Experience by Design

Parenting children is definitely one of the hardest challenges that we can face in life. But as challenging as that is, it is nothing compared to reparenting your inner child. Some of you might be familiar with that turn of phrase. It refers to the process of dealing with childhood trauma, and “short-falls” in the manner in which you were parented in the first place, especially in relation to nurturing, support, care, and emotional safety that may have been missing. While re-parenting refers to a particular therapeutic approach, dealing with the effects of trauma is something that many, if not most, people share. And the impact that this can have on our lives can be multifaceted and complex. If you have ever gone to any recovery programs, you will know that the behavior being dealt with is only the symptom of the problem, and not the source of it. There are deeper challenges people are facing. After all, what sank the Titanic was not the ice that was visible, but the ice that was beneath the surface.Perhaps it is not surprising that we've had a number of guests that are working with people in varying capacities to improve themselves, their lives, and their relationships with others. I do think that it is in some ways a Gen X thing. There is a desire to do better and be better, feel better, without the tools with which to carry that out. Thus, we have an idea of where we want to go but no clear idea of how to get there. It is hard to build a birdhouse without any tools or knowledge how to use them. You can give it a go, but the outcome is likely to be frustrating and not great quality.On today's show, we welcome  Tammy Cho to the studio. Tammy had over 20 years of experience as a nurse, but in line with the common expression, she was having a hard time healing herself. A visit to the emergency room to deal with chest pains and heart palpitations led her to re-evaluate her life and how she was dealing with her trauma. Out of this process, Tammy developed what she calls Energy Leadership and Self-Love mentoring. Part of this involves slowing down and reconnecting with ourselves. This can be a scary proposition when we are not sure what we might find, or if we will like what we discover when we do. When we stop pushing ourselves away, we can rediscover who we are and accept the gifts that we possess. In her definition, human design is about self-intimacy, self-empowerment, and self-acceptance. By doing so, not only do we change our relationship with ourselves, but also with those around us whether they be friends, family members, co-workers, or those we are managing professionally. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammycho-pathtotheheart/Website: https://pathtotheheart.com/

I'm lucky enough to live in a spot where there are a lot of trails that I can enjoy whether running, walking, biking, and even snowshoeing if we get enough snow. No matter what I am doing, I have one simple rule: if there is a friendly dog on the trail, I must stop to pet it. The opportunity to pet and engage with random dogs is one of the things that just brings me a lot of happiness. It is hard for me to understand those who are not “dog people”, especially since I mostly prefer dogs to people. I'm a sucker for dogs. It turns out that those cute faces that dogs make and the way they endear themselves to us is not by accident, but by evolution. Being cute helps them to worm their way into our worlds. In that way, dogs are a bit of a salesperson, selling us on giving out treats, walks, toys, outfits, food, cuddles, and all kinds of pampering. I mean, sales is just about convincing someone of a course of action. Dogs are great at this, or at least they are to me because I am such an easy mark for dogs because they play on my emotions. In preparing this, I hesitated at connecting dogs with sales because dogs are revered people and sales people less so. In fact, you could say that sales has a bad rap. Rather than seeing sales as a way of getting people what they need, sales is often viewed as a way of convincing people to get things that they don't need and will not be helpful. But our guest today is here to talk about how when sales is done well, it is a win-win-win situation. Doug C. Brown has spent a career trying to do sales right, creating positive experiences for customers and sellers alike. Doug talks about how sales is probably the world's “oldest profession.” He also talks about the challenge of overcoming the bad rap of selling to get to a better outcome for customers. He describes how the metrics being tracked often are not those connected to CX success, which lead to worse outcomes. He finally takes us on the long strange trip of starting out as a vocal major at Berklee College of Music, moving to nuclear medicine, serving in the Army for 12 years, and finally ending up in sales (all of which have more in common than you might think!).LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbrown123/CEO Sales Strategies: https://ceosalesstrategies.com/

We are rapidly approaching the end of semester, which can only mean one thing: freedom. The end of the semester is always a weird time. It kind of reminds me of the end of a relationship where both parties have just had enough and know that it is time to move on. Let us conclude the business at hand and get on with our lives. Sure we can stay friends, and perhaps even hold out the potential of getting back together at some point in the future in another class. But right now, its best if we go our separate ways. For those students that are graduating, it means something else entirely: time to put all that book learning to work and try to get a job. Of course calling it book learning makes me show my age, because who reads books anymore! But the point still stands: graduates are on the hunt for a job that will provide the opportunity to start adulting on a larger scale. To get a job, one of the things that they need to be able to do is stand out from the pack of others who are also trying to get jobs. Here in lies one of the unique ironies that we have in at least American culture. The belief that we are individuals who are unique and can stand out, coupled with a strong anxiety and aversion to being different from other people. For as much as we like to think of ourselves as unique and distinctive, we really have a strong streak of conformity. This makes us no different from other societies in which standing out can be stigmatizing and sanctioned. Being the first in a parade feels a lot safer than standing out.But standing out is important in terms of showing others who we truly are, and living in a way that feels authentic. My guest today on Experience by Design knows all about the challenge and importance of standing out. Judy Winslow of Unforgettable Brands is a self-described Brandologist who has spent her life standing out and being around creatives who do the same. Judy moved to Sarasota, Florida because it was a place for unique personalities and creative artists could come together and celebrate standing out. As a person trained in graphic design, she knew the importance of self-expression in her work. Now, she works with leaders to create cultures in which people can celebrate their unique characteristics, have freedom to express it, and transform vision into reality. We talk about giving permission to be audaciously authentic. She describes how our brand is in action all the time, and that as humans we are here to stand out. She talks about how she was influenced by Marty Selligman, the godfather of positive psychology, focusing on what works well and how to build on those successes. She also reinforces the point that before you have customers, you have employees, and that personal and professional development is not just about improving ourselves, but helping to improve others as well by being able to better show up for them. Judy Winslow https://unforgettablebrands.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judywins/

Springtime in New England is the worst. As I sit here on another cold and rainy “spring” day, I'm reminded of what I was told by someone when I first moved to Boston 25 years ago: “Springs in New England are wonderful.” I never trusted another word that person said after I experienced it for myself. Part of it is the waiting for something better that you hope is right around the corner in terms of sunny skies and warmer weather. And then two weeks later it will be 87 with 1000% humidity. But those two weeks of actual nice weather are pretty wonderful. But the waiting is rough, as transitions often are. Any kind of transition can be painful and wrought. Think about the transitions that you have gone through in your life, what it felt like, and what it took to get through it. It turns out that in many ways we are in another transition right now: something called Late-Stage Capitalism. We can look at the technological transitions taking place, the accumulation of wealth and the growing disparities it is bringing, environmental degradation, and the seemingly increasing number of financial crises as indicators of this transition being underway. But what comes next? To talk about social transformations and transitions, we welcome Jaime Schwartz to the Experience by Design studios. Jaime's expertise crosses a lot of areas, which is a good thing because we talk about the need to have breadth of knowledge and experience as we enter what he calls the Co-Creation Economy. Part of this lies in finding better ways for people to work together, using AI as a tool to help facilitate collaboration and flow. Another part of this is focused on helping corporations align their brands with a higher mission and purpose. Finally, we have co-creationism in art, where new technologies and approaches to expression create new ways of sharing, owning, and co-creating artistic expression. Overall, our conversation digs into how we successfully transition to embrace the promise that technological innovations have for making our lives better, and hopefully not being run over by it. And how by coming together we can accomplish great things. Team Flow Institute: https://teamflow.institute Mrkd Art: https://mrkd.artBrand Therapy: https://brandtherapy.coach

I always feel a bit bad complaining about getting older, because getting older is not a privilege afforded to everyone. At the same time, getting older does present certain challenges. I was able to get a glimpse into aging the other day when I went to get my eyes examined. Turns out that the middle of the day at the eye doctor is peak time for those who are, shall we say, of a demographic much more advanced than I. It definitely was a glimpse into a future that I am steadily approaching, and makes me reflect on what it will be like to be older then. There are so many things that have increased accessibility for those who are older, designs that make life more manageable and easier to negotiate. At the same time, a lot of challenges remain, especially in a society in which technological change is fast enough to make even the most savvy feel left behind. So, clearly there is a lot of work to be done. And that is why we welcome our guest today on Experience by Design. Sheng-Hung Lee is a Doctoral student at MIT. There he is involved in the AgeLab, where they have the aim “to improve the quality of life of older people and those who care for them.” Sheng-Hung has been involved in a wide range of service design initiatives, and has a list of awards and recognitions to prove it. He also has worked at companies like Ideo as well as Continuum, and is part of organizations such as the World Design Organization and the Industrial Designers Society of America. We talked about a range of topics related to designing, systems, and aging. He talks about what brought him to the field of design out of his background in engineering. Sheng-Hung describes how we have to move from the idea of designer as hero, and work more collaboratively to address complex challenges. Part of that is the need to go beyond siloed thinking and integrate ideas from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. And we talk about the need to move beyond focusing on tangible stuff as a primary motivation, and have the space to explore, learn, and synthesize.Sheng-Hung Lee Website: https://shenghunglee.comMIT AgeLab: https://agelab.mit.edu/

As I've mentioned before, one of the great things about doing a show like this is the fascinating people I get to talk to who are coming at experience design from many different approaches, perspectives, and backgrounds. One of the groups that I perhaps enjoy talking to the most (no offense to anyone else) is artists. I've always admired the ability to turn imagination and passion into something that expresses one's soul in a way that can move others. Talking to artists about their work kind of creates a sense of purity of work in terms of representing an authentic self. I don't want to overly dramatize or prematurely canonize them. But artists can do really cool stuff that brings life and light into the world.And it feels like every day more and more, we need some life and light brought into the world. While art changes, our need for art never changes.My guest today is artist Will Owen. Looking at Will's website, it lists his primary mediums as sound, sculpture, and food. That's right. Food. Without that is a larger preoccupation of culture and the world in which we live, seeking to represent it in ways that stimulate thought, expose us to its beauty, and contemplate its possibilities. Growing up in Appalachia provided an opportunity to explore how to have fun and create with whatever was available. Before we had the concept of a ‘maker space,' his childhood was a maker space in which risks could be take in the pursuit of having fun and filling time. Out of that comes a creative spark and fundamental appreciation for the natural world. He describes himself as being ‘obsessively curious' and being promiscuous with materials, which he owes to his childhood and the collaborative explorations with his friends.Today he is part of many different collectives around the world. He is part of the Flux Factory in New York, and has worked with artists in Russia and Taipei,We talk about making something loud with no budget, the indelible reciprocity of making together, the porousness needed to engage with performative audiences, and his obsession with supertemporary communities. We also talk about the bus experiment, a traveling exhibit from Manhattan to Philly. Will Owen - https://willowen.netFlux Factory - https://www.fluxfactory.org/

I made a huge mistake. That statement is not that uncommon for me to say. Mistakes happen with some frequency despite my best efforts. If to err is human, I'm definitely very human.There is an interview that was done back when Adam was still involved that I just came across and realized was never released. And of course that shames me because, despite the delays that might invariably occur with producing this things, I always try to do right by the guests.And it turns out that the topic of this conversation couldn't be more timely. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been at the top of the headlines. Executive Orders, Lawsuits brought by states, companies either reducing or eliminating their DEI-related programs, with others reaffirming their commitment. For those of us interested or involved in DEI, there is a lot to keep track of. So it is fortuitous that I bring out our conversation with Teja Arboleda right now. Even though we are not talking about the current state of DEI, we are talking about the prelude to this moment. Teja is a producer, director, and actor, using his talents to weave together stories that touch on traditional themes and emergent ones as well. He also has lived across national cultures, growing up in Japan but in an American family. He worked at WGBH, the Boston public television station, where he worked on documentaries related to the Gulf War and the series Frontline. He brings that attention and skillset to the work that he has done in the corporate environment, bringing impactful trainings that are imbued with humor, storytelling, and connecting audiences with the universal experiences behind DEI. And I should also mention he has a degree in sociology as well!Teja Arboleda - https://tejaarboleda.comTeja Arboleda LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejaarboleda/Ibis Consulting Group - https://www.ibisconsultinggroup.com/

As a person who likes the winter, it can get pretty tiresome listening to people say that they hope there is no snow this winter. In the Northeast and much of the country (if not the world), what is the winter for if not for some snow. A winter without snow is just a brown-infused frigid hellscape. And isn't there enough hell going around? At least the snow can create a coverage that obscures the ugliness that lies underneath until it is time to emerge once again.And plus, I like to nordic ski. Hard to do that without some snow. At the same time, the snow does present some challenges. While we have been in a bit of a snow rut in New England over the past decade or so, there was the winter of 2015 when I had to get on my roof a number of times to shovel the snow. I also had to extensively use my roof rake to pull the snow from the base of the roof to avoid ice dams. For those who are not familiar with an ice dam, it results from the heat from your house causing snow to start melting, only to freeze once again in the cold temperatures. This repeated process results in a literal dam of ice that leaves no place for additional melting to go, leading to water damage in your roof and house.I have seen houses with these heating coils on their roofs, and that seems cool. Just melts the snow so that you can't get ice dams.Turns out there is a problem with those well, and that is they can suck up a lot of energy, especially when not in use. It is not as easy as just flipping a light switch either. As a result, you can spend a lot of extra money on powering those things when not needed.Beyond that personal inconvenience, there is the drag that puts on the power grid, which it turns out is not a small problem. As researchers, companies, and people overall look to AI to help with tasks simple and complex, we need more energy. And wasting energy on roof coils that are not being used is a big culprit in our wasted watts.Enter Thomas Clardy and Powder Watts. Powder Watts is a device that helps you monitor and manage your use of roof heating cables. Not only does that help you save money, but it might just be a crucial part of freeing up space on the grid for other reasons, like powering AI. This is not just a matter of convenience and business, but even economic competitiveness and national security. We talk about big impacts from small products, changing behaviors in customers, systems thinking and wicked problems, and how we all have a part to play. 

One of the reasons that I originally went into sociology, and doing ethnographic research, is learning about people's stories. We are a species that likes stories, and likes hearing about people's stories. I think this is why “human of New York” is as popular as it is. People have their stories rooted in their lives and experiences. And when it comes to entrepreneurs and business, the ideas they come up with often are closely tied to those lives. This is what makes doing the podcast so much fun. I get to talk with people who have lived fascinating lives and come up with creative and inspired ideas to make people's lives better. To me, this is the essential part of experience design: making lives better for people using our own experiences, knowledge, and passions as the basis for our designs.Today's episode is no different. I had the pleasure of speaking with Diamond Drip. One of the chief questions we explore is “what is our authentic self”, and “how do we get in touch with it?” with all of the social distractions and noise filling our head on a regular basis. Those external distractions can be coupled with the internal challenges that we all face.For Diamond, part of this journey involved her dealing with Bipolar II, and using psilocybin as part of a clinical trial. The impacts of this trial lead her to realize her dream and passion for human design. The manner in which she approaches human design is through thinking about what we put out into the world, especially our energy. She was always told that her energy was contagious. She came to learn the importance of energy alignment when we are doing things that we are meant to do. We need to learn to lead from within in order to align our energy and our actions. We also talk about her time in the Air Force, working at a gym, her background in Graphic Design, and getting tired of not being the leading lady in her life. She describes how other leading ladies in her life, like her Aunt, helped to instill a belief in herself and her potential. And believing in ourselves in a message that we can all relate to. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diamonddrip/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFHTm-gbYJAEhU4qmY44pmQDiamond Drip Website: https://www.diamonddripconsulting.com/

I miss my gas stove. I used to have one in a home I first lived in after moving to Massachusetts. There was something about the click-click-click and then the spark of the flame. Being able to see it and adjust it accordingly based on how much heat I wanted to generate for whatever I was cooking. It felt magically.Come to think about it, my love for a gas stove may extend back to watching my parents light cigarettes from the flame. I would guess it is a lot harder to light a smoke off an electric stove.  To this day, second-hand smoke makes me think of my childhood.But I never really gave much thought to how my home is powered. I was pretty shocked when I moved to Boston that I had an oil tank in my basement. Didn't know that was a thing. Beyond that, I was pretty ambivalent about what provided heat and warming (and flame) to my house, as long as it worked.That's why I was so intrigued to talk with Tucker Perkins, who is my guest today on Experience by Design. Tucker is the President and CEO of the Propane Education and Research Council. I didn't know we even had a Propane Education and Research Council, but it turns out we do. As their website states, “PERC was authorized by the U.S. Congress with the passage of the Propane Education and Research Act (PERA), signed into law on Oct. 11, 1996.” Also, “The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies.”In the energy space, it also turns out that propane is the little kid on the block, and we love an underdog at Experience by Design. But like with everything on the podcast, this story is about more than propane. We dig into the larger systems perspective when it comes to energy, safety, and sustainability. We talk about how fire has a primal appeal, and how appliances are products that create pleasure. And we talk about how education is vital to behavioral change and getting people to buy into a new idea and system. Ultimately, we need to be fostering critical thinking, coupled with effectively communicating research and knowledge, to get people to make changes in their lives.Propane Education and Research Council https://propane.comTucker Perkins https://www.linkedin.com/in/tucker-perkins-8972a510/ Gary David YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@garydavid9535

Being creative ain't easy. There is something about putting yourself into your work that can be hugely rewarding, but also massively exhausting. Doing something without putting your heart and soul into it can come with its own drawbacks, but at the end of the day the results of your work are not tied directly into how you see yourself. For people who consider themselves to be creative and work in creative roles, the sense of burnout can be real. At the same time, creative work can be invigorating and rewarding in the right context, giving the right leadership, and working for the right clients.This is what Mack Garrison was trying to create when he founded Dash Studio, where they make videos that matter.  Dash is a ‘high-end animation and motion design studio that believes in the power of creativity and community.' This is one of the lessons that he learned in the 9 plus years that Dash has been doing business. A big part of their success comes from community: communities of creatives, communities of partners, communities of supporters, and frankly communities of communities. In fact, you could say that creativity either comes from, or at least is enhanced, by community. As part of their effort to create community, they have their annual Dash Bash event, June 11-13, 2025. If you are interested in motion design, or just interested in meeting some great people in Raleigh, NC, check it out. Great speakers, workshops, and social events. Dash Studio - https://www.dashstudio.net/Dash Bash - https://www.dashbash.net/Mack Garrison LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackgarrison/

I never expected the term “branding” or “brand” to be part of my lexicon, but here we are in 2025 where it seems that “branding yourself” and “what is your brand” are common concepts to discuss. Trying to figure out which version of me will “land” or resonate with not just my “audience”, but anyone. Iconic brands are something that seem to last forever in our minds. What are some of the iconic brands? Apple. Coca-Cola. IBM. Lego. McDonalds. Doesn't mean that we even like or use these products. But we for sure recognize those brands. Another one of those iconic brands is Harley-Davidson. You might not ride a motorcycle, but you know what Harley-Davidson is and what it represents. But it is not as if Harley-Davidson has been one brand throughout its existence. It has gone through some different iterations of what it is, and how it is seen. But within all of those changes has been a constant of what it was trying to represent. To explore the brand known as Harley Davidson, we welcome Ken Schmidt to the ExD Studio. Ken originally wanted to be in advertising, but ended up in public and investor relations. His journey in the profession saw him end up as director of communications for Harley-Davidson, where he was involved in the company's turnaround.Part of that turnaround involved changing the perception of Harley-Davidson, while also keeping the perception of Harley-Davidson. Harley has been around since 1903. It was doing exclusive production for the military in World War II. When some of those soldiers returned, they wanted to still ride motorcycles. And some of those soldiers had a bit of a hard time re-integrating into polite society. Thus we get groups known as outlaw motorcycle clubs, and movies that imprinted that connection in people's minds.Now Harley-Davidson is the motorcycle of a very diverse customer base. You can't characterize the “Harley rider” other than a person who like comfort, aesthetics, reliability, and yes even noise as part of their riding experience. We cover a lot of ground in this chat, including voice of the customer, inclusive design, branding and identity, the psychology of choice, and the challenges of changing how you are seen while trying to keep who you are. We also talk about his book “Make some noise: The unconventional road to dominance.”I will also add that this conversation was before Harley-Davidson publicly announced it would rollback “DEI initiatives,” including partnering with pride festivals and connections with diversity-related groups.  In terms of how it relates to my conversation with Ken, this last paragraph from Harley is definitely relevant: "We believe having both a broad employee and customer base is good for business and that ultimately everybody should experience the joy of riding a Harley-Davidson. We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue on our journey together as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world."Ken Schmidt: https://kenspeaks.com/Ken Schmidt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-schmidt-5b08115/"Make Some Noise" book Link

The New Year is a great time to reflect on our past, and to think about what we want to accomplish in the upcoming year. After all, it is the season of the Annual Performance Review! Whether in our personal or professional lives, it can be hard to identify what is important in terms of our evaluations. How do we know if we are making progress toward our goals?The same can be true for companies. What are the metrics that indicate our success? What are the expectations we are trying to meet? How do we stack up against others? What are the benchmarks that we think matter, versus the ones that actually matter?To explore this question and more around customer experience, we welcome Michelle Spaul. Michelle is a customer experience management consultant with her company Delta Swan. Michelle has a wealth of experience in CX, with the simple goal of trying to make things better for customers. As many of you listening will know, behind that simple goal lies a complexity that can challenge most organizations. Therefore, it is a good thing that Michelle has a background in manufacturing systems engineering. We talk about how that education prepared her for working as an experience engineer. She describes how her work on the price of oil informs her systems approach to CX. We discuss the importance of a shareholder mindset that creates value for not just customers, but all who are impacted by the business. We explore how her first job with Phillips around preventing customer returns turned into listening to what customers said, and how that is the foundation of any CX work.Finally, we talk about how there are a lot of different areas of feedback that we can find if we only look. And that if you get defensive about the feedback, you are missing an opportunity to grow.Michelle Spaul LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-spaul-customerexperience/Customer Experience Management Consultant - https://customerexperienceconsultant.co.uk/"The Price of Oil" - https://www.amazon.com/VFUU-Price-Oil-Michelle-Spaul-ebook/dp/B01D7CTTEK

One of the ways that I describe experience design, and more specifically for the purposes of this episode customer experience, is by asking people to imagine the worst customer experience that they have had. And unfortunately for all of us, there are a lot of them.It is probably easy to remember the bad experiences. But what about our best experiences. The times that we felt cared for, appreciated, thought of, where someone did something that made us feel valued.The job of the experience design and CX profession is, in part, to make the positive experiences common and make the negative experiences exceedingly rare. There is a lesson in Buddhism "that life is inherently full of suffering and that it's impossible to live without it.” But even though life is full of suffering, that doesn't mean that our customer experiences have to be. To talk us through these points, we welcome Valerie Peck to the Experience by Design studios. For those in customer experience, Valerie Peck is a well known thought leader. And for sure Valerie has some thoughts about the state of CX and whether companies really care about customers despite their vocal assurances. We talk about creating experiences versus pushing products, and how being solely about profit can lead to cutting experiential corners. We discuss whether companies really want to have a relationship with their customers, or just perhaps a passing acquaintance. When companies give customers surveys, do they really want to know what customers think? Or is a survey the best way of doing nothing? Valerie has thoughts on CX consulting and the challenge of working with clients that don't get it, and frankly don't want to. We explore companies like Southwest and Boeing who “got it”, only to lose it in the pursuit of profit at the expense of experience rather than because of it. Finally, Valerie describes applied customer intelligence, the upcoming CX reckoning, why companies should be more like minor league baseball, and how she helps companies stop abusing their customers so that they come back Valerie Peck LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-peck-4b143/

Many months ago now, I had the chance to go to the WNDR Museum in Boston. If you google that, it will come categorized as a “tourist attraction.” but it is a lot more than that, especially considering that I wouldn't classify myself as a “tourist” since I live outside of Boston. More specifically, and even importantly, WNDR is an interactive art museum with immersive art installations. And it was very interactive and immersive. There were a lot of great exhibits that invited you to engage and become surrounded by the creations that were provided there. Whether you are a tourist or not, it is definitely worth a visit.So it was a very pleasant surprise to find that my guest today actually had an installation at the WNDR Museum. It was this very cool outdoor-type of building where you could be with others and experience an audio and visual immersion of rain and lightning. One of the fun things about it was that you were there with strangers, basically arranged in a way that you were experiencing it together. I didn't know that when I first met Leigh Sachwitz to discuss being on the show. But it was one of the, dare I say, “wonderful” things I found out about Leigh and her work with her Berlin-based company flora&faunavisions (FFV). I got to learn about their award-winning work on projects like the Ring Cycle, a digital opera that creates an immersive experience of the work by Richard Wagner. I also learned about her work on the Utopian Garden, described as a story-based immersive, interactive show where participants can tour the world. She described their Flying Up Sparrows event in China, where Buddhist paintings were brought to life.Finally, she explains their work behind the Genius DaVinci Show that just opened up in Florida this past November. “This exhibition invites you to step into Renaissance Italy to explore Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces and inventions up close.” And the great thing about this is the way that educational and entertainment come together to form what Hip Hop artist KRS-One described as “Educatinment.” Or, in Leigh's words, how do you create experiences that draw people into the moment and produce, empathy, emotional connection, and curiosity. We covered a lot of other ground, including the science of immersive experiences, how we can co-create our futures together using these kinds of experiences as a prompt, how we can inspire our imaginations to unlock the possibilities of ourselves, and the intersection of Detroit and Berlin as hubs of techno music.  Leigh Sachwitz - http://leighsachwitz.com/flora&faunavisions - https://www.florafaunavisions.de/

The original goal of those in the field of usability was pretty simple: to make products and environments that were more usable for those who were interacting with them. By looking at how to make better products, there was the potential to make life better as well. If greater profitability could be gained through these efforts, then great. At the same time, this was not necessarily the primary goal. Profit was not to be done over people. Rather, profit would happen when people were happier with their products. There has been a shift in usability, however. Part of that shift lies in the name itself, which is now known as user experience (or UX). Coined by Don Norman during his time at Apple, UX went beyond just how ‘usable' a product was. Rather, it referred to the totality of the experience that a user had with the product (which could include usability but was not limited to it). Still, though, the goal was to make things better, if just in a larger scope. Some things have changed when it comes to UX. Don Norman has criticized contemporary UX as not being ‘real' ux in the traditional sense. There have been other critiques as well, especially around what is known as ‘dark patterns.' This kind of UX work uses social science and design to create environments that are manipulative and aimed primarily (or solely) on profit. Or, what might be considered to be the antithesis of UX. Karen T. Lin also has some thoughts on the direction of UX today, and what might need to be done to fix it. Karen has worked as a Chief Experience Officer and Head of UX for startups and financial institutions. More importantly, in my opinion,  she initiated the #StopUXErasure effort which is aimed at restoring UX, as well as reducing the tech supremacy which impacts our lives in negative ways. We talk about a range of issues related to experience design and user experience, including:Product dictatorships – uphill battle in UX in terms of advocating for human-centered design in a company. A lot of the battle is with the power in the company (IT or development). Trying to convince them, if you give up some of your control or power, does that allow us to find out what people actually want Profiting because of positive experience rather than at the expense of experienceWhat does it mean to have a human and user centered ethosThe power and politics inherent in design processes, and why it is important to act on behalf of those who are at risk from negative intent

As American troubadour Bob Dylan said, “The times they are a changin'.” I'm recording this one week after the 2024 presidential election. Without delving into the specifics of any particular outcome, one thing that is clear is there are going to be some major changes. Change can produce a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, even when there are positive changes taking place. It can feel overwhelming, especially when we lose a sense of control over the future.In reality, there is very little that is in our control. There is a saying that we can't control people, places, and things. I can only control my reaction to these things, and take the action that I can. But what action to take? What can and should a person do when the options of action feel limited? To discuss these topics, we have Donna Dupont. Donna is the Founder and Chief Strategist in Foresight & Design for Purple Compass. Donna has a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation, which she has applied in healthcare, environment and sustainability, and generally helping organizations think about and plan for the future. Donna and I talk about:the process of future and foresight planning,why it is important to maintain a sense of agency during times of massive changethe place and importance of emotion as part of our planning,why doing future planning can sometimes feel like therapy, andwe talk about how the foresight planning process is a vital part of designing positive futures.Purple Compass https://www.purplecompass.ca/Donna Dupont https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-dupont/

Today we have a fascinating discussion lined up with Alex Nathanson, a technologist, artist, and founder of Energy Transition Design LLC.In this episode, we'll explore the intricate challenges and opportunities that come with solar-powered technology, particularly solar roof tiles and the broader adoption of renewable energy solutions. Alex will shed light on the high costs and extended installation times that make solar roof tiles less competitive compared to traditional solar panels. We'll also delve into the socio-political dynamics that shape renewable energy adoption and the importance of visibility and awareness in promoting solar technology.Alex emphasizes the neutrality of solar power, advocating for an unbiased approach to its adoption and the crucial role of actively designing equitable, renewable energy infrastructures. His work, which blends art with themes of energy and sustainability, offers unique insights into how solar-powered art can engage communities and inspire collective action.Additionally, Alex will share details about his new book project aimed at providing practical design methods for creating solar-powered art. We'll also discuss the significance of interdisciplinary teamwork and the idea of integrating technology within cultural contexts to ensure sustainability.Stay tuned as we journey into the intersection of art, technology, and climate action, and learn how intentional design can drive meaningful changes in our approach to renewable energy.LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-nathanson-2a1727160/Website - https://alexnathanson.com/index.htmlSolar Power for Artists - https://www.solarpowerforartists.com/

When you work in academia, you come across some very smart people. This should be surprising given that academics spend an enormous amount of time exploring whatever topic they study. And people become academic experts by digging into the particulars of areas that can be pretty narrow and focused. This is the nature of academia: develop niche knowledge in a certain area where you develop that insight throughout a career. And if you ever tried listening to some of those people talk about their work, or read their work in academic publications, you'll know that it can be very difficult to decipher precisely what they are talking about. Given the amount of time and dedication it takes to achieve academic brilliance, this shouldn't be surprising. Speaking as an academic (and not a brilliant person), this is how we are trained to communicate, and primarily to each other.One of the great things about the Ted Talk and TedX movement is that it has created a format through which people who have something to say can find the means to say it. This also has created a platform through which public scholarship can take place, and insights can be translated to a wider audience. In this era of wicked problems, disinformation, and social media, it is vital that we translate as much knowledge as possible. Nick Kindler's business is about how to help smart people improve their ability to communicate. Using an approach they call Communication Canvas, Nick with Kindler and Company give speakers the signposts they need to know the route they have to go in order to avoid verbal cul de sacs and and deliver a performance that audiences can remember. Nick draws on his experience in improv and acting, Nick talks about how it is vital that speakers bring themselves into their presentation. He discusses the importance of taking personal stories that they haven't shared, tell the story in a way that is Ted worthy, and unpack the learnings and takeaways. When we tell our stories in the right environment, it is cathartic and helps someone else. Nick asks us to focus on three key questions: How can I simplify the messaging today How can I transform using story telling and language to deep the understanding How can I deliver it and perform it in a way that engages and connects Nick Kindler LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickkindlerNick Kindler Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nick_kindler/Kindler and Company - https://www.kindlerandcompany.com/

Maybe it just is the way that I am viewing the world, but it seems like everyday reveals another fresh disaster. It could be that disasters have always been with us, and now we are just more aware of them. Global news at our fingertips doesn't necessarily help as we can tap into events that occur anywhere at any time. Even with this, it seems like disasters are moving closer and closer to home. It is a privilege to live in a society where emergency management is a thing that can be relied upon. When disaster does strike, we may have some confidence that there will be professionals that help deal with the situation in a timely manner. But that will only get you so far. Just watch any zombie movie. It is scary how quickly civil society can break down when the dead rise and start to consume the living. Then what? Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse? Or even a more ‘routine' disaster? While we all might roll our eyes at fire drills, do they help us prepare for a fire? Or is it just preparedness theater? Rick Rescorla didn't believe in preparedness theater. He believed in actually being prepared. After the WTC attacks in 1993, he was worried about another attack taking place. In his role of VP for corporate security at Dean Witter Morgan Stanley, he had a disaster contingency plan that was rehearsed over and over with staff. When 9/11 happened, he was able to save thousands of lives by going forward with his evacuation plan. Unfortunately, he died as he went back to make a final sweep for employees. But because of his preparedness and taking it seriously, many people were able to survive that day.To help us think about the zombie apocalypse and other types of disasters, we welcome Patrick Hardy, also known as Disaster Patrick.  Patrick has spent a career in disaster management, even though originally he wanted to be a cultural anthropologist. He was there in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as other events where people were in their greatest need due to circumstances beyond their control. Now he works with organizations to help ensure that they are in position to deal with disasters, whether natural or manmade. We talk about how he tries to create training experiences so that people can be prepared. We explore the difference between being the person who cried wolf, and actually taking preparation seriously. In fact, we discuss the prepper movement and what we can learn from their perspectives regarding self-sufficiency and resilience. Finally, we talk about how disaster preparation is an important part of employee and community experience so that your workers feel safe and cared for in the workplace. Patrick Hardy Website - https://disasterpatrick.com/Patrick Hardy LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/disasterpatrick/Patrick Hardy YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisasterPatrick

There is something about building something with one's hands that seems to resonate. There is a resilience in being able to bring forth out of different parts and ingredients a thing that is whole and new. Of course, in American culture there is a deep notion of creation and springing forth from hard work, and with experience and knowledge that can make someone a craftsperson. Maybe this urge has increased the more that we are surrounded by convenience and things that are ready made. To still be able to pull something together and build it might remind us that we still have it in us.Despite this, we see a decrease in people entering the skill trades. Looking at the total composition of those working in the trades, the population continues to age. Young people are not seeking these opportunities, even though there appears to be an uptick among Gen Z. No doubt there is a need for such workers. A recent survey found that 91% of those who are in the skilled trades tend to be very satisfied with their careers. Additionally, at a time when so many jobs are being threatened by AI and even off-shoring. It is hard to send plumbing or electrical to someplace else to get one. And while technological advances can improve the productivity of construction and other work, it is not likely to replace people any time soon. Our guest today, Jesse Hernandez, knows something about skills trades and the workplace culture that surrounds it. He grew up in this world, with a father who was a plumber. He got his own journeyman's license. Through his professional journey he noticed that he had a love for teaching which grew into a professional speaking for the skilled trades industry. A big emphasis of his speaking is to create building sites and an environment that is personally growthful and emotionally supportive. We cover a lot of different areas in our conversation. We explore how some poor decisions led him to 12 Step recovery. Topics like experience, strength, and hope all resonated with the changes he thought needed to be made on the worksite. The foundation of service to others informed the messages that he spreads to others. We discuss how there is a shift in the construction industry toward a people-centered culture. We also discuss his accidental discovery of being a content creator, and finding new avenues to share his message. Ultimately, we end with the importance of knowing how to say you need help, and that you don't have to suffer alone.Jesse Hernandez  LinkedInDepth Builder websiteNo BS with Jen and Jess YouTube

I never expected the word “algorithm” to play such a significant role in life and society. Growing up, I thought an algorithm was something that we would leave to math classes. The last time I took a math class to complete my undergraduate degree requirements. After that, I figured I was done with algorithms. But nope. Algorithms have been thrust back into our lives. We live in an age where not only are we trying to learn the algorithms, but we are trying to beat the algorithms. There are forces largely unknown that are not just determining what we see, but the extent to which others can see us. For those who are trying to make content, post content, and be seen, it can be a major uphill battle. As more and more material gets tossed out into the online world, it is harder and harder to be noticed. There is this pull to become brands, to become products, to be commodities that are recognizable to customers. We gear materials to accomplishing those ends, with hopes that we can become definable in a particular kind of way. But like the tree that falls in the forest, if content is posted online but no one is there to see it, does it make any noise?To help us with the question of what makes content that connects and beating the algorithm, we welcome Tyler Schmoker to the podcast. Tyler has an interesting history in the area of military intelligence through his time in the US Army. From that, he started his own company called Winsly that works with a range of businesses to help them with security, innovation, risk assessment, and business strategy, amongst other things. We talk with Tyler what makes for information that resonates with your audience. We explore how he has used lessons from real tradecraft to crafting social media content. While the term ‘propaganda' now has a negative connotation, at its root it means creating messages that are meant to prompt and elicit certain behaviors. But we can only do that if our message is built to connect to our audience, and they can see it. To do so, we have to apply a programmatic approach, documenting what works and what doesn't, learning lessons, and building a base. We discuss how to use the lessons he learned from his  intelligence work and how he applies that to business clients. We talk about whether “military intelligence” is in fact a contradiction in terms. We look at the ethics of technology and AI, especially when it comes to social media. Specifically, we look at how to leverage these insights to platforms like LinkedIn, and create content and communication that connects. Tyler Schmoker - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-schmoker-76997756/Winsly - https://www.winslyllc.com/Social Media for Security Professionals - https://securityjournalamericas.com/a-social-media-for-security-part-1/

When I was growing up, it was not uncommon to hear someone being told “Don't be so sensitive.” Typically this was said when a person was being accused of reacting too strongly to some minor action. Another similar statement could be “why are you so sensitive?” Sensitive skin is referred to as being problematic and requiring special care. A sensitive stomach is something that can easily cause us problems. Eyes that are sensitive to the light can make it hard to see.It seems that being sensitive, or too sensitive, is something to be avoided.The problem gets exacerbated when we put other variables into the mix. Men are not supposed to be sensitive. Women are allowed to be sensitive, but not too sensitive. Or maybe they are expected to be too sensitive because that's just how they are.But what about leaders? How sensitive are leaders supposed to be? Is sensitivity a virtue in leadership, or something that is supposed to be avoided? Does sensitivity cloud our judgment, or give us insights that allow us to make better decisions?Heather Dominick talks about how she was a victim of her own sensitivity. She experienced how being highly sensitive could negatively impact her mindset and her life. Despite all of this, she never realized that she was highly sensitive, and rather than being a flaw it was a character trait that she could use to help herself and others. Starting as a drama teacher, she decided to start her own business during the height of a recession. It was during this time that she started to understand what it meant to be a highly sensitive person.As a result, she began to think about her entrepreneurial journey differently. She describes it as a lightbulb moment, where she changed what she thought was necessary to create success.From this she created her Highly Sensitive Leadership Training Program for Entrepreneurs. It is a different approach from what has been traditionally thought necessary for business success. Rather than seeing sensitivity as a liability, she now views it as an asset and feature. Rather than trying to change who she is, she sees her sensitivity as part of her journey. And as we discuss, how this applies to designing experiences with sensitivity and awareness.

There is a saying that nothing is certain in life but death and taxes. Clearly, there is a lot more certain in life, with perhaps the most important one being healthcare. Healthcare is something that we all encounter throughout our lives. Health is something that many of us may take for granted, but is always something that is in flux. We might ponder that our bodies are in a process of continuously breaking down, with a long spiral toward entropy, or a gradual decline toward disorder. Healthcare helps to delay that process to whatever extent we can, trying to stave off the inevitable and provide a footing upon which we can exist with some amount of comfort, stability, and security. A pandemic of course can bring this into stark focus. There is a certain vulnerability to having mass illness with unknown origins, unfamiliar symptoms and contagiousness, and potential fatal consequences. A lack of healthcare, a feeling of illness, not having knowledge about how to fend off disease all can make us feel exceptionally vulnerable. And scared. Some will say that our belief in superstition, magical thinking, and even religious belief all are our way of dealing with this uncertainty around our physical wellbeing and impending doom. Likewise science is another tool with which we can stave off our decline and try to have some control through making choices to improve our health and extend our lives. But how do we translate scientific knowledge and advances so that people can follow them? And how might we use innovative design to improve healthcare outcomes?Dr. Jessica Mudry is focused on these questions through the work she does at Toronto Metropolitan University. There she is a Professor and Chair of the School of Professional Communication. She also is the Director of the Creative School's Healthcare User Experience Lab. Here she uses her background in science and communication to generate ideas and create content to improve healthcare outcomes and improve health equity. In this episode, we talk about her path from chemistry to communication. We explore narrative theory, rhetoric, and language, and how we can apply them to scientific communication. She talks about how we have to learn to tell stories about science. We can't just tell one story, but have to understand how different stories can resonate with different audiences. Her work in science television demonstrates how you tell stories well, and how the best stories will win attention. We have to take inspiration from how young people communicate, and rethink what it means to have create academic content. Finally we talk about how Canadians are nice, how to create better impact measurements in academia, and how we can find humanity in healthcare.Dr. Jessica Mudry - https://www.torontomu.ca/procom/people/jessica-mudry/Healthcare User Experience Lab - https://www.torontomu.ca/healthcare-user-experience-lab/

One of the central questions in experience design is how to not only engage the audience for whom we are designing, but also how do we best include them in the process of design. But such a statement can sound more like a platitude than an actual instruction. It is one thing to say “be inclusive”, but another to be truly inclusive. This can seem challenging when a designer's remit can be to design something that is attractive to a broad audience. If we are trying to attract a broad audience, then how do we consider the needs of those who may exist outside of that. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is not a catchphrase when it comes to design. It is something that designers should be considering when trying to do designs that are representative, inclusive, and just. Part of the work of being a good designer is not only to believe in this, but also to get clients and employers to believe in this as well.Any design process is political in that decisions have to be made that can affect stakeholders. How research questions are posed, data collected, results processes, and conclusions acted upon, can all be impacted by power. Those who are making decisions can do so in ways that further marginalization or increase inclusion. Which way things go depends on the conversations had and the decisions made. Veronica Shelton and Hannah Ryu started the UX/UI design company Oak Theory with this understanding, and a goal of making inclusive design a core part of the design process. They are “on a mission to enhance digital design by championing authenticity and inclusivity.” But to do so without creativity and strategy is not going to result in outcomes that best serve clients and impactful designs. So Oak Theory bridges all these elements, working with some of the biggest clients like IBM, Google, Figma, Adobe, Salesforce, Sephora, Amazon Web Services, and many others.We talk with Veronica and Hannah about their journey to founding Oak Theory. We discuss the importance of including diverse perspectives, the role that female leadership plays in their organization, and how to be representative of voices in their research. Ultimately they stress the importance of inviting, talking, learning, and caring, because without doing so we cannot create design that matters.Oak Theory - https://oaktheory.coVeronica Shelton - https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicashelton/Hannah Ryu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahryu/

In today's episode of Experience by Design, we welcome Jon Cohen, an expert in transformative experience design from G&A Design. We do a deep dive into the potential risks and implications of emerging technologies, particularly the Apple Vision Pro, and its impact on distraction and deployment in various settings, including museums and public spaces.Jon shares his expertise on integrating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create immersive and awe-inspiring experiences, enhancing both educational programs and collective memories. The discussion extends to the evolution of video quality, the role of fashion trends, and the intricate balance of using technology to enhance, rather than distract from, meaningful experiences.We'll also hear poignant stories from Jon about gaming with his son and a transformative visit to Dachau, highlighting the power of immersive experiences in understanding cultural trauma. The conversation touches on significant historical events, such as Operation Overlord and the Vietnam War, and how reverence and reflection are incorporated into modern design.We talk about how to approach the making of reverent spaces that not only prompt introspection, but also connection. While tech might be great for immersion, it can also lead to distraction. So the goal is to balance those features and think about when to use technology and when you need to leave it out. To be reverent is to be in the moment. This means the designer of reverent spaces needs to amplify the moment, heighten the sense of reverence, and move the person into the space of remembering. Whether you're interested in how today's technology can preserve stories of the past or how it impacts our sense of identity and place, this episode promises a thoughtful exploration of the intersection between technology, design, and human experience.Designing Reverent Spaces in a Tech Driven Future linkG & A Design linkG & A Design LinkedInG & A Design InstagramJonathan Cohen LinkedIn

I've been involved in the creation and promotion of a number of athletic events, more specifically a cycling discipline called cyclocross. I've also participated in my fair share of events, from local road running races to Ironman and the Boston Marathon. I like to think that I have a decent understanding on the design of sporting events from the perspective of participants, promoter, and even spectator. When you are looking at these events from different perspectives, different elements become important. When designing them, it becomes important to take them all into account to create a successful experience. It can be a challenge to capture what these events are all about, especially to those who have no direct understanding of them. What is the allure? What draws people in? Why do people put themselves through it all? Portraying more obscure sporting events to a broader audience is a balancing act between over explaining what is going on and leaving spaces to draw people in. We can look at events like the Tour de France, professional hockey, Ironman, and other sports that don't have a broad audience, and as a result any coverage of it seems to try to overexplain itself.  One of the trends we see in sports media is the telling of stories of those who are competing. One of the things that draws us into sports is the struggle inherent in it. The struggle against ourselves, the struggle against others, the struggle against the elements. And it is not just about the struggle, but as ABC sports famously said “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” We learn about these things through how they are portrayed in sports media.On this episode of Experience by Design, we welcome Matt B. Davis of Obstacle Racing Media to the studio. I first heard of Matt on Marc Maron's WTF podcast where he was talking about his documentary World's Toughest Mudder. You'll hear references to his appearance on Marc's podcast in our conversation. As an endurance athlete, I recognized the struggle of communicating what it is we do and why it is we do it. So, I thought it would be fun to have him on and talk about the documentary he created, the culture of obstacle racing, and sports media for more fringe sports. Matt's desire for creative communication and entertainment led him to a variety of outlets. From comedy to blogging to podcasting and now videos, Matt talks about how he created a media presence for obstacle racing. For those who don't know, which is probably most of you, obstacle racing are events like Tough Mudders or Spartan Race. What becomes really fascinating about these events is the strong sense of support and community that is created by all those involved. Competitors helping one another overcome literal obstacles because they are all in this together. We talk about his journey from New England to the world of comedy. We explore his decision to create a content creation company for the emerging world of obstacle racing. We dig into how to create authentic content that doesn't pander to the world of clickbait. He emphasizes that it is not just about the money, but the challenges of being a content creator who does justice to the community that is being portrayed. 

The field of education and learning is shifting in a lot of ways. Some of this is related to the new technologies, and the opportunities that are created through them. At the same time, we can see the duplication of traditional approaches through new technologies. Afterall, what does PowerPoint really accomplish if all we do is just put our lecture notes in it. It is still just a professor in front of the room delivering the content. And that used to be enough. Professors weren't entertainers, but gatekeepers. We could be in front of the room, expecting students to pay attention, engaging in the content under duress, and providing output that fit our requirements. The game has changed in many ways. Now educators have to figure out ways of being engaging. We have to think not just in terms of class materials, but learning experiences. We can't just think about course lectures, but content creation. We have to explore ways to get students curious, to bring material to them because we can't just rely on them to come to the material. Part of this is probably related to the a la carte culture that we currently have. ‘Kids today' are socialized in an environment where they can pick and choose what they want when they want it. They can listen to whatever music they want any time they want to. They can pick a show or movie and see it at any time. Even Door Dash and Grub Hub can deliver food that they want. To get students and learners engaged, we have to have them want to be engaged. Given that they have choice around so much of their lives, educators find themselves being in the situation of having to entertain students and learners. Of course, education doesn't just happen in the classroom. Museums are another environment in which learning can take place. And museums also are a place where learning and entertainment are coming into close contact.On this episode of Experience by Design, we welcome Nathan Lachenmyer and Sadiya Akasha from Sitara Systems. Nathan and Sadiya think of themselves as ‘curiosity creators,' creating museum experiences that draw people into exhibits so that they can become engaged in their content. A major part of their goal is to achieve education through entertainment. Additionally, they seek to establish education as a pathway to action. Rather than preaching, we can think of their work as reaching. There is a difference between being lectured at versus talked to, and their edutainment approach helps to reach those who are indifferent to topics like climate change and get them engaged. We had a lot of fun in this convo, especially considering they were talking on different lines but in the same room next to each other!

One of the things that we know as social scientists is that people need connection. It is not that we want connection, or would prefer connection, but that we need it to be part of our lives. Some of the foundational figures in sociology were all concerned with the onset of isolation and disconnection that came with industrial society. Durkheim looked at anomie. Marx looked at alienation. Even today we see works like Putnam's Bowling Alone and many others who see the ways in which we are more and more disconnected even though technology can bring us closer and closer together.It leads one to wonder whether loneliness is not just a bug of modern society, but rather a feature of it. All of this was of course increased during the pandemic when people not only felt isolated, but were in fact isolated. Social distancing only reinforced the sense of distance people already felt prior to the pandemic. Even in Scandinavia, which is supposed to be the  happiest place on Earth, people are still unhappy. And this unhappiness and disconnection can put us in survival mode. In the end, if all we are doing is surviving, can we ever be living? We are excited to welcome Unni Turrenttini. Unni is a best-selling and award-winning author, international speaker, and loneliness and connection expert. Her work is about helping people find deeper connection and belonging, so that they can thrive in their personal and professional lives. What's really powerful about our conversation is Unni takes us not only into the realms of how to talk about belonging and connection, but also how to articulate their importance in and for businesses (you know those places where adults spend most of their time) and what it means to create experiences around belonging such as optimizing the organization for the employee as a person. 

The home buying process is not great. And while it might not ever be great, it should be better than it is. While home may or may not be where the heart is, the home is definitely where the stress starts. The whole venture of buying a home is a pain from start to finish. Anyone who has been through this knows what I'm talking about. The financing, the searching, the bidding, the waiting, the closing, the moving, the unpacking, and maybe eventually the settling. Oh and of course the upkeep. So what should be something that creates excitement and joy can end up being full of anxiety and dread.Today's guest is Liz Rossof, who has approached the home buying process from more of a punk rock perspective. Being an art student of the 1980s, she is not your typical real estate agent. Or maybe she is. All depends on what you think it means to be a real estate agent. And historically, it hasn't necessarily meant great things.The real estate industry has been full of situations like red lining, block busting, segregating, swindling, and profiteering. There is a lot out there that tells these stories.But Liz is trying to approach it from a different perspective. Rather than helping people buy houses, she is trying to get people to find homes and communities. We talk about this approach with her website the Denver Nook. We explore what it means to humanize the realtor experience. We use a customer experience framework with a performance art aesthetic to come up with something that works for those who in many ways are at their most financially vulnerable.And we talk about how cheetah prints can be part of the realtor uniform, but you can still rock it in your 50s. Finally, we discuss how your house never looks as good as it does the week before it goes on the market! So folks, clean your house like you are going to sell it if for no one else but yourself. 

There is the old saying that ‘necessity is the mother of invention.' This could be the slogan for education in the pandemic world. All educators were thrust into a situation that many vowed they would never do: teach online. But what could we do? It wasn't like there were a lot of options. We had to make due with what we had, and hope that it worked better than we hoped. At the same time, it isn't like learning online, or from videos, is new. We might even think that television shows that teach us how to make a recipe, build something, fix something, or do something new all are meant to bring learning to the masses. Today we can find the same kinds of content on YouTube, or TikTok, or a website. There is no shortage of online learning opportunities. The bigger challenge is how do educators create content that connects with changing audience preferences. What might work in a 80 minute class is not necessarily going to translate as an 80 minute video. Attention spans have shortened based on content that is consumed online, in 140 characters and 30 second increments. How do we then design educational materials that can maintain engagement and result in learning?To help us explore the creation of learning content in the age of distraction, we welcome Tim Slade. With a degree in criminal justice, Tim used to work catching shoplifters. Today, he works with educators and professional development leaders on how to create better learning experiences. We talk about the importance of microlearning, or chunking smaller bits of larger lessons. We also talk about how educators shouldn't suffer from shiny key syndrome, meaning that we shouldn't be taken in by new technologies just because they are new. We need to focus on what creates learning opportunities, while at the same time thinking about how to fit those opportunities into packaging that works. Finally, we talk about how we need friction in the learning process, and too much convenience and efficiency through technology can be bad for learning.

Here on Experience by Design, we like to think we are experts, or at least pretty knowledgeable, about the concept of culture. A couple of PhDs and training in ethnography will at least yield a working understanding of culture, as well as how it permeates all aspects of our lives. Regardless of how ubiquitous, it also is hard to nail down in terms of what it means. Just like a fish probably doesn't notice the water until it is out of it, we don't notice culture until we are in a different one, or it is really really bad. One way to think about culture, especially organizational culture, is chemistry. How do the elements mix together? What are the reactions? Are any of them adverse? Explosive? Caustic? Luckily to discuss all of this is a person with a chemistry background, as well as expertise in customer experience. Karl Sharicz is founder of Horizon CX, as well as the author of CX-PRO: A Practical Guide for the New Customer Experience Manager. Along with all of this, he also launched his own CX certification course. But as he will tell you, good CX is about much more than the customer. We talk to Karl about his systems-based approach to CX. We explore how to evaluate organizational culture through the interview process. We also discuss the potential impacts of technology on customer experience, and how it doesn't necessarily mean improvements for customers. Finally, we talk about how it is important that we focus on servicing customers versus servicing metrics. 

It might seem like an obvious statement, but different kinds of environments require different kinds of designs. Thinking about my kids for instance. As they got older, their tastes and interests changed, which as a result changed their room decor. One of my daughters is always seeking to ‘level up' her room schwag, looking for design ideas to reflect who she is as a person, and who she aspires to be. Perhaps we can all identify with this part of adolescence. The posters, the black lights, the hanging beads, the lava lamps. Maybe even an Iron Butterfly silk wall hanging. So regardless of what kind of environment we are talking about, we need to think about what would be the best design for that environment. A classroom is different from a doctor's office. A law office is different from a lingerie store. A movie theater is different from a mortuary. How then might we design interior environments to support the experiences we are trying to create and encourage?Today in the Experience by Design Studio, we welcome Carolyn Boldt. Carolyn has over 40 years of experience designing interiors for commercial industries, and is the Co-Founder of CrossFields, an interior design and architecture firm. One area in particular she works in is chiropractic offices. We talk about how she approaches her work in general, and how designing chiropractic offices provides unique challenges and opportunities. She describes how she tries to help her clients attract their ideal customers through the spaces she creates. We also talk about her online course on design and how to create the proper environments for the best experiences. There are three to six thousand decisions that have to be made in order to open an office, and her course helps to manage that process. It is a great conversation about how she went from decorating Barbie Playhouses to doctor's offices, how the space stations led to a career designing interiors, and how if you are not designing intentionally, you are doing it wrong. 

What is business all about? Is it about profit? Or people? Or both? Another question we can ask is why is there the belief that if you are profitable, then you cannot be people focused, or even people concerned. Such a philosophy is going to seep into every aspect of workplace culture, creating a situation in which people are not only disconnected from the organization, but from each other. One of the things that early sociologists explored is the way that people become disconnected from one another in modern industrial society. The bonds that used to tie us together are now severed. We enter into relationships with other from a purely transactional point of view. We work because we are paid, not because we believe in what we are doing, or are supporting one another. And as was said in the movie Office Space, “That will make you work just hard enough not to get fired.”So, the question becomes how do we create this new workplace culture, or employee experience, that will facilitate these connections. Not only does this make us feel better, but also work better. Rather than calling managers, maybe we need to rethink of the role as facilitator, helping people to achieve better versus threatening them to do better. Or, in summary, make work more human. Today in the Experience by Design Studio, we're excited to welcome Tony Martignetti. Tony is a leadership coach and consultant who specializes in helping leaders and teams navigate change. And leadership is all about navigating the interface between self and other. We dive into strategies around being authentic at work, the need for feeling safe to express oneself, and overcoming the challenge to prioritize collective leadership over individualism. It's chock full of good advice for creating sustainable, intentional leadership focused on lasting impact. And with that, let's get to it.

Before, our work lives were defined by our relationship with the brands we worked for. Growing up in Detroit, a person might be a “Ford person” or a “GM person”.  The same can be said for those who worked for Mary Kay or Tupperware. Through our association with the brand, we gained a sense of self that was enriched by that association. Today, people are feeling the pressure to become their own brands. We seek not to just influence those people with whom we come into direct contact, but everyone everywhere all at once. Being an influencer is exhausting. Or at least it seems to be when looking at those who are fully engaged in it. Constantly putting content on various social media channels. Responding and replying to other people's posts. Creating and curating a digital experience for them that communicates who you are, or better put how you want to be seen. One of the ironies in all of this is the struggle of appearing authentic when we are portraying ourselves. Today in the Experience by Design Studio, we're excited to welcome Vladimer Botsvadze. Vladimir is a digital marketing and social media content machine. A global digital marketing expert, he has worked with top brands and executives worldwide, guiding them to drive growth and position their brands as market leaders. As a mentor to startups and a judge at the Webby Awards, Vladimer brings a wealth of knowledge on creating business opportunities, running businesses, and leveraging social media channels to build your brand.  He's also passionate about communication, and believes it to be the backbone of success. As we discuss in the episode, he put in years of 16 hour days dedicated to building his craft and a strong online presence across social media platforms. With this in mind, we dig in on what are the characteristics of good content, how do we create community around content. Vladimir also walks us through his marketing strategies and mindset for creating with curiosity and persistence in ways that capture attention and make lasting impact.

It is not like we need a building in which to teach. Thinking back to Socrates, he was conducting his teaching in an open-air market, influencing younger generations to the point where he was forced to drink hemlock. At the same, a good educational structure can help. I have taught in a variety of environments, and have seen educational technology go from transparencies to PowerPoints and now Open AI. I have taught in amphitheater set ups, rooms with rolling desks, long tables, and small conference rooms. I've had chalkboards and white boards and smart boards. I've been in old building and new buildings and everything in between. The question always remains how best to create a structure in which teachers and students can come together to create learning experiences. There is a saying in design that all design projects are political, involving different stakeholders, points of view, and institutional power. Designing educational environments is no different. Working for about a quarter century in higher ed has taught me that when going into an educational design project, we need to be prepared to blend the old and the new, the young and the established, the administration and faculty, corporate and academic, and many other groups. This makes the process of creating a design very arduous before the cornerstone is laid.Today in the Experience by Design Studio, we're excited to welcome Mary Ruppenthal. Mary is a registered architect, an ESG advocate and associate principal at HED, one of the oldest and largest architecture and engineering firms in the country. She oversees PreK-12 and community education projects at HED and is a specialist in flexible and adaptive learning environments and incorporating wellness into educational and space design.In today's conversation we set a baseline around the rise of mental health and wellness in not just educational spaces, but spaces for everyday life. Think schools not just as educational centers, but as community centers that can serve families as well as students. We also explore designing with and for nature, such as biophilic design, and also like nature, we explore dynamism in design such as spaces that can change and adapt to different size groups and informational changes on screens.

While technology may make it seem like we are constantly connected, the truth is that in many ways we have never been more disconnected from one another. The same devices that can bring the world to our fingertips can at the same time drive a barrier in between real moments of authentic connection. In many ways, this divorces us from ourselves regarding our true human nature. As human beings, we not only crave connection but also need connection. While Maslow put love and belonging in the middle of his pyramid, we could easily argue it should be at the top. Or at least, without feelings of belonging and connection, can we ever truly be our selves. For experience designers, we should be wondering how we can create experiences that provide for connection and belonging. As social scientists, none of this is new for we have long recognized the fundamental need for connection. However, in a society like the US that seems to prioritize the individual, we can forget that we can't have an individual without a social. The trick then is how might we turn spaces into conduits for connection and belonging. Or, in order words, how do we reverse the ongoing atomization of our lives.Today in the Experience by Design Studio, we have the honor of delving into the world of event planning and harnessing serendipity with our special guest, David Adler, CEO of Bizbash.Throughout our conversation, we'll be diving into the details of soft power, collaboration, and emotional contagion. We'll explore how David's insights can help us create new opportunities and possibilities that might not otherwise exist. David is a pioneer in understanding the power of collaboration artists and how they can generate unique ideas and solutions while mobilizing diverse networks towards common goals. We'll also explore his thoughts on fostering collaboration and innovation, intergenerational interaction, and the impact of technology on our social connections. Oh and how to have a good Jeffersonian dinner party.It's a great convo we can't wait to share, so sit back, relax, put your tray tables in an upright position and get ready to explore the art of experience by design with our guest David Adler.

Much of our lives, especially in organizations, is governed by process. In fact, organizations can be evaluated based on how mature their processes are. Technological systems are set up to implement processes that employees are supposed to follow. At the same time, process can be a killer of innovation. When we are wedded to processes, we can lose sight of the practices that people can employ to make customer experiences better. Thus we end up in a tension between process and practice, the established ways of doing things and the emergent skills of how things get done. And there are a lot of choices in how we get things done. Technological advances like generative AI, chat bots, and other shiny objects can create the perception that all we need to do to improve our processes and outcomes is just adopt a new technology. In all of these considerations can be lost a key element to customer success: people. It is in the ideas of people and the voices of people that we can find solutions.Or as Simon Sinek has said, if you don't understand people, you don't understand business.Today on Experience by Design to help us explore the intersection of process, practice, and people is Rick Denton. Rick is the founder and lead for EX4CX, or Execution for Customer Experience. Rick is a long-time customer experience advisor, as well as a keynote speaker and podcaster for the CX Passport Podcast - a weekly talk with guests about customer experience and travel. As a consultant, he has been able to work with such companies as Hilton, Bose, CapitalOne, and Dell.How can we use technology for the betterment of our customers? E.g., we talk about rethinking displaying information, like if I have to change a flight, the app or website clearly shows what I already paid, and what potential new costs will be before having to go through the checkout process. This way I can make better decisions. The point is to understand what people need and design for that. Not for what your board or even you alone think is best.

When I was growing up, I used to hear a lot of commercials for a group called The Starving Artists Group. The ad would talk about how you could go to a local mall and get paintings and other art work really cheap, because after all the artists were starving and apparently desperate to find food. It also was not a good ad for going into the arts. Afterall, who wants to starve?But we also cannot deny the importance of the arts, and the essential element of the arts in driving our creativity and even human nature. We can say that the further we get away from our artistic nature, the further we get from our human nature. The trick is then, when doing corporate work, how do we stay in our artistic and creative nature? And how can we remain being artists without starving?To help us break down the creativity, art and making a living conundrum, we're excited to welcome to the Experience by Design studios Maximillian Piras, a senior product designer at Headliner. Headliner is a platform that helps podcasters repurpose their content to expand their audience reach and creative output.Headliner is not just an app to help you turn longer form content into shorter form clips. Rather, their goal is to help you “repurpose your purpose,” by creatively redefining content for different audiences and outlets. In our social media laden world, creators have the challenge of fitting one form of content into many forms of medium. By using the suite of Headliner tools, creators can be freed from the mundane aspects of this process, allowing them to focus on their artistic and creative sides. We'll dive into the innovator's dilemma, which is about balancing sustaining vs disruptive innovation, the challenges and opportunities of AI for creativity, and the power of art to help us reframe problems. There's a ton of great ideas across this conversation and we can't wait to share it.  

We've all heard the saying that change is hard, but it is more than that. Change is not only hard, but can be threatening, as well as inevitable. Change is something that takes place naturally, and is impossible to stop. When things change around us and we fail to change with it, then what was once familiar can now feel foreign. While before we might have felt like we belonged, now we can feel out of place. These outcomes can be especially true when change is rapid and sudden, as well as something that we are not wanting to have happen. We can see this in the way that societies change, and how parts of society can resist and rebel against those changes. But, regardless of whether we want change to occur or not, change will happen.The workplace has been undergoing tremendous change of late. From the COVID and work from home, to global teams, to technological transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and shareholders versus stakeholders, much has been discussed and done in terms of how work and organizations should change. If change is threatening and scary, then how do we make it less threatening? And how do we get structures to change that have for a long time resisted change? To discuss these questions and more, we welcome Paul ter Wal, who started the consulting company Team ANDARE to the Experience by Design studios. We discuss how to keep the human at the center of the organization such as viewing orgs as groups of human beings vs people as a human resources problem. We also explore shifts in mindsets where companies can optimize working environments for employees.A big part of Paul's work is the use of Positive Psychology toward creating a sense of place and purpose in organizations. His approach involves facilitating people to do work, rather than managing them. Rather than thinking of change as a goal, we should think about developing instead. Taking it slow and one step at a time can lead the way turning in an entirely new direction. Developing sounds like a more natural and welcomed process rather than an abrupt one. By helping to support the people in organizations, the organizations themselves will benefit in the long run. Finally, we talked about Gen X as the forgotten generation.

Gary was part of the first generation to have home video games, and can still remember his Odyssey game console while everyone else was getting an Atari. You might say that left a mark. But he also remembers the fun that you could have just by sitting in front of the television, or computer, and playing some video games. As the games evolved, so did the fun. New consoles and new games meant better graphics, enhanced video, and bigger challenges. Even today he can say with pride that I did knock out Mike Tyson in that video game.We might say that the “game” has definitely changed in video game design. Video games today can look like movies, and play like them too. Rich narratives, development characters, seemingly live action, complicated controllers that let you feel like you are part of the game itself. All of it has come together to make the gaming industry a multi-billion dollar enterprise with expanded job opportunities, AAA design studios, and an ever-increasing universe of games to play.This raises the question of how are these games designed to create great experiences? Additionally, what are the potential challenges and issues with the ways in which games have been designed from perspectives that are not diverse.To discuss these questions and more, we welcome Dr. Jess Tompkins to the Experience by Design studios. We were able to see Jess speak at the 2023 SXSW conference on a panel on diversity in game design. Jess is the UX Research Director at Skeleton Key, a game design studio. She also has a PhD in Media Psychology, with a dissertation that explored the social psychological effects of video games and avatars on self-identified women. At Skeleton Key, she pursues a human-centric approach to game design, using player data and insights to create the best games possible.We explore how video game design is evolving to be more inclusive. We also discuss how video games can be the foundation for forming online communities. She emphasizes the importance of user-centered and participatory design frameworks to be more responsive to player needs and wants, as well as to think about the larger impacts that games can have on people's psyches. Finally, we discuss how there is an emerging and growing demand for video games to tell more diverse stories that represent cultures of the world, especially as video games continue to grow globally.

Good health is one of the things that we value as most important in our lives. When other tragedies strike, people often will remark that at least they have their health. And even when all other things are going well, being in poor health (even momentarily with a minor illness) can completely through us out of balance. But despite the importance of  our health, our relation to and understanding of our health can be pretty limited. Healthcare literacy and patient literacy continues to be a challenge for most people. And there can be a lot to understand and keep up with giving that healthcare information continues to change as new things emerge (like pandemics), new discoveries are made, and new products are marketed.So the challenge becomes how do we communicate healthcare information to help providers, patients, and caregivers in their efforts to achieve better healthcare outcomes.Today's guest on Experience by Design to help us address these questions is Kristie Kuhl, Global Managing Director of Health and Wellness at the Zeno Group. Kristie began her career as an attorney, but before that majored in art history. We discuss how her beginnings as an art history major helped her understand the complexities and nuances of meaning. She channels this understanding to think about how people receive messages and information, recognizing the importance of meeting them where they are. Her legal background ironically helped understand the need to have clear representation of meaning and the need to communicate in ways that people understand. And her concern for people and desire for positive health outcomes has helped to bring both of her worlds together at the Zeno Group.We talk about her journey into the world of healthcare communication and what she has learned in the process. We explore how diagnosis is an emotional moment, and that healthcare products are often ones that no one really wants to buy.  We talk about the need to stylize communication for different communities, cultures, and generations. Finally we talk about the importance of communication training for people who have knowledge, and how to connect content to an audience's humanity. 

Anyone who is in education knows the challenge that exists when we are trying to deliver content that connects with students. It can be hard to remember that the material that exists us might not be that exciting for the students. Although, I do find it hard to imagine that sociological theory isn't fascinating for everyone. At the same time, there is plenty of academic and scholarly material that I find completely indecipherable. When you read this material, you can see how it is confusing, lengthy, and perhaps even boring. Academics write for other academics, and when dealing with students who are not academic, the question becomes how do you get them excited, interested, and keep their engagement. The answer in many ways is pretty simple. As with any population, you have to speak their language. Or if not be fluent in their language, at least communicate in a way that they understand. In other words, you have to be learner-centric in your approach.Today's guests on Experience by Design have a strategy that might just help in this area. Emily Ritter knows the challenge of connecting with students.  As a PhD in political science that explores human rights, domestic conflicts, and international relations, her work is relevant to the major issues of our time. But even that can get lost on students who can't wade through text books and journal articles. And imagine that compounded when trying to share complex ideas with policy makers and the broader public. To solve this problem, her and her graphic artist husband Darick combined their super powers and started Sequential Potential, a company that takes educational content and turns it into comic books and graphic novels. The results are a stunning depiction and portrayal of academic concepts and content in a way that is accessible to readers of all ages. Emily is joined by doctoral candidate in history Travis Hill, who also is a comic book creator and Sequential Potential employee. Together, we explore the challenge of creating academic content that connects with audiences. Their mission is to help all people understand the processes and evidence of rigorous research and connect those findings to their own lives. In an era of “did my research,” we definitely need more voices that can bring rigorous research into the public sphere in an accessible way. And Sequential Potential shows us one way of doing it.It was a fascinating and frankly inspirational talk about how to bring academic material to the mainstream through the universal language of comics. 

Here at Experience by Design, you might not be surprised to find that interior design is not our strong suit. We really don't know what colors go with what motifs, what furniture matters (outside of comfort), how to create flow and space, and anything else that interior designers may consider when going about creating the environments that we inhabit. It turns out that there is much more to interior design and creating environmental experiences that one might assume. The carbon footprint cost of interior design can be high, and interior spaces of offices can be primary contributors (or culprits). Thus, we might miss the environmental costs of our environments. And it turns out that creating change in how we think about our interior spaces and consume products in relation to them is a lot more difficult than changing our furniture and wall hangings. To help us address these issues, we welcome to the Experience by Design studios Jon Strassner. Jon is a Chief Sustainability Office . He comes to this job after a longer period of time trying to raise awareness and behavioral change around environmental sustainability and the climate. In this episode, we explore how he approaches his role of creating awareness to create more environmentally sustainable designs. We discuss the balance between overwhelming people with information against failing to act quickly enough, getting enough people on board for scale impact, and introducing enough friction to get people to act. It's tricky, but what Jon shares with us is right in line with an ethnographer's point of view - you need to take a holistic view. 

The idea of pleasing customers goes back as far as the beginnings of human history. A 3,800 year old clay tablet with cuneiform writing from the city of UR is perhaps our evidence of customer complaints. A man named Nanni complained about the quality of copper he received to Ea-Nasir, along with issues with subsequent delays. A quote from the tablet says, “What do you take me for, that you treat somebody like me with such contempt?” The letter goes on from there with complaints about the lack of customer service and experience. In fact, this might be the world' first Yelp review.So clearly customer service and experience are not new concepts, even if they are relatively new terms. Why then does it seem like we are still struggling in the same way that Nanni struggled. Despite various technological advances, why does it still seem like in many ways customers are moving backward in terms of their experiences? Is the Customer Experience movement helping or hindering the creation of good customer experience? And perhaps most interestingly, on a scale of 0 to 10 how likely was Nanni to recommend the copper vendor Ea-Nasir to his friends and family?To explore these questions, and many more, we welcome Alex Mead to the Experience by Design studios. Alex is well known in CX circles for his strong positions and ideas on what the field of customer experience needs, as well as what companies need to do to create better experiences. Alex knows that to improve customer experience, you have to start with employee experience. Companies often fail to conduct a systems analysis to get to the root cause of their issues. And if they do, they seldom want to hear the results and actually act on them. The outcome is a replay of the same kinds of issues that Nanni had to deal with 3,800 years ago.Alex takes us through his EPIC framework for customers, which stands for Easy, Personalized, Intuitive, and Contextual. We also talk about his TIME framework for employees, standing for Time, Information, Motivation, and Empowerment. Ultimately, we need to focus on delivering the experiences that people want, and not the ones we force them into. It was great to hear Alex's decades of experience dealing with employees and customers, and trying to build better connections between them. 

In today's data saturated world, businesses are looking for ways to cut through the noise, and consumers are looking to feel seen and heard. Tools and techniques from the social sciences like Anthropology and Sociology can help organizations thrive in today's complex world by focusing on people's lived experience in context. Learning to see connections from an experience standpoint reveals often implicit rules and relationships that shape how and why trends and ideas matter. Audiences will take away how to understand customers more holistically, integrate experience and systems design thinking ethically, and build more sustainable and authentic relationships. We'll explore how aligning experience and brand charts the future through transparency, sustainability, responsible tech and more.Travel with Adam and Gary, along with previous guest Jen Briselli, to the 2023 South by Southwest event for their session "Customers in Context: Social Science for Marketers." A packed room of over 300 were on hand to hear about how social science can be essential to designing brand experiences. Listeners will hear how to receive a special summary of the event, with tips and ideas on how to think like a social scientists when creating brand experiences.This episode brought to you by the Experience Research Society (EXPRESSO)

Designing for an international audience can provide challenges to the experience designer. If we are going to design with the cultural norms and expectations in mind, how do we handle when the number of cultures we are catering to seems to always increase? This also is a major challenge when living in a multicultural society where we have people from many different backgrounds. At least in that situation, we might have a national culture we can orient to. But what then about living in an international city, where people from all over are constantly arriving, each with their own sense of what is a “moment that matters” or what constitutes a “wow” and transformative experience? And of course, national culture is only part of that equation. We also can think of wealth cultures, religious cultures, age cultures, gender cultures, recreation and hobby cultures, and the list goes on and on. In the face of such complexity, the impulse can either be to turn and run, or to oversimplify to the point so that all these groups are reduced to a least common denominator which serves no one in particular.Today on Experience by Design, we are happy to welcome Kiran Varri, current CX consultant and formerly of ITC, the international luxury hotel chain. Kiran has had his own international journey. Growing up in India, he then went to university in Dallas, TX. And if that wasn't enough culture shock, he then found himself working in Dubai. In the midst of all these travels, he has gotten to know a bit about working across cultures, and how to leverage those challenges to create vital opportunities.In our conversation, we discuss how multicultural workgroups are the key to designing international experiences.  We explore how ‘intercultural frolicking' is vital to unlocking experience designs that resonate with audiences. We also talk about how building a common and shared culture from is like the US motto E Pluribus, Unum, or Out of Many, One. By allowing people to showcase their talents, they can find new ideas through their shared creativity. Out of this we raise the larger question, How do we foster cultures of more openness and acceptance, and not to lose our focus on the importance of being human.This episode brought to you by EXPRESSO, the Experience Research Society.

In a media environment where we are beset on all sides by messages, it can be hard to connect with your audiences. More challenging still is educating and impacting. We are all familiar with ads on television for different medications, from restless leg syndrome to depression to atrial fibrillation to skin problems to Wilfred Brimley “diabetus” advertisements, it is easy to feel uneasy about our health. It raises the question of whether the purpose of these ads is to educate or to convince that we indeed need to “speak to our doctor” about a certain drug despite the quickly-spoken side effects. Even when focused on “human-centered” design, it is easy to lose the human in the drive for profit. Not that there is anything wrong with making a profit, but when that becomes the sole driver, then all other considerations can take a backseat to that goal. To create a successful marketing and branding experience, it is not just about convincing, but also connecting. And as our media and social environments continue to change, we have to be innovative in how we create content that connects with people in a way that makes them feel cared for. Today on Experience by Design, we are pleased to welcome Wanda Toro Turini of Ketchwords and Rock-It Fuel. Wanda has built a career around innovating how people connect with their target audiences. Her interest in helping people led her to get a Doctorate in Pharmacology. And her passion for innovation and entrepreneurship led her to work with Novartis as a Sales Specialist and innovating in eBusiness. This path ultimately led her to exploring how to optimize how we connect with people through leveraging the power of new technologies to create more engaging content. We explore the concepts of awareness versus education in marketing and content creation. She tells us about her move from the pharmacy to sales to entrepreneurship, and what she learned from each along the way. We discuss why we need an outside perspective to help us see what we can do for others, and how to create systems to deliver on that promise. Finally, we talk about shamanic journeys and strategic meditation, and what a long strange trip it's been.This was the first in our series of ExD Live, hosted by the ever affable Michael Kirkpatrick on location at Centric Park in beautiful downtown Newburyport, Massachusetts. Centric Park provides experience design and rapid innovation for great companies committed to customer centricity. 

One of the lessons of the pandemic is raising the relevance of the workplace as a physical location in which people come together to accomplish their tasks. There are numerous stories of empty locations and attempts by employers to bring people back. Some of these attempts involve enticements, while others involve threats. Both speak to the growing question of what does the workplace provide to us that we cannot get working at home? And how might we design workplaces that people want to be at?To create a better workplace, the workplace designer has to embrace the experience design mindset. Workplaces are not just about utility, but about the experiences they provide and the vision they represent. The cubicle farm of some workplaces tells you what is thought of workers, especially one devoid of life, growth, and hope. We form an emotional attachment to the work spaces that we inhabit. Whether it's a home office, a cozy corner of the library, or a bustling cubicle in a bustling office, our work spaces become an extension of ourselves. We come to rely on their familiarity, the way that the light cascades through the window or the smell of the coffee machine in the break room. It's not just the physical attributes of our work spaces, though; there's an emotional attachment that develops, too. Space and place come to mean something.Today on Experience by Design, we are pleased to welcome Doug Shapiro, of Imagine a Place Podcast and Vice President of Research and Insights at OFS Furniture. Doug talks to us about how we need to develop more creativity as a society in order to face the challenges that we have in front of us. Creativity is not just the future of work, but the future of our world. He describes the strong connection between place, health, and productivity. We dig into how the design of an environment has to reflect the different types of people that exist in that place, and speak to them all in their own way.The workplace needs to be different in order to support what is important to do in person, namely connect, laugh, and create new ideas. As plants need sunlight to grow, so do we. And beyond that, we need a fertile environment in which we feel cared for, nurtured, and welcome. Ultimately, we need to think about the soul of the workplace, and how to create one that creates a culture that supports the flourishing of those who work there.And also how laughter might be the best metric of success of all, and how a closet full of wigs might be the key to changing corporate culture. 

In experience design, there is design thinking, design doing, and design strategizing. Seldom do all three things come together in one package. This clearly presents a problem. Thinking isn't enough without the doing. And doing isn't enough without a strategy for what we are doing and why we are doing it. How to tie these things together becomes not just a challenge, but a requirement if you want your company to succeed long-term.Taking the messy, ephemeral aspects of how we go through life - expectations, memories, senses - and turn those into strategic points for organizational action. And it is not just about having organizational action, but more importantly organizational impact. The question becomes in what ways are the experiences we design impactful? And how do we have impact that has larger meaning and connected to a greater purpose? Changing behavior is hard because it is easy to come back to the old behaviors. With old behaviors comes predictable outcomes. In a world where change is needed, we can no longer abide by predictable outcomes.Today on Experience by Design, we are very excited to have Dr. Aga Szostek. Aga is one of the foremost experience design thinkers and strategists around. In 2021, she published The Umami Strategy: Stand Out by Mixing Business with Experience Design. She followed that up with Leadership by Design: A Guide to Transform You as a Leader in 2023. Central to all of her work is how to take complex ideas, couple them with theoretical frameworks, and turn them into actionable strategies. Her practical approach is inspired by a deeper knowledge that is built on her own unique path to her current work.In our conversation, we explore what is at the center of experience design as an emergent field. We discuss how she works as a type of Experience Therapist who helps her clients shift their worldview and strategy. Her Umami Strategy course is meant to help people find a way to do things that are meaningful to them, and can be meaningful to others. Rather than going for the big change, you can go for 1000 small changes. Once people see that change is possible, then you give them confidence to make those bigger changes. Ultimately, every experience designer is a person who wants to fix the world. Through her perspective and work, Aga definitely is on a mission to deliver on that promise.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being an experience designer, or a designer of any kind, is the opportunity to make unexpected connections in order to deliver new experiences. Often this starts in our backgrounds of study. Because there are so few programs targeted in experience design, the majority of designers combine their educational background in different ways, practicing a strange type of professional alchemy that results in creativity and innovation. And if you talk to an experience designer, which we do a lot here at Experience by Design, you often get the same kind of response, “I don't know how I got here, but I'm sure glad that I did!” One of the best thing about doing the podcast is the opportunity to explore those diverse backgrounds and journeys, tracing the circuitous routes that many of us take to get here. While it will be a good thing to at some point have experience design programs that train experience design professionals, it will be unfortunate if we lose the spirit that comes from the diverse journeys.Today on Experience by Design, we are glad to have consultant and experience designer Jaci Badzin. Jaci brings with herself a range of personal and professional experiences that she combines to make memorable experiences. We talk about her affinity for backgammon, her training as a dancer, her knowledge of gymnastics, her working with some of the biggest brands around, and her work running her own experience design company. We also talk about how constraints are the possibility for creativity. When you don't have the budget, you can see what you do have. When you don't have the space, you can see how to best use the space you have. When you don't have the staff, focus on the skills of the people you do have. Her role is to bring the parts together in unique ways, and be the conductor of the experience orchestra.Jaci also thinks she has some idea on how to make academic conferences less boring, which would be her greatest achievement of all!