Donnie D’Amato, design systems legend, Founder of Design Systems House, joins Mike and Justin to break down what actually matters when you’re building a product. Not what looks impressive in a portfolio. What builds trust with users and solves their actual problems.

The conversation centers on Fin Forecasting, the tool we’ve been building for agencies and freelancers who need real-time financial projections and project management in one place. Donnie walks through the evolution of the design system, the role AI plays in maintaining consistency, and why functionality has to come before aesthetics.

We get into the challenges of keeping design systems coherent as products scale. The marketplace of components concept that improves visibility and reusability. The difference between UX designers who focus on user needs and UI designers who make things look good after the functionality works.

This isn’t theoretical design talk. It’s about building something people actually use. Something that earns trust by delivering accurate data and clear decision making tools. Something where the interface serves the function instead of trying to be the function.

Donnie breaks down why design systems matter. How to balance craft with speed. Why user feedback is vital for refining both design and functionality. And how real-time data changes the entire conversation around financial projections and project management.

If you’re building a product, working on a design system, or trying to figure out how to prioritize when everything feels important, this episode gives you a framework.