Mindfulness and design: Cal Thomson on why human-centered design matters more than ever

In this episode of Catalyst, Tammy is joined by Cal Thompson, a freelance designer and product advisor who is also a trained mindfulness teacher. Most recently, Cal served as VP of Product Design and Research at Headspace, helping the company expand beyond meditation into broader mental health support. Tammy and Cal discuss mindfulness and why it matters right now before diving into the “saucy conversations” Cal has been having with fellow designers.

Highlights from the episode include:

• Mindfulness counteracts the attention economy. In the modern era of social media and streaming content, we don't realize how often our attention is directed for us. Cal explains that mindfulness is about learning to take control and put our attention under the command of our own willpower, no meditating on a mountaintop required.
• AI makes discernment more important. The question of, “Can we build it?” has turned into, “Should we build it?” Effort is no longer the limiting factor. Now, taste and discernment are the skills that matter most.
• Keep humans where they're strongest. Ideally, AI frees us up to do more of the work we’re good at and actually enjoy. Whether in design, engineering or customer service, AI is not a substitute for knowledge and experience. We need the skills to evaluate AI’s output and the human judgment to effectively course correct.

Check out the full episode to hear more about Cal’s childhood interest in playground design and why it’s smart to question what the algorithm serves you.

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Please note that the views expressed in this episode may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA.