The Realities of Design Leadership with Marzia Aricò

This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast

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In this episode of This is HCD, Gerry Scullion sits down with Marzia Aricò to explore the raw, unfiltered realities of design leadership. From navigating failed ventures and the lessons they bring, to the evolving role of design in organisations, Marzia shares insights from her groundbreaking book, Design Leadership Chronicles. They discuss trust in leadership, why design leaders must stop evangelizing design, and how emerging leaders can position themselves for success.

Key takeaways:

• Trust is essential—without it, design leadership roles become unsustainable.

• Stop selling design—focus on delivering value, not evangelising.

• Understand the bigger picture—knowing how value is created in an organisation is key to influencing change.

Creators & Guests

• Gerry Scullion - Host
• Serdar Mele - Editor
• Stef Murphy - Producer

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