Working Questions

What does it mean to design for people whose experiences don't fit neatly into the systems meant to serve them?

In the first episode of Working Questions, MADI alumna Tania Glick joins hosts Jessica and Justin to explore the opportunities, challenges, and uncertainties of putting Human-Centered Design into practice.

As co-founder of Spearhead Veteran Services, Tania draws on her experience in design research and strategy to help military service members document overlooked medical histories as they prepare to transition into civilian life. Her journey through architecture, aviation, federal consulting, and entrepreneurship offers a fascinating look at how design methods adapt across different environments.

Together, they discuss building trust through research, navigating ambiguity, finding advocates for design, and balancing the desire to continually improve with the realities of leading a team. They also consider the evolving role of AI and why the ability to ask better questions remains essential.

A conversation about empathy, iteration, and what happens when design moves beyond theory and into the complicated work of everyday life.

Production note: As we find our footing with our first episode, the audio quality is a little uneven during the opening seven minutes. It improves from there. Thanks for bearing with us!

Learn more:

Spearhead Veteran Services:

spearheadveteranservices.com

SMU Master of Arts in Design and Innovation:

smu.edu/madi

Good Coworking:

goodcoworking.co

What does design look like when the answers aren't obvious? Meet Working Questions, a new podcast hosted by Jessica Burnham and Justin Childress and produced by Ariel Martin, exploring design as it's practiced, learned, questioned, and lived. Through conversations with designers connected to SMU's Master of Arts in Design and Innovation (MADI) community and beyond, we explore Human-Centered Design, ambiguity, discovery, and the messy realities of creative work. Hear a few moments from our first conversation with Tania Glick, and follow Working Questions for the conversations to come.