Michael Villegas, Design Director, IA Interior Architects
From Barriers to Entry by SANDOW Design Group, digby, and SURROUND
May 20, 2026 · 48 min · Season 4 · Episode 5
About this episode
Michael Villegas discusses the intersection of design and technology, particularly the role of AI as a creative assistant.
The Creative Assistant This week Andrew welcomes Michael Villegas, Design Director at IA Interior Architects, for a conversation that begins in an unexpected place: a suburban mall in the 90s. From arcades and Hot Topic to skateboarding and early experiments in Microsoft Paint, Michael traces how those early creative influences shaped the way he thinks about technology and design today. Now working at the intersection of architecture, art, and emerging technology, Michael has become a leading voice inside IA’s exploration of generative AI. But his perspective is clear: AI isn’t an easy button—it’s a creative assistant. Andrew and Michael discuss how AI is helping design teams experiment faster, communicate ideas more clearly with clients, and even build custom tools to solve highly specific design challenges, while Producer Rob keeps everyone on their team with a few Limp Bizkit lyrics… Connect with our host, Andrew Lane, on LinkedIn Follow Michael Villegas on LinkedIn References and resources IA Interior Architects Get in touch with us at bte@sandowdesign.com Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com This episode of Barriers to Entry was produced by Rob Schulte…
People in this episode
Host: Andrew Lane
Guest: Michael Villegas
Topics covered
- design
- technology
- AI
- architecture
- creativity
- communication
Keywords
- Michael Villegas
- AI
- design
- architecture
- technology
- creative assistant
- generative AI
- communication
- experimentation
Sponsors
Arktura
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IA Interior Architects, SANDOW Design Group, SURROUND
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- Caroline Murphy, Design Engagement Strategist, SANDOW · April 8, 2026 · 40 min
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