Design Is People – The SAP Design System Podcast
SAP Design System Academy / Design Is People – Podcast Series
“Design is people.” It is not by accident that we picked this quote by Jane Jacobs for our podcast series. It expresses perfectly what we stand for: design for people (human-centered design), but also design by people.
And it’s the latter that will be highlighted here: The people behind the SAP design system with their very own topics.
So lean back with a cup of tea, and listen to the voices and the exciting stories they have to tell …
Podcast Episodes
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Evolution of the InnerSource Process for the SAP Design System
Guest: Jan Rüssel | Moderator: Jim Edenstrom
15 min 35 sec | December 11, 2025 | Download
Discover how the InnerSource process for the SAP Design System has continued to evolve. A return guest, Jan Ruessel, gives an update about version two of the InnerSource process as a follow up to the Introducing the InnerSource Model episode.
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Fiori Makers Bootcamp: The Power of Customer Collaboration in Design
Guests: Christina Salwitzek, Tillman Swinke | Moderator: Veselina Petrova
44 min 13 sec | December 10, 2025 | Download
In this episode of Design is People, we dive into the world of customer collaboration with Tillman Swinke and Christina Salwitzek from SAP Design. Discover how the Fiori Makers Bootcamp brings teams and users together to co-create meaningful solutions, turning challenges into breakthroughs.
From setting the right tone for collaboration to balancing speed and impact, Tillman and Christina share their experiences, including the "A-HA!" moments that prove why working with users is worth it. Learn how to keep momentum alive after the bootcamp and why the best designs happen when you involve the people who use them.
Accessible by Design
Guests: Adelina Todorova, Marvin Gille | Moderator: Veselina Petrova
27 min 48 sec | June 30, 2025 | Download
In this episode, we’re joined by the accessibility advocates Adelina Todorova and Marvin Gille, who share their insights, experiences, and strategies for driving real change. Together, we explore why accessibility is not just meeting a guidelines but everyone’s responsibility, how inclusive design benefits all users, and what it takes to move from awareness to action.
How my previous jobs influence my design (decisions)
Guests: Anna-Mariya Hristova, Gergana Kovacheva | Moderator: Anna Radonic Ali
24 min 34 sec | June 13, 2025 | Download
How do our previous jobs shape the way we design today? In this episode, Anna-Mariya Hristova and Gergana Kovacheva reflect on how their early careers continue to influence their creative decisions, ways of thinking, and collaboration styles. From working through constraints to seeing the bigger picture, they share how every step in their journey adds depth to the work they do now.
Cards on the Table: Scaling Design for the Web
Guests: Caroline Schuster, Barbara Kuntz | Moderator: Veselina Petrova
15 min 31 sec | March 20, 2025 | Download
Cards are everywhere on the web, and SAP applications across various lines of business are no exception. But designing for the web brings a whole new set of challenges - how do we ensure consistency, usability, and flexibility across different use cases?
Together with Caroline Schuster and Barbara Kuntz from the SAP Design System Web team we will explore the unique challenges of designing the Web Card System.
Cards in Hand: Crafting Seamless Mobile Experiences
Guests: Eva Artinger, Janin Stoess | Moderator: Veselina Petrova
27 min 43 sec | March 17, 2025 | Download
The cards have become the go-to design solution for organizing content, guiding users, and creating intuitive experiences across mobile applications. But what makes a great mobile card system? And what are the challenges in creating an unified card system? In this episode Janin Stoess and Eva Artinger from the SAP Design System Mobile team will share their expertise, insights, and lessons learned from designing scalable card systems for mobile applications.
AI Ethics
Guests: Bettina Laugwitz | Moderator: Marieke Storm
31 min 42 sec | February 19, 2025 | Download
What's behind key concepts of Ethical AI, such as transparency, explainability, interpretability? Why are they important? And how can we create trust with our designs? Listen how Global Lead of Ethical AI at SAP, Bettina Laugwitz, explains this very important subject.
What’s next for the SAP Design System in 2025
Guest: Sophia Levens | Moderator: Anna Radonic Ali
31 min 03 sec | February 05, 2025 | Download
Welcome back, everyone! We’re starting the year with Sophia Levens, reflecting briefly on 2024 before diving into the trends, goals, and innovations set to define the SAP Design System this year. Together, we’ll explore what lies ahead for our team in 2025.
Holiday Special
Guests: The entire podcast team
24 min 31 sec | December 18, 2024 | Download
Welcome to our Design is People Holiday Special, the Ultimate Quiz of Design Fails. Hop on a sparkling sleigh full of spectacular design fails through the ages and find the right answers along with the podcast team in this fun and festive episode!
Designation: Visual Designer
Guests: Luiza Berte, Siyana Dicheva, Claudiu Radulescu | Moderator: Veselina Petrova
37 min 56 sec | December 12, 2024 | Download
Have you ever wondered what magical creature is the visual designer or what skills this role needs to be successful? If you are curious to find out the answer, join us for our next episode in which three briliant visual designers from the Web Design System team will tell us all about it.
UX Design at BTP
Guest: Alexander Kirichev | Moderator: Veselina Petrova
15 min 25 sec | November 26, 2024 | Download
Join us as we dive into one of SAP's product areas and take a closer look at the design teams shaping the future of BTP (Business Technology Platform). With Alexander Kirichev as our guide, we’ll uncover insights into their creative processes and innovation. Don’t miss this inside look into the world of design and technology!
Transforming collaboration across LOBs: The InnerSource from another perspective
Guests: Maximilian Kautetzky, Seiji Ike-Glenn | Moderator: Anna Radonic Ali
15 min 49 sec | October 14, 2024 | Download
The InnerSource Process has been out for 3 months now. Tune in as Seiji Ike-Glenn from Concur and Maximilian Kautetzky from Signavio share their views on how SAP's InnerSource process is reshaping collaboration in their teams outside of SAP Design. They discuss real-work examples of breaking down silos, boosting innovation, and what the InnerSource process means for the future of their work.
From Listening to Designing: How to Career-Jump into UX Design
Guest: Beatriz Scabelli | Moderator: Anna Radonic Ali
33 min 03 sec | September 05, 2024 | Download
Join us on this episode as we chat with Beatriz Scabelli, a UX Designer who made the leap from Sales Support to UX Design. Bea's journey is all about adaptability, seizing opportunities, and transforming challenges into growth. If you're thinking about a career change or just need some inspiration, this episode is for you!
What it Takes to Create the InnerSource Process
Guests: Sunnya Göldner and Jan Rüssel | Moderator: Veselina Petrova
25 min 13 sec | September 05, 2024 | Download
What does it take to create such a complex process as the InnerSource Model? What do you need to do and be aware of when designing it? In this podcast episode you’ll hear the answer from the perspective of a product area (Sunnya Göldner, Cloud ERP) and Core Design (Jan Rüssel). Both guests will take you through the different steps, the needs from everyone involved, the challenges that were overcome, and valuable lessons learnt. A lot still needs to be done to leave the rough waters of the early phase and enter the realms of plain sailing. But the boat is sturdy and well on its way.
The Advantages of the SAP Design System
Guest: Sophia Levens | Moderator: Marieke Storm
30 min 29 sec | August 20, 2024 | Download
Yes, SAP has a design system, and of course it's nice enough. But have you ever wondered why we have it? Is it future-ready? And what is so special about it in contrast to other design systems? Enjoy the refreshing insights from the Head of the Design System team, Sophia Levens.
What Does a Producer Do All Day?
Guest: Galina Tuova | Moderator: Anna Radonic Ali
19 min 48 sec | July 22, 2024 | Download
Ever wondered what a day in the life of a producer looks like? Tune into this episode where Galina Tuova from SAP Design unveils the intricacies of her role, balancing rigorous project management with her personal adventures. Discover how she merges professional demands with a zest for life, providing a unique glimpse into a producer's everyday life.
User Research for the SAP Design System Portal
Guests: Teresa Mayer, Ines Köpe | Moderator: Marieke Storm
20 min 57 sec | July 09, 2024 | Download
The launch of the SAP Design System Portal is one of our team's highlights of 2024. User research played an integral part in the development of this portal that is going to become the one-stop shop for all design-related guidelines, kits, and general information. Teresa Mayer and Ines Köpe give valuable insights into how user research improves design decisions and makes sure that all points of view are considered.
The Roles within the InnerSource Process
Guests: Veselina Petrova, Benji Braun | Moderator: Marieke Storm
17 min 39 sec | June 14, 2024 | Download
Process Owner, Design Ops Processor, Design System Expert ... difficult words with responsibilities in the InnerSource process that are tricky to remember, right? Not with this entertaining podcast episode, in which Benji and Vessi explain everything you need to know about these new roles in no time at all! (Well, ok, see time stamp below...)
Design and Development: Excellence through Collaboration
Guest: Stanislava Baltova | Moderator: Veselina Petrova
23 min 13 sec | June 10, 2024 | Download
What happens when the worlds of design and technology meet, as they inevitably do during the design process? What are the challenges at the different stages? How can we deal with them? Stanislava Baltova shows us how we can use the advantages of both worlds with a little help of neuroscience. She also highlights in what way the InnerSource Model will improve the situation.
Introducing the InnerSource Model
Guest: Jan Rüssel | Moderator: Marieke Storm
20 min 44 sec | May 10, 2024 | Download
In June 2024, the InnerSource Model for Web will be launched. But what exactly is the InnerSource Model? Where does the concept come from? And why is it the best organizational model for SAP Design? In this episode, Jan Rüssel answers these and other basic questions on this topic.
The History of the Design System at SAP
Guest: Kai Richter | Moderator: Marieke Storm
25 min 17 sec | April 23, 2024 | Download
Since when has SAP used a design system? Were there any forerunners? And why was the decision made to introduce one? Kai Richter patiently answers all these questions and many more.
How to Promote the SAP Design System
Guest: Matthias Kaiser | Moderator: Marieke Storm
24 min 52 sec | April 23, 2024 | Download
SAP design system topics tend to be rather abstract or, on the contrary, technical. This makes quite a few people panic when all of a sudden they have to present what they’re working on – in a fresh and exciting way, of course. Matthias Kaiser shows us how we can all turn every topic into a gripping tale that will leave our audience breathless.