Designing Up
Designing Up
Podcast Description
This podcast for ambitious product designers who want to think beyond pixels and climb to the top. Each episode dives into bold ideas and career strategies help you break out of the expected and design your way up. thenuwan.substack.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focuses on innovative approaches to career advancement in product design, leadership strategies, and collaboration between technical and creative teams, with episodes discussing topics such as design thinking, mentorship in the design field, and the intersection of engineering and design roles.

Hey, welcome to Designing Up — where we dive into design leadership and the future of product design with leaders from across industries
I’m joined by Helen Arvanitopoulos, Senior Manager of UX at Decathlon Digital.
Helen’s journey spans startups, enterprises, and digital transformation at scale. In this conversation, she shares deeply reflective thoughts on where design leadership is heading and why curiosity, authenticity, and agency are more important than ever.
What we talked about:
– How AI is reshaping design roles, from ICs to managers
– The comeback of craft and what it really means today
– Why agency matters more than tools or titles
– The truth about hiring — and why the system is broken
– What authentic design leadership looks like in 2025
Helen doesn’t sugarcoat the realities of design today — but she reminds us why staying curious, creative, and human will always matter most.
Get full access to Nuwan’s Substack at thenuwan.substack.com/subscribe

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