Ep #7: Going AI-first as a design org with Avi Ashkenazi, Senior Design Director at Deel

Tom and Jonny sit down with Avi Ashkenazi, Senior Product Design Director at Deel, for the podcast's first-ever guest episode. Avi shares the story behind Vidit, an internal screen-recording tool he built (and vibe-codes on weekends) that now has 600 daily users and 10,000+ videos produced — and which he's now made free for anyone at viddit.video.

The conversation dives deep into Deel's AI-forward culture: designers losing Figma seats after 30 days of disuse, "super users" burning through massive AI token budgets, twice-weekly AI showcase sessions, and how much of the design workflow has shifted from Figma into tools like Claude Code. Avi also discusses building internal tools like Links (an Obsidian-style knowledge brain) and an AI-powered portfolio screening tool for the ~300 daily design applications Deel receives.

The back half covers hiring in the AI era — including why uniqueness and craft still matter more than ever, the tension between AI making collaboration seamless versus more isolating, and Avi's "spicy take" that no one should manage designers without being a staff-level practitioner themselves. They close on how AI-freed time should be spent: hunting for the next big cross-functional bet rather than busywork.

Chapters
0:00 – Intro & welcoming Avi Ashkenazi
0:33 – Building Vidit: Deel's in-house Screen Studio alternative
3:49 – 600 daily users and open-sourcing (for free) at viddit.video
7:56 – How AI tools have changed ways of working at Deel
10:25 – Deel's build culture, one-click dev onboarding, and losing Figma seats
14:44 – Where the design industry is heading with AI (Shopify vs. Deel)
18:44 – Token budgets, "super users," and adoption curves across the team
23:54 – Scaling judgment: building "Links" and "Launchpad" brains
35:23 – AI-assisted hiring: screening 300+ design applications a day
43:28 – What AI gets wrong when judging portfolios (uniqueness & self-affirmation)
50:18 – Where the freed-up time should go & Avi's spiciest take on AI and craft
57:04 – Wrap-up & useful links

Useful Links
Vidit (Avi's screen recording tool): viddit.video
Avi's personal site: superavi.com
Deel careers: deel.com/careers

Podcast feedback: [email protected]
Near Future workshop (Aug 13th): nearfuture.works/build
Find us at nearfuture.works

Click here to view the episode transcript.