{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Cheers & Tiers: Design Leadership Tales Retold","title":"027: Amy Gustincic & Jay Ganaden of AIGA San Francisco","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3062,"description":"Amy Gustincic and Jay Ganaden both served as presidents of AIGA San Francisco—at different times, but with a shared passion for community, creativity, and experimentation. In this episode, they reflect on the wild ride of shaping SF’s chapter culture, from designing risk-friendly programming to redefining who AIGA is really for.\n\nFrom parties that made the fire marshal nervous to retreats that sparked systemic change, they share lessons in leadership, legacy, and letting your weird ideas fly. Also: ghost tours, secret code names, and what happens when a national leader shows up and gets mistaken for security.\nKey Takeaways\nDesign is never neutral: Jay and Amy challenged who AIGA was for—and designed toward that\nLet the vision be weird: AIGA SF’s best programming came from instinct, not consensus\nStrategy that looked like a party: San Francisco’s signature move.\nLead with impact, not polish: Jay reminds us that systems work beats showmanship\nMake your own template: They both pushed back on “default AIGA” in favor of community-first design\n\nKey Moments in This Episode\n\n01:05 – The earliest memories: student chapters, ghost tours, and blurry lines between volunteer and friend\n03:40 – Amy’s presidency: events, vibes, and pushing the SF board into its weird era\n06:00 – Jay’s turn: building a chapter brand that challenged national assumptions\n08:25 – The party as strategy: from venues that smelled like cat pee to community as curation\n12:40 – Fires, fire marshals, and the time Jay was mistaken for security\n15:50 – Retreats and realignment: translating vibes into systems\n18:30 – Leadership friction: why resisting default settings is part of the job\n21:15 – After the presidency: when impact shows up in unexpected places\n24:00 – Advice for future board members: don’t wait for permission\nAbout Our Guests\n\nAmy Gustincic is a designer and strategist based in the Bay Area, leading Studio Bellwether for over 15 years. She works with creative teams and organizations to...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/fRTE46TBHbhBelcFPNhk4XdGpc9OMvYRuOAUT6lBkhM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xZTdk/YjAzMjhmMTE2ZTc1/YTU4N2RjMTQ3ZTY4/ZDM1NS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}