In this kickoff episode of Design Discord, hosts Alyssa Gerasimoff and Fernando Mastrangelo sit down to talk about their own paths in design and why they feel this podcast and transparent conversation about the industry need to exist.

Fernando and Alyssa reflect on the challenges emerging designers face today—from visibility in the market to the realities of fabrication—and the need for more open, honest dialogue around what it really takes to build a creative practice.

Along the way, they introduce a range of topics the podcast will continue to explore, including the role of design fairs, the ceramics market, what makes a product evergreen, and how designers can navigate a saturated, often copycat-driven industry. They also touch on branding, social media, and the ongoing balancing act between business and creativity. This episode sets the stage for the candid, in-depth conversations to come.

Watch on Youtube to see all images of mentioned designers.

Mentioned Designers:Katie Stouthttps://www.katiestout.com/https://www.instagram.com/ummmsmile/Misha Kahnhttps://www.mishakahn.com/https://www.instagram.com/mishakahn/Eny Lee Parkerhttps://www.enyleeparker.com/https://www.instagram.com/enyleeparker/Slash Objectshttps://slashobjects.com/https://www.instagram.com/slashobjects/Henry Kimhttps://henrykkim.com/https://www.instagram.com/hyunuko/Devin Wildehttps://www.devinwilde.com/https://www.instagram.com/devinwilde/Steffany Tran / Vy Voihttps://www.vyvoi.com/https://www.instagram.com/vyvoistudio/Max Lambhttps://maxlamb.org/https://www.instagram.com/maxlamb/Not Work Relatedhttps://notworkrelated.co/https://www.instagram.com/notworkrelated/Allied Makerhttps://www.alliedmaker.com/https://www.instagram.com/alliedmaker/Lindsey Adelmanhttps://www.lindseyadelman.com/https://www.instagram.com/lindseyadelman/Apparatus Lightinghttps://apparatusstudio.com/https://www.instagram.com/apparatusstudio/Matthew Barneyhttps://www.matthewbarney.com/https://www.instagram.com/matthewbarney/Faye Toogoodhttps://t-o-o-g-o-o-d.com/https://www.instagram.com/fayetoogood/