d.MBA

d.MBA episodes:

• 04.16.2024

  105- Patagonia - Business Design Teardown

  Ready for a business adventure? For our latest Teardown, we're exploring the terrain of a brand that has revolutionized business and ethical standards. Yes, we're unearthing the tale of Patagonia, a brand that's more than just outdoor apparel. It's a...

  
• 03.19.2024

  104- Pantone - Business Design Teardown

  Prepare to immerse yourself in a tale of innovation and color that revolutionized design and branding. Our latest Business Design Teardown paints the vibrant journey of Pantone, the brand that turned the art of color consistency into a global industry....

  
• 02.26.2024

  d.MBA Early Applications

  Early applications for the next d.MBA, starting on April 8th, are now open.  www.d.mba/apply

  
• 02.20.2024

  103- Liquid Death - Business Design Teardown

  Get ready to crack open a can of intrigue with our latest Business Design Teardown, where we're diving headfirst into the chilling waters of Liquid Death's business and creativity genius. We're peeling back the heavy-metal label to reveal the secrets...

  
• 01.31.2024

  102- ON - Business Design Teardown

  Tap, tap... is this thing ON? Great, because we've got an exciting new Teardown episode for you! In this latest podcast installment we're taking you behind the scenes of ON, the Swiss brand racing to the forefront of the...

  
• 01.17.2024

  101- LEGO - Business Design Teardown

  Prepare to embark on an exciting journey about the magic of building – both in terms of creative design and prosperous business strategy. We're about to unravel the colorful story of LEGO, where imagination and innovation interlock seamlessly to...

  
• 12.07.2023

  100- Dan Mall on Design Systems, Design as a Subscription, and Pricing Design

  In a world where organizations constantly strive for efficiency and innovation, Design Systems have emerged as essential tools. They are pivotal in delivering greater value to users while simultaneously enhancing team productivity and satisfaction. Yet, these systems often stumble....

  
• 11.16.2023

  99- Dyson - Business Design Teardown

  Have you ever marveled at a Dyson product's seamless integration of form and function? Or how their pioneering approach to mundane appliances has shaped an entire market? Behind each groundbreaking product, there's a world of calculated business, design, and engineering...

  
• 11.02.2023

  98- Birkenstock - Business Design Teardown

  Birkenstock… A symbol of practical beauty, or just an ugly shoe you wouldn't dream of slipping on? Few footwear items split opinion like this classic German brand's iconic sandals. Behind the love-it-or-hate-it reputation is a business that's weathered the tides...

  
• 10.19.2023

  97- Marvel - Business Design Teardown

  Marvel Studios isn't just about capes, hammers, and infinity stones. It's an unparalleled tapestry of storytelling, business acumen, and creative brilliance. But how did a comic book company evolve into a cinematic juggernaut? In our latest Business Design Teardown,...

  
• 10.04.2023

  96- Oatly - Business Design Teardown

  From the academic corridors of Sweden to the bustling coffee shops and supermarket chillers of major cities worldwide; one company has seamlessly merged innovation with a global market strategy to dominate the plant-based beverage scene. That's right, in this latest...

  
• 09.14.2023

  95- Muji - Business Design Teardown

  Born in Japan yet embraced globally, Muji challenges the consumerist tide with its 'no-brand' philosophy. From their iconic pens to the soft glow of their aroma diffusers, Muji has reshaped how we perceive functionality and design. In this episode, we'll...

  
• 08.30.2023

  94- Helvetica - Business Design Teardown

  You may not think about it often, but it's everywhere—on billboards, in your emails, on your favorite websites, and perhaps even your company's logo. Yes, we're talking about fonts and, more specifically, Helvetica. Our latest Business Design Teardown explores the...

  
• 08.22.2023

  Special Announcement

  We are breaking the regular program to bring you a special announcement.  Tune in   www.d.mba/apply

  
• 08.17.2023

  93- Aesop - Business Design Teardown

  Ahh, the unmistakable scent of a new Business Teardown! This one has notes of brand elegance and a touch of sophisticated aesthetics… but does it have the sweet smell of business success?  Excuse our indulgence in some beauty-based puns; this...

  
• 08.03.2023

  92- Eames chair - Business Design Teardown

  When you think of truly iconic design, what comes to mind? In tech, perhaps it’s the iPhone. In typography, Helvetica claims legendary status. In the furniture world, one piece has a hold over designers like no other; the Eames Lounge...

  
• 07.17.2023

  91- Tour de France - Business Design Teardown

  The Tour de France isn't just a test of physical endurance; it's a spectacle fueling a vast economic ecosystem. From the massive investments poured into team sponsorships to the bustling local economies along the race route, the Tour de France...

  
• 07.06.2023

  90- WeWork - Business Design Teardown

  When is a real estate business not a real estate business? When it declares its mission to "elevate the world's consciousness", brands itself a tech company, and promises to blur the line between work and life through beautifully designed spaces....

  
• 06.15.2023

  89- Warby Parker - Business Design Teardown

  How do you know you’ve made an enormous impact in the world of business design? When you have a popular expression coined about you! Warby Parker set new standards for customer experience in the eyewear industry, and “The Warby Parker...

  
• 06.01.2023

  88- Sonos - Business Design Teardown

  Can you hear that? It’s the sweet sound of another business teardown, this time focused on a company that’s all about great listening experiences…. Sonos! From slick unboxing and setup to seamless connectivity, Sonos have designed a product experience that...

  
• 05.18.2023

  87- Lululemon - Business Design Teardown

  One of the best ways to learn about business is to find a topic or product you love, and dive into the business side of it. Whether it’s your favourite footwear brand, sports team, hotel chain or streaming provider, we...

  
• 05.03.2023

  86- The AI Business Race: Who might come out on top?

  AI has rapidly evolved from science-fiction fantasy into a tangible tool that is already impacting our lives and work. But it’s just the beginning… Not just for end users, but for the businesses hoping to emerge victorious from this new...

  
• 04.27.2023

  85- The Power of Compounding: Building Wealth as a Designer (w Akshan Ish of Spotify)

  Curious how to make your money work for you as a designer or creative? Well, you've come to the right place! In this episode, Alen and his guest, Akshan Ish (a design manager at Spotify), have an insightful conversation about...

  
• 04.20.2023

  84- Negotiation and Business Design: Creating Value for All Parties Involved

  Does the thought of negotiating make you break out in a cold sweat, fellow designer? Join Alen and our special guest Jo as they explore the ins and outs of negotiation in various contexts, from job offers to client negotiations....

  
• 04.12.2023

  83- The Business Design Agony Uncles: Influencing Biz Strategy, Making Metrics Fun, Can I AI-proof my career?

  Are you a faced with a business-related question, but don’t know who to ask for help? Facing challenges at work as you build your business confidence, and need some expert advice? Well, the d.MBA’s very own Alen and Franz are...

  
• 03.29.2023

  82- Could AI make designers redundant? (w Franz Blach of Pinterest)

  Seen enough AI tool renderings of fantasy avatars, futuristic skyline designs, or unicorns playing tennis? Franz Blach certainly has. As tools like Chat GPT, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion continue to capture our imaginations and headlines, they’ve also prompted an existential...

  
• 03.21.2023

  81- To bundle or unbundle your product… That is the question!

  Jim Barksdale, a former CEO of Netscape, once famously proclaimed there are “only two ways to make money in business: one is to bundle; the other is unbundle.” Bundling is the business of rolling up products or services into packages,...

  
• 03.13.2023

  80- Who wants to be a…. Businessaire?

  For our latest episode we put our new business school quiz to the test, with our unsuspecting producer Tom Prior in the hot-seat. When it comes to understanding business terminology and concepts, it can regularly feel like our knowledge is...

  
• 03.08.2023

  79- Taking the fight to Figma

  Sept 15th, 2022. The day Adobe announced its intention to acquire Figma for an eyewatering $20Bn was also a day of mourning for much of the design community. Our industry’s main tool was falling into the hands of a brand...

  
• 01.31.2023

  78- Pricing is UX

  Discounting and Tesla are two words you never hear together. Elon Musk famously wrote in an email to Tesla staff that “There can never – and I mean never – be a discount on a new car coming out of...

  
• 12.14.2022

  77- How will AI affect designers?

  In this episode of the d.MBA podcast, we explore the exciting and rapidly-evolving field of artificial intelligence and its potential impacts on the design community and the future of business. We discuss: The latest advances in AI technology...

  
• 12.07.2022

  76- Are employee-owned companies the future of business?

  How can we best align the goals of employees and owners? It’s an age-old problem of a principal-agent relationship. But there is a promising trend that could really align incentives between employees and owners. It’s by making employees owners! We...

  
• 11.15.2022

  75- Opportunity costs, negotiating salary, and MVPs

  In the latest Designer in Nature Talking Business, we are hosting Elisabeth Graf, a service designer, innovation coach, and facilitator. And a d.MBA alumna! Lilly shared how she got into design and learned about the importance of a business concept...

  
• 10.13.2022

  74- What are economic moats and why do they matter to designers?

  According to the Oxford dictionary, a moat is “a deep, wide ditch surrounding a castle, fort, or town, typically filled with water and intended as a defence against attack”. Ok, basically some kind of defense around the castle. So, how...

  
• 09.19.2022

  73- Will Adobe ruin Figma? And will Patagonia save the planet?

  Let’s take a moment of silence. Adobe is acquiring Figma. Judging by Adobe’s previous acquisitions this is surely the end of Figma’s best days, right? But Adobe is promising to keep Figma independent! Should we believe Adobe? But let’s also...

  
• 09.09.2022

  72- Dirty business of carbon offsets

  Most of us have already tried to offset the carbon footprint of our consumption. Maybe you’ve paid to offset your flight, a parcel delivery, or even production of a product you bought. And it made you feel good, right? Well,...

  
• 08.25.2022

  71- Why designing for users isn’t always the right approach

  When you hire a designer to help you on a project, you don't expect them to say: "What if we don't focus on users here?".  Franz shared his story of working on a client project that benefitted from designing for...

  
• 08.15.2022

  d.MBA news + Rule 72

  We've got some news! And a cool math trick to use on your projects!  www.d.mba/apply

  
• 08.09.2022

  70- When people say money is free or expensive, what do they mean?

  Recently, you may have heard that money is getting more expensive. But how can the money be more expensive? Money is, well, just money. To clarify this business lingo, Alen and Franz break down the current business environment and share...

  
• 07.27.2022

  69- Strong dollar is good for the US economy, right? Right?!

  It’s usually a bad sign when currencies take over news. It was no different this July 13th when the news broke that one euro is worth exactly one dollar for the first time in twenty years. The US dollar has...

  
• 07.19.2022

  68- How to position and price yourself as a design freelancer

  Working as a freelancer comes with opportunities and challenges. One of these challenges is how you position yourself to get the clients you love working with. And secondly, how do you price your services so you can survive and thrive....

  
• 06.29.2022

  67- If monopolies are so bad why is every company trying to become one?

  There is a saying in business that if a company is trying to prove that it is a monopoly, then it is not one. But if a company is trying to prove that it is not a monopoly, it may...

  
• 06.15.2022

  66- How to convince your company to test a 4-day work week?

  Surely, most of us would agree that a 4-day work week is a good idea, right? Early research shows no drop in productivity, and a big increase in employee well-being. So, why hasn’t it been more widely adopted? At the...

  
• 06.01.2022

  65- What does a market crash mean for design (and business) community?

  The prices of tech companies have fallen dramatically. Facebook, Netflix, Google, Apple, and Amazon are all down between 20 and 80% since their record highs. Yikes. Everyone is freaking out. But why? How does a market crash affect companies and...

  
• 04.20.2022

  64- Designing and aligning incentives

  Have you ever hired a freelancer and paid them per hour? And did you have the feeling that they are extending their scope of work so they could charge you more? Then, you have already experienced misaligned incentives, which are...

  
• 03.08.2022

  63- Andrew Whelan - Business Design at Ford

  Business design is already pretty common among design agencies but not so much in product companies. So, we were excited to talk to Andrew Whelan, a Business Design Director at the D-Ford London Lab, where he leads a diverse and...

  
• 02.22.2022

  62- Wall-worthy school certificates for the digital age

  Last week, we launched new school certificates. Using a combination of generative art and blockchain, we created several hundred unique certificates so that each student can receive a piece of art that is wall-worthy and trustworthy. To learn more about...

  
• 02.02.2022

  61- NFT Business Models

  In this Business Design Jam, we talked about NFTs (Non-fungible tokens) and what new business models they will enable. Franz Emprechtinger and Alen Faljic covered: digital art and recurring revenues, fractionalization, distributed ownership, and crowdfunding, ...

  
• 11.19.2021

  60- Aarron Walter - Business case for emotional design

  Aarron Walter is Director of Product on the COVID Response team at Resolve to Save Lives. Previously, he was VP of Content at InVision, and founded the UX practice at Mailchimp where he helped grow the product from a few thousand...

  
• 09.01.2021

  59- Hidden costs behind every decision

  The opportunity costs are a super important concept for our decision-making process. They describe potential benefits that we miss out on because we decided to do something else. For example, focusing the company’s resources on rebranding instead of product development....