Studio Twentyone: A Bitcoin Design Show

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks through the hills of San Francisco with Joshua Philippe, Head of Design at Fold. Joshua shares his remarkable journey from aspiring oil painter to leading design at major Bitcoin companies like BitMEX, Strike, and now Fold. They discuss his unconventional path through poverty, agency life, the wild days at BitMEX, and how he's orchestrating complete rebuilds of both Strike and Fold's brands and products.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

• Joshua's journey from art school dropout to head of design at major Bitcoin companies
• How financial crisis and government seizure led him to Bitcoin sovereignty
• The wild stories from BitMEX's money-printing heyday in Hong Kong
• Building design systems and leading rebrands at Strike and Fold
• The art of "orchestrating" cross-functional teams as a design leader
• Why networking with VCs and business people beats networking with designers
• How to rebuild entire products and brands from the ground up
• The importance of taste development and exposure to great work

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

Connect with Joshua:

• Twitter: https://x.com/shualippa
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaphilippe/

Connect with Me:

• Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0
• Nostr: [email protected]/sahil

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

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show

01:00 Joshua's pivot from law to studio art

02:13 Early design struggles and Craigslist jobs

07:16 Agency life and brand strategy fundamentals

09:15 Eight Inc experience on Apple and Tiffany projects

11:18 Eames host-guest design philosophy

13:04 Government bank seizure and Bitcoin discovery

16:02 Transition from agency to crypto/tech

18:35 Learning React Native as a designer

25:26 Moving from BitMEX to Strike

27:21 Stepping into head of design role

29:31 Working with superior talent and team orchestration

32:09 Strike's turnaround and design efficiency

35:08 Joining Fold and complete product rebuild

39:52 Organizing 200+ scattered Figma files

41:37 Brand summit and strategic foundation work

43:06 Agency selection for Fold rebrand

45:35 Information architecture and product strategy

47:53 Brand as competitive differentiator

48:10 Networking advice for designers

50:30 Taste development and exposure to great work

53:22 Advice on patience with rebrands

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Skyler, founder of Finite Supply, a Bitcoin design agency. Skyler shares his journey from graphic design student to optimization specialist at companies like Walmart Labs, Kraken, and Fedi, before launching his own agency. They discuss the importance of research-driven design, the art of branding, and Skyler's philosophy of "Socratic design."

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

• Skyler's journey from graphic design school to Bitcoin design agency founder

• How early exposure to A/B testing shaped his scientific approach to design

• The philosophy of "Socratic design" and seeking truth in product development

• Why research and user observation matter more than designer opinions

• The process of creating foundational brand identities for Bitcoin companies

• How to develop taste and craftsmanship as a designer

• Building scalable brand systems for early-stage companies

• The future of human-computer interaction and AI delegation

  
  

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

Connect with Skyler:

• Twitter: https://x.com/skyler_fs?lang=en

• Website: https://finitesupply.co/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skylerwestby

  
  

Connect with Me:

• Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0

• Nostr: [email protected]/sahil

• Web: https://sahilc.com/

  
  

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show 

01:20 Skyler's early design journey and education 

02:36 Learning HTML and web development in design school 

03:24 The important internship requirement project 

04:12 Discovery of A/B testing and quantifiable design 

05:16 The philosophy of "Socratic design" 

06:22 Research vs opinion in Bitcoin design decisions 

07:30 Walking through Vegas and design conversations 

09:01 The mortuary rebranding project from college 

09:28 Transition from optimization to product design 

10:02 Working at Aspiration and discovering Bitcoin 

11:22 The fulfillment of measurable design impact 

12:23 Newsletter break 

12:34 Applying optimization thinking to Bitcoin companies 

14:20 The easy sell of value-based design improvements 

15:17 What Skyler loves about running Finite Supply 

16:22 No boss, fewer meetings, and creative freedom 

17:07 22+ clients and foundational brand work 

17:32 Dealing with quality concerns and imposter syndrome 

19:25 Product work and cleaning up "vibe coded" UIs 

21:04 Managing growth and saying yes to too much 

22:12 The Bitcoin network effect for designers 

23:15 Brand project process and client discovery 

24:47 Using AI for word definition exploration 

25:09 The Bitcoin Bond Company branding story 

27:03 How clients become friends through collaboration 

28:08 Making brands scalable for non-designers 

30:23 Living out brand principles beyond visuals 

31:16 Whether taste can be learned or is innate 

33:05 Developing taste through physical craftsmanship 

34:09 The command-Z impulse in leather work 

35:09 Newsletter break 

35:27 How Skyler discovers design inspiration 

37:38 Limiting Twitter consumption with ARC browser 

38:16 Sahil's disciplined social media workflow 

39:48 Looking ahead: building for American workers 

41:21 Solutions in search of problems vs real pain points 

43:15 The vision for reducing human-computer interaction 

44:30 Delegating robot tasks to actual robots 

45:00 Closing thoughts and future conversations

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

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Courtny Cotten, a design leader who has worked at major tech companies including Microsoft and Stack Overflow. With a strong background in visual design and leadership, Courtny shares insights from his career journey, discusses the evolution of design tools, and explores how AI is transforming the design industry.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

• Courtny's journey from art student to design leader at major tech companies

• How gaming inspired his passion for digital experience design

• The evolution from traditional graphic design to modern UX/UI practices

• How AI tools are transforming the design industry and empowering designers

• Practical tips for becoming a more effective design leader

• The convergence of product design and front-end engineering roles

• How to use AI as a designer's superpower rather than a threat

  
  

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

Resources & Tools Mentioned in the Episode:

• Figma (including Figma Beta AI features): https://www.figma.com/

• Adobe Illustrator: https://www.adobe.com/in/products/illustrator.html

• v0 (by Vercel): https://v0.dev/

• ChatGPT: https://openai.com/

• Grok: https://grok.com/

• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/

• Blue Cyclops Design Agency: https://bluecyclops.com/

• Design Break Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-design-break/id1451267703

  
  

Connect with Courtny:

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

• Twitter: https://x.com/courtnycotten

  
  

Connect with Me:

• Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0

• Nostr: [email protected]/sahil

• Web: https://sahilc.com/

  
  

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show 

01:09 Courtny's career journey and background 

02:17 Early apprenticeship in graphic design 

05:19 Transition from print to digital and mobile design 0

7:05 Experience at Stack Overflow and developer tooling 

09:08 AI design tools discussion begins 

10:24 Sahil's recent AI workflow transformation 

13:26 AI for divergent thinking in design 

15:54 The convergence of product design and engineering roles 

20:15 Ethical questions about AI copying creative styles 

24:04 New Figma Beta AI features 

28:13 Using AI for better employee feedback and reviews 

30:17 Effective leadership principles 

33:35 Excitement about AI comparable to discovering Bitcoin 

36:39 "Reflexive AI use" concept 

38:40 Closing and request for feedback

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

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with John Magill, founder and CEO of Zaprite, to explore his journey from traditional graphic design to building a Bitcoin payment platform. John shares insights from his background in art, his transition to digital design, and how he built Zaprite from the ground up.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

• John's path from art school to Bitcoin entrepreneurship

• How freelance design led to creating a Bitcoin payment solution

• Building an MVP as a non-developer and raising funding

• Balancing the roles of CEO and designer at a growing startup

• Managing feature requests while maintaining product vision

  
  

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

Connect with John:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/john_zaprite

• Website: https://zaprite.com/

  
  

Connect with Me:

• Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0

• Nostr: [email protected]/sahil

Web: https://sahilc.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show

00:34 Meeting John Magill from Zaprite

01:03 Bitcoin Community in Austin

01:36 John's Approach to Digital Privacy

02:11 The Economics of Social Media

03:36 Early Freelance Design Career

04:47 Artistic Background and Education

09:03 Transitioning from Industrial Design to Graphic Design

12:14 Design Nature vs. Nurture Debate

14:00 The Origin Story of Zaprite

17:16 Building the MVP with Nate's Help

20:27 Design Consistency Through Growth

21:39 Balancing CEO and Designer Roles

24:23 Starting with Code as a Designer

27:45 Working with Parker and Will

31:08 AI Tools for Design

34:16 Managing Customer Feature Requests

40:52 QA Process and Feature Rollout

44:16 The Linear Approach to Features

48:38 Hot Takes on Collaborative Design

51:18 Future Design Plans for Zaprite

54:05 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

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

In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Stephen DeLorme from Voltage to explore the intersection of design, development, and Bitcoin. Stephen shares his journey from comic book artist to graphic designer to Bitcoin builder, and insights from his work on Lightning Network infrastructure.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:

• The evolution from traditional design to Bitcoin engineering

• Approaches to building open source Bitcoin products

• Using AI tools to accelerate design and development

• Lightning Network's unique challenges and opportunities

• How designers can start coding with modern tools

  
  

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

Connect with Stephen:

• Website: https://d.elor.me/

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephenDeLorme

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

• Contact: [email protected]

  
  

Connect with Me:

• Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0

• Nostr: [email protected]/sahil

• Web: https://sahilc.com/

  
  

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show00:40 Meeting Stephen DeLorme01:19 Stephen's Hackathon Success02:09 UX for the Streets Workshop06:35 Stephen's Background and Journey10:11 From Comic Books to Graphic Design13:23 Discovering Bitcoin and Spiral Grant15:10 B2B Experience and Bitcoin Design19:42 Working on the Bitcoin Design Guide24:27 Approaches to Open Source Design30:08 Lightning versus Other Layer 2 Solutions32:37 Voltage's Approach to Lightning Infrastructure36:30 Starting with Code for Designers40:57 Using AI Tools for Development44:47 AI's Impact on Design and Development Jobs49:05 Current Projects and Future Plans51:34 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

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

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:[email protected]/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:

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

Connect with Lee:

Connect with Me:

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show

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: [email protected]/sahil

Web: https://sahilc.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show

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: [email protected]

Website: uierik.com

Connect with Me:

Twitter:⁠ @Sahilc0⁠

Nostr: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

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:

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