Last week I joined Tuia Design Talks #029, a podcast exploring how design continues to shape business, technology, and society.
The theme of this episode — Design, Entrepreneurship, and Communities — perfectly mirrors my own journey as a designer, founder, and community builder.
Over the years, I’ve realized something simple but powerful:
👉 the designer of the future isn’t just a visual creator — they’re an entrepreneur of ideas, a connector of people, and a builder of systems that enable others to create.
Design as Entrepreneurship
I shared a bit about my experience founding DOJO+, a company born from my passion for martial arts and technology — and the idea of empowering Jiu-Jitsu academies through digital design. It taught me that being a designer today means building businesses with empathy, understanding real pain points, and turning them into opportunities for innovation.
Designers who can think beyond screens — who connect creativity with strategy — are becoming essential across startups and enterprises alike.
Community and Collaboration
We also talked about the importance of communities.
Through my journey leading Friends of Figma, I’ve seen that tools like Figma don’t just empower designers — they create connection ecosystems.
Building communities is, in many ways, an act of design: shaping spaces where people can learn, share, and grow together.
AI and the Future of Design
Artificial Intelligence was another big topic.
We explored how AI isn’t replacing designers — it’s amplifying creativity.
By automating repetitive tasks, AI gives us the space to think critically, to design with purpose, and to stay focused on what makes us human: our ability to imagine.
Design Systems as a Bridge
Lastly, we discussed Design Systems as the invisible infrastructure of modern organizations.
They bring clarity, reduce friction, and help teams scale consistently — making design not just aesthetic, but strategic.
Joining the Tuia Design Talks was more than just a conversation — it was a reflection on what it means to design in this new era:
To listen, understand, connect, and build with heart.
🎧 Watch the full episode (in Portuguese):
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWex-sDmdu4