Michael (Ridd) Riddering - How to build taste as a designer

​@ridd has quietly built one of the most interesting careers in product design, part founder, part educator, and now a designer who fully owns the front end with AI as his coding partner. In this episode, he shares how he uses AI, side projects, and a “one game board” mindset to reinvent his work every year without burning out. We go deep on what it really looks like to build a modern design career when AI is changing the game in real time. Who is Ridd? Ridd is a designer–founder who built inflight, a feedback product born from thousands of Loom videos, and helps run @joindiveclub, a family business that’s evolving into a talent and hiring network. He’s also an educator known for his @Figma Academy course and for teaching designers how to think in systems, frameworks, and side projects rather than just tools. Want weekly tips on how to grow your independent business? Join 500+ creatives at https://uncontrad.com Follow @ridd X: https://x.com/ridd_design LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelriddering https://www.inflight.co @joindiveclub 00:00 Trailer 03:07 From Podcast to Startup 09:33 Teaching Design Frameworks 16:08 InFlight and Coding Shift 21:02 AI Workflow Unlocks 31:01 Rapid Fire and Reflections