Guy Segal
@guysegal.com
Design director working on design systems and people systems.
Can fake a decent guitar riff. Black lives matter. Trans lives matter. He/him. Views are my own.
🩷💜💙
I talk to cool design folks on my podcast http://designdowntime.com/
Toronto, ON, Canada
Can fake a decent guitar riff. Black lives matter. Trans lives matter. He/him. Views are my own.
🩷💜💙
I talk to cool design folks on my podcast http://designdowntime.com/
Toronto, ON, Canada
Pinned
Guy Segal
@guysegal.com
· Oct 18
Design Downtime
"Design Downtime" celebrates the joys of living a balanced creative life outside the pixels and wireframes. Join your host, Guy Segal, a design director, on this journey to redefine what it means to b...
designdowntime.com
Hello new followers! I'm a design director from Toronto, working on design systems.
I also host a podcast called Design Downtime, where I talk to design professionals about a hobby or interest of theirs that has nothing to do with work, because it's ok to not be about productivity 24/7!
I also host a podcast called Design Downtime, where I talk to design professionals about a hobby or interest of theirs that has nothing to do with work, because it's ok to not be about productivity 24/7!
Post a banger that’s not in English
Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci - Meirion Wyllt
Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci - Meirion Wyllt
February 10, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Post a banger that’s not in English
Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci - Meirion Wyllt
Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci - Meirion Wyllt
Is every ad now just AI digitally putting famous people’s faces on actors?
February 9, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Is every ad now just AI digitally putting famous people’s faces on actors?
By the time you explain to the LLM exactly what you need built, you’ve already done the hardest part of programming.
I've been on a bit of a social media hiatus, but I've written a new post about something that's been on my mind a lot lately localghost.dev/blog/stop-ge...
Stop generating, start thinking - localghost
Instead of wanting to learn and improve as humans, and build better software, we’ve outsourced our mistakes to an unthinking algorithm.
localghost.dev
February 8, 2026 at 9:46 PM
By the time you explain to the LLM exactly what you need built, you’ve already done the hardest part of programming.
Reposted by Guy Segal
99% of stakeholder "ideas" is just copying a feature they saw on a competitor's product. And the features they notice most are the ones that yell at their users the loudest.
Now all software (not just consumer apps, but also metrics dashboards) yells at you, and trains you to attend to its yelling.
Now all software (not just consumer apps, but also metrics dashboards) yells at you, and trains you to attend to its yelling.
The circular logic of our metrics
We design what is familiar. The design patterns we adopt are the ones yelling at us the loudest.
productpicnic.beehiiv.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:11 PM
99% of stakeholder "ideas" is just copying a feature they saw on a competitor's product. And the features they notice most are the ones that yell at their users the loudest.
Now all software (not just consumer apps, but also metrics dashboards) yells at you, and trains you to attend to its yelling.
Now all software (not just consumer apps, but also metrics dashboards) yells at you, and trains you to attend to its yelling.
Reposted by Guy Segal
“My substack is raising a lot of questions that my Kanye shirt is already answering”
February 11, 2025 at 11:19 PM
“My substack is raising a lot of questions that my Kanye shirt is already answering”
Reposted by Guy Segal
Silver lining of so many people publishing on substack, is that I have a more manageable list of essays to read. 🙃
(Read: please get off substack)
(Read: please get off substack)
January 6, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Silver lining of so many people publishing on substack, is that I have a more manageable list of essays to read. 🙃
(Read: please get off substack)
(Read: please get off substack)
Reposted by Guy Segal
Hello new followers! I'm a design director from Toronto, working on design systems.
I also host a podcast called Design Downtime, where I talk to design professionals about a hobby or interest of theirs that has nothing to do with work, because it's ok to not be about productivity 24/7!
I also host a podcast called Design Downtime, where I talk to design professionals about a hobby or interest of theirs that has nothing to do with work, because it's ok to not be about productivity 24/7!
Design Downtime
"Design Downtime" celebrates the joys of living a balanced creative life outside the pixels and wireframes. Join your host, Guy Segal, a design director, on this journey to redefine what it means to b...
designdowntime.com
October 18, 2024 at 9:37 PM
Hello new followers! I'm a design director from Toronto, working on design systems.
I also host a podcast called Design Downtime, where I talk to design professionals about a hobby or interest of theirs that has nothing to do with work, because it's ok to not be about productivity 24/7!
I also host a podcast called Design Downtime, where I talk to design professionals about a hobby or interest of theirs that has nothing to do with work, because it's ok to not be about productivity 24/7!
This was such a fun chat with @seratajima.bsky.social, about all the different ways she likes to move and the importance of movement in her life.
Sera Tajima Loves Movement | Podcast Episode on RSS.com
We’re getting in motion with Sera Tajima, as she joins us to talk about her lifelong relationship with movement. She explains how ballet taught her precision, control, and the ability to withstand "go...
rss.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:49 PM
This was such a fun chat with @seratajima.bsky.social, about all the different ways she likes to move and the importance of movement in her life.
I wish more designers knew empathy is something that can be practiced outside of the design process.
February 4, 2026 at 1:42 PM
I wish more designers knew empathy is something that can be practiced outside of the design process.
Reposted by Guy Segal
Straight men not being able to enjoy Heated Rivalry explains why they will never understand anything.
February 3, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Straight men not being able to enjoy Heated Rivalry explains why they will never understand anything.
What's the accepted limit to rewatching Heated Rivalry episode 5?
February 2, 2026 at 4:32 AM
What's the accepted limit to rewatching Heated Rivalry episode 5?
An excellent read, as usual.
(And not just because Pavel recommends my pre-mortem article)
(And not just because Pavel recommends my pre-mortem article)
The most common strategy for "AI-proofing" your career is to get good at using AI tools.
This is futile, because no one is using AI tools to make things that are *good.* The goal is to check the box on the project plan at a predictable pace.
To AI-proof your job, get out of the project game.
This is futile, because no one is using AI tools to make things that are *good.* The goal is to check the box on the project plan at a predictable pace.
To AI-proof your job, get out of the project game.
You can't "AI-proof your career" with a project mindset
Competing with LLMs on output velocity is a fool's errand because you will always lose. You can only beat them by curing yourself of your computer brain.
productpicnic.beehiiv.com
February 1, 2026 at 9:47 PM
An excellent read, as usual.
(And not just because Pavel recommends my pre-mortem article)
(And not just because Pavel recommends my pre-mortem article)
How is February 4th not Beatles Day?
February 1, 2026 at 6:22 PM
How is February 4th not Beatles Day?
Drop a Sunday Selfie in black and white if you’d like
February 1, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Drop a Sunday Selfie in black and white if you’d like
This is who runs this account
February 1, 2026 at 4:01 PM
This is who runs this account
AI is not only a great way to avoid hiring people, but it’s also excellent in making remaining employees feel bad about themselves.
“Overworked? Spread too thin? But we gave you all the tools to do the work of multiple people! The problem must be you.”
“Overworked? Spread too thin? But we gave you all the tools to do the work of multiple people! The problem must be you.”
January 31, 2026 at 5:27 PM
AI is not only a great way to avoid hiring people, but it’s also excellent in making remaining employees feel bad about themselves.
“Overworked? Spread too thin? But we gave you all the tools to do the work of multiple people! The problem must be you.”
“Overworked? Spread too thin? But we gave you all the tools to do the work of multiple people! The problem must be you.”
Five concerts you’ve seen with women lead singers:
Sonic Youth
Breeders
Babes in Toyland
Shiv and the Carvers
Melkbelly
Sonic Youth
Breeders
Babes in Toyland
Shiv and the Carvers
Melkbelly
Five concerts you’ve seen with women lead singers:
Tori Amos
Metric
Lucinda Williams
Alison Krauss & Robert Plant
The Once
Bonus 5, just because:
New Pornographers
Maria Doyle Kennedy
Dar Williams
Basia Bulat
Amanda Marshall
Tori Amos
Metric
Lucinda Williams
Alison Krauss & Robert Plant
The Once
Bonus 5, just because:
New Pornographers
Maria Doyle Kennedy
Dar Williams
Basia Bulat
Amanda Marshall
Five concerts you’ve seen with women lead singers -
Aimee Mann
10 000 Maniacs
Wendy & Lisa
Eurythmics
Siouxsie & The Banshees
Aimee Mann
10 000 Maniacs
Wendy & Lisa
Eurythmics
Siouxsie & The Banshees
January 29, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Five concerts you’ve seen with women lead singers:
Sonic Youth
Breeders
Babes in Toyland
Shiv and the Carvers
Melkbelly
Sonic Youth
Breeders
Babes in Toyland
Shiv and the Carvers
Melkbelly
Erika and I talked all about her writing process, and what goes into planning a series of space opera novels.
Erika Flowers Loves to Write Novels | Podcast Episode on RSS.com
Get ready to be swept away into a sprawling space opera, when Erika Flowers joins us to talk about her passion for writing fiction novels. She approaches writing fiction as entertainment rather than h...
rss.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Erika and I talked all about her writing process, and what goes into planning a series of space opera novels.
At this point, still being on substack is the same as still being on x.
Once again, if you are warning me about fascism in a Substack newsletter, I cannot take you seriously because you are not willing to do the thing you are asking the rest of us to do.
January 29, 2026 at 12:50 AM
At this point, still being on substack is the same as still being on x.
Reposted by Guy Segal
My book, Accessibility For Everyone, is now free and online as a website.
accessibilityforeveryone.site
The book was first published by A Book Apart in 2017 but it holds up! It covers web accessibility for designers, developers, content folks, and really everyone who works in tech.
accessibilityforeveryone.site
The book was first published by A Book Apart in 2017 but it holds up! It covers web accessibility for designers, developers, content folks, and really everyone who works in tech.
Accessibility For Everyone by Laura Kalbag
Read the book online for free.
accessibilityforeveryone.site
January 27, 2026 at 1:14 PM
My book, Accessibility For Everyone, is now free and online as a website.
accessibilityforeveryone.site
The book was first published by A Book Apart in 2017 but it holds up! It covers web accessibility for designers, developers, content folks, and really everyone who works in tech.
accessibilityforeveryone.site
The book was first published by A Book Apart in 2017 but it holds up! It covers web accessibility for designers, developers, content folks, and really everyone who works in tech.
Brave Kimberlary exploring the record-breaking snowfall in Toronto
January 26, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Brave Kimberlary exploring the record-breaking snowfall in Toronto
A Black Mirror episode about a person working for the tech company that makes the tools used by the government to hunt her and her family down.
January 25, 2026 at 6:30 PM
A Black Mirror episode about a person working for the tech company that makes the tools used by the government to hunt her and her family down.
Pavel back with another banger of a newsletter.
When someone vibe codes into production, it tells me they’re not interested in long lasting software, only in the facsimile of a product, and one that rarely considers anyone beyond a narrow “happy path”.
When someone vibe codes into production, it tells me they’re not interested in long lasting software, only in the facsimile of a product, and one that rarely considers anyone beyond a narrow “happy path”.
Every non-hype defense of LLMs starts with "you must already understand your work really well."
Vibe coding isn't being done by those people. It's being done by execs who are making a prototype because it is now easy to do.
This kills the systems of intention and maintenance necessary for good UX.
Vibe coding isn't being done by those people. It's being done by execs who are making a prototype because it is now easy to do.
This kills the systems of intention and maintenance necessary for good UX.
Vibe prototyping isn't solving problems. It's creating new ones.
It's easy to prototype and so everyone is prototyping, without really knowing why they are doing it. The resultant noise drowns out thoughtful work.
productpicnic.beehiiv.com
January 25, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Pavel back with another banger of a newsletter.
When someone vibe codes into production, it tells me they’re not interested in long lasting software, only in the facsimile of a product, and one that rarely considers anyone beyond a narrow “happy path”.
When someone vibe codes into production, it tells me they’re not interested in long lasting software, only in the facsimile of a product, and one that rarely considers anyone beyond a narrow “happy path”.