BlogIndustry Updates

Worst Case Best Fix: Programa x Dezeen

LA Panel featuring: Paul Chan, Anton Yupangco (Kelly Wearstler), and Programa

Programa

Updated: 15 October 2025

Real conversations from LA Design Weekends.

At Days of Being - a converted studio on Lexington Ave - two leading figures from the Los Angeles design scene joined Programa and Dezeen for an unfiltered conversation on creative practice, pressure, and the systems that help designers stay balanced.

Architect and designer Paul Chan and Anton Yupangco, Director of Projects at Kelly Wearstler, shared their perspectives on running projects, managing burnout, and protecting creativity in a profession that rarely pauses.

Worst Case Best Fix

Featuring conversations with studios Kelly Wearstler, Paul Chan, Programa and Dezeen

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Hear the full discussion

Programa x Dezeen

Paul Chan

Days of Being, Made with Programa

Worst Case Best Fix

Conversations on the realities of design practice

The pace is the pressure

Anton opened with a truth that set the tone for the evening: design doesn’t slow down - so designers must learn how to.

We’re in a job where you have to make a lot of decisions quickly. Problems come up, things go wrong. You need to be well-rested, focused, and ready to go.
Anton Yupangco, Director of projectsKelly Wearstler

He spoke candidly about the pace of high-end design work and the importance of building recovery time into his week.

Give me 80% of the time, and I’ll try to get 90% of the work done. That way I can come in fresh on a Monday, ready to go.
Anton Yupangco, Director of ProjectsKelly Wearstler

For Anton, balance wasn’t a luxury - it was essential to making good decisions under pressure.

Creativity needs space

For Paul Chan, creative renewal often begins outside of architecture altogether.

I get energised by looking at other artists - painters, filmmakers, galleries. How are they expressing the same feelings we deal with in design? That feeds back into my work.
Paul Chan, FounderPaul Chan

He described the need to step away from the studio - to find perspective, loosen perfectionism, and return with new ways of thinking.

There’s no right or wrong in design. Looking outside your field frees you from that idea - and that’s when new work happens.
Paul Chan, FounderPaul Chan

Technology that buys you back time

The discussion turned to how studios can use technology to reclaim creative headspace. Programa co-founder Zoe Lowres explained how automation can remove the weight of everyday admin.

You can go to the vendor’s website, grab the URL, drop it into Programa - and it automatically pulls the product info into your schedule.
Zoe Lowres, Co-founderPrograma

No more manual data entry or spreadsheet formatting. Just clear, consistent information shared across the team.

It’s not only about saving time - it’s the peace of mind of knowing your project’s in order.
Zoe Lowres, Co-founderPrograma

This sense of calm - of having a system that holds everything - was echoed by Paul:

Just having it all there under one umbrella… it gives me a sense of calm.
Zoe Lowres, Co-founderPrograma

Choose where you struggle

As Zoe summed up, every design practice involves struggle - but not all struggle is productive.

We’re all detail-focused. That’s part of the craft. But do you really need to be manually updating a spreadsheet every day? Or should you be spending that time sourcing the perfect tile?
Zoe Lowres, Co-founderPrograma

The takeaway: use systems to carry the weight of process, so the creative energy stays with the designer.

The Takeaway

Worst Case, Best Fix isn’t about perfection. It’s about practice - and the constant recalibration that design demands.

The conversation in Los Angeles was honest, practical, and human: how to stay creative when the workload grows, how to protect headspace, and how to design smarter systems that make room for better work.

What are you going to do with the time you get back? Take on more work, more clients… or give yourself a bit more space and grace?
Zoe Lowres, Co-founderPrograma

Worst Case Best Fix: Programa x Dezeen