This episode, I got to sit down with my friend, podcast cohost on Away from Keyboard, and former coworker Louise Macfadyen as she prepares to launch her new book Designing AI Interfaces with Oreilly this Spring.

We had a lot to talk about, from managing the conceptual distance between what AI actually does and what people imagine it can do, to the new skills designers, engineers, and PMs need to work with models, the potential harms of new technology, and some of the patterns designers can use to keep ethics and safety in the loop.

Designing AI Interfaces is available from O'Reilly Media April 21st, 2026.

In this episode, Liam speaks with Rachel Been, SVP of Design for Expedia Group, about her journey from photography to design leadership and why she believes this is "the era of the generalist." The conversation unpacks the recent launch of Expedia's new app on ChatGPT and what it means to design for "non-deterministic flows" and "infinite inputs." Rachel explains how AI is breaking old, linear design paradigms and why, in an age of potential "design slop," deep curiosity and human-centered craft are more important than ever.

Read a transcript and check out more from me at interfacecafe.com

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
01:34 The Generalist Designer
11:22 Launching the Expedia App for ChatGPT
16:00 Beyond the Search Bar
25:44 Designing for Infinity
34:03 The Sandwich Theory
39:41 Avoiding Design Slop: Advice on Craft

In this episode, Liam speaks with Zürich-based architect and artist Fabian Bircher, whose work spans buildings, custom lighting, and interactive installations. Fabian discusses his unique creative process, where inspiration flows from both artistic concepts and the discovery of new technological possibilities. The conversation explores the materiality of light through his Buoy lamps and dichroic foil installations, the process of revealing hidden digital systems with his "Reporting Device," and the unexpected role of randomness in creating kinetic art.

Find a full transcript and more at interfacecafe.com, and subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Episode Chapters:

01:16 Intro and Background

03:52 The Exchange Between Tech and Creativity

06:04 Breaking Into the Unknown

07:52 Buoy Lamps and the Vermicelleria

12:58 The Materiality of Light

16:12 Bringing Light to a Brutalist Schoolhouse

19:15 The Reporting Device

24:02 Revealing the Unseen

25:49 Anthropomorphic Architecture

29:54 The Role of Randomness

31:54 Does it All Make Sense?

34:34 What Should We Be Focused On?

37:40 Outro