Survive and Thrive: Recent Episodes
Tennis
Every generation has their crisis and in these uncertain times, it looks like we are dealing with ours. We will get through this. In the meantime, we are also faced with one of the most creative times of our generation; there is creativity happening all around us.
For as long as it takes to deal with these challenges Tennis will be interviewing professionals from different industries and positions to chat about what they're experiencing, what opportunities they see, and what's the new normal.
Through this, we hope to inspire strategic thought and creativity through this uncertain time.
π‘ Key Topics:
- The zero-click economy: why roughly half the clicks vanish the moment an AI summary appears (Pew, 900-adult panel)
- AI Overviews now on ~48% of searches, up from ~31% a year ago (Bright Edge)
- Why B2B queries triggering an AI Overview jumped from 36% to 82%, and why retail is the mirror image
- Chegg suing Google, HubSpot down 27%, Business Insider's layoffs: companies naming the traffic drop out loud
- Why retail structured its data years ago and B2B's positioning problems left it exposed
- What actually earns citations now: site structure, FAQs, schema, answering real questions by intent
- The one move to make this week: audit your own site before spending a dollar on anything new
π Chapters:
- 0:00 β Google reads your site and answers for you
- 0:33 β The data: AI Overviews and the zero-click economy
- 2:03 β Earnings calls and lawsuits: Chegg, HubSpot, Business Insider
- 4:35 β Why B2B and SaaS are the most exposed category
- 5:52 β Retail's windfall and why the split happened
- 9:08 β SEO didn't die, it changed
- 10:53 β What to do this week: audit your site
π Tennis web design & development services: https://www.designtennis.com/services/website-design-and-development
π§ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tufP8mSXC1YrLxrLzw3Ju?si=3839798c83264d9b
πΈ Instagram: Tennis.digital
πΌ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/designtennis/
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on web design, digital strategy, and building better businesses.
zeroclick #aioverviews #seo #answerengineoptimization #b2bmarketing #aisearch #googleai #contentstrategy #adigitalstrategypodcast
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
π‘ Key Topics:
β¦ Why everything is a remix, and why that's freeing instead of depressing (shoutout Kirby Ferguson)
β¦ Why AI trends generic: it remixes the average, so it hands you the average back
β¦ John Snow's 1854 cholera map: how a doctor borrowed cartography to win an argument and accidentally invented data viz
β¦ Harry Beck's London Underground map: how a laid-off engineer deleted the city and every transit map since copied him
β¦ Why the "Beck was inspired by circuit diagrams" story is probably a myth, and why that proves the whole point
β¦ Karel Martens: the designer who dropped the problem and followed the material instead
β¦ The one usable rule: you'll never out-average the average machine, so borrow from further away
π Chapters:
0:00 β Why all design looks the same right now
0:33 β Everything is a remix (and yes, AI was trained on us)
2:42 β John Snow's cholera map: borrowing a method
5:15 β Harry Beck's Tube map: borrowing a visual logic
8:20 β Karel Martens: following the material
10:35 β Three ways to borrow, and where design goes from here
π Tennis web design & development services: https://www.designtennis.com/services/website-design-and-development
π§ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tufP8mSXC1YrLxrLzw3Ju?si=3839798c83264d9b
πΈ Instagram: Tennis.digital
πΌ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/designtennis/
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on web design, digital strategy, and building better businesses.
everythingisaremix #design #aidesign #designinspiration #datavisualization #designhistory #karelmartens #creativity #adigitalstrategypodcast
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
π‘ Key Topics:
β¦ Why "will AI replace designers" is the wrong question, and what it actually replaced
β¦ The Figma stat that frames the whole debate: 78% say AI boosts efficiency, only 32% trust the output
β¦ Why AI-generated design output is "average at best" and why the C-suite gives it a pass anyway
β¦ How the old model worked (designers made the calls, tools just sped up execution) and what changed
β¦ Why Zuckerberg called replacing people with AI a mistake, and what the "middle" everyone's missing looks like
β¦ The return of the generalist designer, and why AI lowered the barrier to code, 3D, and tools that used to be gate-kept
β¦ Why the "move your best people upstream" shift is what earns a team its future
β¦ Democratization of tools vs. democratization of taste, why the floor rising doesn't lower the ceiling
π Chapters:
- 0:00 β The wrong question: what AI really replaced
- 1:18 β Rethinking the old model (and Zuckerberg's reversal)
- 3:20 β CEOs going all-in: where the pressure comes from
- 5:36 β "Average at best" and who actually gatekeeps quality
- 7:02 β What to do if your org is AI-ifying everything
- 8:57 β Move your best people upstream: the generalist designer
- 11:17 β Floor vs. ceiling: tools vs. taste
- 13:36 β Verdict: what's left is the hardest to teach
π Tennis web design & development services: https://www.designtennis.com/services/website-design-and-development
π§ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tufP8mSXC1YrLxrLzw3Ju?si=3839798c83264d9b
πΈ Instagram: Tennis.digital
πΌ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/designtennis/
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on web design, digital strategy, and building better businesses.
AI #design #aidesign #designworkflow #figma #uxdesign #productdesign #aitools #designtools #generalistdesigner #webdesign #digitalstrategy #b2bdesign #designleadership #futureofdesign
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Before you even listen to this, scan your website here to know if you're accessible:
https://www.designtennis.com/design-and-business-resources/website-accessibility-guide
Most businesses think an accessibility lawsuit is something that happens to someone else. Then AI hands anyone with a browser the ability to file one.
In this episode, Symon and Marcello unpack the sharp rise in ADA website lawsuits in the USβand why AI is the reason the numbers are exploding. They get into how AI has collapsed the barrier to filing, why Q1 2026 nearly matched all of 2025, the DOJ's last-minute reversal that pulled healthcare back into the compliance deadline, and why the one-shot AI tools and accessibility widgets people are counting on won't save them. Plus: why e-commerce keeps taking the brunt of it, the Ontario December 31 reporting deadline nobody's talking about, and why an audit is where you startβnot where you finish.
A web-first look at where accessibility law is heading, for organizations that would rather get ahead of this than get a demand letter.
π‘ Key Topics:
- How AI lowered the barrier to entry for ADA claims, turning individuals into self-represented (pro se) plaintiffs
- Why Q1 2026 filings (3,500β4,500) nearly matched all of 2025 in a single quarter
- The rise of pro se lawsuits and the digital fingerprintsβhallucinations includedβthat reveal they're AI-generated
- Why ADA web cases jumped from 28% of Title III filings to 36%
- The DOJ's four-days-before-the-deadline reversal that folded healthcare back into public-entity compliance
- The new targets: April 26 2027 for large entities, April 26 2028 for small ones, both on WCAG AA
- Why one-shot AI remediation tools and accessibility overlay widgets create more problems than they solve
- Why e-commerce absorbs roughly 69% of accessibility lawsuits
- The Ontario December 31 compliance reporting deadline and how self-reporting puts you in the queue
- Why an audit is a starting indicator, not a solutionβand where manual testing has to take over
π Chapters:
- 0:07 β Intro: AI plus compliance
- 0:43 β How AI lowered the barrier to ADA claims
- 2:32 β The numbers: Q1 2026 vs. all of 2025
- 3:20 β Pro se lawsuits and AI's digital fingerprints
- 5:31 β The DOJ healthcare deadline reversal
- 7:31 β New compliance dates and the WCAG AA standard
- 8:00 β Why AI tools and widgets won't save you
- 8:37 β Why e-commerce takes the brunt
- 9:36 β Weaponized lawsuits and the chilling effect on cross-border business
- 10:00 β What to actually do: the Ontario Dec 31 deadline and the audit
- 11:01 β Audit, but find an expert: where tools fall short
π Tennis web accessibility services: https://www.designtennis.com/services/website-design-and-development
π§ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tufP8mSXC1YrLxrLzw3Ju?si=3839798c83264d9b
πΈ Instagram: Tennis.digital
πΌ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/designtennis/?viewAsMember=true
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on web design, digital strategy, and building better businesses.
accessibility #ADA #ADAcompliance #WCAG #webaccessibility #a11y #webdesign #compliance #ecommerce #b2bdesign #webdevelopment #inclusivedesign #digitalstrategy #websitedesign #AIlawsuits
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
π‘ Key Topics:
- What AODA actually covers on the web, and why it applies to all public websites and content if you have 50+ employees in Ontario
- WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the current legal floor, and why 2.1 and 2.2 matter even if the law hasn't caught up
- The compliance report trap: how self-reporting non-compliance gets you audited within weeks
- How compliance officers really operate, and why they reward engaging a consultant with a real timeline
- Why remediation and redesign are different, and how a full enterprise rebuild can take 12β16 months
- The PDFs problem: the accessibility gap teams forget after redesigning the whole site
- Employee thresholds explained (20β49 vs. 50+), including part-time and seasonal, and why contractors don't count
- Why Ontario led in 2005 and how BC, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba are now catching up
- How accessibility failures can escalate into Human Rights Code complaints
- The "not practical" loophole that doesn't exist once you account for available tools and consultants
- Why the real case for accessibility is ethical, not just legalβthe people you cut out when information is missing
π Chapters:
0:06 β Why web gets overlooked in accessibility
0:44 β Why organizations fail: not caring vs. not understanding
1:03 β A web-first breakdown of AODA
1:48 β What AODA covers online, and the 50-employee threshold
03:19 β WCAG AA vs. AAA, and who meets the higher bar
03:57 β Ontario, the federal split, and other provinces catching up
06:13 β How monitoring and enforcement actually work
07:23 β Budget cuts, spot audits, and the reality of fines
09:28 β Why 30β60 days is fine for remediation, not redesign
11:18 β What makes compliance officers flexible (or prickly)
13:15 β Employee thresholds and the compliance report obligation
14:40 β Reporting non-compliance and getting auto-audited
17:16 β It's never too late to get started
17:50 β WCAG is evolving: letter of the law vs. spirit of the law
20:30 β Being proactive as a design mindset
21:54 β First steps: count your employees, then audit
23:38 β Start with an auditβcompliance is only part of it
25:20 β When accessibility becomes a Human Rights Code issue
28:29 β One hard truth and one piece of encouragement
29:49 β The "not practical" loophole that isn't
30:08 β Where to reach David, and how Tennis can help
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on design, web strategy, and building better digital businesses.
accessibility #AODA #WCAG #webaccessibility #a11y #webdesign #compliance #ontariobusiness #b2bdesign #webdevelopment #inclusivedesign #digitalstrategy #websitedesign #uxdesign #McMillan
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
π‘ Key Topics:
- What Config is really like in person, and why Toronto has no local equivalent (RGD, Tech Week, Web Summit gaps)
- AI fatigue at the conference, and audiences literally clapping when a talk wasn't about AI
- Why Figma let agents take a backseat in the keynote, unlike last year's AI-heavy product slate
- John on the new production and motion features, and where designers will push them
- Anna O on UX for robots and seniors, plus the idea that taste comes from the people you're responsible for
- Ella Rochelle Lawton on street art as a design system, and real data on murals improving communities
- The Waymo talk: designing for a driverless car and using the note E for calmness (psychoacoustics)
- Jezebel DC's "low-tech" talk: why 2000s design was better before attention became the product, with Lego and Animal Crossing as case studies
- Chelsea Larson (Anthropic) on language as design, prompts as UX, and AI as cars rather than the Industrial Revolution
- A Stripe designer (Matthew) on density in design and the ink-to-meaning ratio, plus "prove the question is a bad idea before dismissing it"
- The post-conference verdict versus the pre-trip guesses
π Chapters:
- 0:06 β Back from Config: first impressions
- 0:51 β Conference scale, and why Toronto has nothing like it
- 2:18 β Was it AI overkill? First day vs. second day
- 3:07 β Why Config is valuable: industry direction and art-based talks
- 3:44 β AI burnout and the crowd clapping for non-AI talks
- 4:14 β Why Figma let agents take a backseat this year
- 5:00 β John on the product release: production and motion
- 5:47 β Favorite talks begin
- 6:47 β Anna O: UX, robots, and design for seniors
- 7:43 β "Taste comes from the people you're responsible for"
- 9:01 β Ella Rochelle Lawton: street art as a living design system
- 10:14 β The Waymo talk and psychoacoustics (the note E)
- 12:10 β Jezebel DC: low-tech lessons from the 2000s
- 13:11 β Lego, Animal Crossing, and designing without dependency
- 14:53 β Chelsea Larson (Anthropic): language as design
- 16:25 β AI as cars, not the Industrial Revolution
- 18:50 β The Stripe density talk and the ink-to-meaning ratio
- 21:45 β "Prove the question is a bad idea before dismissing it"
- 23:33 β The secret second talk: too much talking about craft
- 24:40 β Final ratings: 9, 9, and 9.5
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on design, web strategy, and building better digital businesses.
figma #figmaconfig #config2025 #figmaai #designconference #uxdesign #uidesign #designtools #waymo #anthropic #designsystems #b2bdesign #designindustry #datavisualization
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
π‘ Key Topics:
- Figma's July IPO and the pivot to positioning itself as an AI company, right down to the software description
- The claim that ~80% of Config talks are now AI, and whether that's a good or exhausting thing
- What going public adds to the program: a new investor and analyst session
- Why 3Blue1Brown, a math channel, is speaking at a design conference
- Last year's product slate (Figma Make, Figma Buzz) and where those tools actually landed
- Why Figma's AI feels painfully slow, and why some people are leaving for faster platforms
- The talks that actually stuck: sentient car-factory robots, Nicole McLaughlin's upcycled fashion, the mouth-roof accessibility device
- The Weavy acquisition and what node-based generative tooling adds to Figma
- Anthropic on the Config lineup, and the design-tool overlap (they run on Webflow too)
- The real question: with the IPO and the AI rebrand, is Config still worth the trip?
π Chapters:
- 0:06 β Heading to Config (and forgetting to pack)
- 0:31 β What Config is, and why the IPO changes it
- 1:47 β The big theme: AI, AI, AI
- 2:00 β Is Figma an AI company now?
- 2:56 β The new investor and analyst session
- 3:34 β Last year's drops: Make, Buzz, and the rest
- 4:00 β Why Figma's AI feels painfully slow
- 4:46 β AI fatigue vs. hoping for real use cases
- 5:42 β The talks they still remember: robots and upcycled fashion
- 6:12 β Hardware, accessibility, and Config as a tech conference
- 6:53 β Content and community-building talks
- 8:03 β Why Config matters for a B2B design shop
- 8:45 β The Weavy acquisition
- 9:28 β Anthropic at Config (and why they're on Webflow)
- 10:43 β Rating the conference before they go
- 11:46 β The verdict: a six and a seven
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on design, web strategy, and building better digital businesses.
figma #figmaconfig #config2025 #figmaai #designconference #uxdesign #uidesign #designtools #figmamake #aidesign #b2bdesign #designindustry
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
π‘ Key Topics:
- Why Italy was primed for this: arriving late to the Industrial Revolution and deciding to win on design instead
- Camillo's 1908 factory and the "Olivetti style" that predated Apple's design manifesto by 40 years
- Adriano embedding painters, architects, and writers as full-time co-builders, with design reporting to the top
- Ivrea as the original Google campus: housing, clinics, libraries, Pasolini lecturing workers at lunch, a five-day week and maternity leave decades early
- The Programma 101, the first desktop personal computer, and NASA buying it to help plan Apollo 11
- The documented Steve Jobs connection: the 1981 "Italian Idea" conference, Bellini, Sottsass, and his pilgrimage to Ivrea
- The mysterious death on a train, and what happened to the company once the visionary was gone
- The real lesson: design-led is an operating model, not an aesthetic, and the culture dies if you never institutionalize it
π Chapters:
- 0:07 β The comment that started the rabbit hole
- 1:25 β How Olivetti made Italy an innovator
- 2:24 β Camillo and Italy's first typewriter factory
- 3:00 β Why Camillo looked to America
- 4:24 β 350,000 lire and a country playing catch-up
- 5:48 β The M1, and sending Adriano to the US in 1925
- 7:24 β Adriano takes over and hires artists as co-builders
- 8:39 β The backdrop: fascism, Futurism, and Rationalism
- 10:36 β The 1958 "Olivetti style" manifesto
- 11:28 β MoMA, and designing a whole society
- 12:56 β Ivrea as the original Google campus
- 13:43 β Where the idea came from: a double-minority origin
- 16:19 β A five-day week and maternity leave, decades early
- 17:30 β Exile and the Community Movement
- 19:30 β The Programma 101 and NASA's Apollo 11 order
- 20:48 β The Steve Jobs connection and the "Italian Idea" conference
- 24:12 β Jobs in exile: Italy, Apple Stores, and the 1997 return
- 27:11 β Why Apple doesn't look like Olivetti (enter Braun)
- 29:31 β Death on a train, and the conspiracy theories
- 32:17 β The real lesson and Italy's buried Silicon Valley
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on design, web strategy, and building better digital businesses.
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
In this episode:
- Clarity beats cleverness: define the goal and the KPI before the design
- Structure is the real UX: information architecture as the invisible foundation
- Speed is a design decision: real speed, perceived speed, and the three-second rule
- Building for the person who knows nothing about you, starting with ICP work
- Why AI-generated copy keeps missing the mark
- Every page needs one job, including the homepage as a traffic mediator
- Why the first step is always an audit against your ICP
Chapters:
- 0:08 β Series recap and back to basics
- 1:15 β Principle 1: Clarity beats cleverness
- 3:50 β Principle 2: Structure is the real UX
- 6:00 β Principle 3: Speed is a design decision
- 8:40 β Principle 4: Build for the person who knows nothing
- 13:46 β Principle 5: Every page needs one job
- 17:17 β Recap and the first move: do an audit
New episodes weekly. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
The worst design system project is one that starts too early. Wrong timing, wrong scope, wrong people and it dies in a folder somewhere, untouched.
In this episode, Symon and Marcello break down the three signals that tell you you're actually ready for a design system, the two signs you're definitely not, and how to scope a version one that people will actually use. They also cover the build or buy decision, and why adoption matters more than architecture.
This is Part 3 of a 3-part series on design systems.
π‘ Key Topics:
- The 3 readiness signals: when a design system actually makes sense
- 2 signs you're starting too early (and will waste the investment)
- Build, buy, or borrow: product systems vs. web experience systems
- Who needs to be in the room beyond design and engineering
- How to scope v1 so it ships in weeks, not months
- The 90-day check: how to know if it's working
- Why the first step is always an audit
π Chapters:
- 0:06 β Series recap and what we're covering today
- 0:56 β The worst design system project starts too early
- 1:30 β Signal 1: Multiple teams making decisions independently
- 2:22 β Signal 2: You're scaling, rebranding, or rebuilding
- 3:55 β Signal 3: Recreating instead of creating
- 4:30 β Not ready: your brand isn't stable yet
- 5:33 β Not ready: no one to own it
- 6:09 β Build, buy, or borrow
- 7:49 β Web experience systems: Relume and Osmo Supply
- 8:27 β Who should manage the design system
- 9:39 β Scoping version one: start with what you rebuild every time
- 10:48 β The most common scoping mistake
- 12:05 β The 90-day check: is anyone actually using it?
- 12:57 β Start with an audit
- 13:33 β It doesn't have to be perfect. It has to exist.
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
π‘ Key Topics:
- Why most agencies get stuck and can't scale past the founder
- How pricing affects client lifetime, team stability, and the work itself
- The story behind going from $2,500/month to $45,000/month and back down
- Why revenue is a vanity metric and what to measure instead
- Employee churn as the red flag most clients ignore
- What niching down actually looks like in practice
- Why mutual respect is the real foundation of a great agency-client relationship
π Chapters:
- 0:00 β How most agencies fail (it's not the work)
- 0:54 β Eli's background: SaaS, e-commerce, and the leap to agencies
- 3:52 β Starting MatterMade and the rollercoaster of scaling
- 5:04 β How an agency operator ended up running an accounting firm
- 8:26 β The three stuck moments every agency founder faces
- 12:25 β Why intent matters: choosing to operate as a business
- 13:38 β Pricing is everything: how it shapes the entire business
- 17:08 β Client lifetime value: from 7 months to 2.5 years
- 19:05 β Why agency profitability matters to clients
- 20:40 β How to vet agency health before signing
- 22:40 β Revenue vs. profit: what real scale looks like
- 25:10 β Niching down: why it's scary and why it works
- 30:58 β What a real agency-client partnership looks like
- 34:16 β One hard truth and one piece of encouragement
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on design, web strategy, and building better digital businesses.
agencygrowth #agencyprofitability #B2Bagency #clientretention #agencybusiness #pricingstrategy #digitalagency
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Key Topics:
β’ The Lego analogy: the simplest way to explain a design system to anyone
β’ What's actually inside a design system: foundations, components, patterns, and documentation
β’ How designers, developers, and product managers use a design system day to day
β’ Why a brand guide and a design system are not the same thing
β’ Design system governance: who owns what, and what happens without it
β’ Opinionated vs. flexible: how Intuit decides what teams can and can't change
β’ Why adoption is a culture problem, not a technical one
β’ The ROI question: because it always comes back to ROI
Chapters:
0:00 β The Lego analogy for design systems
0:42 β Intro: Part 2 of the design system series
1:35 β Avi's role on Intuit's design platform team
3:08 β How the GenUX team serves internal business units
5:04 β Catching AI inconsistency before it scaled out of control
6:09 β Explaining a design system to someone who's never heard the term
8:42 β Why every new brick has to work for every set
9:52 β What a design system actually touches inside an organization
10:19 β Benefits: consistency, trust, and a shared language
11:47 β Drawbacks: slowing down in a world that moves fast
12:52 β Does a design system help resolve conflict between teams?
14:06 β When teams build outside the system (and why that's useful feedback)
15:55 β Fixed vs. flex: what's opinionated and what's open
17:20 β Advice for smaller companies: know your why
19:04 β The communication breakdown that kills adoption
19:52 β Getting people to actually commit: governance and culture
20:08 β Why it always comes back to ROI
22:42 β One thing to take away if you've never thought about design systems
25:08 β Symon's takeaway: know the why before you build
25:28 β Marcello's takeaway: the Lego analogy
25:55 β Where to find Avi
26:35 β What's next: Part 3 on building a design system
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on design, web strategy, and building better digital businesses.
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Key Topics:
- Why AI is accelerating brand chaos at the mid-market level
- The difference between a brand guide and a design system
- What design debt looks like, and why you don't feel it until it breaks
- Single source of truth: why every team having its own components is killing your brand
- Why speed without systems is just expensive chaos
Chapters:
- 0:16 β Why design systems are blowing up right now
- 1:12 β How AI is accelerating brand chaos
- 3:22 β What brand drift actually looks like in organizations
- 5:18 β Is this a design problem or a systems problem?
- 7:20 β The single source of truth problem
- 9:30 β What design debt actually costs
- 12:26 β Why you don't feel it until it breaks
- 13:41 β What to do if you're moving too fast
- 14:11 β Speed without a system is just expensive chaos
- 15:52 β Fix it upstream, not downstream
- 16:51 β The only real starting point
- 17:20 β One thing to take away
π Subscribe for weekly episodes on design, web strategy, and building better digital businesses.
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
What we cover in this episode:
πΉ [0:00] β The verdict: What actually happened in the Meta/YouTube lawsuit
πΉ [2:16] β Kaye's story and why starting social media at age 6 matters
πΉ [3:55] β Internal Meta documents: "If we want to win big with teens, we must bring in tweens"
πΉ [7:50] β Section 230: The 30-year legal shield that finally cracked
πΉ [9:06] β Engineering addiction through design β and why that's different from designing for engagement
πΉ [11:07] β Infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications: tools or weapons?
πΉ [15:14] β Why this is a bellwether trial and what comes next
πΉ [18:02] β The Big Tobacco parallel: history is repeating itself
πΉ [22:27] β How this affects adults too: deleting Instagram, capping Reddit, and reclaiming attention
πΉ [26:36] β What should Meta do now?
This case isn't just about one family. It's a signal that real UX decisions made by real teams carry legal, ethical, and societal weight.
If you work in tech, product, or design, this episode is essential listening.
π Subscribe so you don't miss our next episode
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
In this episode:
β’ How design evolved from a contained discipline in 2006 to absorbing everything by 2020
β’ Why low-code, no-code, the gig economy, and nearshoring created a race to the bottom on execution
β’ The three disciplines of market leaders β and which one actually resists commoditization
β’ How network effects are reshaping agencies, product teams, and businesses
β’ Why focus is the only real differentiator left
Chapters
β’ 00:00 The Evolution of Design and Technology
β’ 04:17 The Impact of AI on Design
β’ 09:33 Redefining the Value of Design
β’ 15:18 Focus and Niching Down in Design
β’ 21:24 Operational Excellence, Product Leadership, and Customer Intimacy
β’ 25:45 Navigating the Network Effect in Modern Business
Follow Tennis: tennis.digital @design_tennis
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Key topics
- Definition of technical debt in web development
- How small decisions compound over time
- Real-world examples of web debt
- Strategies for auditing and addressing web debt
Chapters
- 00:00 Technical Debt in Web Development
- 00:19 Understanding Incremental Web Debt
- 03:19 The Impact of Technical Debt
- 08:21 Real-World Examples of Technical Debt
- 14:49 Addressing Technical Debt
- 17:42 Final Thoughts and Takeaways
- 20:09 outro.mp4
Resources
- Tennis - Web Design & Development Agency - https://tennis.co
- Symon Oliver on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/symonoliver
- Marcello Gortana on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/marcellogortana
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Notes
Why does a website project that everyone agrees is needed keep dying in the finance meeting? Usually it's not the budget β it's the pitch. Symon and Marcello break down how to reframe a web investment as a business initiative, not a creative one, and walk through exactly how to build a case that finance can actually approve.
Topics covered: current cost audit (hosting, content ops, lost leads), opportunity cost of inaction, competitive and technical risk, how to connect a website to revenue (and when you can't), OPEX vs. CAPEX considerations, phase-based budget structuring, and how to build a measurement plan before you ask for money.
Chapter List (YouTube + Podcast)
- 0:00 β Intro: Why website projects die in the finance meeting
- 1:41 β The business case is already there β it's a framing problem
- 2:20 β Why most website business cases fail
- 4:13 β Looking at risk: compliance, accessibility, and fines
- 5:13 β Current costs: what your website is actually costing the business
- 7:00 β Opportunity cost: the website as a go-to-market tool
- 7:46 β Risk of inaction: technical debt and competitive positioning
- 9:00 β The investment ask: phasing, fiscal year alignment, flexibility
- 9:25 β Defining project objectives from day one
- 10:30 β How to connect a website to revenue (and when you can't)
- 12:13 β Content bottlenecks as the baseline business case
- 13:34 β Page speed: the metric that impacts both UX and search
- 14:34 β Indirect value: brand credibility, talent, partner perception
- 16:22 β How Tennis grew its own inbound with SEO and AEO
- 19:10 β When the full budget won't get approved: the phase-based ask
- 21:00 β What to do first if you need to pitch in the next 60 days
- 22:28 β Build the measurement plan before you ask for the budget
- 23:00 β OPEX vs. CAPEX: how finance wants to spend matters
- 24:49 β Final takeaway: stop pitching a website
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Most projects don't fail because the team couldn't build. They fail because the team tried to build everything at once.
In this episode, Symon and Marcello break down why project scope creep and feature bloat are the real killers of product development timelinesβand what to do about it. They walk through how to run a fast complexity audit before committing to any digital project, why a discovery phase and product requirements document (PRD) belong on every project regardless of size, and the difference between a proof of concept and an MVP (they're not the same thing, and confusing them is expensive).
Whether you're scoping a website redesign, building your first web application, or evaluating a vendor for a complex B2B productβthis one will save you from a very avoidable mistake.
In this episode
- Why ambitious timelines and bloated scope are a reliable path to failure
- The complexity audit: how to pressure-test a project before you commit
- Proof of concept vs MVP
- what each one is actually for
- What the Think Phase and a proper PRD do that no kickoff call can
- Four rules for phased delivery that actually ships
Chapters
- 0:00 β Intro
- 0:36 β You can't boil the ocean
- 3:25 β The complexity trap
- 5:19 β Feature bloat in the real world
- 7:57 β Proof of concept vs MVP
- 10:37 β The discovery phase and the PRD
- 14:43 β Four rules for phased project delivery
- 19:31 β Wrap
About Tennis
Tennis is a B2B Web Design and Product Development Agency based in Toronto. We help mid-market teams turn complex digital problems into staged, ROI-driven buildsβwhere each phase moves something real and earns the right to expand.
tennis.digital β Follow us on LinkedIn
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
What We Cover* Why delivery on time and on budget is not the same as project success * The 'meeting of the minds' problem: how misaligned expectations sink projects before kickoff * Free text fields vs. structured data β and why that distinction matters for every dashboard you want to build * Why AI makes strategy more important, not less: if you don't know where you're going, it'll get you there fast * The warehouse problem: why the people closest to the work always know something leadership doesn't * Technology adoption as the real success metric β and what training actually needs to look like * How to run discovery when clients say it isn't necessary (and why that response is a red flag) * Past state / future state: mapping where you are vs. where you want to be before touching a platform
Key Takeaways* Technical decisions are business decisions. If they're being made without input from operations, finance, or end users, the scope is already wrong. * Shadow IT is a symptom. When people build workarounds, it's because the official system didn't solve their actual problem β and your data is now fractured across both. * Discovery is not optional. If a client won't let you talk to stakeholders before scoping, they are setting you up to build the wrong thing with confidence. * The goal is adoption, not deployment. A project isn't done when it's launched. It's done when people are using it and it's doing what it was supposed to do. * Slow down to go fast. The foundational work β workflow mapping, stakeholder interviews, requirements definition β is the work that prevents the $80K change order.
About the GuestDeborah Kaminetzky is the founder of Defacto Project Management. She brings a background in law, mediation, and corporate operations to high-complexity technical implementations β specializing in ERP, CRM, and platform projects where business requirements and technical execution need to stay tightly aligned. She works across industries and is known for being the person in the room willing to ask the questions nobody else will.
- Website: https://defactoprojectmanagement.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-kaminetzky-pmp-fractional-project-manager/
About the HostsSymon Oliver, RGD is Design Director and Marcello Gortana is Executive Director at Tennis β a B2B web design and product development agency. The Weekly Set covers the decisions, patterns, and hard truths behind technical projects, vendor relationships, and agency operations.
Chapter List* 00:00 β Navigating Complex Technical Projects * 02:16 β Common Failure Patterns in Project Management * 05:52 β The Role of AI in Project Efficiency * 10:20 β Understanding Client Needs and Workflows * 14:45 β The Importance of Business Outcomes in Tech Decisions * 18:21 β Breaking Down Communication Barriers * 21:58 β Defining Project Success and Adoption * 25:48 β The Foundation of Successful Projects
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Product teams don't miss deadlines because they're slow. They miss them because no one ever defined what "done" actually means.
In this episode, Symon and Marcello dig into the structural and cultural gaps that quietly blow up product timelines β and what you can borrow from the services world to fix it.
What we cover:
No governance = no finish line. Without a roadmap and defined milestones, scope is infinite. Teams can take as many liberties as they want with what counts as complete β because nothing ever officially is.
You can't think and make at the same time. Conceiving a feature and building it simultaneously is one of the most common (and costly) product anti-patterns. Strategic thinking has to happen before the work starts, not during.
Agile isn't a cure-all. Every Agile project Symon and Marcello have joined without managing themselves has introduced friction. Scrum roles, dashboards, ceremony overhead β it's not wrong, but it's also not free.
Feature creep needs a scorecard. We reference the RICE framework (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) as a baseline for evaluating whether any feature is actually worth building β before anyone opens Figma.
The HiPPO effect is real. When the highest-paid person's opinion drives the roadmap, you get flavor-of-the-week features and no strategic coherence.
Investor-clients can quietly hijack your roadmap. When early clients are also investors, their feature requests carry disproportionate weight β often at the cost of actual product direction.
Stakeholder alignment is your first deliverable. Before scope, before design, before a single line of code β get everyone at the table and make the plan the first collaborative output.
Resources mentioned:
- RICE Scoring Framework (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)
- r/buildinpublic on Reddit
Chapters
- 00:00 Intro β Why speed is the promise, delay is the reality
- 00:43 Who we are and what we're covering today
- 01:21 Deliverables world vs. product world β a culture clash
- 02:10 Root cause #1: No roadmap, no governance
- 03:15 Root cause #2: Thinking and making at the same time
- 04:00 Root cause #3: Agile's hidden baggage
- 04:30 Root cause #4: Feature creep and RICE scoring
- 05:16 The HiPPO effect β when the highest-paid opinion runs the roadmap
- 06:20 What mature product orgs do differently
- 07:14 The investor-client trap β when funding steers features
- 08:00 Why teams struggle with "done" β too many stakeholders
- 09:30 What happens after launch (the part nobody plans for)
- 10:40 Sequencing as a discipline β installing a mini operating system
- 11:36 Practical advice: where to start depending on your lifecycle stage
- 13:29 Stakeholder alignment IS a deliverable
- 14:22 Hard truths and closing takeaways
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Key topics:
- The concept of the SaaS apocalypse and its driving factors
- How AI tools like Claude Code, Claude, ClawdBot and others are enabling bespoke app development
- The declining economics of SaaS subscription models
- The impact of AI on employment, stock markets, and investor behavior
- The importance of UX and integration in product development
- Strategic shifts for SaaS companies: focusing on core features and tight integrations
- The probable future: distributed, fragmented software ecosystems with interoperable components
Timestamps:
- 00:00 - Introduction to the SaaS apocalypse and its relevance
- 02:17 - How ChatGPT and AI tools are simplifying development workflows
- 05:04 - The disruption of traditional SaaS pricing and value propositions
- 07:55 - What is the SaaS apocalypse? Overview and core fears
- 09:20 - Impact on stock markets and investor sentiment
- 11:27 - AI's rapid evolution and implications for white-collar jobs
- 12:23 - Key technical drivers: Claude code, agent reasoning, and automation
- 14:49 - Lowering costs and decentralizing software creation
- 16:05 - Consumer versus enterprise AI adoption challenges
- 18:14 - Adoption rates in AI: lessons from color TV history
- 19:03 - User behavior trends and incremental AI adoption
- 21:04 - Market shifts: smaller, focused tools vs. bloated platforms
- 22:36 - Importance of UX and strategic integrations in product success
- 24:06 - Building with network effects: integrations over feature bloat
- 25:37 - The future landscape: distributed, interoperable, fragmentated SaaS ecosystem
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Total cost of ownership includes hidden costs like hosting and labor.
- Organizations often underestimate the costs associated with website redesigns.
- Hosting costs can vary significantly and are often overlooked.
- Labor costs related to managing technology can add up quickly.
- RFPs rarely include detailed descriptions of hosting and management costs.
- Cultural attitudes towards websites affect how costs are perceived.
- Incremental delivery can help manage costs more effectively.
- Clients often lack awareness of their total spending on technology.
- Effective communication is key to understanding project costs.
- Managed hosting can provide peace of mind despite higher costs.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Total Cost of Ownership
- 04:28 Understanding Hidden Costs in Website Redesigns
- 10:16 The Role of Hosting and Labor Costs
- 16:14 Challenges in RFPs and Cost Management
- 22:08 Cultural Perspectives on Website Value
- 25:55 Hard Truths About Total Cost of Ownership
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Organizations often lack a structured way to evaluate vendors.
- A scorecard can help monitor vendor performance over time.
- Identifying triggers for audits can prevent larger issues.
- Communication is a critical factor in vendor relationships.
- Documentation is essential for transparency and accountability.
- Systemic issues can often be masked by one-off problems.
- Regular evaluations can help maintain healthy vendor relationships.
- Quality drift should be monitored to ensure standards are upheld.
- Establishing clear criteria for success is vital.
- Future planning can alleviate pressure during vendor evaluations.
Chapters
- 00:00 Evaluating Vendor Relationships
- 01:56 Understanding Audits and Scorecards
- 03:04 Ongoing Evaluation of Vendor Success
- 05:51 Identifying Triggers for Vendor Audits
- 09:03 Distinguishing Between One-off Issues and Systemic Problems
- 10:41 Establishing Evaluation Criteria
- 13:40 The Importance of Communication and Reporting
- 14:57 Key Categories for Vendor Evaluation
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- The importance of a flexible process in project management.
- Documentation is critical for continuity and clarity.
- Scope should be viewed as a hypothesis, not a contract.
- Effective communication is key to navigating project risks.
- Governance helps promote decision clarity and accountability.
- Understanding client expectations is crucial for project success.
- Regularly reviewing and updating processes is essential for improvement.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Weekly Recap
- 11:14 The Importance of Documentation in Processes
- 13:33 Process Philosophy and Governance
- 16:27 Navigating Project Risks and Flexibility
- 19:25 The Role of Communication in Project Management
- 22:14 Understanding Scope and Change Management
- 25:14 Final Thoughts on Process and Client Relationships
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- MVPs aren't about shipping fast, they're about learning fast.
- The term MVP has been misunderstood and often co-opted.
- Validation should come from real user engagement, not speculation.
- A good MVP strategy involves identifying risky assumptions and defining success metrics.
- An MVP can be a scrappy version of a product, but it must still show commitment to the idea.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to MVPs
- 01:28 Understanding the Misconceptions of MVPs
- 06:37 Real-World Examples of MVPs
- 09:38 MVPs in Product Thinking
- 11:11 When to Use an MVP
- 14:19 The Importance of Speed in MVP Development
- 15:30 Crafting an Effective MVP Strategy
- 24:01 Hard Truths About MVPs
- 29:36 Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- The trend of single user apps will continue to grow.
- Compliance will increasingly involve product and design teams.
- Dynamic web pages may become a reality this year.
- Websites should be treated as living systems, not static products.
- Customer journeys are becoming more complex and non-linear.
- Sales tech stack integration with websites is essential for success.
- AI will play a significant role in web design and functionality.
- Accessibility compliance will become a standard expectation.
- The importance of design systems will increase as technology evolves.
- Understanding customer data and behavior is crucial for effective marketing.
Chapters
- 00:00 Welcome Back and Personal Updates
- 01:53 Predictions for 2026: Trends in Web and Product Design
- 05:38 The Rise of Compliance in Design
- 09:38 Dynamic Web Pages and AI Integration
- 13:18 Websites as Living Systems
- 19:13 Customer Journeys: A Non-Linear Approach
- 24:59 Sales Tech Stack Integration with Websites
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Design is interpretive and has a rich history.
- Aesthetics is often mistaken for the entirety of design.
- Design involves planning and execution, not just visuals.
- The complexity of a project influences the design approach.
- Research and problem identification are crucial in design.
- De-risking the design process helps in decision-making.
- Accuracy in design outcomes is essential for success.
- Agility allows for effective pivots in design projects.
- Documentation aids in maintaining clarity during pivots.
- Design should be evaluated beyond just aesthetics.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Design Perspectives
- 02:49 Defining Design: A Multifaceted Approach
- 06:12 The Four Pillars of Design
- 08:59 Aesthetics vs. Functionality in Design
- 11:48 De-risking the Design Process
- 14:41 The Importance of Accuracy in Design
- 18:00 Agility and Flexibility in Design
- 20:56 Conclusion: The Depth of Design Beyond Aesthetics
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Websites can now serve as growth engines.
- Defining clear goals is crucial for website success.
- Sales and marketing teams must collaborate effectively.
- Data analytics is essential for informed decision-making.
- A strong content strategy is foundational for growth.
- Eliminating unnecessary tools can streamline processes.
- Long-term planning is vital for website design.
- Understanding lead movement through the organization is key.
- Integrating technology into marketing strategies enhances effectiveness.
- The website should be part of a larger growth ecosystem.
Chapters
- 00:00 Website as a Growth Engine
- 07:32 Defining Website Goals and Success Metrics
- 08:00 Understanding SaaS and B2B Marketing Dynamics
- 10:18 The Importance of Metrics in Marketing
- 12:38 Integrating Website with Growth Ecosystem
- 16:12 Sales and Marketing Collaboration
- 18:21 Essential Technologies for Growth
- 27:50 Redesigning Websites for Sales and Marketing
- 34:16 The Hard Truths of Website Strategy
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
AEC is facing a perfect storm + digital disruption. Johanna Hoffman (Oomph Group) explains whatβs happening, why it wonβt revert, and how firms can reposition, align BD/marketing, and turn their website into a growth engine.
Find Johanna Hoffman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanna-hoffmann-b35b251/
Find Oomph Group: www.oomphgroup.com
Find Marcello Gortana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcellogortana/
Find Symon Oliver: https://www.linkedin.com/in/symonoliver/
Find Tennis: www.designtennis.com
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Associations have unique digital needs due to their member-driven nature.
- Building in public can lead to valuable feedback.
- Monolithic systems are tightly coupled and may limit flexibility.
- Modular systems allow for more customization and scalability.
- Portals are essential for member engagement and retention.
- Requirements gathering is crucial for effective technology solutions.
- Mapping out existing systems can reveal inefficiencies.
- Testing software before commitment is vital for long-term success.
- Associations often struggle with outdated technology solutions.
- The right tech stack depends on the specific needs of the organization.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Building in Public
- 05:23 Understanding Associations and Their Digital Needs
- 07:10 Exploring the Tech Landscape for Associations
- 11:20 Monolithic vs. Modular Systems
- 17:50 The Importance of Portals in Member Engagement
- 20:01 Requirements Gathering and Future Planning
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Buyers often mistrust vendors due to past negative experiences.
- A comprehensive brief is essential for effective agency selection.
- Understanding your needs is crucial before searching for an agency.
- Evaluating an agency's process can de-risk your investment.
- Outdated portfolios can indicate a lack of current expertise.
- Cultural fit is important for a successful partnership.
- Asking for recent references can provide insight into agency performance.
- Support philosophy should be clear and value-driven.
- Measuring success should be a collaborative effort with clear metrics.
- Agencies that own the CMS they sell may not have your best interests in mind.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates
- 02:37 Understanding Buyer Mistrust in the Industry
- 05:30 Selecting the Right Design and Development Agency
- 08:38 The Importance of a Good Brief
- 11:32 Evaluating Agency Processes and Expertise
- 14:33 Analyzing Portfolios and Case Studies
- 17:23 The Balance of Specialization and Generalization
- 21:51 The Importance of Transparency in Development
- 24:13 Cultural Fit: Aligning Values with Vendors
- 25:18 Support Philosophy: Planning for Post-Launch
- 27:04 Key Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- 34:47 Evaluating Technology and Vendor Intent
- 37:25 Recap: Navigating the Vendor Selection Process
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- The more plugins you use, the higher the cybersecurity risk.
- WordPress remains a dominant CMS but has its challenges.
- Webflow is emerging as a leading web experience platform.
- Open source CMS can lead to maintenance overhead.
- Site builders are suitable for small businesses but may not scale well.
- Headless CMS is ideal for complex, multi-platform content delivery.
- Enterprise CMS offers governance and workflow benefits but at a high cost.
- The editor experience is critical for content management success.
Chapters
- 01:51 Understanding CMS Platforms and Categories
- 05:57 What to Look for in a CMS
- 11:42 Evaluating Traditional CMS Options
- 16:26 The Rise of Webflow and Migration from Drupal
- 20:01 Debating the Pros and Cons of Drupal
- 21:32 Visual Development Platforms: Framer and Webflow
- 26:58 Headless CMS: The Future of Content Management
- 28:27 Enterprise CMS and Digital Experience Platforms (DXP)
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Explore different types of CMS: traditional, headless, and enterprise.
- Understand the pros and cons of each CMS type.
- Learn what to look for and avoid in a CMS.
- Discover the scalability of different CMS platforms.
- Gain insights into CMS suitability for various business needs.
- Symon Oliver shares his expertise on CMS.
- Marcello Gortana discusses CMS categories.
- The importance of choosing the right CMS for your business.
- Common misunderstandings about CMSs.
- Why open source CMS might not always be the best choice.
Title Options
- Navigating the CMS Landscape
- Understanding CMS Types
- Choosing the Right CMS for Your Business
- The Pros and Cons of CMS Platforms
- Scalability in CMS: What You Need to Know
- Insights from Symon Oliver and Marcello Gortana
- Avoiding Common CMS Pitfalls
- The Future of Content Management Systems
- Why Your CMS Choice Matters
- Exploring Headless and Enterprise CMS
Chapters
- 00:01:05 Introduction to CMS Types
- 00:01:17 What to Look for in a CMS
- 00:01:29 Categories of CMSs
- 00:02:18 Headless and Enterprise CMSs
- 00:03:00 Scalability and Suitability
- 00:04:11 Specialty CMS Platforms
- 00:05:27 Risks and Considerations
- 00:08:46 Fun with Headless CMSs
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Clients often feel restricted by rigid website layouts.
- Content management can become a frustrating experience.
- A lack of flexibility in design can lead to client disengagement.
- Mental barriers can prevent clients from updating their sites.
- User experience is heavily influenced by website design.
- Clients may lock themselves into systems that don't meet their needs.
- The process of uploading content can be time-consuming and discouraging.
- Effective website design should prioritize user flexibility.
- Understanding client frustrations is key to improving design.
- Open communication can help alleviate client concerns.
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Complexity arises from various factors including technology, people, and governance.
- The more people involved in a project, the more complex it can become due to internal politics.
- Discovery is crucial for understanding project scope and requirements.
- Budget and time constraints are key considerations in project feasibility.
- Clarity in project goals and deliverables is essential for success.
- Engaging stakeholders early can mitigate complexity and decision fatigue.
- A structured approach is necessary for managing complex projects effectively.
- Discovery should be treated as a standalone phase to ensure thorough planning.
- Understanding the audience and their needs is vital for project success.
- Communication is key to aligning expectations and understanding project complexity.
Chapters
- 00:00 Understanding Project Complexity
- 06:56 The Impact of Complexity on Projects
- 11:08 Navigating Complex Projects: Discovery and Strategy
- 16:54 The Importance of Structure in Complex Projects
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Bad support is a primary reason for vendor switching.
- Good support should be proactive and value-driven.
- Traditional support models often prioritize agency profit over client needs.
- A shift in mindset is needed from support to partnership.
- Value-driven retainers focus on measurable improvements, not just maintenance.
- Knowledge transfer is essential for client self-sufficiency.
- Red flags include lack of documentation and predatory retainer models.
- Clients should conduct a cost-benefit analysis for support needs.
- Finding a good vendor is challenging and requires due diligence.
- Partnerships should align with client goals for success.
Chapters
- 00:00 The Importance of Vendor Support
- 03:02 Defining Good vs. Bad Support
- 05:52 The Pitfalls of Traditional Support Models
- 08:46 Shifting Mindsets: From Support to Partnership
- 11:45 Value-Driven Retainers and Their Benefits
- 14:43 Red Flags in Vendor Relationships
- 17:43 Navigating the Support Landscape
- 20:38 Finding the Right Vendor Partner
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- User experience (UX) design is often misunderstood and conflated with web design.
- Web design focuses on aesthetics and marketing, while UX design emphasizes functionality and user engagement.
- The evolution of design roles has led to a complex landscape where UX, UI, and web design intersect.
- Websites should be treated as products to ensure long-term engagement and optimization.
- Continuous improvement is essential for maintaining effective websites.
- Aesthetic design alone does not solve business problems; UX-driven design is necessary.
- The ideal designer possesses skills in UX, UI, and web aesthetics, often referred to as a 'unicorn.'
- Organizations need to understand the value of UX to avoid poor design decisions.
- The conversation highlights the importance of bridging marketing, business, and technology in design.
- Defining clear roles and expectations in design teams can lead to better outcomes.
Chapters
- 00:00 Understanding UX and Web Design
- 12:47 Defining User Experience and Web Design
- 23:52 The Role of UX Designers in Web Development
- 29:34 Wrapping Up: UX vs Web Design
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Start with problems, not solutions.
- Define the objectives and outcomes clearly.
- Setting a realistic budget early is crucial.
- Involve decision makers early in the process.
- A strong brief is the cheapest way to de-risk a project.
- Vague features can lead to project failure.
- Understand your commitment during project phases.
- Budget transparency helps everyone self-qualify.
- Frame the problems, not the solutions.
- Manage decision makers and involve them early.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Lunch Conversations
- 02:18 Project Management and Vendor Sourcing
- 05:27 Scoping and Briefing for Digital Projects
- 08:12 The Importance of Clear Objectives
- 11:11 Understanding Audience Priorities
- 14:07 Budgeting for Digital Projects
- 17:03 Defining Features and Requirements
- 20:08 Stakeholder Involvement in Projects
- 22:54 Recap and Key Takeaways
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Takeaways
- Nvidia's deal with OpenAI signifies a major investment in AI technology.
- The race to AGI is leading companies to make risky bets without guaranteed returns.
- Different thinkers in AI include pioneers, pragmatists, and purists, each with unique perspectives.
- The design community is grappling with the implications of AI on their work.
- The 'Seven Deadly AI Sins' highlight critical issues in UX design.
- Speculative design encourages thinking about future possibilities and ethical implications.
- AI's impact on productivity is changing expectations within roles.
- Historical design practices can inform current approaches to technology and design.
- The conversation around AI is evolving, with a shift towards critical engagement.
- Reviving discussions on Xeno design can provide valuable insights into future design practices.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Updates on the Race
- 00:05 AI Developments and Industry Insights
- 04:43 Types of Thinkers in Design and AI
- 09:47 The Seven Deadly AI Sins for UX Professionals
- 11:39 Wasted Time in Production
- 12:12 Lost Details and Fidelity Traps
- 14:02 Isolated Ideation vs. Inclusion
- 14:58 Naive Trust and Skepticism
- 15:25 Bland Taste in AI Content
- 16:18 Defensive Outlook on Experimentation
- 17:02 Speculative Design and Future Thinking
- 17:54 Zeno Design and Its Relevance
- 21:45 Empathy in Design: Becoming a Self-Driving Car
- 23:18 Critical Design and Work-Life Balance
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Topics & Timestamps:
(00:00) Post-vacation chaos & travel with kids
(01:32) Toronto's ultra-walking trend and "suffer-fest" culture
(04:02) Why 95% of enterprise AI projects fail (and why that stat is flawed)
(05:02) OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineer: new name, old consulting playbook
(10:42) How design thinking lost its strategic seat β from systems to pixel pushing
(14:10) Grassroots vs. enterprise AI: where real impact happens
(21:18) Side quests: car UX, sensors, and Italian road drama
Resources Mentioned:
β’ MIT's enterprise AI failure stat (context & critique)
β’ OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineer job description
β’ IDEO's legacy of design thinking
β’ Toronto Reddit ultra-walking stories
Key Quotes:
"Design thinking didn't die β it got downgraded to pixel pushing."
"If it's turnkey, it's repeatable. And if it's repeatable, AI can do it."
"These FDE roles feel like consulting 2.0 β but still too engineering-led."
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Topics & Timestamps:
(00:00) Back from Italy: airports, toddlers, and the upside down world
(02:27) Travel with kids vs solo travel: why lounges arenβt built for families
(04:54) AI fatigue? Posting, conferences, and marketing workflows
(07:30) CMA events, data science, and educating on automation/AI
(09:35) RGD stat: AI may cut 30% of agency margins (and why positioning matters)
(13:41) When AI builds websites: friendβs gym startup and UX blind spots
(15:41) Generalists vs specialists: why flexibility wins in the AI era
(18:50) WCAG 3.0: from A/AA/AAA to Bronze/Silver/Gold, expanding to apps, VR, AR, and AI
(23:27) Accessibility meets emerging techβand Appleβs thin iPhone speculation
(27:14) Italian design hits: porcini mushrooms, gelato, and espresso culture
(31:20) Olivetti: typewriters, modernist posters, and design-led workplaces
(35:19) Apple, Braun, and the design lineage from Olivetti showrooms to Cupertino
(36:36) Corporate culture pioneers: housing, libraries, daycare in 1908
(37:02) Wrapping with design as strategy, not just decoration
Resources Mentioned:
WCAG 3.0 Draft Guidelines β expanding accessibility standards
CMA (Canadian Marketing Association) β councils & committees
RGD (Association of Registered Graphic Designers) β event on AI + agencies
Olivetti β typewriter manufacturer, design-led culture, MoMA collection
Key Quotes:
βTravel is a young manβs, no-children game.β
βAI stands to remove about 30% margin from agency work.β
βIf itβs turnkey, itβs repeatable. And if itβs repeatable, AI can do it.β
βAccessibility isnβt just websites anymoreβitβs VR, AR, AI, and apps.β
βDesign was not decoration. It was the strategy. It was the culture.β
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Topics & Timestamps:
- (00:00) Intro music review - Suno AI generated tennis yacht rock
- (01:10) AI music revolution: The million-dollar AI musician deal and why music is dead
- (03:23) Google Zero: Financial Times on the race to zero organic traffic
- (06:51) Ethereum's 2026 UX roadmap: 19 minutes β 15 seconds transaction time
- (09:34) MIT Study: 95% failure rate for enterprise AI (it's not what you think)
- (13:22) The Pentagon Pizza Index: Tracking global crises via pizza delivery data
- (17:23) Polymarket: $56M betting on Fed decisions, plus Bad Bunny vs. Taylor Swift
- (19:36) The MVP is dead: Why your "MVP" is actually a full product launch
Resources Mentioned:
- Suno AI - AI music generation platform
- Financial Times article: "The Race to Google Zero"
- Ethereum L2 UX improvements announcement
- Pentagon Pizza Index (real website tracking DC pizza orders)
- Polymarket - Crypto prediction market platform
- MIT report on Gen AI implementation failures
Key Quotes:
- "Music, popular music is done"
- "95% of Gen AI investments produce zero returns"
- "Domino's is a tech company, not a pizza company"
- "Proof of concept is the new MVP, MVP is the new beta"
Next Week: Marcello takes over intro music duties with Suno AI. Genre TBD.
New Term Alert: "Vibe-casting" - Podcast format with no plan, just vibes.
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
In this episode, Symon and Marcello dive into the messy intersections of AI, algorithms, and work culture:
- The rise (and fatigue) of formulaic LinkedIn posts
- How AI is shaping content, and why quality often gets buried under quantity
- AWS' take on why replacing junior devs with AI is "the dumbest idea"
- Anxiety around AI detectors, writing styles, and online discourse
- Layoffs, risk, and the snake-oil element of new SaaS tools
- Security pitfalls, vibe-coded apps, and the Tea app breach
- Why non-experts might build the most surprising (and dangerous) things with AI
- Sam Altman's "fast fashion era of SaaS" and what it means for tech's future
Expect a mix of critique, humour, and perspective. All grounded in the realities of design, development, and running a business today.
Links
You can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us at LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
Free Accessibility Audit Here!!https://www.designtennis.com/microsites/is-your-website-truly-accessible-find-out-nowDonβt let accessibility issues put your business at risk. Discover how marketers can audit their websites, identify compliance gaps, and apply actionable fixes to meet AODA and ADA requirements.Learn more at: https://www.designtennis.com/microsites/is-your-website-truly-accessible-find-out-nowWatch more videos at: / @tennis7631 Follow us on Instagram @tennis.digitalFollow us on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/designtennis LinksYou can learn more about Tennis at our website. Be sure to follow us atLinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter
0:00-1:07 Intro to HOLO, a digital podcastΒ
1:08-3:35 What is design from the Tennis perspective?Β
3:35-6:50 Design means planningΒ
6:55-8:20 The pillars of designΒ
8:20-11:17 Aesthetics can define perceived valueΒ
11:17-11:45 Amazon case study design decisions aligned with valuesΒ
11:45-14:00 Web design is a unique disciplineΒ
14:04-22:40 The framework for any design process is de-riskingΒ
22:40-26:54 The importance of an agile processΒ
26:54-end What is design?Β
SummaryΒ
More on Symon here: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/symonoliver/Β
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/designtennis/?viewAsMember=trueΒ
Website: https://www.designtennis.com/Β
More on Marcello here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcellogortana/Β
https://www.instagram.com/marcello_gortana/?hl=enΒ
Website: https://www.designtennis.com/Β
Who is Tennis? We are a fractional UX design agency working with funded startups, and mid/enterprise-sized companies with 100+ employees helping connect humans and technology through design.
Learn more: https://www.designtennis.com/
We are back after a long hiatus with a new format discussing the role of digital and design in society, entrepreneurship, and businesses. In this episode, we dive deep into Brand Economics with Mark Radha a self-proclaimed "finance geek" and brand strategist who combines behavioral science and econometrics to formulate a data-backed strategy called Brand Economics which Mark has leveraged with tier 1 brands such as GE, Facebook, Cirque du Soleil, Canada Goose, SickKids, and Deloitte, to name just a few.
This week we wrap up our series with Nick Hobson, Ph.D. Chief Behavioral Scientist at The Behaviorist. In this episode, we talk with Nick about the origin of behavioural insights teams in government; and how the pandemic has pushed behavioural science back into the βlab of real-life.β
This is our final episode in the series, and we are going to begin exploring some new themes moving forward. It has been an incredible experience, thanks for listening!
In this episode, we speak with Emma Quin, Executive Director of The Textile Museum of Canada about re-opening and how organizations like Museums will have to evolve and adapt as they reopen in waves.
We have 3 episodes left in our survive and thrive series before we end the series and archive it as a moment in time that we all experienced together.
In this episode, we speak with Shane Saunderson co-founder of AI startup Babbly and currently researching human-robotic interactions during his PhD.
We had a super interesting conversation about the evolution of robotics spurred by what we are currently experiencing through physical distancing.
In our most recent episode we speak with Tatiana Soldatova, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Syllable, an architecture and interior design company.
We talked about how the interior design industry has been affected and how physical distancing may change how we think about designing workspaces.
Thrilled to have spoken with Robert Bolton from the foresight studio, From Later. Our meandering conversation explores hybrid media events, a surprising surge for bike shops, and the future of commercial spaces. This week is a big mental download.
This week we interviewed Martin Williams, Co-founder of a food innovation company called Recipe For Tmrw.
We explore how at times like these, simply having a great product is not enough if your operational strategies are weak, and customers canβt access or engage. We also talk about the future of supply chains, and the pitfalls of Just in Time (JIT) manufacturing during a global pandemic.
This week we interviewed Mark Garner, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director at Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area (DYBIA).
Great conversation about how social distancing is reshaping the way we think about conventional retail and how organizations like BIA's are going to need to evolve and support businesses of the future.
This week we interviewed Steve Pons, Managing Director and Jen Roney, Senior Manager Brand and Creative Strategy at Staples Promotional Products. We touched on consumer behaviour, demand vacuums, and the shifting demand of skills required to manage remote teams.
Paul Lockhard, President and CEO of Colour a creative digital agency, talks to us about how the effects of COVID-19 are pushing organizations to get more creative and innovative. We also discuss an interesting framework he developed for organizations to view some of their challenges and strategies.
What happens when the industry that your 15-year-old company operates in disappears overnight? Greg Dixon is leading Sentient HR through an unprecedented time brought on by COVID-19. For more about who Tennis is and transcripts of individual talks please visit designtennis.com.