Design Talk (dot IE)

CITO Seminar: The Sanctuary Hypothesis in Information Systems — Blockchain and AI as Strategic Havens for Non-Dominant OrganisationsGuest: Jean-Fabrice Lebraty Host: Donncha Kavanagh Recorded on Tuesday, September 23, 4:00 - 5:00pm in Q2.33 Lochlann Quinn School of Business, UCD Belfield Campus.Abstract This talk introduces a theory of dominant vs non-dominant organisations in digital ecosystems. Dominant actors shape standards, data flows, and platform rules; non-dominant actors operate under asymmetric dependency and limited control over technological stacks. I argue that, for the non-dominant, the core IS problem is not efficiency but survivability—the capacity to endure adverse, shifting, or hostile digital environments. Survivability requires a digital sanctuary: an infrastructure and set of practices that preserve critical informational assets beyond the reach of dominant gatekeepers. I then present two sanctuary technologies. First, blockchain, leveraging immutability, persistence, and verifiable anchoring to secure records and proofs against unilateral alteration. Second, AI via model-level embedding, where strategic data placement in training corpora and model fine-tunes creates durable informational traces and capabilities resilient to upstream platform changes. I conclude with design principles and governance implications for building and stewarding such sanctuaries. Keywords: digital sanctuary; survivability; blockchain; AI/model embedding BioJean-Fabrice LEBRATY is a Full Time Professor of Management Sciences at iaelyon School of Management (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3). He specialises in information systems management. His research focuses on decision-making in extreme contexts, crowdsourcing, social networks, and innovative technologies such as blockchain or AI. Since April 2023, he is in charge of the Magellan research laboratory, which comprises 80 researchers and 50 doctoral candidates.Notes:Jean-Fabrice Lebraty (at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3) https://iae.univ-lyon3.fr/lebraty-jean-fabriceA cross-pod release with CITO Conversations (on the web, Spotify or Apple Podcasts)AcknowledgementsMusic Title: Moody Break  01Artist: Allen HigginsSource:  a-Wed10Oct2024License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Includes samples from Ableton Live by Ableton AG and by KORG Inc.Cover Art Title: Room Q233Photo credit: Allen Higgins.Source: Jean-Fabrice-seminar.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part, you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Hosted by Sean Lynch and Akshara Jonna. In this episode, the Design Thinking class talk with Liam Brady and Thomas Hamill from the UCD Estate Services team about the complexities of modern campus design, focusing on accessibility features that go "beyond compliance" and how these lessons are applied to the wider campus day-to-day.We take a look inside the design process for the new O’Connor Centre for Learning on UCD’s Belfield campus, from the preliminary brief to the final commissioning.·       On to the subject for today, the new O’Connor Centre for Learning. Can you walk us through the story of this building ‘as a project’, the "Before, During, After"?·       Would you say that buildings like the Moore Centre (where we are right now) and the O’Connor are high-tech buildings? In what way? How?·       Going Beyond Part M: You’ve talked about how building regulations (Part M) provide a baseline for accessibility. How did you move from simple compliance to a design that truly fosters "belonging" for all users?·       You mentioned a distinction between "features" and "design elements". How do we ensure accessibility is baked into the architecture rather than just bolted on as an afterthought?·       Does user feedback from the wider campus influence the "Fixes" and "Audits" of new projects?·       The Logistics of Mobility (MOB): From toilets and doors to steps and lighting - what are the small details that make the biggest difference in a student's daily experience?·       In class we have heard that designers should focus on the "smile" (the U-shaped curve) rather than the "sad face" (the standard bell curve). In the context of the O’Connor Centre, how did you practically shift the team's focus toward the extremes of the population rather than just the "average" student?·       The Paradox of Safety: A significant portion of your work involves "features we hope are never used," like fire refuge points, emergency intercoms, and smoke-filled space lighting. How can we ensure these features work, are intuitive and accessible during a high-stress emergency?·       Curb cutouts and retrofitting the "Smile": It’s one thing to build the O’Connor Centre from scratch with these curves in mind, but how do you apply the "smile curve" logic to the "day-to-day" maintenance and "fixes" of older, more "complicated" UCD buildings?·       Audit to Action: Can you talk about how "Audits" can be used as productive levers to rebalance our design focus?·       Any questions from the audience?Thank you both for taking the time to talk with us today.Notes:UCD Estate Services project page - https://www.ucd.ie/estates/operations/ucdoconnorcentreforlearning/RKD profile page for the UCD O’Connor Centre for Learning - https://rkd.ie/work/ucd-centre-for-future-learning/From the Government of Ireland, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage - Building Regulations Part M: Access and Use requirementsOHAC - O’Herlihy Access Consultancy - https://www.accessconsultancy.ie AcknowledgementsMusic Title: StoryArtist: MeydänSource: https://bit.ly/2P5CSCv​License: CC BY Cover Art Title: Teleport into O’ConnorArtist: Allen Higgins. Photos prompt merged with Gemini. Classroom in sharp focus overlaid into the O’Connor atrium space in bokeh effect.Source: TomLiam-seminar.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part, you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Welcome to Design Talk. In this episode Killian O'Connor and Albena Krasteva from Zartis were in to talk to Masters students at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business. Killian and Albena presented a candid behind-the-scenes analysis of Zartis' initial struggles adopting AI within their own organisation. They went on to explain how their experience has led to insights that shape Zartis's AI deployment strategies and use cases for clients. Zartis is a technology services company headquartered in Cork, Ireland and is an official Anthropic partner, supporting organisations that are building with Claude and Claude Code.Notes:Zartis – https://www.zartis.comAnthropic – https://www.anthropic.comUCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business – https://www.smurfitschool.ieAcknowledgementsMusic Title: Calculated Awakening - "Genetic Algorithms Evolution," in the style of a Bytebeat, anchored by a base guitar.Artist: Allen Higgins Source: https://bit.ly/2QkBzvILicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Includes samples by KORG Inc. and Lyria 3 via Gemini.Cover Art Title: Smurfit-ZartisArtist: Allen Higgins. Photo credits: Yu Su, Denis Buleiko and Allen Higgins. Used with permission.Source: Zartis-seminar.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part, you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

In this, our first episode on ‘research design’ and ‘research designing’ I talk with Maya Gaul and Dunk Murphy from the Creative Futures Academy at UCD. Maya is completing a BA in Creative & Cultural Industries. Her final year project combines research with performance. The subject is Creative Community; an exploration of Irish Arts organisations and how they produce ‘belonging’. Maya talked about her plan for the production - to include elements of documentary, performance and interaction culminating in an event that digs into what arts and inclusion means for practitioners and audience.Notes:The Creative Futures Academy - https://creativefuturesacademy.ieUCD’s BA Major In Creative & Cultural Industries - https://www.ucd.ie/artshumanities/newsandevents/ucdlaunchesnewbaincreativeculturalindustries/AcknowledgementsMusic Title: DeparturesArtist: PortrayalSource: https://bit.ly/2QkBzvILicense: CC BY 4.0Cover Art Title: In the Think LabArtist: Allen Higgins. Photo credits: Dunk Murphy. Used with permission.Source: MayaGaul.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part, you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Psilocybin, Heidegger and being-toward-deathBetween 2020 and 2023 psychologist Marg Ross and psychiatrist Justin Dwyer, together with collaborators, ran the largest Australian randomised control of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of extreme death anxiety in terminally ill patients using psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) (Ross et al, 2025). Over the past 15 months I have contributed to the analysis and reporting of qualitative interview data collected by these researchers before and after treatment. The therapy has been shown to be remarkably effective with 21 out of 28 patients who completed the full trial reporting sustained relief. Whereas before the treatment the patients had found themselves 'stuck' in an oppressive lingering present, after treatment they are able to 'step back into' a life that is in some ways fuller even than before the diagnosis (Dwyer et al, 2026). In this reading group/seminar I will briefly present Heidegger's account in Division II of Being and Time of being-toward-death and its role in prompting a more authentic human existence and richer lived temporality. I will point out its striking similarity to the change phenomenon we observed in the qualitative analysis. I invite discussion of this observation, its implications, and suggestions. Note I will devote little time to describing the clinical trial so reading the accompanying paper (Dwyer et al, 2026) is advised.JohnoRobert B. Johnston is a professor (emeritus) at University College Dublin, and a person in his own right.Dwyer, J., Johnston, R. B., O'Callaghan, C., and Ross, M. 2026. "Stepping Back into Life: How Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy Transforms the Way of Life of the Terminally Ill," General Hospital Psychiatry (98), pp. 86-96. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2025.12.002AcknowledgementsMusic Title: Justice Little LeagueArtist: Ema GraceSource:  https://bit.ly/2tJ6BndLicense:  CC BY 4.0Artist notes: Ema Grace is an AI vocaloid produced by Ryoma MAEDA (@Ryoma_Maeda). Styled as virtual Singer&Idol 架空のバーチャルアイドル & シンガー、それがEma Grace.Cover Art Title: Inspired by zoomArtist: Allen HigginsSource: CITO-podcast-Johno.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Today we’re talking with Fernandos Ongolly, to learn about home-grown innovations and digital startups from The Continent – in this case, Africa. Our hosts are Selma Anya, Safa A. A. Emam, and Diana Achiro, students on the MSc Digital Innovation programme.Fernandos has a PhD from UCD. He is the current “Proudly Made in Africa” Fellow in Business and Development at UCD College of Business, and the founder of – Non-EU Academics and Researchers Community in Ireland.Our audience is the class of 2025 studying the Outsourcing and Offshoring module taught by Allen Higgins.First, Fernandos, would you like to say a few words about your current role and a little about your journey?·       African nations might not be the first place that investors and business associate with “technology ambition”, can you set the context? [notes: technical infrastructure, physical infrastructure, population demographics, connectedness etc.]·       Talk about some success stories from Africa and the sectors they occur in? [notes: in FinTech, Education, AgriTech and eCommerce]·       What are the opportunities for outsourcing to Africa? [notes: BPO, content moderation and specialized services, much of today’s AI is/was trained by centers in Africa]·       For the startup environment, like Silicon Valley, where are the incubators, clusters, and centers of excellence? [notes: the three big regions East, West and South – Kenya; Nigeria; South Africa]·       Can you talk about the role culture plays. No doubt there are challenges but opportunities too? [notes: strong social ties, high-trust cultures, entrepreneurial attitude is prevalent – trading is a way of life]·       Questions from the hosts·       Questions from the audience.Further reading and notesFernandos Ongolly on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandos-ongolly-phd-89927b32/Proudly Made in Africa is a Trade Justice and Global Citizenship Education organization. For more see - https://www.proudlymadeinafrica.orgAlso, the PMIA Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@proudlymadeinafricaAcknowledgementsMusic Title: Faceplant with UK GarageArtist: Allen HigginsSource:  a-Wed23Oct2024License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Includes samples from Ableton Live by Ableton AG and by KORG Inc.Cover Art Title: Guest and classArtist: Allen HigginsSource: Pepperdine_Fernandos.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part, you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Our guest for this session is Anna Scally - Partner and Head of Technology Media & Telecoms, KPMG in Ireland and EMA KPMG in Ireland. This is the third of 3 seminars organised by John Mooney as part of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School MBA programme in collaboration with UCD’s MSc Digital Innovation programme.Anna gave a masterclass intro to corporate taxation in Ireland and its relationship with global trade (focus on technology companies). Yes, we need to talk about Trade, Tariffs, and Taxes, but the answers revolve around Technology, Connection, Trust, and People.Notes:Anna’s profile pages on KPMG.com (link) and LinkedIn (link)For more about the KPMG Global Tech Innovation competition 2025 (link)Washington National Tax (WNT); the KPMG think tank and technical core of KPMG’s U.S. tax practice. (link)Anna sits on the Advisory Board of Scale Ireland - https://www.scaleireland.com - Scale Ireland is Ireland’s leading independent not-for-profit, representative organisation for Irish tech start-up and scaling companies.IDA Ireland (the Ireland Development Authority) - http://idaireland.com - (Irish: An Ghníomhaireacht Forbartha Tionscail) is the agency responsible for the attraction and retention of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) into Ireland.Enterprise Ireland - https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/ - EI invests in and supports the development of Irish-owned companies “on their journey to achieving greater scale and to become global leaders in their field.”  Revenue - Irish Tax and Customs – https://www.revenue.ie/ - The Tax Relief Scheme for Capital Expenditure on Intangible Assets (S. 291A) – (link)WTO landing page for learning about Tariffs –(link) AcknowledgementsMusic Title: First TakeArtist: Debajyoti Biswas and Michael O'NeillSource:  mis.aup3License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Cover Art Title:(Screenshot from KPMG Platform – Global Tech Innovation 2024 launch event.)Artist: Allen HigginsSource: Pepperdine_AnnaScally.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part, you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Our guest for this session is Dajana Achelpohl. Dajana heads up AI Change Maker and is an alum of Google & PayPal. The second of 3 seminars organised by John Mooney as part of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School MBA programme in collaboration with UCD’s MSc Digital Innovation programme.Notes:AI Change Maker - https://www.aichangemaker.comDajana on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dajana-achelpohl/On other media:Dajana Achelpohl’s talk with Audrey Chia “A Framework for AI-Ready Teams” (YouTube link)From AI Ireland: ‘Demystifying AI: Practical Applications and Business Integration’ with Google’s Dajana Achelpohl (link)AcknowledgementsMusic Title: First TakeArtist: Debajyoti Biswas and Michael O'NeillSource:  mis.aup3License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Cover Art Title: Instructions Not Included! (screenshot from Dajana’s talk with Audrey Chia on YouTube)Artist: Allen HigginsSource: Pepperdine_Dajana.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part, you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Our guest for this session is Tom Rourke. Tom works in Kyndryl as Vice President for Design, Insights and Innovation. The first of 3 seminars organised by John Mooney as part of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School MBA programme in collaboration with UCD’s MSc Digital Innovation programme.Notes:Tom Rourke – LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-rourke-1a8b70/Tom gave a shoutout to Kevin Bethune - https://www.kevinbethune.comAlso, the MRI design story by Doug Dietz, Industrial Designer – (link)Also, Tom co-hosts The Progress Report, with Sarah B. Nelson (Chief Design Officer at Kyndryl) on:Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-progress-report/id1627095388Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/23hDHHDkOPSeFrrNsa9jcD?si=fa531ad1ec36459bFinally, The Kyndryl Institute (download the app) - https://www.kyndryl.com/gb/en/institute/AcknowledgementsMusic Title: First TakeArtist: Debajyoti Biswas and Michael O'NeillSource:  mis.aup3License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Cover Art Title: Unlocking Design (screenshot from Tom in Kyndryl leadership video)Artist: Allen HigginsSource: Pepperdine_Tom.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.