You Can’t Figma Your Way out of Complexity with Jen Briselli

How do you thrive as a designer when the org around you is unpredictable, political, and constantly changing?

Most designers hit a wall at some point in their career: their skills are strong, but the system they’re working in feels impossible to navigate. Best practices don’t seem to work, processes break down, and “design maturity” feels like a buzzword no one can actually define.

That’s where Jen Briselli comes in. With a background in physics, teaching, and design strategy, Jen helps teams understand what complexity really means and why learning is the only way through it. In our conversation, she explains how complicated and complex are not the same thing, how informal networks drive influence more than org charts, and why the real work of design is creating the conditions for growth rather than forcing outcomes.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a low-maturity team, frustrated by org politics, or burned out by chasing “best practices,” this episode will reframe how you see your role. Thriving in complexity and ambiguity is not about having all the answers. Instead, it’s about learning how to sense, adapt, and build the great relationships that make great software possible.

Take a listen to learn how to stop fighting complexity and start working with it.

Topics:
• 02:41 – Understanding Complexity in Product Design
• 04:06 – Jen Belli’s Journey into Complexity Science
• 04:41 – Exploring Complexity Science in Design
• 11:55 – The Difference Between Complex and Complicated Systems
• 16:56 – Navigating Complex Systems in UX Design
• 30:56 – The Role of Learning in Complex Systems
• 34:58 – Formal and Informal Networks in Organizations
• 40:57 – Understanding the Metaphor of Soil, Seeds, and Sunlight
• 41:54 – Exploring Design Maturity and Emergent Properties
• 43:33 – Creating Conditions for Psychological Safety and Design Maturity
• 44:46 – The Role of Affordances in Design Maturity
• 45:06 – Nurturing Growth in Unpredictable Environments
• 50:00 – Balancing Work and Mental Health
• 54:18 – The Importance of Identity and Letting Go
• 57:33 – Final Thoughts on Complexity and Learning

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Jen on LinkedIn
• Learning is the Engine // Jen’s Rosenfeld Talk
• Jen’s YouTube channel

Jen Briselli
Co-Founder & Principal Strategist at Topology

About Jen

Jen is a strategist, designer, researcher, and educator who helps teams realize the transformative potential of risky play, complexity-informed design strategy, and transdisciplinary collaboration. Driven by a deep curiosity to understand the hidden patterns across disparate domains and the desire to empower other humans with these insights, Jen partners with brave folks who work at similar intersections that want to provoke, create, or occasionally subvert. Previously as Chief Design Strategy Officer at Mad*Pow and now as co-founder of Topology, a systems-oriented experience strategy firm, she helps orgs co-create the services, experiences, and the conditions that enable people to live well—on their own terms.

Connect with Jen on LinkedIn

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