design at Carta, as she reflects on discovering design research, the secret to telling sticky stories, and transitioning into tech. She has led design at companies like IDEO and WeWork, and is now building out what good design looks like at Carta. Nicole coined the "Bar Test" for storytelling, and is dedicated to unlocking the creative potential in all. Tune in to hear Nicole's perspective on: Transitioning from chemical engineering to design research to tech, and the realities of grad school Learnings from WeWork: hypergrowth and authentic leadership UX debt The "lone designer type" The "Bar Test" for better stories Realizing your expertise as a designer

Join us as we talk with Irene Au, Design Partner at Kholsa Ventures, as she shares her career path across Yahoo and Google, and her insights on the design industry - tune in to hear more! Hear Irene's perspectives on: AI documentaries Life long learning The internet's evolution Building from the ground up Follow Irene! LinkedIn: / ireneau This episode was produced by Liz Gerber and Madison Deyo, and edited by Troy Cruz.

Welcome to our special rerelease season of our favorite episodes this fall. Join Michelle Lee, Partner and Managing Director at IDEO, as she delves into the twists and turns of her design career, starting out as an undergrad unsure how to blend engineering and art, to eventually leading Design for Play at IDEO's Play Lab. She believes the most unconventional paths are the ones that will make you most equipped. At the Play Lab, she applies principles of play to tackle challenges like responsible digital design and sustainable circular economies, building towards better, optimistic futures. Michelle's most recent project is the Designing for Digital Thriving Open Innovation Challenge to reimagine healthy online spaces.

We're launching a special rerelease season of our favorite episodes this fall. Join Lesley-Ann Noel, an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Design Studies at North Carolina State University, as she brings us along her entire design journey—from her first encounters with design education, creating the Designer's Critical Alphabet, and recently, The Little Book of Designer's Existential Crises in 2022. Lesley brings an expansive lens to practice design through emancipatory, critical, and anti-hegemonic lenses to center those who are often excluded from research. She advocates for critical awareness in design, and sits as co-Chair of the Pluriversal Design Special Interest Group within the Design Research Society.

Technical Difficulties is back, with a special rerelease season of your favorite episodes dropping this September, and season four coming in spring 2026. Our host, Liz Gerber, had the privilege of joining Lee Moreau on the Design As podcast to discuss the future of AI and design. Stay tuned for Liz's episode with the release of Design As season three.

Join Elizabeth Churchill, Professor and Department Chair at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), as she shares her perspectives on artificial intelligence and teaching the next generation of HCI leaders - tune in to hear more! Visit technicaldifficultiespodcast.com for a full transcript and to hear more episodes. Hear Elizabeth's perspectives on: Developing tools to support learning Emotion, identity, and cognition The importance of teachers and educators Follow Elizabeth! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethfchurchill/ This episode was produced by Liz Gerber and Madison Deyo, and edited by Troy Cruz.

Join Christina Janzer, former Senior Vice President of research and analytics at Slack, as she inspires us to make big career moves that fit your future goals- tune in to hear more! Prefer audio? Find the episode on your platform of choice: technicaldifficultiespodcast.com Hear Christina's perspectives on: Staying open to new opportunities during college Starting the user research team at Facebook Learning through mistakes AI and the future of work-life balance Follow Christina! LinkedIn: / christina-janzer This episode was produced by Liz Gerber and Madison Deyo, and edited by Troy Cruz.

Join Sara cantor, co-founder of Greater Good Studio, as she shares her goals of working with design for social change. Sara is a human-centered designer dedicated to equity, inclusion, and social impact - tune in to hear more! Prefer audio? Find the episode on your platform of choice: technicaldifficultiespodcast.com Hear Sara's perspectives on: The influence of the movie "Big" Operating is the system of love Designing for equity The gut check test Follow Sara! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracantor/ Website: https://greatergoodstudio.com/ This episode was produced by Liz Gerber and Madison Deyo, and edited by Troy Cruz.

Join us as we talk with Irene Au, Design Partner at Kholsa Ventures, as she shares her career path across Yahoo and Google, and her insights on the design industry - tune in to hear more! Prefer video? Find the episode on your platform of choice: technicaldifficultiespodcast.com Hear Irene's rspectives on: AI documentaries Life long learning The internet's evolution Building from the ground up Follow Irene! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ireneau/ This episode was produced by Liz Gerber and Madison Deyo, and edited by Troy Cruz.

Join Mira Dontcheva, Senior Principal Scientist at Adobe research, as she shares her perspectives on artificial intelligence uses in creativity, video, audio, and image creation - tune in to hear more! Prefer video? Find the episode on your platform of choice: technicaldifficultiespodcast.com Hear Mira's perspectives on: Wordle strategies Family influences on art and technology Creating tech for everyone Building strong and realiable teams Follow Mira! LinkedIn: / mira-dontcheva-165761 Website: https://research.adobe.com/person/mir... This episode was produced by Liz Gerber and Madison Deyo, and edited by Troy Cruz.

Join Dori Tunstall, founder and lead executive officer of Dori Tunstall Inc, as she shares her career journey through design anthropology. Dori is a design anthropologist, public intellectual and book author of, “Decolonizing Design: A Cultural Justice Guidebook" - tune in to hear more! Prefer video? Find the episode on your platform of choice: technicaldifficultiespodcast.com Hear Dori's perspectives on: The importance of design anthrolopgy yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Anthropological Puppet Shows Being at the forefront of technology design The value of diverse perspectives over the prestige of "a seat at the table". The Anishinaabe notion of "all my relations" and focusing on the obligation of care. Follow Dori! LinkedIn: / etunstall Website: https://doritunstall.com/ Check out Dori's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo... This episode was produced by Liz Gerber and Madison Deyo, edited by Troy Cruz, and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Margaret, a Leader in Responsible Innovation & Design, Advisor, and Investor and the former VP of Product Design and Responsible Innovation at Meta where she founded the Responsible Innovation team. With over 25 years of experience, Margaret has shaped many of the iconic and consequential platforms we use daily - including Google, Youtube, and Facebook. Ethics in tech and design is critical, but how do we actually make it happen at scale? Watch the video version on Youtube Tune in to hear Margaret’s perspective on: - The intersection of theater and design - Designing at scale - Humility and techno-optimism - Cultivating moments of lifelong learning - Climate change + tech and AI Margaret’s shoutouts: - www.terra.do/ Follow Margaret! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretgstewart/ This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Shani, a Design Executive at IBM, serving as Vice President of Experience Design. She is an award winning creative leader, working at the intersection of design, technology, and leadership. “Designing Forward” is her philosophy—tune in to hear more! Watch the video version on Youtube Tune in to hear Shani’s perspective on: - Designing forward, and always evolving - Journeys in art history and digital design - Taking control of your growth as a designer (and plateaus are normal!) - Emotional intelligence and being sensitive in design leadership and business - Advice for young designers and emerging talent Shani’s shoutouts: - Milton Glaser Follow Shani! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanisandy/ Personal website: shanisandy.com IBM Design: https://www.ibm.com/design/community/Shani/ This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Alison, an innovation leader, and a self described “experience unicorn," having been an academic, media/tech leader, entrepreneur, and non-profit exec. Today, she is the Chief Research, Education, Data, and Impact Officer at Sesame Workshop. Watch the video version on Youtube Tune in to hear Alison’s perspective on: - Her career path in academia to media and technology - Sesame Workshop’s approach to developing educational content for refugee children - Designing for audiences across vast age ranges - Play, learning, content creation, and impact - The win-win-win condition - Importance of research experience - Sesame Street Alison’s shoutouts: - Sesame Workshop Follow Alison! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jalisonbryant/ This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Radhika, the founder of Reground Design, a practice focused on developing implementable solutions to civic challenges in healthcare, education, human migration and community resilience. Watch the video version on Youtube Tune in to hear Radhika’s perspective on: - The power of design, and structuring engagements that build partnership - Racoon birthday parties - Designing, film-making, robotics, biology, and music! - “Traditional” design studios or consultancies - Pursuing independent projects and freelancing as self discovery - Balancing constraints and fluidity - Building intuition Radhika’s shoutouts: - Reground Design Follow Radhika! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmagarwal This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Erin, CEO and co-founder of Desklight, a learning innovation firm that brings a learner-centered focus to instructional design. Erin is passionate about helping individuals and companies unlock their learning potential, and tells us about her journey as a design entrepreneur. Watch the video version on Youtube Tune in to hear Erin’s perspective on: - Creativity tools and her start in graphic/visual design - Emojis - Learning in the Wild, Erin’s book! - Creating tension to learn - Design leadership, owning a studio, and workplace culture Erin’s shoutouts: - Desklight - Canva - Miro Follow Sarah! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinhuizenga This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.

Join Maalvika, a dual PhD student at Northwestern studying Computer Science and Communication who is excited about understanding “how we exist on and with the internet.” You might also know from her podcast, “show me how good it gets” and @maaltoks on TikTok! Watch the video version on Youtube Tune in to hear Maalvika’s perspective on: - Connections between her PhD interests and her observations on TikTok - Pursuing a PhD and finding her path in STEM - External validation - How we exist on the internet - Being loud about what you love Maalvika’s shoutouts: - Micron pen + a journal Follow Maalvika! Personal Website: www.maalvikabhat.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maaltoks?lang=en This show is produced by Lauren Lin and Liz Gerber and made possible by the Center for Human Computer Interaction and Design at Northwestern University.