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This episode came together in partnership with The Next Web. This conference is Europe's leading tech festival. It’s where you can meet founders, firestarters, and VCs. Or heck, even a particle physicist from CERN, like Dr. James Beacham, who calls it “a Woodstock for innovators”.Watch John's inspiring talk 'Science fiction meets science fast' at last year's TNW Conference — and join us for the next edition in Amsterdam on June 15 and 16, 2023 →

As John shared, actor Robert Downey Jr. is a master at improvising. Here you see him play the billionaire playboy Tony Stark, the man behind the superhero Iron Man. You can find the full film UI design case of Iron Man 2 on the site of Perception, the New York-based creative company where John was leading the troops →

We always record this podcast in person. Because, when it comes to really getting to know each other, conversations in real life are hard to beat. This episode came together in partnership with The Next Web. John presented at this year’s TNW conference →

The year I started Momkai, Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report came out. A film that captures so much that a kid in digital design could dream of. The story is about a Precrime Chief, played by Tom Cruise, who stops crimes before they are committed. To do so he and his team swipe screens of future visions, left and right, with big hand gestures to construct spicy murder plots. Sitting in the cinema, the film had a major impact on me and my friends. And not just us, it also impacted the design community at large. Watch this video to see how the film’s interface worked →

Just in the Marvel universe alone, there’s so much that John has been a part of. The Avengers, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man. Watch the full UI case study here →

The Lamborghini Countach is one of the most outrageous car designs ever. The name ‘Countach’ in the local Italian dialect even means ‘holy shit’. It's such a fitting name for one of the most iconic supercars ever. Check out its great history at Donut Media, one of my favorite car channels →

Okay, one more video of the Countach as it's such a legend. From the great guys of Throttle House, comes this review of the 'Wolf of All Streets', as the car is affectionately nicknamed. You might know the car from the scene in the Wolf of Wall Street where Leonardo DiCaprio crawls back to his white Countach, a symbol of 1980’s excess →

This Lamborghini was designed by the Italian studio Bertone, which pioneered the sharply angled 'Italian Wedge' shape. The style was introduced in 1970 as the Lancia Stratos Zero concept car, easily the coolest rally car ever designed. Check out this 1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale, which was for sale at Girardo in England →

John worked with his team on the blockbuster Black Panther. “The team at Perception consulted with Marvel Studios to explore the different ways technology could be envisioned and impact the mythological world of Wakanda. A week's worth of consultation expanded into 18 months of conceptualizing technological paradigms, interface design, animation, VFX, and an elaborate title sequence.” This is a montage of all the work in the movie →

Ryan Coogler on the set for Black Panther with the late Chadwick Boseman. Read the director’s moving tribute to the man who played King T’Challa in the Los Angeles Times (Photo by Matt Kennedy / Marvel Studios) →

One of John’s best-known works is the beautiful Wakanda technology for Black Panther, featuring mid-air haptic controls, that you could almost feel yourself. Watch the film and you can imagine how Vibranium sand could empower any tribe. His concepts are based on real-world research, like that of MIT or the University of Tokyo →

Ever since this iconic scene with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars film from 1977, holograms have been shown as glowing blue graphics. Remarkably, that’s how everyone designs them, although they do not exist. Each designer references the movie before it. The future became a look and not so much an idea →

With John, you discover how to take audience members on a journey where they can understand future interactions – and why it’s important to obsess over the reality of any detail. Like when John was invited with his team to design translucent interfaces for Iron Man 2, including his glass phone. Read more at Engadget →

In 1951, Raymond Loewy (1893–1986) described his design strategy: It is essential to design for the future but improve the present product gradually. He was the father of industrial design in the 50s. He devised what is called the MAYA principle, "Most Advanced. Yet Acceptable", which states that people like things that are familiar but surprising and vice versa. Loewy sought to give his users the most advanced design, but not more advanced than what they were able to accept and embrace. The core value of the MAYA principle is designing for the future while balancing the present (Photo by Bernard Hoffman/The LIFE Picture Collection) →

Watch Black Panther's main on end title sequence, as designed by John and his team at Perception →

One of John’s final projects at the Perception studio was a beauty: working with Pixar on their latest film, Lightyear. With his team, John created the title sequence at the end. And as you see in the photo, he got to watch it with his kids in the cinema! Check out the trailer for Lightyear here →

The Perception team worked on interfaces for the new Hummer EV, a giant electric truck by General Motors. It’s an outrageous, cinematic car. Check out John’s story in the launch video of the car →

Check out the case study with all the UI designs for GM’s new Hummer →

Like John says in the podcast, the Hummer EV has a very Michael Bay, cinematic feel to it. To refresh your mind on who Michael Bay is again, watch this little clip →

John mentions the grit and grime of Akira, the beautiful anime film from 1988. This Japanese icon is one of my favorite comics (and films) ever →

The Ford GT is a legendary American sports car. If you put it in track mode, it drops down with authority. A beautiful feature, as you can see in this Top Gear video →

If you want to hear more from John's passionate talk about race cars, go check out his F1 Files podcast. Together with childhood friend Cory Willis, they discuss the current state of Formula 1 in the U.S.A. from the perspective of lifelong fans. Relive each race, thanks to this brilliant banter →